My review of Plums restaurant at the Ritz Carlton, Bahrain Hotel

My review of Plums restaurant at the Ritz Carlton, Bahrain Hotel

My review of Plums restaurant at the Ritz Carlton, Bahrain Hotel

A ‘Plum’ meal

Paul Mercer samples the cuisine at Plums, the fine-dining steakhouse at the Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa, and comes out sated.

The place and ambience

‘The atmosphere is distinctly chic and arty.’

The first thing I noticed when I entered Plums was the artistic and purple décor. The walls are adorned with bright and colorful modern art paintings, which are highlighted by spot lights. The furniture is sleek and elegant and each table is lit by candlelight giving an intimate feel. 

The restaurant layout is cozy, but not cramped offering a variety of seating options to cater for different numbers and different types of diners. As well as regular tables seating four people, there are corner tables which give a more intimate and snug mood and a high table with bar stools for a more casual gathering. The kitchen is partially open so you can see the chefs working on their masterpieces. The waiting staff are extremely friendly and helpful. As soon as you are seated you are given a hot towel to wash away all your worries so you can concentrate on having a great evening.

The food

‘Fine dining of the very highest order’

The food at Plums is nothing less than exquisite. The bright and vibrant ambience created by the artistic décor spills over into the French influenced cuisine.  Each dish we ordered was a work of art of itself.  The balance of colours, the position on the plate, it was clear that each dish had been designed to not only taste great but to look great.

The variety of appetizers on the menu is vast and exhibits a full range of culinary skills and tells you that this isn’t an ordinary steakhouse. Indeed, you would be forgiven for thinking that this is a French restaurant that just so happens to specialize in steaks. We sampled the Plums Salad, the Foie Gras, the Watermelon and Goat Cheese and the Sumac Dusted King Scallops.  The Plums Salad, which comprises baby gem lettuce, grilled asparagus, avocado, soya truffle vinaigrette, cherry tomato and béarnaise sauce, made for a fantastic and hearty appetizer. The Sumac Dusted King Scallops were also a real treat. Succulent melt-in-your-mouth scallops, cooked and seasoned to perfection, accompanied with Pistachio puree, pickled radish and micro greens, giving an earthy truffle taste with a touch of heat from the radish. This is definitely on the must-try list.

The Seared Duck Foie Gras comes with plum sauce, chocolate brioche, liquorice gastrique and fig jam. You will not be disappointed with the fruity and sweet flavour combined with the soft, delicate and tasty foie gras. If you want to start your dinner with a light starter I suggest the Watermelon and Chevre Goat Cheese in white truffle oil, rocket lettuce and Malden sea salt. The crispy and crunchy diced melon pieces contrast beautifully with the rich and creamy cheese.   Also on the appetizer menu are Classic Caesar Salad, Canadian Lobster Salad, Crab Cake Lollipops, French Onion Soup and Lobster Bisque.

For our main course we sampled the Surf & Turf, Welsh Rack of Lamb and Miso Glazed Sea Bass. The presentation of each dish was delightful, colourful, neat and delicate. A work of art!

The Welsh Rack of Lamb (soft and succulent lamb, encrusted in mustard and herbs with goat cheese grits, eggplant ragout and mint jus) was divine. Next was the Surf & Turf (US prime tenderloin steak with grilled Omani lobster tail). The presentation was fantastic. I chose the US tenderloin (220gms) with béarnaise sauce with side dishes of Cauliflower Gratin, Smashed Potatoes, Sauteed Mushrooms and Creamed Spinach. Each side dish was prepared beautifully and complemented the main course. The portions are generous so you don’t need to order too many side dishes.

The variety of steaks on offer is vast. You can choose from US prime beef, Australian Gold Angus beef and Japanese Wagyu beef with a variety of sizes and cuts. There is also a “Wow burger” of Japanese Wagyu beef (330gms) with pan-fried foie gras, truffle sauce and carmelised onion porcini mushroom compote. I would love to write a review on this but sadly this was off the menu when I visited due to unavailability of Wagyu beef. I made a promise to myself to go back and sample what sounds like an absolute fine dining treat.

There is a good range of seafood options available as well. We tried the Miso Glazed Sea Bass, which was delectable. You can also choose Scottish Salmon, Omani Lobster or Jumbo Tiger Prawns.

For dessert we indulged ourselves and ordered the Deconstructed “Banana Forster”, Lemon Soufflé and a selection of homemade sorbets. Each dessert was superb, but I would have to select the soufflé with roasted hazelnut crème anglaise as my favourite. Light and fruity, this is a must for all of you who love cakes.

We ordered coffee and deliberated over the palate-satisfying experience we had just had; wonderful tastes, excellent presentation and artistic ambience. We had eaten some fabulous food with varied tastes. Yet, we did not feel like we had over eaten; we left Plums, just pleasantly content.

Value

“Good value considering that you are indulging in fine dining of the very highest quality”

A three course dinner for two plus a bottle of sparkling water will set you back about BD110 (inclusive of 15 per cent service charge and 5 per cent tax). Given the high standard of the food and service I feel that this is good value.  The desserts are a ‘steal’ at BD4 each.

Lasting impressions

‘A place to visit to celebrate a very special occasion.’

If you are looking for a fine dining experience of the highest order to celebrate that special occasion, look no further than Plums.