Winter has (allegedly) arrived, the season is in full swing, and my diary looks like a Tetris-inspired seating chart. November in Doha means pop-ups, visiting chefs, Saturday lunches that slide into the evening and, finally, terrace/sweater weather. Here’s where I’ve been eating and where you should be booking this month.
This month’s agenda for you: all-day breakfast at Urth Caffe, a QR199 Saturday lunch at Novikov Cafe, a Mexican bakery pop-up from one of the world’s best chefs, a glow-up at Nozomi, a new chapter at Nobu, and the Rosewood guest chef line-up you need in your calendar.
All-day breakfast on The Pearl: Urth Caffe
We’ve clearly been missing the dearly departed Eggpectations, because when I visited the newly opened Californian export Urth on a Monday, every seat was full. Breakfast runs all day, which already wins points with me.
The Chef’s special D’Lox toast on buckwheat (QR65) was my pick of the lot. The bread is spot on. The buttermilk pancake stack (QR65) is fluffy and craveable, the Turkish-style breakfast pie (QR37) comes with an egg, and the mushrooms on the Urth English breakfast (QR76) are excellent. Cakes and breads are made in house and the organic coffee is strong.
Service held up despite the crowd, and bonus points for complimentary chilled water by the glass for everyone. There are around 100 dishes on the menu, which yes, is usually not a great sign. But this place has volume, so one visit barely scratches the surface.
The details: The Pearl · Daily, 7am to 12am · From QR80 per person · Order the D’Lox toast and the pancakes · Tip: Go early on weekends, it fills up fast.
A QR199 Saturday lunch in Msheireb: Novikov Cafe
Novikov Cafe snuck under my usually hyper-aware radar. Open since March, it’s the more relaxed sister of Novikov at the St Regis, and while there are glimmers of the pan-Asian fare the brand is known for, this one leans Mediterranean
On Saturdays they run a QR199 per person sharing lunch (minimum two), and that’s all in: four generous courses, soft drinks, juices, water and even coffee. Highlights were a very moreish spicy rock shrimp and a grilled baby chicken bathed in a mustardy sauce. We wiped the plate clean. Dessert is whatever’s good on the day, and my San Sebastián cheesecake was a silky triumph.
The room is bright, spacious and stylish, service is charming and on point, and it sits on Baharat Msheireb, right across from M7. Book a late lunch, see an exhibition either side, and you’ve got yourself the perfect winter Saturday.
A Mexican bakery pop-up, this week only: Panadería Rosetta at MIHAD Café
The details: Baharat Msheireb · Saturdays, 1pm to 6pm · QR199 per person, minimum two, soft drinks and coffee included · Order everything, it’s a sharing menu for a reason · Tip: Park underground and follow the signs for M7. (I was a guest of the team.)
Elena Reygadas, named The World’s Best Female Chef in 2023, has brought her Panadería Rosetta to the new MIHAD Café in the Doha Design District, alongside ceramics by designer Perla Valtierra. I met Elena and she’s every bit as warm, sharp and grounded as you’d hope. What stuck with me most was how she talks about bread: not as a product, but as part of everyday Mexican life, from breakfast to celebrations to mourning.
MIHAD itself is worth the trip. Part cafe, part event space, part gallery, with work from some of the most exciting emerging artists in the region and beyond.
The details: MIHAD Café, Doha Design District, Msheireb · Until 15 November · Tip: This one closes Sunday, so don’t sit on it – but the cafe is here to stay.
A Japanese glow-up on the Pearl: Nozomi
Nozomi closed over summer and came back with a serious glow-up. Refreshed interiors, renewed service energy and some fabulous new dishes. The dynamite shrimp made my best eats of October (crunchy, saucy, a little bit spicy, like me), and the black miso cod is a stunner.
I genuinely think Nozomi is one of the most underrated Japanese spots in the city. Worth a fresh look.
The details: Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl · Daily, 6pm to 1am · From QR100 per person · Order the black miso cod and any of the maki rolls
The big night out: Nobu Doha’s new chapter
I’ve been a Nobu Doha loyalist from the start. Openings come and go in this city with a splash and an influencer fizz, but Nobu just keeps doing Nobu. Polished, consistent, and still my go-to when visitors ask where to go for a big night.
So Bradley Egunyemi stepping in as Chef de Cuisine got my attention. He’s no outsider: he’s been in the Nobu family since 2019, with stints in London, Dubai, Madrid and New Cairo. That matters, because nobody walks into Nobu wanting reinvention. You want the classics done perfectly, every time, with a little something new.
That’s exactly the balance he’s striking. The beetroot carpaccio is a smart, fresh opener, and the Dover sole with shiso salsa will have me back. The black cod and lobster tempura are right where they should be. And yes, I’ll still fight anyone over the shiitake salad and the Japanese Gimlet.
The details: Four Seasons Doha · Dinner nightly · Order the Dover sole with shiso salsa, the black cod and the shiitake salad · Tip: New chef, new dishes, perfect excuse to rebook.
Book now: Rosewood Doha’s guest chef program
This is how our dining scene grows up. Rosewood Doha is bringing chefs and bar talent from the various 50 Best lists to town through to January, and it’s a proper program of collaborations and residencies, not a one-and-done gala. Doha diners are well travelled. We know what good looks like. What we don’t always get at home is the exchange, and that’s what this is.
Two dates for November:
- 12 to 13 November, Asaya Kitchen: Kim Hee-eun and Yoon Da-hyun, the husband-and-wife duo behind Michelin-starred Soul Dining in Seoul, with a limited-edition contemporary Korean menu made for Doha.
- 27 to 29 November, Stoke & Stoker: DarkSide’s Marco Maiorano from Rosewood Hong Kong teams up with Scarfes Bar from Rosewood London for a custom drinks menu and live music. F1 weekend, sorted.
More hotels, please. I’ll be first in line.
The details: Rosewood Doha, Lusail · Book ASAP, seats are limited
That’s my November. Want more? Sign up to my weekly newsletter here, explore my Qatar Foodie Recommendations Google Map, get on the list for the next Supper Club, and catch the longer reads on my Substack. Missed last month? Here are my October picks.
Cheers, Rachel x
Where I was hosted, I’ve said so. All opinions are my own.