Well, we made it to June and half way through the year. The thermometer is flirting with the mid-forties, half my feed is already posting from somewhere with a sea breeze, and the city has slipped into its summer rhythm – quieter dining rooms, smaller menus, and the diehards who, like me, refuse to let a little heat get between us and a good meal.
The upside of summer in Doha, well THIS summer, in Doha? The deals are flowing and the venues are working hard to lure us through the door. So here are four spots I have been loving this month – from a 44th-floor dim sum marathon to one of the finest tasting menus in the country.
Limitless Dim Sum at Yun
I will go a long way for good dim sum, and at Yun that “long way” is straight up — 44 floors up, to be precise, to the Waldorf Astoria’s glossy, 1930s-Shanghai-by-way-of-Doha dining room with views that do half the work before the trolley even arrives.
The unlimited dim sum offer is excellent value.
This is proper Cantonese cooking from a Michelin Guide selected kitchen, so we are not talking sad freezer dumplings on rotation – the har gau are plump and glassy, the xiao long bao actually deliver that little scald of soup, and the char siu buns are pillowy soft..
Pace yourself, because their Forbidden City roast duck is also lurking on the main menu (for an extra charge) and you will want room. It is not the cheapest dim sum in town, but for the room, the view and the quality, it earns its keep. Go hungry and go with people who understand that ordering “let’s do that again” is a binding friendship contract – the limit does not exist.
The details: Yun, 44th floor, Waldorf Astoria Doha West Bay, Al Dafna. Unlimited dim sum on Mondays from 6pm, QR189 per person with two hours of drinks for an extra QR99.
Order this: everything on the menu. Skip this: lunch beforehand.
Steak Diane at Inginuity, Radisson Blu
Some of you will remember when this room at the Radisson Blu Doha was Maxim’s – secret lift, retro velvet furnishing, the lot. Inginuity has kept those good bones and turned them into a proper little Parisian-leaning bistro-bar, complete with one of the better gin lists in the city. But we are here for the theatre and for Jimmy, who is as much of an institution as the hotel itself.
The Steak Diane is flambéed tableside by Jimmy, and yes, I am a sucker for a bit of fire and showmanship with my dinner. The Aussie tenderloin arrives, after the baptism of fire, in that classic creamy, peppery, mustard-forward sauce, finished right in front of you – and the genuine surprise is the price. At around QR129, it is, pound for pound, some of the best value steak in Doha.
The kitchen’s UK love affair shows up in the smaller plates too, so don’t sleep on the beef pie and the proper fish and chips (with malt vinegar and mushy peas)! It is old-school in the best possible way: a bit of drama, a proper cocktail, and a dish that has earned its loyal following.
The details: Inginuity, Radisson Blu Hotel Doha, C-Ring Road / Salwa Road, Muntazah. Open from 12pm daily. Order this: the Steak Diane, obviously. Skip this: sitting too far from the flambé trolley.
Cozy Curry
As you know, I have a soft spot for the small, neighborhood places, and Cozy Curry is exactly the sort of unfussy, do-one-thing-well spot Doha needs more of. Japanese curry is the ultimate comfort food – that thick, glossy, gently sweet roux, not a chilli-forward curry but a hug-in-a-bowl curry. And when you top it with a panko cutlet fried to a proper shattering crunch, well, that is a very good eating day, as I like to say.
The katsu here is, at the time of visiting, chicken only and is tender, with a little and the curry has that ideal balance of savoury depth and a whisper of sweetness, with the rice on the right side of sticky. I like my curry sauce a little darker and stormier, but I suspect this version will appeal to a broad audience.
Here, your starting point is the gravy and rice, then you add the protein, veggies and other additions. They have added some new toppings since my initial visit and take my advice and ask for the spicy katsu curry sauce.
The details: Cozy Curry, Salata, 12pm to 11pm. Base curry gravy and rice from QR32; toppings from QR3 upwards. Order this: the katsu curry (obvs). Skip this: Didn’t love the chicken kaarage.
Echoes of Spring Menu at IDAM
And now for something at the very top end. IDAM by Alain Ducasse holds a Michelin star, was named the best restaurant in Qatar at MENA’s 50 Best 2026, and sits on the fifth floor of the Museum of Islamic Art in that jaw-dropping Philippe Starck designed dining room – black carpet etched in white calligraphy, Baccarat crystal, and the Doha skyline laid out like a perfect tableaux.
The new seasonal menu is the way to do it properly. It is the full Ducasse-in-Doha vision – French technique threaded through with a touch of Qatar, courtesy of Executive Chef Fabrice Rosso . And the little rituals are half the joy: choosing your water glass from the wall of Murano, the precision plating, and mixologist’s mocktail pairings that are built to complement each dish rather than just sit beside it. Oh, and yes, the butter cart.
This Echoes of Spring menu is 10 courses, including mocktail pairing (yes, it’s back), water, tea and coffee, for QR550. And this is smart – it’s a true taste of IDAM, all inclusive in fact. The dishes are smaller, yes, but they come in groups, smart casual kind. Leaning into the feedback that people want a more compact dining experience. Anyone who has been victimized by a multi course, four hour eternal tasting menu will attest.
And the food, yes it still impresses. A tiny marinated translucent carabineros shrimp, those expensive Spanish crustaceans, is sweet/salty and given an almost floral taste thanks to elderflower (florals, for spring, groundbreaking). Discs of blue lobster, cooked on coals, comes with zingy cumquat and surprising curry oil. This is a special-occasion splurge, no question – but it is also one of the genuinely great meals you can have in this city, and worth every riyal.
The details: IDAM by Alain Ducasse, 5th floor, Museum of Islamic Art, Corniche. Echoes of Spring, 10 courses for QR550. Order this: just sit back in your white leather seat and enjoy the experience. Skip this: rushing – give it the whole evening.
And there we are… four very different ways to eat well in Doha this June, from a dumpling marathon in the clouds to a Michelin-starred Experience with stunning views.
While you are here…
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Please note: while I pay for a large portion of the experiences I write about, I am sometimes provided meals or experiences free of charge or at a reduced rate. I am, however, under no obligation to give a positive review.
