Panadería Bab Al Madina review: our verdict
Before it becomes a café, Bab Al Madina is a bakery: display cases filled with croissants, breads, and fritters, a counter of rolled oriental pastries stuffed with pistachios, and rows of chocolate cakes. Breakfast draws from this stock, offering msemen, baghrir, eggs, fresh cheese, olives, and honey, served alongside a silver teapot and orange juice.
The house, located on rue d'Italie at the foot of the medina, mainly attracts locals, which is a good sign: fresh products, reasonable prices, and friendly service even when the dining room is packed. It is a place to stop early before work or before a day of sightseeing. It is not an address for a drawn-out brunch or for lunch: past midday, the menu shifts toward pizzas and sandwiches, which are less successful.
The dish to order: the full breakfast with msemen and baghrir, followed by a pastry to take away. The trap: arriving around 2 p.m. hoping for breakfast, as there is none left. The right slot: as early as 6 a.m., with a bit of patience when the service is overwhelmed.
