The Best Ramadan Tents in Bahrain for 2016
Ramadan. A time for reflection and renewal, with quiet and contemplative days followed by social evenings marked by an influx of invitations for shared meals after the day's fasting. We're all familiar with the tent-hopping social life that accompanies Ramadan. It's time to plan for the feast that follows the fast, and what better way to do it than at one of Bahrain's glamorous Ramadan tents. Here's part one of our curated list of the coolest, most creative and most delicious places to enjoy Iftar and Ghabga on the island!
The Four Seasons Ramadan Tent
Potentially our favorite Ramadan tent from 2015 is back for its second year! The Arabesque-themed space combines the exceptional service of the Four Seasons with a mind boggling array of cuisines. There's the required Shisha, a live band strumming up traditional tunes and a serious food indulgence, including live cooking stations.
Executive Chef Stefano Andreoli is whipping up a multi-cultural Ramadan feast that we'll remember for a long time to come; from popular Bahraini specialities, Lebanese delicacies and Turkish must-eats, to exotic Moroccan dishes, Indian gastronomy and International favorites, it really is all here. The Iftar buffet at the Four Seasons Ramadan Tent will take place from sunset to 8:00pm, and is priced at BHD25++, inclusive of beverages. Ghabga will take place from 9:00pm to 2:00am, and is priced at BHD++27, excluding beverages.
Book at The Four Seasons Ramadan Tent
The Gulf Hotel's Khaimat Al Khaleej
The Gulf Hotel is showing us why they're renowned as a cornerstone to the island's fine-dining scene this Ramadan! They're pulling out all the stops, with the return of their famous Ramadan Tent, Khaimat Al Khaleej, as well as lavish Iftar buffets at Al Waha Restaurant and Takht Jamsheed. It's bigger and even better than last year, so get ready to dig in!
There's going to be a pretty delicious buffet focusing on Bahraini and Arabic specialities, accompanied by traditional Arabic music. The food spread is looking sumptuous to say the least, with refreshing juices, hot and cold mezzehs accompanying classical dishes such as quzi, thireed, harees and a yummy range of traditional Arabic desserts like Um Ali, kunafa and mahalabiya! The Khaimat Al Khaleej will be open every night from 9pm to 2am on Saturday to Wednesday, and extending until 3am on Thursdays and Fridays, and is priced at BD16++ on weekdays and BD18++ on weekends.
Book at The Gulf Hotel's Khaimat Al Khaleej
The Ritz Carlton's Al Khayma Ramadan Tent
It's sheer opulence at the Ritz Carlton's Al Khayma Ramadan tent! Inspired by the oriental souk of the Imperial city of Fez, it's all hanging lanterns, crystal chandeliers and imaginative fanoosh wooden cages at this place. The culinary experience has been organized to resembles a series of street food and spices stalls, adding to the Moroccan souk atmosphere. And to get you even more into the Ramadan spirit, Margo Kassar will be adding live music to the majestic experience.
The buffet is a pretty gastronomic affair, with items including tajines, masbooj, saffron rice, falafel rolls, and five varieties of dates (amongst which khedri, khloas, segai, sokari and bahri), and is complimented by live cooking stations of saj bread, shanaad or sheeri Bahraini grills, fresh pasta, pad thai noodles and tandoori meats. They also get full points for their Ramadan beverage list, which includes karkadeh, vimto, laban, tamarind drinks and jellab. We can keep going if you want us to! The Ritz Carlton's Al Khayma Ramadan Tent is available from 9pm to 2am, and is priced at BD25++.
Book at The Ritz Carlton's Al Khayma Ramadan Tent
The Sofitel Bahrain's Magnifique Ramadan Tent
As one of the largest Ramadan tents on the island, the Sofitel will be continuing their yearly tradition of combining Saraya restaurant and Layali Al Zallaq into a dreamy evening-time oasis. Their iconic 'night sky' ceiling decorations will be transforming the tent, while the interior remains cool, spacious and airy against the summer nights warmth. Decked out with plush sofas and eye catching décor, making for a pretty magnifique experience!
The culinary squad will be presenting a series of gourmet Iftar and Ghabga buffets throughout the whole month featuring recipes from the past to the present, including some famous Ramadan dishes with a modern twist. There will be a huge selection of games, including cards, dominoes, chess and backgammon, while the famous Bassam Deeb band will be performing classic Arabic music throughout the night. The Sofitel Bahrain's Magnifique Ramadan Tent's Iftar and Ghabga are priced at BD19++.