We are a little dubious about buffet arrangements. Quantity tends to be an unhappy bedfellow of quality, and however ‘fresh’ a steak is under a buffet pan lid, it is never going to be served sizzling. That said, we’ve had some rather good buffets in Bahrain, so it was with a relatively open mind that we took ourselves along to the waterside Juffair towers that constitute the Marriott Executive Apartments, where Skyw@lk Cafe can be found.

Something of a misnomer, the cafe is actually located on the ground floor of the building which, although very nice, is rather a shame since we imagine the views from the top floors must be rather spectacular. The dining area has an emphasis on the casual, with computer terminals, a coffee shop and a small grocery shelf vying for space with the restaurant proper, which quite honestly, is not bad thing. Too many restaurants in this country take themselves too seriously and try to shock you not with the food, but with a stuffy atmosphere and snotty service.

Tuesday nights at Skyw@lk give themselves over to the Sky’s The Limit promotion, an Italian buffet that we heard was something of a hit. When we arrived we managed to snatch one of the few available tables, and leapt to our feet to start. The buffet is incredible value – roughly BD7 each including tax – but a little on the small size. Don’t expect Friday brunch style opulence: a good selection of salads and around eight choices for a main. For dessert there are cakes galore.

We over indulged on the salads owing to the fact that they were rather good, and what space remained was given over to a selection of mains, which included risotto, steak, breaded seafood and (of course) pasta. The mains varied from rather superb (risotto) to only OK (breaded seafood), which is rather typical of a buffet: you can’t please everyone with every dish. The desserts were a treat, and I opted for a winter fruits tart, while my friend grabbed a hunk of cheese cake. All the while, the atmosphere was friendly, the staff frankly superb, and the price a real winner.

The bill for two
The Sky’s the Limit buffet x 2 BD12.422
Early Grey tea x 2 BD2.400
Total (incl tax/service) BD17.897