Balima

A welcoming boutique café in a charming Ottoman-style building, Balima is the perfect place to catch up with a friend or while away the afternoon with a good book. Inspired by the typical outdoor square cafes of Europe, the place is furnished with comfortable couches and chairs. The café is comprised of two parts, an outdoor terrace and art-deco inner lobby lined with mirrors.

The sophistication of the place is a reflection of the designer allure inherent to Saifi Village, also known as La Quartier des Arts due to the numerous galleries, antique stores and specialty boutiques located there.

The menu is French-inspired with fresh salads and sandwiches. Vegetables are picked from the farmer’s market in Souk al Tayyeb to make Balima’s salads and other dishes. The menu is comprehensive and caters offers meals throughout the day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It also includes a delicious dessert menu which includes a lip-smacking good honey cake and a variety of refreshing sorbets – perfect to beat the summer heat.

At night the restaurant becomes a cocktail lounge. Patrons love the croque-monsieur and Balima’s special blooming teas. Mostly Balima’s regulars profess a fondness for the atmosphere the place nurtures.

The typical crowd is varied from young students to businessmen. Families can be seen chowing down on Balima’s many healthy breakfast formulas- made with organic eggs – or individuals sitting on one of the outdoor couches drinking coffee and reading a good book. During the day the ambiance and cozy and comfortable, at night it is lively but still intimate.