Avli by tashas has introduced a new kind of evening designed to make you slow down. Once a month, the restaurant at Bahrain Harbour will host a Shared Table Dinner, a monthly communal dining experience built around one long table, a three-course Mediterranean menu, and the simple idea of putting your phone away for a couple of hours.
Guests are seated together at a single long table rather than separate tables for two or four. It is designed for anyone keen to eat well and talk to the people around them, whether that is a partner, a friend, or someone you have just met.
The format runs family-style, with dishes placed in the centre of the table for everyone to share. It is the kind of dinner that nudges people to slow down, pass plates, and stay a little longer than usual.
Avli by tashas sits within Bahrain Harbour and takes its name from the avli, the open-air courtyards found throughout Greek homes and villages. The restaurant was conceived by Natasha Sideris, founder and CEO of TashasGroup, and that sense of an open, generous gathering space runs through the entire design.
Barrel-vaulted ceilings arch overhead, with arched windows and doorways framing views into the dining room and the open kitchen beyond. Soft whites and creams sit alongside marble floors inlaid with gold mosaic, while stucco, terrazzo, olive wood, and sandstone bring texture to the space. Few tables in the area can match the view out across the harbour.
The food draws on Natasha’s Greek heritage and on Athens in particular, with a menu built around meze, vibrant salads, fresh seafood, and slow-cooked meats. Many ingredients are sourced directly from Greece, and dishes are grilled over open charcoal fires for a smoky depth that runs through much of the menu.
The Shared Table Dinner follows a three-course structure, served sharing-style for the whole table.
To start, guests will share a Green Salad, Tuna Carpaccio, and Lamb Keftedes. Mains include Miso Seabass, Lemonato Baby Chicken, and Gemista, stuffed vegetables that are a staple of Greek home cooking. Dessert closes the meal with a Chocolate Parfait and a Baked Cheesecake.
Each Shared Table Dinner includes a dish prepared by Chef Vlassia, drawn from one of her own family recipes and shared at the table on the night. Guests take the recipe home with them, so the evening extends beyond the meal itself.
The idea behind the format is straightforward: arrive as strangers, leave having shared a table, a meal, and a few hours away from your phone.
The dinner will run monthly, with future dates to be confirmed.
READ MORE: 8 Mediterranean Restaurants To Check Out in Bahrain
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