I know I sound like a broken record/tired old expat when I say that Doha’s dining scene has really skyrocketed since I arrived eight years ago. But it has. When I arrived we had a handful of five star hotels and few independent dining options for those who like something more challenging that a drive-thru burger. That said, there has always been excellent Arabic and South Asian choices at all price points. In recent years, we have seen Alain Ducasse’s Idam open as well as a branch of Guy Savoy’s empire open (then close). We have also seen other dining options like French bistro La Varenne and its sister steak restaurant The Anvil Rooms open their doors…
-
-
Turning Japanese – A Review of Nobu in Doha
Many years ago, in what seems like another lifetime in a galaxy far, far away, I was a newspaper editor. This was pre-Instagram and pre-Snapchat (yes Virginia, there wasn’t always a Whatsapp). Actually it was 2008 and I remember putting on the front page a story that the famous Nobu restaurant would open in Doha within the next 12 months. Well, as is the way with anything you really want, we were made to wait. And wait. And wait… Finally, in a blaze of glory, Nobu has opened its doors in Doha and I have to say, it was worth the very long wait. Almost as long as it took…
-
Fine Dining With a View – Review of La Mer’s Blind Tasting Menu
I’m about to clock up eight years in Doha. I’m not going to bore you with the expat habit of saying how fast it’s gone, how things have changed etc. What I will talk about are the things that have become a constant. The irritating being the sandstorms, the whingeing expats and the bad driving. The good constants being friends, special people in my life, my job, this blog and the opportunities. There are also the physical constants – those places you have been going to for years, that are a part of your life. One of those places is the Ritz Carlton Doha. Always elegant and welcoming, I have always…
