A local legend

If there was ever proof that you cannot judge a book by its cover, the Habara Snacks & Fish bar offers more than its name suggests.

Situated on bustling Exhibition Road, opposite the Hard Rock Café, the sandwich-maker and café is a popular haunt for office-goers, hungry shoppers as well as former school students keen to reminisce over old times and familiar flavours.

The outlet is the second branch of Habara, the main one being in Adliya which boasts 36 years in the business, and may not offer a fine-dining experience or silver service (plastic cutlery - but the editor swears the mushroom omelette melts into fluffy pieces under the knife in any case) but the food and friendliness of the staff makes up for that.

It offers a simple ambience, and yet once fuelled with one of its popular chicken or beef sandwiches, you are bound to tag it as one of your top haunts in town. While dine-in is an option, customers can also take away or have their orders delivered.

Habara is most loved for its breakfast menu with the Exhibition Road office crowd. Scrambled eggs or fried eggs (as well as that range of mouth-watering omelettes) served with khuboos or toast, butter and jam on the side, as well as chips with coffee and change from BD2. All alluring choices alongside an extensive range of chicken, beef, fish and vegetarian offerings and burgers.

An added essence of endearment is that former students of the Indian School Bahrain remember the restaurant for its undeniably delicious chicken mayonnaise sandwiches which used to be sold at lunch time.

As a former student myself, I am quite certain I will not be alone when I say that the chef dishes up the best chicken mayo in town … a taste which has not altered over the years and, to this day, can be proudly vouched for.
Restaurant in-charge Abdul Razick revealed that former students often call in during the evening to chat to the ‘uncles’ who used to serve them these scrumptious sandwiches in the school  canteen.

Fresh fruit juice cocktails and milkshakes are also part of its repertoire and, as a result, the restaurant offers a unique take-away option in the form of its own celebrated Habara 1.5ltr bottles of energising refreshment.

Habara opens for breakfast at 8am daily at both its branches. While it remains open until 11pm on Exhibition Road, the Adliya branch carries on into the wee hours, closing up at 2am.

A legend worthy of a visit.