Few restaurants in the Kingdom have perfected their fine dining experience to the standard at Primavera located at The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain. As part of her gastronomical escapades this month, Farah Baig indulged in Primavera’s delicious culinary creations and warm hospitality, while discovering its exclusive premium ingredients.
The refined Italian dining restaurant, Primavera, recently announced its recrafted menu under the creative helm of acclaimed female chef, Mirsha Moreno. This modern Italian Osteria is renowned for bringing reinterpretations of Italy’s classic dishes to life, right here in Bahrain, so I looked forward to the experience.
Local, seasonal and fresh ingredients made in-house are key factors that make dining at Primavera special. We started our experience with a light Mediterranean Salad – a fine combination of roasted zucchini, bell peppers, crushed pistachios and the multi-awarded Marfuga Extra Virgin Olive Oil. After days of indulging, this was a welcome, healthy dish for the evening.
While we waited for our next course, we indulged in Primavera’s signature bread selection which includes Pane Carasau flatbread, grissini sticks, focaccia and sour dough bread rolls.
As a rich aroma filled the air, we discovered one of their gourmet Neopolitan pizza’s making its way to our table. The Pizza Tartufo – topped with truffle-mushroom cream, grated scamorza cheese and mozzarella cheese and finished with truffle shavings – was spectacular. These premium ingredients topped dough fermented over two days making it the best pizza I’ve had in Bahrain. While great on its own, a drizzle of Primavera’s chili oil added a fantastic kick to it.
The Ricotta Salad featuring their ricotta cheese which is made in-house was a creamy indulgence finishedwith a drizzle of traditional balsamic vinegar from Venturini Baldini, which has been aged for 25 years, and adds a unique sweet and sour flavour.
Next, elevated by Primavera’s art of culinary mastery were two decadent risottos: Risotto Verde and Risotto Al Funghi Selvatici. The Risotto Verde gets its name from its delicious greens including fresh Rocket, Kale and Spinach paste. Grated pecorino and parmesan cheese, sour cream and lemon juice added a pleasant creaminess to the dish. The Risotto Al Funghi Selvatici – a decadent mushroom risotto – was the perfect choice for those who love mushrooms. The bite of the mushrooms coupled with the perfectly cooked rice was just outstanding.
Being a Mediterranean country, seafood is quite popular in Italy, and Primavera has found a way to blend this love for seafood with Bahrain’s bounty of fresh clams, hammour and more. The Spaghetti Alle Vongole features clams sourced from the local fish market and was remarkably light with fresh tomatoes and aromatic herbs bringing the dish together while allowing you to enjoy the flavour of each ingredient. The baked hammour served with a side of tortellinis was just delicious with each tortellini revealing a sweet tomato filling.
Satiating our craving for rich Italian food was the masterfully braised Wagyu Beef Cheek which was tender enough to pull apart with just our forks. Mashed potatoes, the traditional balsamic vinegar and a thick gravy complemented it.
To sweeten our experience, we indulged in the Strained Strawberry Yogurt, Sicilian Cheesecake and Tiramisu from Primavera’s trolley. The cheesecake was devoured with the spoonful eventhough the clear favourite was the Tiramisu which can be made with your choice of ingredients, of course, with essential ingredients including the decadent marscapone and delicious cocoa nibs. The contrast of flavours and the playfulness of the ingredients made each dessert truly unique.
It goes without saying that Primavera’s new menu and warm hospitality make it a must-visit on the island. We’ve already planned our next dinner!