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I’m blessed. I managed to get a sneak preview of what will surely become the talk of the town and one of the hottest tickets on the island’s culinary circuit now that the bright Eating Out spotlight has fallen on Teatro Downtown.
It’s the signature outlet of Downtown Rotana, the recently-opened five-star hotel located in the heart of Manama, just a few steps from Bab Al Bahrain.
A window seat on the superb fourth floor setting in the evening offers a movie set aura with the buzz of a busy capital captured in the beams of light from the passing traffic below and in the distance on the highway.
Downtown Teatro is the third ‘Teatro’ in the region to be opened by the Rotana Group following the chain’s success in neighbouring Dubai and Abu Dhabi reflected in the bagging of numerous awards over the years, the most recent being ‘Best International Restaurant 2015’.
My Eating Out spies across the water say the brand has established a name for its ‘vibrant ambience, gourmet fusion menu and exceptional service’, living up to its promise of creating a ‘memorable gastronomic experience’.
That’s the hype, the reality last Thursday evening was one of exceptional flavours, tick one of the boxes; a polite, helpful and well informed waiting service, tick another box; and the buzzing atmosphere will surely follow once word spreads … within a few weeks I bet you’ll have to book well in advance to secure a table.
I’ve never been convinced that having a huge menu works but inspired Teatro Specialty Chef Priyantha Sanjeewa was determined to prove that being distinctive in both taste and setting, ‘Teatro Downtown’ is an ‘epicurean masterpiece’.
An extensive menu selection of 130 dishes has been crafted to suit even the most demanding of palates. “The aim is to leave guests with the lingering memory of tantalising flavours – carve a memory that will last a lifetime,” Chef Priyantha explained. “The overall emphasis is on the quality of ingredients being served and the attention to detail.”
An East-meets-West concept cuisine is nothing new and the challenge here is to deliver an array of authentic dishes inspired by five of the most well-known and popular cuisines – Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian and South East Asian.
Chef Priyantha heralds from Sri Lanka and perfected his culinary skills while working with international hotels across the globe for 16 years in multiple capacities and locations, including the Seychelles, Maldives, Tokyo and Zanzibar before taking on his new challenge at Downtown Rotana.
Getting it right is a combination of having a skilled team of chefs, traditional cooking methods and authentic equipment to deliver the desired results and that’s exactly how the Teatro team manages to produce a melting pot of flavours.
All five came under the Szecowka scrutiny. Firstly, Japanese, with the Combo Platter (BD15++) featuring sensational sushi, the finest I’ve ever experienced in Bahrain, sashimi and California Maki.
The taste of India and old Brit favourite Chicken Tikka (BD7.500) followed, gently marinated masterpieces, soft and succulent in a pillow of fluffy Basmati rice.
Next on the table came Chef Priyantha’s personal favourite of Roasted Duck on the Bone (BD 18++) and a special ‘duck oven’ that retains the texture and moisture during and after the cooking process produced a divine delivery. Served with bao buns, pancake sheets, cucumber, leeks, hoisin and plum sauce … this was a signature dish of distinction.
A Thai Green Chicken Curry (BD7.500) added a little spice to the occasion with Jasmine rice and it was too nice to waste, so after a couple of bites the good lady wife, Kathryn and I, asked for it to be packed away for a takeaway (as you have to do on these occasions) knowing there was a slice of Italy to follow.
Next time we come we’ll bring the children because the pizza was an absolute piece of perfection. It’s all thanks to the wood-burning oven which offered a distinctive mouth-watering flavour to the Piaza Diavola (BD6.500) full of beef pepperoni slices, capsicum, tomatoes, chili flakes and bubbling Provolone Cheese.
Did we have room for dessert? There’s always room for dessert, especially when the ‘Big Show’ is presented at the table. Perhaps with the venue’s movie-style theme (check out the cool theatrical menu designs) perhaps this dish should be renamed the Grande Finale? There’s a bit of everything from Lemongrass crème brulèe (five stars from the queen of crème brulèe, Kathryn), Green Tea Cake, plus an amazing ice watermelon & lychees dish, Banana Wontons and more, (BD9.500++). It’s one to be shared.
This is a cool, distinctive, contemporary lounge and restaurant destination, beautifully decorated with dishes to match. The carpet was coloured blue … but be prepared for red carpet treatment. It’s one of the best yet.
Call 13119999 or email teatro.downtown@rotana.com for more details.
