La Fontaine – Europe hidden in Bahrain

Early morning meeting & some interesting reads 📖 at La Fontaine – Centre of Contemporary Art. It isn’t that early (11:30am) but anytime in the morning is early when your night baby mixes up your night & day!! 👶🏻 Thanks to my morning latte for being the silent hero of the morning ☕️

This is an excellent hidden place in Manama with a great architectural value. Visited here with my manager and was really surprised. What a fabulous setting… Great little art gallery and fabulous restaurant in a very romantic setting.

Wind your way through enclosed courtyards and tiny corridors and find La Fontaine’s intimate European restaurant, which is hidden in this renovated traditional Bahraini home. It has often been awarded with Best Romantic Restaurant accolade in the past. The atmosphere is tranquil with soft background music to enhance the vibe, in the dining areas both inside and out. The food focuses on specialties from Italy and the Mediterranean, but you’ll find influences from all over.

The only one of its kind throughout the Middle East, la fontaine centre of contemporary art is an historical monument dating back to a hundred and fifty years, located in the heart of Manama close to the old “Suq”. It features a number of contemporary art galleries, an open-air amphitheatre, an exquisite fine dining restaurant, an exclusive spa, and a state-of-the-art Pilates & Dance Studio, the first of its kind in the Gulf region.

CONTACT
La Fontaine centre of contemporary art

92 Hoora Avenue
Manama 306
26243 Bahrain

Telephone: 0973 17 230 123
Telefax: 0973 17 240 123

info@lafontaineartcentre.net
Facebook – lafontainebahrain
Instagram – lafontainebh

La Vinoteca Barcelona – Spanish Brunch Like No Other!

Events & Experiences, Travel and Food

Saturday Brunch at one of the island’s only upscale Spanish restaurants, La Vinoteca Barcelona! What can I say…Delicious! The food was gorgeous and plentiful and the drinks kept flowing. The idea of eating squid and calamari for the first time was fascinating (even though in the beginning I was slightly fearful).

La Vinoteca Barcelona / Café Amsterdam outdoor garden

Vibrant Restaurant and Lounge Interior

Great place for spending a Saturday afternoon with your friends over the world’s most admired wine (Torres wines)

The happy hostesses Daisy and Mary – they made me feel like family

The very charming Dragi at the smoking lounge upstairs

Love the wood work, and all the little details

My 10th brunch experience on the island, I went there on a recommendation from my friend Ryan, who also happens to be the restaurant manager there. La Vinoteca Barcelona has been making quite a stir on the Bahrain fine-dining scene since it opened its doors in early 2015, thanks to its unique culinary and oenological experience. The menu offers sublime Mediterranean cuisine with a focus on contemporary Spanish and Catalonian dishes.

Love the look of my table – it has been set up with Torres La Oscuridad Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Vinegar and El Silencio de Torres Picual, extra virgin olive oil

Chef Zablon cooking my lunch. I was pampered to death by this wonderful team

Here’s my first attempt at this hearty paella

Virgin Sangria

My tasting party began with Virgin Sangria (that’s a non-alcoholic sangria) – made with three different juices, apple, pineapple, and grape garnished with banana slice, cinnamon stick, orange and lemon slice.

Stand-out dishes at this outing were Fried Calamari, Patata Brava, Lucky Pepper and Octopus Croquettes (starter dish).

Lucky Pepper

Patata Brava

The verdict: A classic tapas dish – just like you’d find in Spain. What I (absolutely) loved tasting in this dish is the patata brava. This stuff is gooood. If you’re not aware, patatas bravas is basically crispy potatoes served in a spicy tomato sauce and garlic aioli…which kind of sounds a bit boring. But trust me, it’s amazing. This is a must for your Tapas table at La Vinoteca Barcelona, Bahrain.

The perfect classic crème brulee

What followed next was a surprise! My main dish for the day was a proper paella dish. Like I previously stated this was my first time eating calamari, squid and octopus, I immediately asked “What’s in this!?”

Traditional Spanish Paella

After careful consideration and much thought, I decided to dive in.

The verdict: If you’re looking to try the most authentic Spanish paella on the island, look no further. The Spanish rice made with freshly caught seafood including white fish, calamari, cuttlefish, mussels & shrimps will leave you drooling. What a meal! (Only if you are a Seafood fan)

Lemon pie passion fruit gelee, cardamom ice cream

My favorite – Cappuccino

A true Spanish experience – my tasting ended with a Lemon Pie (Homemade) topped with passion fruit gelee, served with cardamom ice cream and a signature cappuccino!

Final review: Good food, fantastic ambience and service (slightly pricey) but very effective overall de-stresser, and you get what you pay for.

La Vinoteca Barcelona Events:

Business Lunch: Mondays thru Thursdays from 12 noon till 3 pm get choice of 2 tapas + choice of main course + dessert for BD 9+

Afterwork at the wine bar: Every day except Sunday from 4 pm till 8 pm enjoy 30% discount on tapasand wine + Draft on Mondays from 4 to 12 midnight

Saturdays: Brunch from 12 to 5 pm

Location:

La Vinoteca Barcelona

19 Yousif Ahmed Al-Shirawi Avenue
Block 338, Adliya
Kingdom of Bahrain

Tel: +973 17 007 808

Cuisine: Spanish

Price Range: BHD40+

Website: http://www.vinotecabcn.com/

Facebook: VinotecaBH

Instagram: lavinotecabarcelona

Some more pictures and notes from my review below (Click on the pictures to read the stories)

Range of Torres wines

Stairway to the Smoking Lounge of the restaurant

The Gang for Dasha’s Birthday

Range of Torres wines

Vibrant restaurant interior

La Vinoteca outdoor garden

My Brunch today – cooking segment

Chef Zablon on the go

Micro Herbs

Don’t forget to register your feedback and LOVE here

35 of the finest Torres wines from Spain, America & Chile

The Birthday Gang

The very beautiful birthday girl

Happiness is seeing your Birthday plate entering the party hall

Bring on the Cake Mary

Happiness is seeing your Birthday plate entering the party hall

Awards and Recognition for La Vinoteca Barcelona

Stairway to Nature

My favorite girls Daisy and Mary

Sometimes big trends come on small plates..Birthday brownie with chocolate mousse

We could finally manage to get one right

A look upstairs at the smoking lounge

Love the view from here

Café Amsterdam – Enjoying the Summer Sunshine in Bahrain

Décor, Events & Experiences, Travel and Food

Located in Adliya alongside its sister restaurant La Vinoteca Barcelona, Café Amsterdam is based in a cozy and cute Dutch canal-style building reminiscent of the back streets of Amsterdam. The european architecture shouldn’t mislead you, this restaurant is located in the bohemian neighborhood in Manama, Bahrain.

In the heart of Bahrain’s fine dining neighbourhood, Café Amsterdam’s menu is built on modern European and New American cuisine. The menu includes innovative gastronomic creations, decadent desserts and original beverages. The award-winning Café Amsterdam offers a dining and nightlife experience under one roof with a sleek, state-of-the-art lounge, a bright and spacious glass conservatory and a lovely garden for al fresco dining.

Begin the day with breakfast in the light filled conservatory, lunch in the lofty dining room, after work in the snug and dinner on the expansive balcony overlooking the garden. Plus, catch all your favorite games in the sleek sports lounge!

I had my 9^th brunch at Café Amsterdam, whose kitchen is now purring along at a consistently high standard. Stand-out dishes at this outing were dazzling Barley Salad, Risotto al Pesto with cream pesto sauce, parmesan cheese and charcoal grilled chicken and their Passionfruit Cheesecake. A technically demanding (for heat in the summer) pineapple, coconut cream and kiwi mocktail ”Prince of the Middle East” was superb.

Buzzing at nighttime with regular live music events in their garden area, this is the perfect venue to enjoy a fantastic atmosphere and unwind with friends. So whenever you feel a craving for a true Dutch experience, you know your place in Bahrain.

The entrance from inside the restaurant

Wanderlusting: contemporary restaurant design, so bright & pretty

With its wooden panelling and beautiful orange bricks, this interior gives a very welcoming image of the place.

Restaurant or Gallery? Art is served up

The European Landmarks

The Mesmerising Fireplace

My favorite click – Loving the wall mirror

Up the stairs to the bar

The live music section in the restaurant by the railing for best views

Enjoying my healthy Barley Salad with pearl barley mango salsa and thai dressing and my Prince of the Middle East (Mocktail) by Bartender Tanmay

My main course – Risotto al Pesto with cream pesto sauce, parmesan cheese and charcoal grilled chicken by Chef Rahul

My Dessert – Passion fruit cheesecake by Pastry Chef Ajith

Full of modern elegance, Café Amsterdam’s design and decor is a tasteful combination of cozy-chic art-deco reminiscent of the late 1920s period.

Family-friendly Friday Brunch at Cafe Amsterdam

Checking the chicken for my risotto. This was my first attempt with charcoal. The flavor was exactly what I had imagined: smoky

It was another hugely successful day with brilliant, tasty & professional looking food. When there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.