I actually don’t like the term “date night”. It kind of makes me cringe a little on the inside. But call it what you want, it’s a catch-all phrase for spending some time with your significant other. With work, werk, Netflix obligations, life and everything in between, AZ and I struggle to find time to just sit and catch up. So, we designate a time every couple of weeks to go out for dinner or drinks – sometimes we go somewhere new, but more often than not it’s one of our regular haunts. Sometimes they are fancy, mostly they are comfortable and easy to get to. So here is a…
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Saturday is the New Friday 2017 Bumper Edition
I called it early last year – Saturday IS the new Friday when it comes brunch. More venues around Doha are offering a more relaxed and refined Saturday brunch, giving those of us who would rather lay around in our stretchy pants watching Netflix on Fridays a chance to be social. I’ve covered a couple of these brunches listed below in my post about this trend late last year but we have some new players to add to the list. First off the bat is the always excellent JWs Steakhouse at Doha Marriott. Their Saturday bunch is luxurious yet also relaxed. An edited highlights version of their wider menu, you can expect plump…
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Steak Your Claim – Win a Saturday Brunch for Two at JW’s Steakhouse
I don’t know what it is about Saturdays, but I always manage to get a lot done. Last Saturday is a great example. I went to the gym, did the grocery shopping, shouted at my father over the phone for a while, lay around in my stretchy pants, marveled at the week of rain in Doha, went to the post office, negotiated the Spratly Islands dispute, nominated for a UN post, wrote a dissertation about Brexit and its effect on my online shopping habits*…and went to brunch at JW’s Steakhouse at the Doha Marriott. While Friday brunches are still a thing, Saturday is the new Friday in Doha and more places, like the venerable…
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Table for One – The 10 Best Places for Solo Dining in Doha
Let’s face it, there is something perversely indulgent about eating alone in a restaurant. I love eating out with AZ, but our schedules don’t always allow for it. And my Squad is also sometimes elusive for the same reason. Also, occasionally I just like a bit of alone time. So, armed with my iPad and some magazines, I regularly take myself out for a meal. It’s usually breakfast or lunch but sometimes I veer into dinner territory. I discovered the innate pleasure of dining alone many, many years ago. I have dined alone all round the world – in Michelin star restaurants in Florence and also in shacks by the…
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Giveaway Alert – Win Dinner for Two at Prime Luxury Steakhouse
WARNING! This post and the giveaway may result in meat sweats! I know, I’m biased, but I think Australian beef and lamb is some of the finest produce in the world. Australians love their meat especially lamb when Intercontinental Doha The City approached me to collaborate on their inaugural Taste of Australia promotion, there was never any doubt I would say yes. The hotel’s premium steak house has joined forces with Meat and Livestock Australia and the Australian Embassy in Qatar to promote the very best of our produce. Until February 28 you can sample selection of Australian beef and lamb including prime rump steak, lamb leg and braised beef cheeks. All diners who choose the menu during…
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Nine Food Trends Set to Rock Doha in 2017
We may look to our friends in the seemingly ever changing Dubai for what’s currently hip and cool, but here in Qatar, our dining ecosystem has a life of its own. As we head into February (how did THAT happen?) I thought it would be a good time to take the pulse of the city and see what we can expect from restaurants, hotels and others in 2017: MORE CHAIN RESTAURANTS: The opening of the Cheesecake Factory at the mammoth Mall of Qatar was more anticipated in some circles than the much discussed ABBA reunion. It’s just another in a long list of chains that see Doha as a rich market for their…
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Future State – A Round-Up of New Doha Restaurants to Look Forward to in 2017
So that escalated quickly. The year 2016 I mean. There I was, all fresh faced and excited on January 1 and now, here I am, bedraggled and bereft at the end of December. A lot happened in 2016 on the Qatar foodie scene. Some great,some not so great, and some a little bit of both. While it was a stellar year on the opening front, we have a lot to look forward to in 2017. Even Frommers has listed Doha as a top destination in 2017, citing its diverse dining scene as a reason. Here is my round-up of what I am excited about in 2017 (besides Netflix new schedule): The New Belgian Cafe I have…
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Six Foodie Things To Try Before the End of the Year
Listen up people! It’s December in a couple of days ! You heard me! DECEMBER! When did that happen? I demand a recount (on so many levels). Honestly, it seemed like just yesterday we were sweating through July and praying for less daylight and cooler temperatures. I’ve just realised there is a whole bunch I promised myself I would do but of stuff I just haven’t done this year: Revisiting the ABBA Museum Buying a new car (to be fair I have been saying that since 2012) Discovering a cure for Man Flu Finding a consistent supply of Mochi icecream in my vicinity Making Stretchy Pants acceptable office wear Single handedly eliminating…
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A Pizza My Heart – Six Great Home Delivery Restaurants in Doha
Contrary to popular opinion, I don’t eat out every night. My natural state is at home, on the couch, with AZ arguing over my apparently inexplicable love of reality TV. So truth is, I am, in fact, a bit of a homebody. I love to cook, but sometimes, after a long and complicated day or week in the Vineyard of Truth, I am partial to a takeaway. And with Doha’s natural traffic state as being in No Man’s Land between Carmageddon and Carpocalypse at any given time, any restaurant that can delivery tasty, hot and delicious food to me without me hollering my location, is going to be a winner. Both Kababs&Kurries…
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Saturday is the New Friday – The Big Doha Brunch Switch-Up
It’s early days people, but I’m calling it. Saturday lunch is the new Friday brunch. I will warn you that my form on such proclamations is spotty. I am still waiting for “Wednesday is the new Thursday” to become a thing. But this time I may be into something here. As we see numbers at Friday brunch struggle, with its lavish offerings and promises of an afternoon spent in party mode, this one-time Doha mainstay is facing stiff competition from Saturday Lunch. More restaurants are cottoning onto the fact that people perhaps want something a little less opulent and time consuming than a long lunch and are adding a new…
