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Can’t wait for the weekend? There’s only one thing to do … hop along to The Gulf Hotel’s legendary poolside event, The Gulf Night Out, which is back with a vengeance every Tuesday.
The ultimate Arabic knees-up is a must for visitors and it just so happens that we are entertaining a family from the UK on a short holiday to the kingdom and the eating out extravaganza proved to be a fabulous way of introducing them to the variety of entertainment and cuisine available, all-in-one-go!
The Gulf Hotel boasts the largest number of food and beverage outlets within a single property on the island and dishes from 10 of its restaurants are on offer at the event.
No pool party is complete without a BBQ station and this one is no different. However, watch out for the smoky meaty surprises from the grills, as well as superbly spiced-up marinated fish … but let me get to the food later.
The Gulf Night Out also features live performances from Al Rayash, one of Bahrain’s top local bands, who blast out a blend of Arabic hot tunes under a dazzling blue spotlight, before a belly dancer takes centre stage with a swirl, shimmy and a shake.
A handsome hawk also sits magnificently on the hand of its owner and poses happily with diners when the leather talon protector is passed along.
Close by a Bahraini woman sits comfortably on the floor cooking up delightful vegetarian kebabs in hot oil and there are countless other live cooking stations tempting guests with an astonishing range of delicious delights from a comprehensive range of Arabic, Asian and European cuisines … there’s so much choice it’s hard to know where to start.
But start you must … and it was straight to the sushi table for a subtle selection mixed with fresh vegetables and I couldn’t resist a slice or two of fried duck from the Chinese section, a surprisingly superb combination of fusion fun I may have to try again one day.
The good lady wife Kathryn guided her friend Gemma straight to a sizzling station with the memory of the mighty morsels she had taste-tested when we recently dined at Margarita Mexicana. The offerings did not disappoint.
These tasty tortillas proved a favourite too with Gemma’s daughter, Issy, and our teenage daughter, Immy.
It was time to make a dash for the fish I’d spotted earlier being grilled to perfection and the baby hammour was as magnificent to taste as it was to marvel over on the plate. Now fully in the fusion mode I added some mighty meat pieces to the mix.
The others followed my lead and we even found room for a fabulous Thai Green chicken curry.
The desserts all looked delightful, superbly presented in all their glory but I really couldn’t indulge any further apart from a scoop of ice-cream on a warm pancake with some slices of pineapple and strawberry for good measure.
The music and entertainment makes for a merry mix with such fine fare and it’s no wonder why it is such a mid-week sensation. “This is a night of guaranteed fun, whether you are with friends or family. We invite people for non-stop entertainment and, of course, the fabulous buffet that we are famous for,” explained Ali Amralla, the complex’s director of business development and strategy.
For a genuine Gulf Night Out, where better? It’s priced at BD19++ and the buffet starts from 8pm. Call 17713-000 to reserve a table and for more information.
