Lawson Misquitta took his taste buds for a flavourful weekend treat.

Some might say waking up on a Friday and heading out to brunch is one of the better ways to kick off a weekend on the island. So, I decided to do just that and made my way to the heart of Manama’s bustling financial district to Downtown Rotana’s Flavours on 2. Nestled on the second floor, Flavours on 2 is considered the culinary heart of the hotel as it offers all-day dining choices from an à la carte menu as well as breakfast and lunch buffets. But every Friday the restaurant whips itself into special shape to host one of the best brunches the city has to offer.

On arriving, I was warmly greeted and directed to my table. The dining area is bright with abundant natural light flooding in from the expanse of glass on one side. It allows you a direct view of the usually busy Manama Centre and King Faisal Highway, but the much-reduced traffic serves as a sweet reminder that ‘Thank God it’s Friday!’ and puts you at ease to unwind and make the most of your afternoon.

Then we got to the reason we were there. As I laid my eyes on the bountiful spread of dining choices along with the open kitchen and live cooking stations, I didn’t know where to begin!

But moving past that delightful predicament, I grabbed a plate and made my way to the salad bar which was filled with possibilities galore and certainly the most colourful section of the spread. After loading my plate with some Asian-style beef salad and some lovely watermelon and feta salad, I next delved into the sauces and dip section and tried some of the exotic hummus preparations among a selection of other choices.

As I headed back to my table my plate still had some room to spare, then I spotted a vast selection of cheeses. I was glad to try a few!

Back at my table, the staff came to check our drinks preference, the options here too were plenty. Throughout our meal the servers were exceedingly attentive and always helpful in every way and a fantastic two-piece band serenaded us with a vast selection of hits from across the years.

Returning to the delectable spread, I decided to check out the section dedicated to meat lovers and it didn’t disappoint one bit. From among the myriad choices such as cold cuts, roast chicken and much more, I got myself a serving of the Beef Wellington. The tenderloin was perfectly cooked and wrapped in a layer of finely chopped mushroom and meat mixture, while this scrumptious bite was held together by a beautifully baked, flaky puff pastry, could I even ask for anything more? I did and the barbecue beef ribs a few steps away served as the perfect answer. Thoroughly covered with a delicious sauce that was equal parts both sweet and tangy, the meat almost immediately fell off the bone. Satisfying!

At the section dedicated to ocean fare aficionados, the selection was massive and included a chilled seafood bar amply stocked with shrimp, mussels, fresh oysters, crabs and squid. This further expanded into an exquisite sushi selection that had at least nine different varieties to choose from. The chef stylishly garnished and decorated each of them individually with the final plate forming a visual delight and the play on textures among the different types a joy to experience with every bite!

As I gladly continued eating, servers came to our table with more appetisers prepared fresh from the kitchen, including delicious hard shell veg tacos and prawn tempuras, which had a thin coating of batter making them light, crisp and very flavourful. A clear stand out for me though was the quiche which came with an enticingly savoury filling of egg, meat and selected herbs and spices peppered throughout. The egg here was fluffy, creamy and had the right amount of cheese giving it the perfect bite, while the meat and herbs blissfully danced in and out with every morsel. I asked for another serving of this one!

Perusing the mains, the choices included a variety of rice and gravy preparations such as paella, butter chicken and many more from various different cuisines as well as a selection of steak options. I looked over the cuts available and picked a hearty rib-eye which was prepared to my liking and accompanied with a buttery mushroom sauce and a side of lip-smacking potato gratin, that has made its way onto my list of favourite sides to accompany a steak meal.

Finally, post all the eating and with only the slightest of room to spare but with no desire to hold back now, I made my way to the attractive dessert spread which included an assortment of sweets, cakes, ice-creams, cheesecakes, Arabic sweets and much more. From among these the White Chocolate Cake was heavenly to taste with it being subtly sweet but with a velvety and creamy texture all while feeling extremely light. Other stand outs were the Crème Brulée, Blueberry Mousse Cake and the Caramel Budino.

As I left the restaurant, I remember feeling sufficiently content and knowing all too well that not far in the future I’d be on that lift again making my return to Flavours on 2. ✤

GO: CALL 3360 5070 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A RESERVATION.