Back in the old days, when my hair was as red as my wine, THE place to go for a quiet and romantic night out was Maxims at Radisson Blu. It was old school fun, a secret elevator whisked you its hushed and plush interior and the menu included classics like Dover sole, crepes suzette and foie gras. It was a different time, before Instagram and Alas folks, Maxim’s is no more and something very 2018 has replaced it – a gin bar. Now more Parisian bistro than bolthole, the new incarnation, Inginuity, sits comfortably inside the revamped Maxims interior and with more than 20 gins on the drinks menu,…
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Doha’s Hidden Restaurant Gems – Revisiting Paper Moon by La Spiga
Returning to Paper Moon by La Spiga is like visiting with an old friend you don’t see very often. The circumstances may have changed, but you can pick up where you left off effortlessly. While this is within spitting distance of my home, I confess I rarely visit this outpost of the W Doha. A recent weekday lunch time found us in the area and keen for some pasta, so we were reacquainted for old time’s sake. I have been critical of the W in recent months. I felt it had lost its way in terms of food and service. But it seems out here on Airport Road, they haven’t…
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Doha’s Hidden Restaurant Gems – Stockburger Co
So Stockburger Co at the Holiday Inn Doha may not be so much as a hidden gem, rather, it’s a new entrant on the dining scene that deserves little more exposure. To be upfront – this place is essentially a sports bar, showing hundreds of games and different sports daily. There is even a private area to watch “big games” and devour your wings and shout out the screen in seclusion (although, they are yet to embrace my suggestion this would also be a good venue for Netflix). It’s true there is a bar area a very attractive happy hour from 12pm, but this is also a good place for…
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Hidden Gems – Let’s Taco About Isla Mexican Kitchen
I’m the first to admit I am a bit of a late adopter. Maybe it’s my inner stubborness. Maybe it’s my refusal to join any type of bandwagon. But when I do join the party, it’s like a lightbulb moment. When we entered Isla Mexican Kitchen on The Pearl Qatar, it was as if I was entering a party I was either late to or hadn’t been invited to. It was a mid-week and the place was busy. I thought, “hang onnnnn….how did I not know about this place?”. Clearly I was living under the foodie equivalent of a large rock. And to be fair, I generally have an aversion…
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Doha’s Hidden Restaurant Gems – D’Chopstix at Holiday Villa
If you are like me, you have your “go-to” restaurants where, (mostly) for want of a better idea, you always end up at. There is a lot to be said for the Cheers approach to eating out – you like to go where everyone knows your name…and how you like your Diet Coke. But sometimes I like to veer wildly off my usual programming. This led me to thinking, why not shine a light on some of these places, that perhaps aren’t as widely known as they should be. Maybe they are located where you least expect them. Or perhaps they are literally off the beaten track. Doha and Qatar…
