I had fully approached my return to this restaurant with a high degree of cynicism. Of the belief that the borderline cultish proclamations about Kai’s Songbird were a result of them being mesmerized by the location and the concept. For months, since my first visit, I had demurred – “it’s good….but….”. And you can see why I held this view. On arrival, it’s easy to be dazzled by Kai’s Songbird. It’s harborside location, soaring atrium interiors and almost over-designed plush furnishings are unlike anything in Doha. And, of course, there is the novelty of drinking alcohol. Not in a hotel! At The Pearl! With that view! OMG! Swoon! The rest,…
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Doha Hit List February 2023 – New, hot and just reviewed restaurants, bars and offers
Longest. January. Ever. But February is here and it’s time for my Doha 2023 hit list – new, hot and just reviewed restaurants and bars and of course, offers. Friday Brunch at Alba by Enrico Crippa The Raffles Doha is a stunning hotel and this restaurant, with its cool and subdued interiors is quite something. Their Friday brunch is a great way to try the menu, developed by the Michelin star Italian legend Enrico Crippa. Their set menu Friday brunch is the antidote to crazy party brunches. Start with a lethal Aperol spritz or Prosecco if you prefer and sit back and enjoy. From pillows of pasta nestled in a…
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Where to Eat and Drink in Doha in October
Hello October! Summer has slipped by and we are now well and truly headed into the business end of 2021. And foodies, let me tell you, there’s a lot to love about the food and drink scene in Doha this month as we head towards the end of the year. Let’s get right to it: Ika This newly opened chef-driven restaurant is giving a bit of a well earned buzz to the dining scene right now. Helmed by the former head chef at Toro Toro, the menu spans the continent of south America from Peru, to Argentina and everywhere in between. Expect fresh, clean flavors, a bit of showmanship (everyone…
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The Best Places to Eat and Drink in Doha in August 2021
We're almost over the hump of a long and sweaty Summer and this list of best places to eat and drink in Doha in August 2021 will help you get past it. Plus a little look the best and worst of the dining scene in 2021 so far...
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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 Places to Eat and Drink in Doha in March 2021
March is a funny month – that awkward bridge between Winter and Summer. This time last year…well we all know what happened then. On a more optimistic note, this year March is also the final full month before Ramadan and frankly, it’s a feast for foodies. This month’s list is probably more diverse than in previous months. I’m aware it’s easy to fell down a five star guilded rabbit hole here in Qatar. It’s also a solid mix of places I have been invited to try and those I pay for myself – it’s important to be transparent but also make more of an effort to get back into my…
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Your February 2021 Doha Dining Hit List – Best Places to Eat and Drink this Month
February is here and it feels like Winter never really happened? Your February Doha Dining Hit List is here and I feel we all need to make the most of the few cooler days we have left! And honestly, it feels a little like deja vu as we see our COVID-19 case numbers rising. So with this list comes some words of caution – wear your mask. Practice social distancing. Be sensible! Here are my recommendations for where to eat and drink in Doha this February: 1. The Cellar It’s been a long 10 months but The Cellar at the newly rebranded Hyatt Regency Oryx is back open and serving…
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Your December 2020 Doha Dining Hit List – Where to Eat and Drink this Month
We made it to December. Really. We did! Who would have known this year would have all the twists and turns that it did? But after a short break I’m back with your December Doha Dining hit list – where to eat and drink this month. From beautifully presented Indian cuisine to elevated comfort food, I have it all here: 1. CUT by Wolfgang Puck at Mondrian Doha This restaurant has really come into its own since it reopened after the lockdown. The menu has ditched its steakhouse pretensions allowing chef Justin Yu to broaden its appeal and serve thoughtful, well executed American comfort food. Steaks and seafood are still…
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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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Novikov Doha – Does it Live Up to the Hype?
It’s the restaurant with the Russian name and pan-Asian menu. Beloved of celebrities and the brainchild of a main who is mates with Vladimir Putin, I did want to not like Novikov Doha. But I was also curious – the first “big name” to open alongside Galleries Lafayette in Katara’s faux European boulevard 21 High Street (admit it, you also want to say 21 Jump Street).Also the final restaurant in the much anticipated quartet of openings in Doha over the last six months and the reviews had ranged from rapturous to tepid. This is also a market crowded with pan-Asian and Japanese restaurant, many of them excellent. Did we need…
