Let’s be honest. First impressions were not great – a questionable table and a server with an attitude as chilly as Doha in late February. Our Zuma Baikingu Friday brunch experience was off to a rocky start. We’d already had internal monologue/whatsapp group chat about the QR500 price tag and the “sceney” vibe. But my lack of a Zuma visit was, I confess, a gap in my food writing resume. A generous table move, the injection of Pocket Rocket server called Camilla and a decent Bellini soon had us purring. Let’s be clear – Zuma Doha is a SCENE. So much so that we had a mix of wannabe main character…
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Review: Is there more to OPA Doha than its Instagrammable interiors?
OPA Doha takes the “more is more” approach to its decoration. It’s almost an assault on the senses – a wall of busts of imperious Greek philosophers (or the younger, hotter cousins of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle perhaps) that dreamy flower trimmed hallway. Let’s not forget the white washed walls, taking you to Mykonos via the Lusail Expressway. But, is there more to OPA Doha than its Instagrammable interiors and plate smashing fun? OPA Doha entered the Qatar market along with a flurry of similar Greek inspired restaurants in 2022. At last count there no less than seven Greek/adjacent restaurants in Doha. The appeal of Greek cuisine is obvious –…
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Review: 10 Years After it Opened, is IDAM Still Doha’s Fine Dining Leader?
With a landmark location and an impeccable fine dining pedigree, IDAM has always stood apart from anything else in the Doha dining scene. But 10 years after it opened, can we still call IDAM Doha’s fine dining leader? The answer is…yes and a qualified maybe. But more of that later. IDAM’s History A decade ago, when IDAM opened in all its white gloved Alain Ducasse elegance, its menu was a blend of near east/Orient and Eurocentric west. Billing itself as Qatari/French fusion, the famed harees with gold foil was a regular item on the menu. Then the empire expanded – Jiwan and its millions of pearls glittered at the National…
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Review: Does Carbone Doha Transcend the Hype?
Carbone’s NYC mother restaurant opened more than a decade ago and it’s still one of the hardest reservations to score. A living room of sorts for A Listers (Selena, Bad Bunny, Beckham offspring, Obama, Kim pre and post Kanye), social media adjacent celebs. It bills itself as an “elevated red sauce joint” with nostalgic overtones. Carbone Doha’s Back Story The Doha outpost opened in a blaze of glory in 2022, one of the gold rush of international names that saw an opportunity in Qatar. Some have gone by the wayside (peace out Pura La Vida); others have thrived (note Beef Bar on a Friday; Cipriani et al). Carbone Doha, from…
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The Best Restaurant Dishes in Qatar for 2023
I’ve been compiling the best restaurant dishes in Qatar for more than seven years now. And we have had good years; great years and some pretty average ones. I compile the list throughout the year and in previous years, it had always been a strong field from the start. This year was different – we had some stellar dishes out of the gate, a big rush mid-year, and limping to the finish at the end. I even removed some early contenders. All up it’s been a mixed bag of a year on the creativity and quality front. For 2023 I also changed up my own approach – this year’s winners…
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Doha Hit List October 2023 – New, hot and just reviewed restaurants and bars
September sped by like Lewis Hamilton on the track. Now we’re in October and headed towards, gulp, Christmas. But I’ve cut through the noise and here is your Doha Hit List October 2023 – new, hot and just reviewed restaurants and bars. Weekend brunch at Liang Liang is a little slice of Hong Kong in Doha. While the a la carte menu at Liang is full of stars, it’s the weekend dim sum brunch that gives a true glimpse of the restaurant’s appeal. Six courses, you lose track of the small plates as they are slid effortlessly on your table. Some in steaming bamboo baskets; others on small plates. From the…
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New Review – Believe the Quiet Hype About LPM Doha, it’s the Real Deal
LPM Doha sits in the middle of the avenue of restaurants on Al Maha Island. While it has been perhaps overshadowed by its more glamorous, and dare I say, louder neighbors, LPM Doha has quietly amassed a legion of very devoted fans. So much so that when I posted a teaser photo of my visit on social media last week, I was flooded with messages from people who don’t usually send them – all glowing endorsements about the food, the service and the view. Maybe because I had been steering clear of those restaurants on the “Other Island”, maybe because I don’t vacation in Miami, I was unaware of the…
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Rivaaj Doha may have a new name but is the food still as good?
I was a big fan of Riyasat at the St Regis Doha and was curious what had changed since its recent “rebrand” as Rivaaj. With the dissolution of Al Fardan Hospitality, this was one of the high-profile changes. Rivaaj has now moved under the umbrella of their landlords St Regis. The other notable change has been neighboring BIBO moving to we presume, Marsa Malaz Kempinski where sister restaurant Lobito De Mar is located. As a side note – I have lauded what was done in the complex that once housed a moribund ballroom at the Al Gassar Resort. The addition of interesting and popular venues and a gallery was a…
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New Review – Is GAIA Doha Great?
In the 2022 Gold Rush of restaurant openings, it’s easy, for even the most enlightened foodie to lose sight of one, two, or even a handful of new places. For me, one of these was GAIA. So, much so that half way through my recent dinner there, ensconced in its Instagram neutral plush dining room, I had an unsettling feeling that perhaps I was the last to actually visit this place. For on this holiday Monday, by 9pm, the room was heaving. Nearly 300 covers would be done that night – a feat that will have chefs and restaurant managers across Doha quickly do the sums in grudging admiration. I…
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Your Summer 2023 Dining Hit List – Where to eat and drink in Doha this July and August
It’s hot. It’s humid. The days are long. But these are not excuses to not to dine well in Doha this July and August. What to expect? Gluten free dining; a Japanese/Korean fine dining option and a brunch for those who may be tired of the usual brunch scene. These are my hot, new and just-reviewed places to check out, right now. Pure Eats Pure Eats has opened at Qanat Quartier at The Pearl, offering a huge gluten free and dairy free menu of comfort food. I’ve always struggled a big with the “free from” cuisines as they have erred on the side of tasteless – thankfully Pure Eats turns…
