What can I tell you…the thrill when I discover a deli has a sit-down cafe attached to it gets me all curious and excited! They are few and far between (Chtaura being the original stalwart!) so to discover two new ones this week alone set an excellent tone.
Allo Beirut, a Lebanese supermarket is minutes away from Adliya/Zinj and has an array of spices, herbs, cheese, meat counter, deli item, olive oils and more in the ground floor supermarket.
What you will also see is a narrow staircase heading up to a mezzanine level cafe. The ultimate question is do you eat first followed by a browse, shop then sup, or as I very efficiently did on this visit; order my food, browse the supermarket, then head back up for my meal.
We tried the generous shish taouk chicken wrap, stuffed with fries, pickles and garlic sauce. The piquant cheese rolls were excellent and flecked with herbs, while the Toshka has layers of cheese, herbs and meat layered into a pita. I spotted on their menu favourites like Molokhiya and Fatat Awarma, plenty of mezza and as well as grills.
It’s the perfect place to run in for a speedy bite or to pick up a few bits and bobs, as I saw plenty of local office and neighbourhood medical staff do. I guess they just wanted to say a quick Allo 😉
If you loved reading this, check out my list of top Speciality Food Stores in Bahrain.
