Bahraini Cuisine

Bahraini cuisine is the fragrant, hospitable food of a Gulf island, rooted in Arabian tradition and enriched by strong Persian and Indian influences, built on rice, fish, meat and dates. The national dish is machboos, spiced rice cooked with fish or meat, dried lime and aromatic spices, close to the wider Gulf tradition. A distinctive local favourite is muhammar, sweet rice cooked with dates or sugar and served with fish, a delicious sweet-and-savoury pairing. As an island, Bahrain prizes its fresh seafood, especially the local hammour fish and prawns, while dates, flatbread and the famous, gelatinous Bahraini halwa complete the table.

What you actually see

• Machboos - the fragrant spiced rice with fish or meat.
• Muhammar - the sweet date rice served with fish.
• The fresh seafood - the local hammour fish and prawns.
• Bahraini halwa - the famous sweet, gelatinous dessert.

When to go

Year-round; traditional restaurants and the eateries and cafes around the Manama souq serve the local classics, and fresh fish is a highlight of this island nation. Bahraini hospitality is generous, and the strong, cardamom-scented Arabic coffee served with dates is a cherished ritual of welcome.

Honest expectations

Bahraini cuisine shares much with the wider Gulf, built on spiced rice, fish and dates rather than being highly distinctive, so its appeal is fragrant, hearty Arabian-Persian island fare and warm hospitality rather than culinary novelty, though the sweet-and-savoury muhammar and the famous halwa add local character; cosmopolitan Manama also offers abundant international dining. Sampled at a traditional restaurant with fresh island fish, though, Bahraini food is a satisfying and welcoming taste of the Gulf.

Nearby

The Manama souq and Bahrain's traditional restaurants are the places to eat.