Persian, Indian and Mediterranean options for Iftar in Bahrain!
Just two more weeks and this year's Ramadan will be coming to a close. We've enjoyed some great Ramadan tents, traditional buffets and contemporary Iftars, but there's definitely still a few places to explore when it comes to fine-dining post sun-down in Bahrain. So grab your buddies and get your fine-dining game on at these five places offering some great gastronomy for Iftar!
Le Sauvage/ Le Domain [34], The Domain
Located on the 34th floor of the Domain Hotel in the Diplomatic area is this grill-room style eatery! The view is pretty spectacular with the Manama skyline stretching out before you, while the open kitchen lets you keep a close eye on where the action is at. Either way, you're definitely not going to get bored at this place! Le Sauvage and sister restaurant Le Domain [34] share a joined dining area, and have established themselves on Bahrain's fine-dining scene thanks to their killer combination of serious meats and contemporary French cuisine.
For Iftar they're offering up a delicious buffet of traditional Bahraini dishes, Arabic classics, Levantine specialties and some of their signature favorites, all served up in their Art Nouveau setting. Le Sauvage/ Le Domain [34]'s Iftar buffet is available from sunset to 9pm and is priced at BD14++ per person.
Make a reservation at Le Sauvage/ Le Domain [34]m
Lanterns, Block 338
Lanterns' Adliya branch is cooking up a storm of great Indian food this Ramadan, and for just BD6.9! This place is one of the island's long timers when it comes to fine-dining, and their cuisine is the reason people just keep coming back time and time again. The Adliya venue is done up in a vibrant colour scheme with a mixture of Indian pop culture artefacts and a scattering of kiosks. The seating arrangement means there are some great little nooks to tuck yourself away in with friends, and also some larger party options.
Their Iftar buffet contains many of Lanterns' signature dishes, including their delicious grilled lamp chops, succulent and spicy prawn masala, Indian fusion tandoori hammour and prawns, and grilled local fish at the live cooking station! You can also expect an assortment of curries, continental salads, scrumptious Indian desserts such as home made Valrhona chocolate mousse and international sweets. Lanterns Adliya's Iftar buffet is available from sunset onwards and is priced at BD6.9 Net per person.
Make a reservation at Lanterns
Takht Jamsheed & Al Waha, Gulf Hotel
The Gulf Hotel's Arabic restaurants Takht Jamsheed and Al Waha are teaming up to provide what is potentially one of the largest and delicious Iftar buffets on the island! Takht Jamsheed offers award-winning Persian cuisine in a contemporary ambiance, drawing inspiration from Persia's royal palace, the Takht Jamsheed, with dramatic chandeliers, stunning imperial vases and Persian iconography.
Al Waha Restaurant will be focusing in on the hot and cold mezzeh, salads, freshly made breads, shawarma and falafel stations, along with a wide range of traditional Arabian mains and desserts like quzi, thireed, Um Ali, kunafa and mahalabiya. Meanwhile the award winning Persian eatery Takht Jamsheed will also be offering up a buffet, this one consisting of a mix of authentic Arabic and Persian delicacies. The Gulf Hotel's Iftar buffet is available from sunset onwards and is priced at BD17++ per person.
Make a reservation at Takht Jamsheed & Al Waha
Nirvana, Ritz Carlton
When the bustling Ramadan Tents and packed-out restaurants get a bit too much, we head to this place. Small, cozy and intimate, it also has some of the best contemporary Indian cuisine to be had in Bahrain. Executive Indian Chef Mahipal Singh keeps the choices limited to a thoughtfully selected handful of dishes, but you really can't go wrong with anything you order here; it all tastes gastronomic. Fragrant tastes and flavors combine with visually stunning presentation for some of the best food we've eaten all year!
For Iftar Nirvana's a la carte menu is available, with all their usual signature dishes. Check out the Kashmiri lamb rogan josh for a new definition of succulent and delicious, or the hammour macher johl if you're in a seafood mood. The Masahari kebabs come in meat, lamb or chicken, and we just can't decide which ones we like best! For Iftar we're going to go all out and recommend the Samudri Khazana; a generous platter of succulent grilled seafood with local fish Hammour, shrimps and lobster. Nirvana is open from 6pm to 11:30pm and is closed on Mondays.
Make a reservation at Nirvana
Nicole's, Block 338
Our top Iftar tip for this week? Check out this venue. They've been around for a couple years now, and have quietly been perfecting their amazing menu that combines flavors and tastes from across the Mediterranean. This husband, wife and son team are bringing the best of Italian, French, Greek, Lebanese and Spanish cuisines all under one roof, and unlike other restaurants that attempt to offer more than one cuisine (and do it badly), Nicole's really pulls it off! The variously influenced dishes compliment each other nicely, from Italian coastal specialties, French Riviera delicacies, Lebanese dishes or Greek plates, you can most probably get a taste of it at our new favourite Mediterranean restaurant.
For Ramadan they're offering a 5 course Iftar menu with a distinctly Middle Eastern theme, allowing diners to pick and choose between various options at each course. the trio of hummus, roasted hammmour, chicken tagine, and much more will keep you very busy on the eating front! But it doesn't stop there; their regular menu is definitely worth having a look at too, as many of the the options are extremely complimentary of their Iftar menu. Southern eggplant Parmesan, Applewood grilled Atlantic salmon or housemade ravioli anyone? Nicole's Iftar 5 course menu, priced at BD12++ per person, and a la carte menu are available from sunset onwards.