Sa6al, Bahrain’s latest seafood restaurant, spoiled FACT’s Sara Waddah for choice with the bountiful treasures of the ocean.

Seafood is a widely loved cuisine worldwide and particularly here in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Sa6al, located right at the start of Block 338, the Kingdom’s popular dining district in Adliya, just officially opened its doors to diners, making it one of just a few of its kind in the area.

With a menu that’s filled with fan favourites, the restaurant serves near-infinite choices of delicious dishes made using a variety of bounty from the sea. We were ecstatic to eat here and thankful that we brought our appetites along.

Located on the ground floor of the building, below Buffalo Wings & Rings, the restaurant’s interior features seafood-themed décor such as fishy puns, SpongeBob posters and crabby jokes.

Ready to dive right in, we started our seafood excursion with the Asian Shrimp and Honey Mustard salads, which, to our surprise, were really the perfect way to begin because they further whetted our appetites. A fiesta of colours and freshness, the Asian Shrimp salad was loaded with fresh shrimp and yummy vegetables, garnished with fried onion slivers and drizzled with a mildly spicy sweet chilli sauce. The sweetness of the shrimp worked beautifully against the gentle heat of the sauce. Moreover, the vegetables and fried onions added a nice crunch, giving the salad a robust texture. The Honey Mustard salad was a vegetarian one made with a mix of greens, corn, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, all topped with chip sticks (crispy bits) and dressed with a sweet and pungent honey mustard sauce. It complemented our pescatarian and meaty feast well.

Next, we moved to the starters, which included the most mouthwatering, bite-sized ribeye steak pieces with jumbo steamed shrimps on a skewer, accompanied by some barbecue sauce. This surf and turf appetiser combined the best of both worlds: juicy, tender steak with bouncy, sweet shrimp. The Lollipop Steak and Shrimp was another fun land-and-sea appetiser that my group and I happily tucked into.

Even before we started eating at Sa6al, we were able to tell that both seafood and meat were going to be prepared to the highest standards. There was something about the aromas wafting around the place and the proactive service that gave us that vibe. And we were right! Having had a fantastic experience so far, we weren’t expecting any less from the rest of the dishes.

My fellow diners and I combed through the well put-together menu, trying to decide what to eat next. Being mightily impressed by our appetisers, we decided to order a main course from the Land & Sea section, the Salmon & Steak; the Fish Taco from the Mexican page; and the infamous Boil Bucket.

Within a few minutes, our main courses started arriving at the table. We were impressed by the presentation and didn’t know where to start – a bit of everything was in order.

The Mexican tacos were spot on, combining the crunchiness of the fried fish fillet and the freshness of the diced tomatoes and salsa. The Canadian Rock Lobster from the Salmon and Steak dish was definitely the show stopper; served with garlic butter, rice, potatoes and a magnificent USDA Prime Black Angus Ribeye, it was a combo that we surely won’t forget about anytime soon. The garlic butter kept the proteins moist and juicy while also adding a sea of flavour (pun intended).

The Boil Bucket was an entire experience in itself. The servers eagerly helped us clear and spread some waxed paper on our table and then spilt more than a kilo of shrimp, crabs, clams and mussels from their popular lemon pepper Boil Bucket. We were ready to get our hands dirty and dived straight in. Sat before this huge seafood feast, we relished each of the gems with the zingy and sharp lemon pepper sauce. All had taken on the gravy’s rich essence; however, we tasted the flesh as we ate – packed with flavour but not overpowering. For that extra vibe, we made sure to add corn and potatoes as well as some heat. It was phenomenal! Sa6al offers high-quality seafood at extremely affordable prices, in a really fun atmosphere. And, health-conscious diners can easily find the calorie count for each of the dishes from the menu. All this topped off with incredible service and a family-friendly feeling and our afternoon at Sa6al was nothing short of fantastic and truly welcoming. ✤

GO: CALL 1710 4994 FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A RESERVATION.