The famous Swiss hotelier Cesar Ritz referred to as the “king of hoteliers, and hotelier to kings,” partnered in the late 19th century with Auguste Escoffier, a well respected French chef known for his “haute cuisine’. His cooking style is described as elaborate and fancy, and he made a name of himself as the head chef of the restaurants located inside the famous Ritz hotels at that time.
“We are always looking into creating exceptional guest experiences and bringing something unique to our hotel, “Mark Neukomm, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa, said.
“With the newest edition of our very much anticipated The Ritz Gourmet Lounge, we not only offer the best of home-made French influenced delicacies celebrating the heritage of one of the two most influential personalities in hotel business but also a stylish al fresco shisha experience at our especially designed terrace lounge like no other in Bahrain.”
Situated in the hotel’s arcade, the Ritz Gourmet Lounge is easy accessible from either the separate Sports Club entrance or The Lobby. The authentic French interior design has been created in reminiscence of the Belle Epoque, the “Beautiful Era”, a period in French history which started around 1890 and ended in 1914. The décor is inspired by the Parisian “Salon de the” and the Cesar Ritz legacy featuring wooden panels, marble flooring, rich wooden furniture and classic curtains. The Ritz Gourmet Lounge incorporates a color scheme of beige, dark red and green and there is a wide spread of gold leaf applications in almost every piece of furniture. Rich velvet upholstered Napoleon chairs and sofas invite to enjoy the chic ambience. Classic, gold framed paintings decorated on the ceiling in the main dining areas, wall mounted Murano glass lamps and an indirect lighting concept complement the decor.
All beverages are served in crystal glasses from Cristal de Paris while the culinary offerings are presented on exquisite bone china ware from Wedgwood, UK, famous for its elegant design.
Menu options are divided in five different menus such as breakfast, home-made ice cream compositions, Arabic Lounge with mezze, Arabic refreshments and shisha, and the main menu which composes of starters, soups, salads and tartines as well as sandwiches, panini, desserts and afternoon tea.
Guests may enjoy Escoffier’s signature dishes such as Peach Melba, named after the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba, Belle Helene or Strawberries Romanoff. Beluga Caviar served the traditional way with blini and sour cream can be sampled as well. Imported leaf teas from Sri Lanka, China and South America are on offer from the tisane trolley, freshly cut in front of the guest and served in silver pots. Hot chocolate drinks are presented made with Valrhona chocolate from France. For coffee aficionados, a freshly roasted selection of various coffees from Arabica to Turkish is available daily and can be purchased in the gourmet lounge retail area to be enjoyed even at home – along with home-made breads, croissants, pates, tartines, richly decorated desserts, chocolates, ice cream, fine olive oils and caviar.
The highlight of the 74-seat restaurant is the shisha terrace lounge serving exotic and newly composed flavours in oversized contemporary Meduse pipes, made of Czech hand-blown Bohemian Glass which has been held in high regard for centuries. Guests can sample Meduse Beach, a blend of watermelon, lemon and coconut, Eden’s Apple, a composition of eskandarani apple, chocolate and mint or for example Karkade Mist, mixed with pomegranate, strawberry and plum. A dedicated shisha sommelier assists with choosing the perfect flavour depending on each guest’s personal preferences and recommends a selection of drinks and refreshments to accompany this finest shisha experience.
For those who would like to enjoy a freshly brewed cup of coffee, crusty breads with French butter and sea salt after exercising in the morning, or just a light snack before, after or during office hours, can stay connected via complimentary WIFI provided in the lounge. The Ritz Gourmet Lounge is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7 a.m. till midnight.