The 26-storey Downtown Rotana hotel, located right next to the Bab al Bahrain in the heart of Manama, will be hosting its first Ramadan feast, with every iftar promising to be more spectacular than the last, along with entertaining ghabgas for the entire family and company gatherings to enjoy.

The grand Al Maha Ballroom, which can seat around 190 guests, is being transformed into a white and blue Arabesque haven, featuring decorative archways, a large lantern, geometric designs and cool chandeliers.

The table settings are chic and minimalistic with only an LED lantern as a centrepiece to light up the real stars of the evening … the diners and their plates full of food.  Guests can also relish in the delectable delights while seated on the long terrace which boasts views of the Bahrain Financial Harbour and Manama. The terrace can accommodate 30 people. Comfort is important to the hotel team, which is why it has added one of the meeting rooms to the ballroom which can seat 56 patrons.

Bachir El Masri, the hotel’s banquets and conference operations manager, said: “In the nine years that I have been in the kingdom and having witnessed the different iftars around the island, I am confident people will really enjoy dining at Downtown Rotana.

We are offering a variety of food, from Gulf favourites like thareed - a traditional dish including bread, meat and vegetables - to international dish such as sushi and butter chicken. “However, it’s not just about variety, it’s also about the atmosphere and we want people to feel at home with us. We believe that is possible thanks to oriental chef Yousef Matanous and his team of sous chefs. He cooks from the heart to make sure that every guest is happy and full and every dish is enriched with flavour”

The Syrian chef has more than 13 years under his culinary belt and has been cooking up a storm in the kitchen with his team preparing Middle Eastern Ramadan favourites such as harees (a mouth-watering wheat and meat concoction), laham salona (meat stew), chicken freekeh and the pièce de résistance the lamb ghouzi.

Chef Yousef said: “I’ll also be serving signature dishes from Syria, Lebanon and Morocco. My aim is when diners taste the food; they feel as though they are having their mother’s cooking and are right at home. Also our buffet menu will be changing every day to keep things interesting. I just want people to come and enjoy the food, atmosphere and experience.”

With the delicious breadlike pudding Umm Ali dessert on my mind and the tender lamb staring at me from the buffet line, I couldn’t wait to tuck into the spread available.

During Ramadan traditionally you start with a date, a glass of water and head straight for the soup. Lentil is a fan favourite and although it’s also mine, I decided to skip the norm and plate up some spicy sushi rolls that did not disappoint. After having my fill, I sampled the zesty dolma, grilled carrots, chilled calamari, smoked salmon and capers, a fatoush salad and a tomato-based green bean Arabic salad.

Every bite was scrumptious and satisfying. The mains proved to be as delicious as they looked. The lamb ghouzi was juicy and flavoursome. The laham stew was heart-warming and perfect, while the chicken tikka, mixed vegetables and braised ribs were delicious.

If only I had room for the pasta and fish because the alternative choices all looked rich and divine. However, the beautifully-plated traditional Arabic desserts and assortment of cakes and pastries were calling my name with Umm Ali being the highlight of my dessert choices. It was love at first bite and my fondness of the dish grew with every mouthful. That one offering made me feel at home, cooped up with my family in Jordan, eating my mum’s bread pudding while sharing funny stories.

Chef Yousef had done it. Ramadan is a joyful occasion where people are humble, give thanks and share stories while breaking bread together. And he somehow delivered just that with a dessert.

The iftar starts from 6.30pm until 8pm and is priced at BD14++ for adults, BD7++ for kids aged between six and 12, and below six eat for free.

The ghabga, priced the same as the iftar, will include live entertainment and will kick start from 9.30pm until 1am. For more details, contact 13119999.