FACT’s Sara Waddah, and a few of the team, headed to Downtown Rotana for a limited-time lunch treat that left them stuffed and ready for a quick snooze.

Only steps away from the iconic Bab Al Bahrain, Downtown Rotana stands tall in the heart of Manama’s bustling financial district, making it a hub for both business and leisure travellers. Located on the fourth floor of the hotel, the epicurean restaurant, Teatro, has just reopened for business, offering a set lunch menu that you don’t want to miss.

Offering an exquisite selection of different cuisines, Teatro’s high ceilings, glass windows and colourful ambience make it the perfect place for a quick and easy lunch, where the value for money will leave you satisfied.

With an authentic selection of dishes from five different cuisines – Indian, Asian, Italian, Vegan and Arabic – Teatro is officially back with its four-course set menu at only BD7 per person.

Now, we all know the F in FACT stands for food, so it was no surprise that we’d set our minds on a mission to try each of the cuisines, in the interests of research. So, here we go!

Out came five different platters of starters, with two options from each cuisine. My attention was immediately directed to the focaccia from the Italian menu. Still warm and fresh from the kitchen, and brought out with an arrangement of cheese, the Italian menu scored a point with this one! At a close second, the panko spring vegetables with garlic dip from the Vegan menu was also one that we couldn’t get over – perfectly crispy on the outside and bursting with flavours, it was nothing like we had expected.

Bringing out a round of soups to complement our appetisers, With such a wide variety of options, we began passing the different bowls amongst us, making sure we tasted of each of the different flavours. The winners of this round? The Tom Yam Kai with cherry tomatoes from the Asian menu, and the Wild Mushroom with Truffle from Vegan – another point for the vegan lunch! Heading onto the stars of the show, out came five different main courses, giving us a taste of five of our favourite cuisines. I was incredibly impressed by the Beyond Vegan Burger, that was toasted to perfection and served alongside fries.

Whilst the Arabic main course was a perfectly seasoned and marinated Oriental Mixed Grill, we were pleasantly surprised by the Pla Rad Prik Thai from the Asian lunch. Served alongside white rice, the reef fish was liberally doused in spicy and sweet tamarind sauce and then seasoned with basil, making an explosion of different tastes and flavours that were superbly representative of the cuisine.

An honourable mention should also go to the Italian main course – a Beef Ragout Fusilli with salsa verde, served with onion crisps in a wellpresented manner. Buonissimo! I’m going back for more of this one, definitely.

After clearing everything in sight, the lovely team at Teatro reminded us that the journey was still not over – out came a selection of desserts ranging from Tiramisu to Um Ali to even a selection of fresh tropical fruits! Tied between the Asian and Indian choices, we were surprised by the Tab Kim Krob (water chestnuts, melon and sweet coconut milk) and the traditional Gulab Jamun. Both were filled with flavours and yummy goodness to help us end it all on a sweet note.

Now, here’s my advice on how to do it right: grab a couple of your friends for lunch, and make sure each of you orders a different cuisine – the portions make it perfect to share and that way you’re getting the opportunity to try more than one cuisine at a time!

Giving dine-in guests an extra surprise at the end of their feast, anyone who purchases a set menu at Teatro will receive a complimentary voucher to use again at the restaurant – Italian this week, Vegan next week, Asian the week after…

This offer is only available until the beginning of Ramadan, so make sure you catch it before it’s gone. ✤

GO: CALL 3360 5070 FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING.