Balcon 33 review: our verdict
Red neon lights against a white façade and fringe-laden lampshades that bathe the room in crimson: Balcon 33 cultivates a cabaret atmosphere that has made it a staple of the Corniche nightlife for over thirty years. You dine first, and after 11 p.m., the room transforms and the restaurant becomes a club with its dance floor.
It is the haunt of nostalgics and groups eager to dance to familiar hits in a place that has not sought to reinvent itself. The new generation may find the playlist dated and the atmosphere static: this is not the club for electronic sets or guest DJs. The house also has its rules, including no bags at the entrance and no photos inside, and the cuisine does not always justify its prices.
The trap: the menu lists prices excluding tax, with a 20% VAT added to the bill; do the math before ordering. The best time to come: arrive for dinner and stay when the venue switches to club mode. Note: they close at 3 a.m., and no one will remind you before selling you a bottle at 2:55.
