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 are not necessarily new dishes, they may have been on the menu for a while. In previous years I also discarded special menus – this year I have included because it displays creativity and we need to encourage this. Importantly I took into account the dishes that stayed with me, that I want to order and eat again and again. that keep me coming back.
So, here we are, the best restaurant dishes in Qatar for 2023:
Rigatoni Puttanesca at The M Doha
Earlier I wrote about the dishes that stayed with me. This dish has lived rent free in my head most of the year. There is a good reason why every clued up foodie in town is talking about Chef Justin Yu’s food – it’s a perfect storm of creativity and understanding of flavors and textures, with a soulful touch. It’s food you want to eat, again and again – no gimmicks, no drama. The earthy fennel sausage, the whisper of warmth in the sauce thanks to dried chili. It’s a contender all day, every day.
Deconstructed Butter Chicken at Masala Library
What a sleeper hit this restaurant is and this dish is a great example of Masala Librry’s strengths. Chef Saneesh’s menu plays with molecular gastronomy, there are foams and spumas, but the playfulness works with the flavors rather than as a sideshow. The chicken is served separately to the luxe tomato-based sauce, it has been fired on the charcoals then pulled apart and mixed with the gravy. It’s complex yet familiar, as are the tiny bowls of lush daal served alongside. Familiar yet also daring.
Escargot at LPM Doha
It may be part of a larger chain, but LPM on Al Maha Island is one of the surprise packets of 2023. Location, a menu of classics and great drinks also add to the equation. This platter of snails with garlic and butter proves that excellent food does not need to be complicated. It’s a fairly rustic French classic and even convinced this snail skeptic to give it a go.
The Gamechanger at Provok Doha
I expect we will hear more from Provok in 2024 as it settles into its menu and mission. Yes, this is a slider, a burger even of light as air shrimp tempura, tangy calamansi sauce and a tomato chutney, but it’s one of my most talked about bites of the year. Pretentiously named dishes aside, I want to see more of Chef Taimoo and his food.
Chilled and Braised Eggplant at Liang
This tiny dish, found in the midst of their weekend Dim Sum lunch, speaks to the heart of what Liang is about. The details. It’s all in the details. Small, perfect formed and balanced between sourness and savory, it will make you stop and think. Not everyone likes it. The texture and chill may put people off. But to me, it’s a little bowl of magic.
Beef Short Rib at Mama Rozie
This family owned restaurant continues to show us that great food can be found outside the five star hotel nexus (and yes, I aloso need to remember that sometimes). Every time I visit or order Chef Zaki comes up with something creative yet also just bloody delicious. These are no exception. Seasoned, spiced and cooked to just the right doneness, it’s a beautiful mess of familiarity and new flavors.
Sweet and Sour Beef at Zhen Street Kitchen
Take everything you think you know about sweet and sour, throw it out of a moving Metro train. And yes, we ALL think we know a lot. But we don’t folks. This North Eastern Chinese take on a UK/US/Aussie take out classic is a game changer. Discs of laquered beef with a perfectly sweet/sour/spicy balanced sauce. Come for this dish, stay for the dumplings and hot pot.
Salt Baked Chicken at Kai’s Songbird
This place has had the talking heads of Doha’s self proclaimed food influenzers (mispelling deliberate) claiming credit for finding and “blowing up” as the kids say. And, for brunch at least, the reviews are valid. A bit like pass the parcel, after shedding its decorative outer layer, the chicken is wrapped in layers of paper – emerging after several minutes, a steaming, glistening mess of perfectly cooked chicken with a moreish mushroom sauce. So simple yet complex in its flavors and textures. It almost doesn’t need the theatricality.
Lobster Ceviche at Curiosa Doha
Edgar Hurtado at Curiosa is one of a handful of chefs in this town doing the actual work. By this I mean, innovating, trying new flavors but always remaining true to himself. I could name any dish on the Curiosa menu, but when Edgar is unleashed and just cooks what he likes, that’s my jam. This lobster ceviche is one I go back for and pay good money for – decadent but fresh, bright, light (and pretty) and just so damn good.
Baked Japanese Scallop with Yuzu Truffle Crust at Nobu Doha
This was a dish on a special menu at Nobu in May and I have launched a one-woman campaign to have Chef Andrew put it on the main menu. The description nails it – a tender, sweet scallop, the hint of citrusy yuzu and of course, the crunch of the earthy truffle crust. If ever there was a dish that speaks to me, it’s this one. It should speak to you too – it’s a flavor bomb of epic proportions.
Tuna Takaki at Chotto Matte
Pretty as a picture and delivering a sucker punch in flavor. I have had this dish at least three times and never fail to be impressed by the precision, the meld of tangy/spicy and the delivery. This place needs to be more popular – a stunning terrace, dedicated and well trained staff and a menu of dishes equally as good as this.
Grilled Langoustines at Izu Doha
As Izu Ani’s Doha empire expands, I keep finding ways to head back to his OG spot for dishes like this. Almost translucent langoustines, lightly grilled and seasoned with lemon and chives could have been served like this and I would be in heaven. Add salty pearls of caviar? Well that takes it to another level. This was from a special menu but you will regularly see a similar dish on their menu.
Wok Fried Local Lamb at Hakkasan
Hakkasan could just keep turning out immaculate dumplimgs and Peking Duck and we would all lap it up. To their credit, they create new collaborations and menus that makes it a bit further each time. A recent menu saw a fusion of Qatari ingredients and Chinese methods – this stir fried lamb, with hints of cumin and other flavors was the hand down star of the show. Earthy yet subtle and beautifully tender. More of this in 2024, please.
Spaghetti Alla Nerano at Alba Doha
There’s pasta and then, there is this dish that was begging for inclusion in the best restaurant dishes of 2023. On a recent special event menu, we can hope they add to the daily offering. Nerano is a small Italian village on the Sorrento Peninsula, where this dish was first created in the 1950’s. It’s a handsome dish of a silken handmade pasta with fried zucchini and parmesan. The tiny zucchinis were brought in the visiting chef’s luggage from Italy. It’s a reminder that great food does not need to be complicated.
Vegan Tacos at Wild and the Moon
I have been known to dabble in the vegan arts and this dish is the reason why. Yeah, I’m shocked too. Stuffed with a moreish mix of shitake mushrooms, red beans and avocado, this is a poster child for vegan goodness with a cutting edge. A dusting of sumac gave an on point citrus tang. I am so pleased to see more vegan spots in Qatar (really!).
Penang Chicken Curry at Tuk Tuk Saigon
Like a hug in a bowl for me, this take on Penang curry is not pushing the culinary boat out and that’s what makes it so good. Silky, salty, sweet, slightly spiced, with a kick of lime and peanuts, the chicken on the right side of tender and finished with a drizzle of coconut cream. Perhaps others are “more traditional” takes in the city, but this version hits all the right notes and gives me some nostalgia.
Ravioli Cacio Pepe at Scarpetta
This is one of the sexiest dishes in Doha – gossimer thin pasta enveloping the cheesy/pepperygoodness of cacio pepe, finished with a fatty (in a very good way) brown butter sauce and with charred leeks. It’s simple but an elevated form of the classic.
While you are here…
So that’s it! My best restaurant dishes in Qatar for 2023. Some omissions, some controversial additions! To be honest, since I started writing more seriously about food this year, dishes that previously might have made the cut, fell very short. We need to keep holding restaurants to account for quality, consistency and creativity. Meanwhile:
- Are you getting my weekly Life on the Wedge newsletter? Sign up here. We have some exciting and exclusive offers and events planned for the end of the year.
- My 2024 best restaurant list launches early next year. Check out the 2023 one here and let me say, the new one – controversial already!
- Catch me talking about Doha and the food scene and why I love what I do on Qatar 365.
- My podcast launches soon!
Please note:
While I pay for a large portion of my experiences that I write about, I am sometimes provided meals and other experiences free of charge or at a reduced rate. However, when accepting these invitations, I make it clear that I am under no obligation to give a positive review.
