Balboa Cafe is about a 5 minute walk from Shimokitazawa's South exit.
At lunchtime, there are 3 lunches to choose from, no other menu. The day I was there the choices were: Spaghetti with 'nama' ham and mushrooms, Penne with Parmesan and herbs (and onions), and some type of fish/seafood pasta.
Lunch set A (with bread and coffee) was 950 yen
Lunch set B (with bread, coffee, and salad or dessert) was 1240 yen
The atmosphere was nothing special. With just a little work, it could look like a real Italian cafe. But, it was just too plain, there was little 'atmosphere'.
Salad choices were 'green' or 'tomato'. The green salad was a good size and there was a variety of ingredients. They also offered to top it with grated cheese. The tomato salad was smaller, but the tomatoes were soaked in an olive oil/vinegar dressing - they were fantastic.
For our lunches, we didn't try the Pescatore, but the other two pasta dishes were delicious! Although, I would not recommend this Penne if you dislike onions, it was full of them.
The food was extremely good, I didn't leave feeling like I wanted to visit again. The staff was not that friendly, and as I mentioned above, the atmosphere left something to be desired.
At lunchtime, there are 3 lunches to choose from, no other menu. The day I was there the choices were: Spaghetti with 'nama' ham and mushrooms, Penne with Parmesan and herbs (and onions), and some type of fish/seafood pasta.
Lunch set A (with bread and coffee) was 950 yen
Lunch set B (with bread, coffee, and salad or dessert) was 1240 yen
The atmosphere was nothing special. With just a little work, it could look like a real Italian cafe. But, it was just too plain, there was little 'atmosphere'.
Salad choices were 'green' or 'tomato'. The green salad was a good size and there was a variety of ingredients. They also offered to top it with grated cheese. The tomato salad was smaller, but the tomatoes were soaked in an olive oil/vinegar dressing - they were fantastic.
For our lunches, we didn't try the Pescatore, but the other two pasta dishes were delicious! Although, I would not recommend this Penne if you dislike onions, it was full of them.
The food was extremely good, I didn't leave feeling like I wanted to visit again. The staff was not that friendly, and as I mentioned above, the atmosphere left something to be desired.
