October signals the start of the “season” in Doha – new restaurant openings, showcasing of new menus and more. This is the time to break out of your dining rut and try something new or perhaps revisit a place you haven’t been to for some time. And believe me, there is plenty to try… This month also means Oktoberfest! Check out Intercontinental Doha – the OG of German fun in Doha – as well as the menu at Hudson Tavern for your schnitzel and beer fix. As an addendum to this regular post, you should also read my update on the new openings in Doha in coming months – many…
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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 July Dining Hit List – Where You Should Be Eating and Drinking in Doha This Month
I know, it’s hot, it’s humid and the dust permeates everything. But for foodies, there is a lot to love about being here in Doha in July. Restaurants and hotels are working overtime to get you to spend your cash and there are even some new concepts popping up. Here’s where I think you should be eating and drinking this month: Walima It’s been a rocky road for this restaurant at the Mondrian Doha, but I’m pleased to say it seems to have hit its mark finally. It always was a bit of a hard sell – a high end restaurant serving Qatari inspired food. But they have found the…
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Three Places for Iftar This Ramadan in Doha That Are Not in a Hotel
Ramadan got off to a slow start for me thanks to some travel and a brush with a deuteronomy-inspired tummy bug. But now, I’m in full Ramadan-mode. I have to be honest, while I love the lavish Ramadan tents around town (and this year there are some corkers), sometimes you want something a little different for iftar beyond the live cooking stations and Um Ali coma. Eating outside the five star bubble doesn’t mean you compromise on quality, taste and experience. Quite contraire! Here are my top picks for breaking your fast without the five star fanfare: Yugo When I hear “fusion” attached to a restaurant I do balk a…
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Your March Hit List – Where You Should be Eating and Drinking in Doha this Month
March is here and thank God. Wasn’t February the longest short month ever? But March, it holds so much promise. Winter is over, we are well and truly in the midst of the actual year. And restaurants in Doha are finally hitting their straps – serving up new and interesting menus, dishes and even a new opening or two (finally). So here is where I am putting my dining riyal in Doha this month. And let me just say, it’s probably the most interesting line-up (old and new) for a few months: The Melting Pot You had me at cheese. All of the cheese. So much cheese. This is proof…
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Is the New York Steakhouse Brunch the Best in Doha Right Now?
Forget your gimmicks, your themed events and fancy dress. For me – good Friday brunch experience has a number of key elements – good food, great service and yes, crowd-pleasing music. And there are many around town – Nobu, Market at the W Doha, Shangtastic at Shangri-La who get it spot-on. But last year, a new and surprising entrant shook up the brunch scene – the Big Apple Brunch New York Steakhouse at Marriott Marquis. Besides my sporadic trips to Quick Bites and Ipanema, frankly I never rated this hotel for its food and beverage. For me, it was a little too cookie cutter – big hotel, no real personality. So…
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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.…
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Your January 2018 Hit List – Where You Should be Eating This Month
We did it. Made it to 2018 relatively unscathed. It seems my 2018 has started with breakneck speed – with new projects brewing, new opportunities, new travel plans. But with a new year also comes a new opportunity to try eating and drinking somewhere different in Qatar. Here’s my list of where you should be spending your hard earned dining riyals this month (and as usual, there’s a couple of surprises!). The Cheesecake Factory: Speaking of surprises – this one may shock the hard core foodies here. And believe me I was a skeptic – cosigning it to the same dubious dining schematic as fast food restaurants. But a recent…
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Future State: New Qatar Restaurant Openings to Look Forward to in 2018
It was the best of times…it was the…not so best of times. It’s fair to say that in dining terms, 2017 didn’t have the extreme wow factor of previous Doha dining years but we still had a lot to like. But 2018 beckons and it’s time to peruse what it has in store for foodies in Qatar – and the line-up looks solid. Walima: Mondrian Doha was one of the shining lights of 2017 – thanks to some inventive restaurants and attitude to match. Walima is their greatly anticipated Qatari restaurant and if the interiors are anything to go by, this will be a high watermark. Add in the stunning…
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Living on the Wedge: My Top Dishes of 2017
And so here we are…What a year it was! We’ve seen the illegal blockade of Qatar continue to rattle us and have some rebound effects on the country’s dining scene – some ingredients are harder to find (others easier) and we haven’t seen as many new openings as in previous years. I’ve also found that while the market is more competitive (we are spending less and not going out as often) the dynamism of previous years is missing. But my annual list of best dishes must go on! It’s still been a creative and delicious year on the dining front in many ways. The Mondrian Doha was a late and glamorous…
