Did we expect 2021 to be better? Well yes, we did and mostly it has been pretty much same same but with less COVID. But one bright spot in Doha has been the dining scene which shook off the year that didn’t happen to shine brightly. And, as I do every year, I have rounded up my list of the Best Doha Restaurant Dishes of 2021. There was a lot to like about 2021 as a foodie – a handful of new restaurants, new menus and mostly no Dalgona Coffee. I loved seeing IKA opening its doors and impressing us with its chef-driven South American fare. I was also pleased…
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Five Places to Eat Out in Doha from 28 May
Deja vu – seems like it was just last week when we had this discussion. I know you all have your own places you are planning to hit, but here are the places I can’t wait to eat out at when 28 May comes around. Five five star hotels were allowed to open their restaurants for in-house guests as a way to test their processes before the big opening. But for 28 May, phase one (at this stage) will mean: Outdoor dining is allowed at 30% capacity for all restaurants, and 30% indoor (for vaccinated clients only) capacity for restaurants that are part of the Qatar Clean program Maintain shopping…
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The Best Doha Restaurant Dishes of 2019
Compiling this list of best Doha restaurant dishes of 2019 was no easy feat. I ate widely and well this year. Fact is, 2019 was possibly one of the most interesting dining years I have had in all my time in Doha. New restaurants. New dishes and menus. Established places trying different things and pushing the boat out…. The Good There was genuinely a lot to love about the food scene this year – the opening of Qatar’s first Scandinavian restaurant Snoull, the quiet rise of the restaurants at the Mandarin Oriental, new homegrown concepts like Boho Social and BAO Doha taking risks and putting themselves out there. And the…
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Seven Places in Doha to Dine Outdoors This Winter
The weather is cooling – that means chances for swanning around outside and not end up bathed in a sheen of sweat are high. Doha winters make the summers almost bearable (and I will fight anyone who disagrees). Here are my 7 top places in Doha to dine outdoors this winter… catch you outside.. 1. Mykonos Doha It seems like Mykonos has been around forever and there is a good reason why its outside terrace is packed nightly in the cooler months. With a pool view and a bit of an island feel, the food is Greek staples like moussaka and grilled lamb, it’s hard to look past. Friday and…
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Shake Up Your Dining Routine – How to Eat Outside Your Comfort Zone in Doha
From Nepalese momos to Ethiopian food - shake up your dining routine. Here's your guide to how to eat outside of your comfort zone in Doha
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La Mar, La Vista 55 and Maya – Doha’s 3 Hottest New Restaurants and Bars Reviewed
It seems like they came all at once – a flurry of new restaurants and bars opening in Doha within days of each other after a long period of stagnation in the food scene. Always willing to put myself in the line of fire, I checked out Peruvian restaurant La Mar, Mexican offering Maya and Cuban joint La Vista 55 – all in the name of research – and there’s a lot to be excited about. Here’s my take on each of them, what to expect and what you should order: La Mar: I’m not going to lie, La Mar and its upstairs bar Manko are among the most exciting…
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Seven New Restaurant Openings to Look Forward to in Qatar in Before the End of 2018
With a slew of new restaurant openings it looks like the last quarter of 2018 is going to be one of the most interesting and delicious Qatar foodies have seen. After the uncertainty of 2017, investment and creativity is flowing and food lovers have a lot to look forward to. Here’s a look at what’s opening in coming weeks and months and a peek at what we can look forward to in 2019. A word of caution about opening dates – as is always the case, they are fluid. But buckle up this should be a fun end of the year! La Mar Doha’s future dining has a distinctly Peruvian…
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Your August Hit List – Where You Should Be Eating and Drinking in Doha This Month
August is a tricky month – it’s neither here nor there. Some people are still away. Some restaurants are closed or reducing operations. And of course, there is Eid in the middle. But it warms my foodie heart to say the restaurants and cafes in Doha are still slapping on the lipstick and putting themselves out there for our judgement. Last month I talked up Claw BBQ Doha and the good news is that they are finally opening (August 2), so do yourself a favor and head down to the Corniche area for this fun restaurant. And a heads up, it looks like the 10 day dry period is back…
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Eye Watering – Are We Being Ripped Off on Bottled Water in Qatar’s Restaurants?
You walk into one of Doha’s many restaurants with table service and what is generally one of the first questions you are asked? Would you like water? Still or sparkling? Without thinking, we order our preference (sparkling for me but I’m extra like that). but how many of us actually look at what that bottle, ordered without a second thought, adds to the bill? Recently I shared a meal in a restaurant in a five star hotel in Doha. When the bill came I did a double, then a triple take. Each of our dishes had come in around QR70 to QR75 each. Fair enough. The food was good. But…
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Revisiting an Old Friend – Has Yum Yum at K108 Hotel Weathered the Test of Time?
Back in the day (ok around five years ago), Yum Yum at K108 Hotel was the hottest dining ticket in town. With a sun-drenches dining room, views for days and a French chef turning out unique and sometimes challenging dishes. But Doha’s dining scene is one that is driven by fashion and fads – the chef left, other places opened and well, people moved on. But this place continued to deliver. I confess I was one of those diners who moved on to other more shiny objects. So I sheepishly returned recently to see how it was holding up. Sadly, the dining room was empty on our weekday lunch run.…
