Lawson Misquitta found good food and exciting flavours at Medzo Italian restaurant.

Located bang in the centre of Manama, overlooking the busy highway and the Bahrain Financial Harbour is the InterContinental Regency Bahrain, a well-known spot in the Kingdom that’s proven time and again to be a serene respite amidst all the noise.

One blistering summer afternoon, my dining partner and I arrived at the hotel for lunch. As we made our way to the mezzanine floor, we soon came to our destined stop – Medzo Italian restaurant.

The restaurant was warmly lit with elegant, modern design choices that highlighted its understated, stylish furnishings. The tables were well-spaced and offered an intimacy that would be perfect for a romantic first date or a special anniversary meal. It also appeared as an ideal spot for hosting business lunches. A strategically placed statement piece, a classic red Vespa, brought an exciting jolt of colour and a not-so-subtle nod to the motherland of the cuisine we were soon to savour.

We were swiftly seated and then placed our initial order. The restaurant boasts a fantastic open kitchen set-up where we saw Executive Sous Chef Rajesh Kumar and his amazing team busy working their magic.

First to arrive at our table was a basket of fresh focaccia bread that had been lightly sprinkled with olive oil and garlic, and toasted to perfection. There’s something special about well-made bread that makes it immensely enjoyable and hard to put down, this was one of those.

Then came our appetisers, the first being a gorgeous plate of Caprese Salad, thickly sliced ripe, juicy tomatoes and sprigs of fresh basil adorned a dollop of deliciously creamy mozzarella that was topped with intensely flavoured pesto sauce. Personally, I found this dish a simple but truly magical combination of flavours, textures and freshness.

That was soon followed by another classic preparation – the Margherita pizza, which to me is a good litmus test of the legitimacy of any quality Italian spot, and Medzo didn’t disappoint here! The base was impeccably thin, light and was crowned with the perfect measure of tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil that made it irresistible.

We were then served a plate of Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta that came with a deep, velvety sundried tomato cream sauce which divinely complemented the flavours of the stuffing, an absolutely satisfying treat.

Next up was the intriguing Squid Ink Spaghetti. An interesting facet of the dish – squid ink is a popular ingredient often used in Mediterranean and Japanese cuisine. Its savoury properties come from its high content of glutamate, which is an amino acid that’s also an umami compound. With its distinct blue-black colour, it’s guaranteed to fascinate you visually but as a whole the preparation had a rich, briny flavour with a faint hint of sea saltiness, which made it absolutely perfect for pairing with seafood – in this case an ample serving of poached lobster. It was also accompanied with a tasty tomato fondue sauce that elevated each enticing bite.

The main courses continued with a plate of Risotto Ai Gamberi, a traditional Italian risotto that’s prepared with shrimp as the key ingredient. It showed off an admirable balance of rich but complex flavour profiles and was easily our unanimous favourite. Finally, we were served the Salmon Fillet Al Barolo. The salmon was cooked flawlessly, while the other ingredients such as the baked potato, pickled fennel and fine lettuce combined exquisitely with the citrusy lemon dressing and the fine Barolo grape sauce. We thoroughly enjoyed this one as each bite was a heavenly medley of flavours!

As we nearly wrapped up our meal, we ran into an acquaintance at the restaurant who had dropped in for lunch. We gladly invited him to join us at our table as we three got around to catching up. Since the two of us had mostly finished our meal, he opted for the Medzo Business Lunch. As I curiously checked out the special menu, I was amazed at the ample variety of options that were available as part of the deal. It wasn’t long before his food arrived, and I found myself pleasantly surprised at the terrific meal he had just been served. It comprised a hand-tossed pesto bread, an assorted platter of cold cuts with a variety of cheeses and seasonal berries as the antipasti, and Beef Tagliata Alla Toscana as the main course. Much like us, he was very satisfied and full of compliments as he enjoyed his lunch, which he informed us was priced at BD4.9 net – very reasonable.

Before we made our departure, we indulged in some of the desserts. We ordered the tiramisu which was a divine amalgamation of delicate flavours from the layers of mascarpone and ladyfinger biscuits, with the darkly robust presence of espresso and amaretto. Alongside that, we also tried the Basil and Thyme Panna Cotta which had a silky, creamy texture and a unique taste.

Overall, Medzo impressed us thoroughly all the way from the ambience, to the absolutely amazing waitstaff and the undeniably delectable food. I see myself making a return trip soon, maybe a bit sooner than expected as I look forward to checking out the business lunch for myself. ✤

GO: CALL 1722 7777 FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING.