We’re back with another walk around K-Town! In our previous issue, we’ve taken the walk over Ahmad Al-Jaber Street and relived its hidden treasures. Now, as we’ve ended the walk on Mubarak Al-Kabeer Street, here’s what lies within and behind the richest street in Kuwait City.
Taking a turn from Ahmed Al-Jaber Street, we decided to pause the walk by Moo Milk Bar, only because what follows on Mubarak Al-Kabeer street is an even bigger array of trendy and vintage spots. Along one side of the street, you have the continuation of what is called the ‘caffeinated road’. This is where VOL.1, Toby’s Estate, and creative spots such as Almakan are all on the same walking lane, amongst several other restaurants. The other side features the destination for a sea of fabrics, known as ‘Blockat’. Each and every shop is set in providing a variety of textures, colors, and tools for the type of fabric you’re seeking for an outfit you have in mind, or if you’re changing up the curtains in your bedroom. You name it, they’ve got it.
Before we continue further into this walk, imagine it this way: A circle of locations that are actually closer to each other than you’d think, from Ahmad Al-Jaber, to Mubarak Al-Kabeer, to Blockat, and finally, to our main destination of Souq Al-Mubarakiya. All of them are connected; they all grew from the same practice of combining the old and new together, cultivating Kuwait City’s cultural scene, a transformation that was extremely needed for the public to fall back in love with their own town.
At bazaar.town, we have gone through every spot that is worth a visit at Souq Al-Mubarakiya, under the title We Heart Kuwait. We decided to revisit these spots during this beautiful weather, and discover new ones as well. One square in particular, placed in South Al-Mubarakiya, continues to grab the attention of visitors and is commonly known as SoMu. The store that started it all, Thouq, remains at the same spot it always has been, but with more shops and restaurants side by side, to liven up the square more.
At SoMu, you can have street food at Brothers, or 12 Chutneys for Indian tapas. For specialty coffee, there’s Caffeine and for a flavor of Italy, enjoy the delicious food and gelato at Breo. You’ll definitely find something at SoMu that’ll suit your taste, but the best thing about the square is the atmosphere itself. With its surroundings, you can either head towards the Souq to do some shopping for vintage items (think antiques, Persian carpets galore and endless nick-nacks), or take a turn to more places for food and coffee.
Another new addition can be found in the middle of Souq Al-Mubarakiya just inside the Dates Souq is Potat Bobtain. A tiny shop which serves fries, Dutch-style, with a variety of savory sauces. A convenient snack to eat while walking around the shops, while embracing the beautiful scenery surrounding it. A leisurely stroll through the old Souq gives a different vibe to your day, and we also discovered it adds more items to your shopping list than you might anticipate, due to the amount of cool stuff right in front of your eyes. Be it throwback snacks, clothing items, or even jewelry.
When we reached the end of Mubarakiya, we couldn’t help but notice how time flew by, as we admired two amazing Jedareyat murals, both of them representing the culture surrounding the Souk. One specifically took us back to the 80’s, as it features the locals’ favorite Auntie Gmasha.
But, our tummies were not fulfilled yet, at Awtad Complex, Baytoti is the perfect place to get a flavor of homemade modern Kuwaiti dishes. Finally, we had to end the walk at Doh! for doughnuts, who recently opened their shop at the complex to satisfy our ever-needy-sweetie tooth, with their overwhelming pink interior, it’s definitely worth a shot or two for the sake of aesthetics.
Souq Al-Mubarakiya may be old, but it is a well-preserved key destination worth visiting to better understand Kuwait’s cultural scene. While it is expanding, and continues to empower youthful ideas, Mubarakiya truly combines the old and new in one destination for all to see.
Photography by bazaar staff.
