Still the best value in Bahrain - Haji's, open since 1950, Near Bab al Bahrain
So what do you do when all your belongings, recipe books and kitchen utensils are in Palawan and you are in hotels in Bahrain for 10 months? Go out to eat , of course. Ok , your prediction came true Kathleen !
I already wrote about my favourite 3 places to eat earlier this year :
https://thebritishkabayan.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-best-restaurants-in-bahrain.html
However as the year closes I complied my top ten for you, my dear readers.
Now, more than ever, they need your support. I know we have Talabat ( which I have NEVER used in 11 years) and other delivery firms. Many of you have started cooking at home too, when you realised how easy and cheap it was. But you deserve a treat now and then, and the restauranteurs of Bahrain need your support.
This year we lost some dear friends like Sultan of Meat, Lilou, Lanterns , TGI Fridays, and many more are hanging on with ever reducing numbers of customers.
Shakespeare & Co at Zallaq Springs
So lets start at Number 10- I have become a big fan of this franchise since Chester took me to the one in Doha in 2015, then Mark and I went to the one in Muscat earlier this year and I have now had 4 meals at the one in Bahrain with Steve Lever, Carl Max, Corleen and Co and alone.... Shakespeare & Co at Zallaq springs.
The setting is great ( we also tried Venice next door the other week and that was very good) with Flamingoes and Geese, plenty of sun, healthy menu and great staff. Its only number 10 as it went down hill recently- we had to send the lemon mint back and then we had Indian staff instead of the Philipino who served Steve and I and our big group on my "Farewell tour " of Bahrain.
My wonderful salad at Shakespeare & Co
If you visit make sure you check out the toilets and the interior which are wonderfully decorated in Doha, Muscat and Bahrain.
Number 9 is Fusions by Tala at the Gulf Hotel. It is only at 9 because sadly I could only eat there once this year due to COV19. I had planned to have my farewell party and 60th Birthday celebrations there back in September last year but they were not allowed to host large groups back then. This was one of the first restaurants I visited in 2010 when it was inside and the Restaurant Manager was Sunnuj Dean, now Director of Food and Beverage at the Gulf Hotel. Tala was a Bahraini who they sponsored, became a celebrity chef and when they rebuilt the restaurant on the roof, had the place take her name . The setting is amazing with views of the Grand Mosque and Gudabiya Palace, the food is superb and the staff very attentive. My special thanks to the lovely lady who took me there for my farewell dinner earlier this year!
" Her love affair with Bahraini dishes started at the age of six, when she would accompany her father to local markets and watch and listen as he taught her the secrets and flavours of cooking. Today, she carries on this tradition, venturing out to local farmer’s markets, hand selecting seasonal ingredients and capturing the ever-changing flavours unique to Bahrain.
Fusion’s by Tala is just that, a synergy of Middle Eastern cuisine and fine dining, where local cooking techniques and ingredients meet at the horizon of a culinary renaissance. "
Source : https://www.gulfhotelbahrain.com/Fusions%20by%20Tala ( accessed 9.12.21)
Number 8 is Paul the Baker, City Centre Mall
In the good old days I would go and visit my nephew Anis at Amouage and then go to Paul and order lunch and Anis would join me for a coffee and a chat. Then they closed Amouage ( across the Middle East , only now available in Oman ) and removed some tables from Paul to comply with the COV 19 Regulations. This included my favourite table for 4 by the window where I used to sit and eat and watch the Saudi boys go by. I remember on several occasions former Bapco colleagues passing and waking, or coming in for a chat. They all thought I had left Bahrain for the Philippines so it was always great to catch up. The mostly Pinoy staff were very attentive and looked very smart in white trainers, white trousers, aprons and chefs hats, but recently they changed the uniform and my favourite Pinoy server left. Since then I have not been back and they have slipped down to number 8 in my list. As I wrote in my earlier blog its very hard to be good consistently. However I love the location and the health food at Paul like the Quinoa Citrus salad with smoked salmon
" Quinoa Citrus Three colours quinoa mixed with pomegranate, edamame, avocado and mango, infused in citrus dressing, topped with your choice of: Smoked salmon 6.800 Grilled chicken 5.700 Poached or grilled shrimp 6.200"
Source: http://www.paularabia.com/img/cms/PAUL-Menu-jan2021-Bahrain-Main-English.pdf ( accessed 9.12.21)
The food is always beautifully presented and I am in love with their Banana bread, which makes what they call the perfect Meryenda ( snack) in Tagalog!
Number 7 is Red Croissant, Juffair Square
When I lived in Juffair at Al Hamra Hotel , Corleen introduced me to this small Phillipino bakery. The Pinay staff were so friendly and soon I became a suki ( regular customer) arriving at 7 am for breakfast in the sun on the terrace outside , with freshly filled croissants or whole meal baguettes, Orange juice with ice in crystal glasses and various cakes and freshly brewed coffee.
Breakfast in the Sun at Red Croissant Bakery in Juffair Square
Then I went to Dubai and Oman for 3 months and moved to Hidd on my return. I asked Corleen to collect breakfast from there on his way to deliver the laundry and he reported that all the staff had changed and the service was slow . I went back a few weeks later and they had run out of croissants and the coffee was bitter. Luckily I persisted and on the next two visits one of the original Filipinos returned from vacation and she explained they had to get rid of two staff they had so many complaints. She made fresh coffee and introduced me to their new cake range and hand wrote a note on the coffee cup ( " have a beautiful day") and my faith in Red Croissant was restored. However by then the Croissants ran out in the morning and they did not have an afternoon delivery like before, and the crystal glasses had been replaced by paper cups, likewise for the Hot Chocolate so that's why they are now down at number 7 on my list.
Number 6 is Thai seafood at Bussatein
Thai seafood at Bussatein, all lit up as usual but no customers
This one was a joint find! Corleen and I visited their stall at the FLY Food festival and Anis told us about the one in Bussatein and in spite of COV 19 we have been visiting ever since. Corleen and I, Anis and his daughter, Rew, Adam and my other Thai friends and Carl Max have all eaten there. The setting is great by the sea, we eat outside when we can and had a take away when Rew was not vaccinated. The Thai's love it, always a good sign, and its always deserted. You see the cars packed in outside but they are all going for the Japan's marshmallow pancakes next door ( which Corleen and I tried once and they were so rude they dont even appear on the list!) . The food is consistently good but the original Phillipino waitress and the Nepali boy left and they were my favourites. As usual when a restaurant in Bahrain loses customers they take it out on the staff replacing more expensive Pinoy staff with cheaper Indian ones which means less customers- catch 22! They have also reverted to plastic plates, cutlery and horrible plastic table cloths which blow everywhere in the wind. Leaving the car park is also a nightmare as the Talibat bikes and people getting pancakes block you in, so always reverse park next to the road!
Seafood starter for two
Number 5 is Tony Roma at Al Najma, Juffair
I thought this blog would be a simple one hour task. I had already scribbled my list on a pad in my car as I travelled around Bahrain, but deciding the order and finding the pictures was a lot harder, and took the best part of a day. It does not help that my HP laptop with most of my pictures is in for repair and I cannot access it. In the last 3 months my two laptops have both been in for serious repairs twice and I nearly lost all my data which I had not backed up since February when I bought this new laptop and cleared down the old one for use by my anaks in Palawan. So if you have not done it recently I urge you to back up all your devices. I have been transferring all the pictures and videos from my phone to my laptop and then to my external hard drive. In Dubai I will get another external HD and make a copy of my copy !
Again , why use plastic cups, I take the trouble to come to your restaurant, often I am the only customer, why treat me like I ordered a take away???
Back to the restaurants and one of 3 to remain from my original list , but down to number 5, is Tony Roma. My readers will know I love steak and this place does it superbly every time and initially with great service ( you guessed it, Pinay waitress who knew my order by heart as I went weekly) and a nice location near the sea with parking outside . I love sitting there, and now its 22 degrees so it is perfect to sit outside. They not only cook the steak well but do amazing creamy mashed potato, shredded corn and pepper sauce, and the Lemon mint is to die for! And you get a mint and wipe when you pay and they open the door and thank you for coming. Yes, its the little things like that which make the difference for a single customer like me. It's a franchise operation and the Bahraini owner ( I think) is often there , taking to the staff, trying to understand the latest COV 19 regulations, and saying hello to the regulars like me.
My regular treat at Tony Aroma, but the new waitress didnt realise I like my corn shredded
Why only number 5? Guess what , a couple of staff changes, get rid of the Philipino, bring in an African lady and a guy I am not sure from where. The Lemon mint now takes 30 mins to make and sometimes comes after the meal, the service is slower, and I have to ask for the bill, tooth pick and so on. In my perfect restaurant with a regular guest, they should never have to ask. The original Phillipino returned the other week and as I had been on vacation for 3 months welcomed me back and asked why I was not yet in the Philippines ( retail is detail , remember your customers names, a thing about them, kids names, favourite foods etc.) .
The late David Green, picture by Laura Crawford
My good friend, David Green, who sadly will not be with us this Christmas, knew every customers drink, favourite seat, glass etc. He always gave me the same warm hearty welcome at the Slubbers Arms even 20 years after I left Huddersfiemd. I remember it now:
" Hey up lad, its the boy who ate the sandwiches, now then a pint of real ale ?"
Number 4 is Iftar at the Four Seasons hotel
We put the ladies at one end of the table
I mentioned earlier that I stopped going to Four star hotels as they are so expensive but for my last Ramadan in Bahrain I decided to treat my friends to Iftar at the Four Seasons on Bahrain Bay. I visited the hotel to finalise the parking and the menu, and to ensure we had a good table. The only hick up was the next day when they called to confirm my reservation. I was driving so did not answer and when it was safe called back but got the switchboard. I said I had booked an Iftar so they put me through to the restaurant who could not trace the booking. The lady asked where I had made the booking and when I explained I had visited the hotel the day before she explained they had been fully booked for weeks and had opened a verandah off the lounge to accommodate the extra guests and she would get them to call me back. The good news is the lounge had the booking and apologised for the confusion.
I chatted to Ate Tess, always a great stand in when someone does not show!
When we arrived early Jake, Coco and I were shown to the table, ordered soft drinks, selected the menu and then the others were shown to our table. By the time Miss A arrived they had run out of the promised parking outside so I escorted her from the lift . The food was superb, but way too much, and the service was the best I have had on the Island, ever, in 11 years. The view was amazing, my guests declared it the best Iftar ever and we all had an amazing and unforgettable night.
Number 3 is Dome, Riffa Views (and Juffair!)
Dome at Riffa Views- I love basking in the sun outside as I eat and read the free papers
I have been a long time fan of Dome from my UK Days with Pier House inns when I spent a day visiting their sites with one of their Training team . In Bahrain one was near my home in Awali and the only survivor of COV 19 at Riffa Views. Hong Kong, Gusto and Elevation Burger all closed and moved to smaller cheaper premises, but Dome thrived. There is free parking on site, a great healthy menu, they gave me a discount as a Bapco employee ( even after I left!) and the Phillipino staff were all very friendly. If they were busy the delivery drivers helped out. My favourite waitress was Jenny and she has looked after me and my many guests there over the years.
One time I took Carl Max to the one in Juffair and the waitress told me " My Manager says you will either have steak or fish and chips with carrot cake and Lemon Mint". That's why they are at Number 3! The Manager, of course, used to work at Riffa Views and remembered my order! Now that is impressive!
Why only 3? Same reason as the others, they reverted to Plastic cutlery and plastic cups and maintained that after COV 19. They were also often short staffed. On the positive the restaurant was a regular haunt of many VIP's and they do a great breakfast. Corleen and I used to go there after our winter walk to Riffa Fort from Awali!
My first dinner with Carl Max- Dome Juffair
One of their innovations was their roast chicken dinner takeaway ( or delivery) during the lockdown when dine in was not allowed. Lamb and Beef followed and even a mixed roast consisting or Chicken, Beef and Lamb!
Look at the size of that and compare the chips to Mc D, KFC or Texas Chicken!
Hello, I am The British Kabayan! Feel free to read my stories.
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