| Puttin' on the Ritz |  |
 |
Page 3 of 7
Dining at the Ritz is a treat for the tastebuds with something to suit every whim and fancy with eight different restaurants and bars ranging from ultra casual to refined sophistication. Our first meal at the Ritz was at La Mediteranee – an excellent place to go for breakfast, brunch, lunch or supper…but it's wise to arrive hungry! The mouthwatering choice of foods in the buffet left us all spoiled for choice. Sushi, a wide selection of mezze, hot and cold seafood, an outstanding salad bar, a family-style roast dinner, pasta and a plethora of additional dishes were on offer. However, make sure you leave room for dessert – every visitor to the Middle East should try the delicious Oom Ali and La Mediteranee’s chocolate fountain is out of this world. Both William and Annie were enthusiastic about this part of the meal and ended up covered in chocolate – much to the amusement of other diners. Children and sun-worshipers will love the Overlook Café, the hotel’s outdoor dining terrace which spills onto the beach and has magnificent views out over the lagoon. Diners can feast on everything from croque monsieur and steak with chips to a sumptuous seafood salad…and the children’s menu will please even the most fussy little eaters. William and Annie loved the pasta, chicken nuggets and chips and the waiters could not have been more helpful. Even if you’re not hungry, the Overlook Café is a great place to enjoy sun-downers at the end of a hard day at the beach. Every top-class hotel should lay on a proper afternoon tea like the one available at the Ritz Carlton’s Tea Lounge. Situated in the atrium of the hotel’s sophisticated lobby, guests can relax and chat in comfort with live classical music in the background and views over the Ritz’s lovely pool and gardens. A selection of teas and coffees from around the world together with sandwiches, cakes, scones and patisseries make this a meal in itself…it’s a real treat which should be enjoyed by Bahrain’s visitors and residents alike. Continuing on a colonial theme, the hotel’s Plantation Terrace is a bar that combines the best of years gone by with an upbeat modern feel to the décor and live music. Guests can enjoy the balmy evenings on an outdoor terrace sparkling with tiny white tree lights or soak of the atmosphere of a live band indoors – while sipping on a wide range of cocktails and fine wines. Whether it’s pre-dinner aperitif or a post-dinner digestif and cigar, the Burlington Club has a refined, warm atmosphere that makes it an ideal place to meet friends, contemplate the day’s successes or just relax in comfort with a panoramic view of the hotel’s magnificent gardens. The Burlington Club boasts a freestanding humidor stocked with premium cigars, live music and Bahrain’s biggest range of malt whiskies. If you’re craving a taste of India, Nirvana is the place to go for both delicious food and a wonderful atmosphere. This is no ordinary Indian restaurant…rather, you’ll feel as if you’ve been transported to an exotic palace from the days of the Raj. Nirvana boasts – and delivers - an amazing array of delicious traditional dishes made with the freshest ingredients and spices from the East. Try the restaurant’s ‘secret’ private dining booth and enjoy the outstanding service from attentive waiters. Italian gourmets will love the Ritz Carlton’s Primavera restaurant. The restaurant features a mixture of contemporary décor and old Italian opulence with candlelit window tables which look over the hotel’s gardens and lake. The menu features a select range of Italian dishes including seafood, fresh pastas and Primavera’s signature risotto. Plums is the Ritz Carlton's newest restaurant. Run on the simple belief that classic food, well delivered in a stylish environment is a recipe for success, Plums is – very arguably – the best restaurant in Bahrain. A stylish and modern – yet cosy – décor and innovative cuisine which combines the best ingredients with a talented chef and kitchen staff mean that Plums delivers an outstanding dining experience, whether you’re having a romantic dinner for two or a business gathering for ten. Once the children were tucked up in bed and left in the care of one of the hotel’s outstanding babysitters, James and I were treated to a scrumptious dinner for two at Plums. We put ourselves in Chef George’s outstanding hands and he put together a mouthwatering seven-course menu that included lobster cappuccino, an aromatic cauliflower mousse, mango sorbet drizzled in champagne and perfectly cooked steaks that cut like butter and were accompanied with a home-made ginger and plum sauce. To finish off the meal, George and his team had prepared a chocolate ice cream ‘burger’ with papaya ‘fries’ and sponge cake for the bun. Lots of fun, and quite simply…delicious. |
|||||||||