The moody and soulful ambience of Plums at The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain welcomed Liz O’Reilly for a midweek feast.

I love The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain. Its ladies and gentlemen and its aura of old-fashioned service. So, an invite to one of its restaurants is always a treat and Plums is, without doubt, among the best of them.

Arriving early evening, I pause a moment to take in the sultry surroundings – dim lighting, dark accessories and plush velvet giving an atmosphere of luxury complemented by the hospitable welcome and quiet ambient music as we are shown to our table. I could say much about the tasteful décor, the clink of high-quality glass and silverware and the subtle artworks but truly, the food here is the star and speaks more than eloquently for itself. So, we take our comfortable seats and prepare to tuck in.

Now, everyone does bread and I don’t usually mention it but bear with me. Hot sourdough, straight from the oven. Crusty and crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, it is the accompaniments that make it extra special. The French spicy butter is deliciously creamy with a distinct tang, while I would happily eat the high-quality chilli oil teaming with chunks of roasted garlic all day long.

The amuse-bouches are off-menu avocado fritters and salmon tartare that give a deserved opportunity for chef to show off. They arrive in small, lidded China bowls which look so pretty and are beautifully presented on a slate tray accompanied by rose petals and edible flowers.

The fritters sit on an abundant bed of fragrant rosemary and are perfect spheres of the lush fruit (yes avo is a fruit, not a vegetable), coated in a mix of breadcrumbs and rice flour, fried to a perfect crispy consistency and topped with a tasty daub of creamed goat’s cheese to add a delicious, salty bite to the creamy centre.

The salmon tartare is smoked and deliciously smoky served with capers and radish sliced almost translucently thin and lightly drenched in velvety avocado, sweet soy and Worcester sauce. It is the perfect opener to our meal and truly does amuse the mouth. For my appetiser, I choose the Dynamite Shrimp Tempura – four huge shrimps in a crispy tempura batter accompanied by three small pots containing soy sauce with spring onions, wasabi with cream and the famous Dynamite. The namesake sauce is sweet with an impressive bite of heat but I am truly in love with the wasabi. Its generous, decadent texture is perfect for dipping the crunch-encased fluffy crustaceans and the combination of velvety cream with the wasabi kick is truly impressive.

My dining companion goes for the Plums Salad – a hearty (if salad can be thus described) mix of lettuce, avocado, asparagus, béarnaise sauce and croutons with a soya truffle dressing. The chunky asparagus spears are beautifully al dente, the glistening green enhanced by the delicate pale yellow of the béarnaise and I am intrigued and delighted by the combination of soy and truffle which renders the dressing supremely flavourful.

After a brief sojourn for digestion and a refreshing palate cleanser of lemon and mint sorbet, our mains arrive. And I must start with my friend’s dish, for mine is truly abundant and will take some description.

The chef has kindly prepared an asparagus risotto with parmesan shavings for my non-carnivore dining companion who immediately falls silent, a rare occurrence, while digging into the succulent rice. She later tells me it has the perfect bite and the parmesan and asparagus are happy companion flavours.

My own plate is a veritable cornucopia of surf and turf – the surf represented by both shrimp and a succulent half lobster tail and the turf by both ribeye and tenderloin. Alongside there is yummy roasted garlic; chunky, crispy skin-on fries; a lush pool of pumpkin and carrot puree; baby tomatoes and crunchy asparagus.

Not sure I will be able to do this magnificent spread justice, I begin with the lobster tail which is sweet, yielding and succulent. I plan to just have a bite or two but it is so good, I cannot resist devouring half the flesh before moving on to the meat, all of which is expertly cut in-house.

The medium-rare tenderloin is absolutely perfect, seared on the outside, achingly deep pink inside and butter soft, the depth of flavour enhanced by a subtle rub and a slice of the smoky garlic. The richly fatted ribeye is, if possible, even better and I savour the juices gently released under my knife eagerly mopping them up with chunks of crispy potato and flavourful asparagus.

The shrimp is equally satisfying, a delicate, mild combination of salt and sweet with a buttery texture that plays with the taste buds and needs no adornment.

Almost replete, we decide to share a dessert – purely in the interests of research – and are served the Chocolate Lovers Cake. There is chocolate upon chocolate, in cake, jelly and solid form, accompanied by homemade vanilla ice cream and served with fresh raspberry and blueberry alongside daubs of raspberry purée which are perfect to cut through the richness. The combination of textures is interesting and the flavours luxurious. A fitting end to a fabulous repast. ✤

GO: CALL 1758 6499 FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A RESERVATION.