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Writer's pictureWalter Ponce

Balila Lebanese Restaurant, Geneva - Review

Updated: Aug 14, 2023

Overall rating ★★★│Lebanese│Avg. 60-80 Euros pp│Hotel Longemalle, Geneva

Service: ★★★Food: ★★★★Location: ★★★★Price: ★★★Portions: ★★★★

On the first floor of the Hotel Longemalle, there is the beautiful neo-Lebanese restaurant. It's called Balila, coming from the traditional recipe that unites chickpeas in casseroles cooked with a pinch of cumin, peppers, garlic, cherry tomatoes, shallots and a floral bouquet.


I had the chance to be invited by the Geneva tourism board to try out Balila cuisine and I was totally in love with their decoration and their gastronomic skills.


Hence this fine, modern, tasty, mischievous and spicy menu, which revisits the classic flavors of Lebanon by lightening them. Hot and cold mezze with the exquisite hummus with turnip and cucumber pickles, moutabal or eggplant caviar with tehina and walnuts, the traditional fatteh revised with chicken and spicy yogurt or the exquisite balila are superb.

The main courses, which make way for fish from Lake Geneva, with pan-fried féra fillet with herbs with its “Bil Bassal” rice with fried onions, and revisit shawarma with its sesame taratour sauce, are devilishly addicting.


In addition to the plate, you will be charmed by the meticulous decoration, between velvet and transparencies, enhanced with light gilding, like an echo of the origin of the dishes. The plus: the terrace. On the balcony of the first floor of the Hotel Longemalle, one has the impression of being at home. But with 4 star service, the height of luxury and bliss.


Balila offers an unprecedented journey with flavors from the East, revisited with Western accents to be enjoyed in the magnificent dining room or on the sumptuous balcony overlooking Place Longemalle. A must try if you like to be in the middle of Geneva but at the same time eating the most Lebanese food possible. Balila Lebanese Restaurant Website: https://www.longemallecollection.com/en/le-longemalle/le-longemalle-restaurant2.html

Balila Lebanese Restaurant Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotellongemalle/

Balila Lebanese Restaurant Address: Pl. de Longemalle 13, 1204 Genève, Switzerland

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