fika

fika is a cafe at 104 Kabanbay Batyr Street in Almaty's Medeu District, in the Gold Square area of the city centre. The name comes from the Swedish custom of taking a coffee-and-pastry break, and the cafe applies that idea with a menu of brunch dishes, pastries and specialty coffee. It is aimed at lighter, lower-cost meals, with a typical spend of KZT 3,500-7,000 per person, and it is open daily from 08:00 to 23:00, covering breakfast through to an evening coffee. The dishes most associated with the cafe are syrniki, the Slavic fried cheese pancakes served sweet with sour cream or jam, a selection of pastries, and filter coffee. Syrniki are a familiar comfort food across the former Soviet region, and the cafe presents them in a contemporary brunch style. Specialty coffee is a growing part of Almaty's cafe scene, and filter brewing gives visitors who prefer a lighter cup an alternative to espresso drinks. The room is informal and suits solo visitors, remote workers and friends meeting for a long breakfast. Reservations are generally unnecessary, except around weekend brunch, when tables fill and a short wait is common. The Kabanbay Batyr Street location puts the cafe within walking distance of Panfilov Park, the Zenkov Cathedral and the pedestrian Zhibek Zholy area, so it is useful as a mid-morning stop on a walking route. The cafe is also close to other venues in the same neighbourhood, including Cafe Alma and Chef, which makes the area a good choice for visitors who want a choice of meals within a few minutes' walk. Prices are among the lowest of the cafes in the centre, and the opening hours make it dependable for early starts or late coffee.