Since opening, the new Café Bateel in Riyadh’s Olaya district has become “the” place to go in the capital. The place to be seen! And for me, the place to enjoy some cool drinks, delicious food and unbelievable desserts.
I have been a fan of Bateel since its beginnings in Riyadh; in 2013, I reviewed the first Café Bateel, which opened on Tahlia Street. Its new location, however, is on a rooftop overlooking the heart of the capital’s shopping district and is in a league of its own. Bateel deserves to be where it is: On a summit! I have always admired the passion, professionalism and inventiveness of this brand, which is dedicated to giving us the best dishes from that Arab staple — dates.
Bateel has an eclectic menu, which includes some superb date specialties. During a recent visit, I noticed the popularity of the Bateel signature “qahwa,” the traditional cardamom-flavored Arabic coffee.
Coffee in a “dallah” flask is on most tables; it is accompanied by a platter of organic rutab dates from the Bateel date farms. Rutab is the name given to the date when the fruit begins to soften, loses its astringency and acquires a darker color. Once a date reaches the tamr stage, it becomes drier whereas the rutab date is moist and melts in the mouth.
Signature drinks and breakfast
Another signature drink includes the “date affogato” which is served as a milk shake, blending vanilla ice cream, milk, dates and espresso. I enjoy the creamy and silky texture of this drink but I still prefer the real affogato, the ultimate simple dessert. All that involves is drenching scoops of vanilla ice cream with strong black coffee. In fact, affogato literally means “drowned.” This Italian dessert is a duo of opposites, with cold vanilla ice cream with hot dark espresso, swirled for a moment of bliss.
On a number of occasions, I have tried the Bateel sparkling date and pomegranate. This bubbly drink is absolutely delicious on its own or eaten with food.
Café Bateel in Olaya opens from 7:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Breakfast is not taken lightly, and there is something to suit every taste. Eggs Benedict is not for the diet-conscious but it is delicious. There is a wide variety of breakfast food including waffles, French toast, muffins, croissants and date Bircher muesli, a mixture of muesli, chopped dates, grated apples, low-fat yogurt and fresh mixed berries.
Bateel’s breakfast signature dishes include the Bateel shakshouka (eggs poached in a sauce made with tomatoes, onions, bell pepper and topped with feta cheese). There is also the Bateel Levant, which consists of a typical Arabic breakfast of foul, labneh, grilled halloumi, olives, mint, tomatoes and Arabic bread.
Mains and date-inspired desserts
Among the main dishes, I noticed the succulent duck confit which is a piece of duck cooked in its own fat and stored in a pot covered in the same fat to preserve it. The confit is one of the oldest methods of preserving food and it is a specialty of southwestern France.
Bateel’s selection of pasta includes some original recipes. Salmon ricette is served with Norwegian salmon, roasted bell pepper in a lightly spiced Madras curry sauce; spicy torcetti is an unusual mix of black lentils, cherry tomatoes, baby mozzarella and coriander in a spicy tomato sauce.
You might like to try the Bateel club sandwich, made with classic whole wheat bread or the original Bateel date bread. Other sandwiches filled with chicken, salmon or cheese are served in a variety of breads, bagels or panini; the menu also features a variety of quiches.
The selection of desserts includes a superb choice of pastries. I particularly enjoy cakes made with dates: they are often very creative and always good.
The “khidri date opera” is based on the classic French “opera cake”, a pastry created in 1955 by Cyriaque Gavillon, a talented chef from Dalloyau, a famous pastry shop in Paris. The original opera cake is made with thin layers of almond cake interspersed with a layer of espresso-flavored buttercream and a layer of bittersweet chocolate ganache. The Bateel version consists of a layer of date buttercream instead of the espresso cream.
Bateel’s dhibs (date syrup) mille-feuille is based on the classic layered pastry filled with a date-flavored cream. The “sour cherry and pistachio dream” is a creamy pistachio mousse paired with a tangy sour cherry jelly on a layer of Genoa cake, a rich sponge made with ground almonds.
The “kholas pecan pie” consists of pecans and kholas dates laced with dhibs and baked in a crispy dough. Ask the waiter to serve it warm; I like it with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
For chocolate lovers, there is the sublime Madagascar dark chocolate cake, an explosion of flavors with the crispy praline and the silky Madagascan chocolate mousse characterized by an exceptional fruitiness offset by an intense cocoa kick. You can enjoy it with a “thé du hammam”, a sublime combination of Chinese green tea flavored with roses, green dates, red fruit and orange flower water.
Whenever you have the blues, all you need to do is take the elevator to Café Bateel and enjoy one of the most outstanding gastronomic experiences in Riyadh.
Time to make a date with Café Bateel
Time to make a date with Café Bateel
