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AFTER a tiresome day's shopping for a new Gucci handbag or pair of Dior sunglasses (or window shopping, as in my case) where better to place your Burberry scarf and refresh your weary YSL-clad feet than the kingdom's first posh eating place popular with London's Sloane Rangers.
Patisserie Valerie first opened its doors in 1926 in Soho's Firth Street when Belgium-born Madam Valerie decided to introduce continental patisserie to the English - it proved an instant success, becoming a famous meeting place for starving artists and Bohemians.
The company are now out to impress Bahrain's 'in' crowd with anything from a healthy Caesar's salad to a mouth-watering, chocolate-oozing, fruit-filled pastry.
Patisserie Valerie has set base at the up-market Moda Mall, at the Sheraton Hotel Complex, after opening its first Middle East outlet in Dubai three months ago.
The group boasts 12 stores in London and plan to expand across the Middle East. Currently shuffling across the Gulf is head chef, Luis Ribeiro, who was invited to the island by the Jawad Business Group to coordinate the franchise openings in the region.
Chef Luis, 36, brings with him 14 years of experience with Patisserie Valerie and was heading its Marylebone branch in London before taking up his new responsibilities.
Originally from Portugal, Chef Luis was a mechanic before he decided to join his brother, an employee with Patisserie Valerie in London, and has worked his way up from the bottom.
He said: "I like to take up new challenges and once I began with Valerie, I enjoyed my stay there and I decided to stick to it.
"I began where many of Valerie's top chefs today have begun as well... right from scratch. I joined Valerie as a cleaner. With time and experience, we evolve and grow within the establishment."
Chef Luis even clearly remembers the first cake he ever made - a strawberry gateau. He said: "It was pretty simple to make and it went down well in more ways than one!"
Nowadays, top celebrities, politicians, musicians and royalty want a slice of the action whenever Luis is busy baking. He said: "It makes you feel happy when you know that a celebrity or a well-known person is going to eat the cake that you have prepared and when they react in a positive way it can be quite special."
Chef Luis also remembers preparing a huge cake for a prince's birthday in Dubai. He said: "It was so huge we had to divide it into two and it featured all sorts of marzipan figures on the top."
In the future, Chef Luis hopes to prepare a cake for his favourite singer, Bono of U2 and open his own pastry shop in London someday.
In the kitchen, he believes that the three most important elements for success are the recipe, the quality of ingredients and the experience of the chef.
He said: "Personally, I enjoy all pastries but if I had to choose a favourite, it would be Valerie's famous chocolate mousse."
Aside from the pastry section, the outlet also serves a range of hot foods including English and Continental breakfast, salads, pasta, sandwiches, steaks and hot and cold beverages.
