Not everyone has the luxury of being able to travel this Eid period. Work, family and life can get in the way. While I am fortunate to be able to travel this year (destination to be revealed soon!), I will still be adding a couple of days in Doha on at the end to ease myself back into work and enjoy the city. Luckily there was some great offers around at the moment, with hotels in the city and beyond keen to welcome locally-based guests in light of current issues. A couple tips before you book: Call the hotel and ask if there are special offers or packages. You may…
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Nine Reasons You Should Be Taking Your Next International Flight on Qatar Airways
Let me give you some (free) advice. Ignore what you are reading about Qatar at the moment. Regardless of what you think you know, it’s been exaggerated (and I should know, I used to be a journalist). Qatar is safe, peaceful and happens to have one of the world’s best airlines, Qatar Airways as its national carrier. I’ve been a customer of the airline for 10 years, exclusively for the past four years, and I can honestly say it’s in a realm of its own. So, with the Summer approaching, you should consider this airline for your next trip for the reasons for the following reasons: Free Stopover You heard me.…
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No Bulbul at this Street Food Restaurant
I’ve become a more cynical than usual of Doha’s dining scene of late. Too many new and mediocre burger joints, too much high praise for above average cuisine and frankly not enough fun. But when Erstwhile Wingwoman and my business guru Brooke suggested we check out BulBul Streetfood after an event one evening last week, I was more than a little interested. On first glance, the BulBul Streetfood in Tornado Tower is very out of place among the grey steel and traffic laden streets of West Bay. I’m a sucker for a colorful cushion. Add tacos and a flatbread pizza into that mix and I may never leave. With brash murals featuring lots of…
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Dine Around Doha – A Perfect Day as Told Though Food
Not every day is wine, roses and free snacks in the food blogging world. Some days it’s a long day at work, then collapsing on the sofa with Netflix and a steaming bowl of… Maggi noodles and cheese (seriously – don’t tell anyone). But some days, every so often, when the Gods shine, are just golden. Those days are few and far between, but when they are…I grab them. These rare days had me thinking, given the current state of Doha’s dining scene, what would be my “perfect’ day as told in food (and the occasional stiff drink)… Breakfast: In a perfect world, it would be breakfast in bed or…
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Seven Underrated Restaurants in Doha You Should be Trying
It should be no surprise to anyone that Qatar’s dining scene is driven by fads. If it’s new, shiny (and has a big brand or well known name attached), we flock to it like moths to a flame. Then…it’s onto the next big thing. Don’t get me wrong, there are a host of new restaurants to look forward to in coming months, including Iron Chef Morimoto at the new Mondrian and (he was in town last week so this may actually be happening soon….finally) and a CUT by Wolfgang Puck at the same hotel. But there are a handful of good restaurants that may have slipped off your dining radar or maybe you just…
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Four Casual Dining Options in and Around Doha to Add to Your List
Scrolling though my blog in recent months you would perhaps be thinking I really only eat out and hang out in high end places. This is only partially true. Those are the places I’ve been inspired to write about lately and have been on my radar because of new menus and promotions or just because they are good. But time to look at something a little less formal. Sometimes you just want a casual joint, no pretensions and no drama (and no need to wear heels) whether it be for a lazy breakfast, a long lunch or drinks and nachos with friends. There is no end of casual dining places…
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Nine Places to Eat and Drink on a Stopover in Doha
This week Qatar Airways announced something that was music to to ears of any traveler – free transit stopovers in Doha. The range of things to do on a short stay in this city has been covered in other places and I have done an exhaustive list of places to eat at the stunning Hamad International Airport. But what about Doha itself? I’ve lived here more than a decade and managed to pretty much eat my way around the city. You can find something to suit all palates and budgets – you just need to know where to look. But as a regular traveler, I also know what makes a great trip – food…
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Dear Paneer – A Love Letter to India and its Food
This is the story of my longest, most stable relationship. It has lasted more than 20 years and has never been disappointing. It’s about my love affair with Indian food. People know me as the “cheese lady”, and yes that is an apt description, but running parallel to my love of the dairy products is also my love of Indian food. I grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney – a melting pot of cultures and cuisines. But it wasn’t until I hit university that I discovered Indian food. This came in the unlikely form of a restaurant on Oxford Street in Darlinghurst called Tandoori Palace. Not only did it…
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Qatar International Food Festival – Your Five Must Eats
I’m going to be honest with you and tell you something that I only admit after a few drinks at a (small dinner) party…I’m mildly agoraphobic. I don’t do big crowds (and I don’t do stairs but that’s another story). A while back I had a meltdown during a street food trawl in Mumbai. Lost power of speech and had to sit down. It wasn’t pretty. Which is why, the Qatar International Food Festival is a challenge for me. That said, I have a tried and true strategy – head in mid-afternoon, do a covert swoop, check out the set up and choose my must-eat places. There is a lot to love…
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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…
