Cafe Italia (Seef)

Overview:

Cafe Italia is (as you've probably already guessed) an Italian restaurant situated in Seef Mall. This long-standing restaurant is quite reputable throughout Bahrain. It is loved by many, but disliked by some. The restaurant offers several authentic Italian dishes such as oven-baked pizzas.

Service:

The first thing you'll notice after ordering your meal at Cafe Italia is their speed. Your meal will arrive very soon after you order it (within 10 minutes), and don't worry about it being sloppy; it won't. However, note that some dishes such as the pizzas will require more time. Regular meals such as salads and pastas will arrive within said time frame. The staff at Cafe Italia aren't too special, but they'll get the job done, and I can't say that I have any complaints about them.

4.5/5

Presentation:

Cafe Italia is a restaurant that I've personally frequented several times myself, and I can earnestly say that I'm surprised by how consistently appealing the food always looks and smells. This is definitely one of those restaurants where what you get actually looks the same - if not better - than the picture in the menu. There are many simple yet effective touches that are added to the food or drinks, such as the cherry in the Shirley Temple, the parsley on the pizza, or bread buns by the pasta.

4.5/5

Atmosphere:

When you walk into Cafe Italia, you'll be able to immediately recognize the fact that someone tried to create a unique atmosphere, what with the decor and what not. Whether the created atmosphere is desirable or not is arguable; I'm sure that it will strike a significant amount of people as a bit tacky. However, the atmosphere is not all bad. After all, this is a matter of taste, and not everyone can be pleased. Music is always playing in the background, but nothing relating to Italy. Again, this isn't a bad thing, but it doesn't help in creating an Italian atmosphere. The atmosphere is most definitely Cafe Italia's weak point, but don't let it stop you from trying it out.

3/5

Food:

Oh, the food. This is most definitely the most important aspect of any restaurant, and Cafe Italia most definitely nails it. The salads at the Cafe are always astoundingly fresh; it's literally as if they're growing the stuff right around the corner. When it comes to the pastas, you should also expect a similar standard of excellence. There's always a perfect proportionality between the actual pasta and the sauce. The freshly-baked pizzas don't disappoint either. As you savor the pizza slice in your mouth, the freshness of its dough will be apparent. In terms of variety, Cafe Italia provides guests with quite a few options. You'll be offered a choice from soups, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, salads, and other types of dishes. They really do cater for every taste. Also note that the food is regularly of a suitable temperature.

4.5/5

Pricing:

Cafe Italia's pricing is yet another reason why you should definitely give it a go. I honestly can't think of anywhere else in Bahrain where you could get food of such great quality for such great value. It's not incredibly cheap or anything, but once you take how good the food actually is into consideration, you realize what a bargain you'd be cashing in on. Expect to spend around 7 BD per person, (i.e. appetizers, main course, drinks, and desert).

4/5

Overall, I think it's apparent why Cafe Italia has maintained its position as one my favorite restaurants in Bahrain. Whether you've never tried it, or just forgot about it existing, you should try it out.

Final score: 20.5/25

Think I'm being too generous? Let me know, we appreciate your feedback!

-Yaz