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IT’S cool to chill and there are very few places on the island cooler to enjoy the spring weather than at the Kempinski Grand & Ixir Hotel Bahrain City Centre.
On a Thursday evening diners can enjoy a fine selection of succulent grills at the Nasmat poolside BBQ and finish off the evening with a Bizarre ending, in the nicest possible way.
It’s the perfect start to the weekend and a great way to unwind with your loved ones, or a group of friends. Nestled on the third floor, the al fresco poolside’s Mediterranean ambiance offers a haven throughout the day in which to unwind from Manama’s buzz but, come nightfall, it transforms into an ideal launch pad for a night on the town.
It would, however, be quite wrong for the casual reader of this review to dismiss this venue as another ordinary sizzle, gobble, go affair. It’s so much more.
The cuisine is king at the Kempinski and Mike Wilkinson, Chef de Cuisine, and his hard working team, ensure this is a spread to savour.
I’m not sure what tasting silk would be like, although I did once end up chewing on the bottom of my tie three hours into a particularly boring council meeting in North Hykeham during my younger days as a small-town reporter, but the cream of fresh wild mushrooms with garlic croutons, must be the nearest culinary experience.
The salad choice is also impressive with vegetable Hai, asparagus and goat cheese, seafood, plus a particularly powerful pasta with sun-dried tomatoes amongst the pick, with room for hummus on the side.
Hot dishes also tempted the palate, such as penne pasta with sautéed mushrooms and mozzarella grated over them and vegetable saloona with spicy tomato sauce.
It was time to wander over to the grill and pick up a rib eye or sirloin steak, ordered medium rare and cooked to perfection. A small selection of lamb shish kebab, prawns, Cajun-spiced spare ribs and Thai-marinated salmon steaks were provide for a taste-test too.
The good lady wife Kathryn was pleased with the choice of crème-brûlée desserts, although normally she is not a great fan of the chocolate-flavoured ones that appear to be highly-regarded on the island.
I smiled brightly at the apple crumble, although I would have been happier with warm custard to accompany it rather than a fancy cold sauce.
Filled to the brim we were escorted down to the Bizarre Lounge because folk who plump for the poolside barbeque can enjoy a complimentary beverage before dancing the night away in the venue’s trendy nightspot.
Fortunately DJ Dave was still in the chilled zone when we got there to inspect the kingdom’s trendy fashion-setters and he played a decent set with tunes I even recognised.
It proved to be a soulful ending to a perfect dining experience.
Check it out every Thursday, 7pm onwards, BD22++ per person. Call 17171441 for further details.
