Bahrain's food reflects its position at the crossroads of Arab, Persian, and Indian cultures. The result is one of the more interesting food scenes in the Gulf, ranging from traditional Bahraini home cooking to cheap Indian canteens to upscale restaurant dining in Manama.
Machboos is the national dish -- spiced rice cooked with meat (usually chicken or lamb) or fish, flavored with baharat spice mix, dried limes, and onions. Every family has their own recipe. Muhammar is sweet rice with dates and sugar, often served alongside fish. Balaleet is a breakfast dish of sweet vermicelli noodles topped with a savory egg omelette -- it sounds strange but works beautifully.
Fish is central to Bahraini cuisine, thanks to the island's pearl diving and fishing heritage. Safi (rabbitfish) and hamour (grouper) are the most prized. You will find them grilled, fried, or stewed in tomato sauce at restaurants throughout the country.
Halwa is Bahrain's famous sweet -- a dense, sticky confection made from starch, sugar, saffron, rosewater, and nuts. It is served with Arabic coffee at every social occasion and makes a good gift to bring home. The best halwa shops are in Manama's souq.
For everyday eating, the shawarma stands and Indian restaurants that line the streets of Manama are excellent and cheap. A shawarma or a plate of biryani will rarely cost more than a dinar or two. The Indian food here is genuinely good -- many of the cooks come from Kerala and bring their recipes with them.
Arabic coffee (gahwa), flavored with cardamom and sometimes saffron, is offered everywhere as a gesture of hospitality. Sweet tea (chai karak), a legacy of the Indian community, is equally ubiquitous and costs almost nothing from street vendors.