Two Spoons shares their experience at Swagat.

One of our favorite little places is this vegetarian restaurant, Swagat, sandwiched between a couple of tailors in Manama Souq.

The host comes over with a grin from ear to ear and welcomes us in – remembering us from our last visit which was at least eight months ago if not a year. “Long time, sir!” he says to Mo, ushering us to the same table we used the last time.

We have the laminated menu in front of us, but unless you already know what dahi sev puri actually is, it’s fairly useless when it comes to ordering. So, we do the only thing you can do – ask!

We start off with thali (a plate with a few small different curries) and a masala dosa. Halfway between a crispy pancake and a Sri Lankan hopper, this huge folded parcel of spicy potatoes hits the spot every time.As always, the meal is fantastic. Full of flavor and spice without being so hot you can’t taste anything (a pet peeve of mine). The food is filling and the bread is so good that it is next to impossible to leave any crumbs behind. The waiter comes around halfway through with a pan of rice from the kitchen to top up everyone’s plates and beams with genuine delight when we enthuse about how delicious the food is.

As always, the meal is fantastic. Full of flavor and spice without being so hot you can’t taste anything (a pet peeve of mine). The food is filling and the bread is so good that it is next to impossible to leave any crumbs behind. The waiter comes around halfway through with a pan of rice from the kitchen to top up everyone’s plates and beams with genuine delight when we enthuse about how delicious the food is.

We finish off lunch with two cups of the strongest black tea imaginable and pay our bill (handwritten of course) before making our way back outside to the sweltering sun of the souq.

Meal for Two = BD 3.200

Swagat Restaurant
Location: Manama Souq, end of Al Muatasim Ave., Manama, Bahrain
Tel: +973-17225137