Restaurant Les Roses — A Taste of Blida on Every Plate
Les Roses is Blida's most beloved family restaurant, serving generous portions of traditional Algerian cuisine — from slow-cooked lamb tagines to rose-petal pastries — in a vine-covered courtyard just off the main square.
22 July 2024
At a Glance
Tucked behind a wrought-iron gate just off the Place du 1er Novembre, Restaurant Les Roses has been feeding Blida's residents and visitors since 1987. The vine-draped courtyard — lit by hanging lanterns in the evening — feels a world apart from the street. Grandmother Fatima Belkhedim started the restaurant in a converted riad; her son Karim now runs it, but the recipes are still hers.
Cuisine: Algerian traditional / Mitidja regional Setting: Covered courtyard, 40 covers Price range: 800–1,800 DZD per person Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 12:00–15:30 and 19:00–22:30
Signature Dishes
Tagine Zitoune
The dish Les Roses is known for: lamb shoulder slow-braised for three hours with preserved olives, preserved lemon, and saffron from Aïn El Hadjar. The sauce is deep amber, barely thickened, and meant to be mopped with khobz dar (house bread baked in a clay oven out back). Order it when you arrive — it's made to order and takes 45 minutes.
Couscous Boufarik
Friday is couscous day. The Boufarik-style couscous — named for the market town 10 km north — uses finely rolled semolina and a broth enriched with seven vegetables and a piece of merguez. It arrives in a terracotta gasaa dish large enough for two.
Chakchouka Blidéenne
The Blida interpretation of the pan-North African egg-and-pepper stew adds a handful of local herbs — zaâtar, khliaa, and dried rose petals — that give it a faintly sweet, floral finish. Served at lunch only.
Rose Petal M'hencha
The dessert not to miss: a spiral of crispy warka pastry filled with almond paste, rose water, and crystallised rose petals from a family farm in the hills above Chiffa. Served warm, dusted with icing sugar.
Drinks
Traditional Algerian mint tea (atay) arrives without asking at the end of every meal. Fresh citrus juices — orange from Blida groves, clementine in winter, pomegranate in autumn — are made to order. No alcohol is served.
Getting There
A 5-minute walk from the Blida train station or a short taxi ride from anywhere in the city centre. Look for the wrought-iron gate with a painted rose sign; there's no large signage outside — it's found by reputation.
Tips
- Book ahead on weekends — the courtyard fills quickly, especially for Friday couscous
- Go at lunch for the full menu; evening service offers a shorter selection
- The kitchen closes sharply at closing time; they won't rush you but arrive before 22:00
- Ask for Karim's recommendation — he'll steer you toward whatever is freshest that day
Les Roses is cash only. There is no parking on Rue des Martyrs — use the public lot near the covered market.