Ghabga feast at Saraya the classy casual buffet restaurant at Sofitel Luxury Hotel, Bahrain.

Paul Mercer and his family indulge in a magnificent Ghabga feast at Saraya the classy casual buffet restaurant at Sofitel Luxury Hotel, Bahrain.

The place and ambience

‘Inviting and comfortable with a distinctly Arabic décor’

Saraya restaurant overlooks the Bahrain coastline and with its floor to ceiling windows reaching from the ground floor up to the first floor ceiling diners enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of the Arabian Gulf. With a welcoming Arabian tent in the middle of the restaurant and tall date palm trees stretching up to the high ceiling the décor is distinctly Arabic creating an inviting and comfortable mood based on the traditions of typical Arabic hospitality.

The restaurant is spacious and the seating is comfortable. The restaurant prides itself as being the best in Bahrain for Friday brunch and certainly lives up to its billing as being “ideal” for a family gathering. I found the waiting staff friendly, ever present, attentive and extremely helpful.

The food

‘Exquisite flavourful buffet of cuisine from around the World’

Saraya specializes in an extensive buffet which includes cuisines from around the World with a focus on Middle Eastern and Asian dishes. During the month of Ramadan Saraya enlisted the services of three specialist guest chefs from Egypt and another one from Syria so the Iftaar and Ghabga buffet had a richer Middle Eastern pedigree.

My family and I tried to taste as many dishes as we could but as the range of dishes on offer was so great it was impossible for us to taste everything in a single sitting!

If you like salad then you will definitely have a good time at Saraya. They have pretty much every salad you can think of plus some you probably would never have thought of. I particularly enjoyed the melon and feta salad, the pumpkin salad with olives and the mixed seafood salad (comprising delectable local prawns, local hammour and fried squid). If I had to pick a favourite it would be the chicken liver salad with pistachio. Fresh ingredients all prepared to the very highest standard – just as you would expect from a five star restaurant.

Also available was a hot mezzeh comprising kibbeh (fried croquette of rice and chopped meat), felefal (fried chickpea patties), an assortment of cheese, meat and spinach sambousek and fattayer (small pies), makanek (spicy beef sausage) and vegetable spring rolls. All with a variety of luscious dips such as baba ganoush (eggplant), hummus (chickpeas) and moutabel (eggplant with a hint of spice).

There is also a choice of soup. On our visit we could choose between shourbat al dajaj maa al sameid (chicken semolina soup) and lentil soup. I tried the chicken semolina soup, absolutely wonderful. A great aroma, perfect consistency and a memorable flavor. A definite must try.

Moving on to the main course it is difficult to know where to begin given the many dishes on offer. Considering the pedigree of the chefs and their expertise I concentrated on the Middle Eastern dishes and I wasn’t disappointed. Fabulous local hammour machboos (rice), local prawns, cooked in a subtle blend of spices and traditional Ramadan dishes of thareed (succulent melt in your mouth pieces of lamb in a heart warming stew) and hariss (meat and wheat cooked into a thick paste). Each dish, cooked to perfection. Also available was a full mixed grill, chicken and beef shawarmas and the Egyptian classic chicken molokhiya.

For dessert, you guessed it, another vast range of delectable delights, combining the very best of the Middle East with delicate pastries that would not be out of place in the finest restaurants in Paris. I sampled a variety of Morrocan, Libyan and Tunisan pastries as well as the sticky toffee pudding and raspberry and butter pudding all washed down with sweet and minty Moroccan tea.

Value:

‘Great value’

At less than BD20 per person, including soft drinks, the Saraya buffet provides great value especially when you consider the vast array of dishes on offer, their five star quality and not to mention the first class waiting staff. Children are half price and those under six eat for free. Be sure to look out for special promotions that offer even greater value.

Lasting impressions

A very enjoyable location if you want to treat your family and friends to a relaxed but classy buffet style dining experience with cuisine of the very highest quality. I will definitely go back and sample the Friday brunch which is billed as the best in the country.