And here we are – my inaugural 2020 Hitlist – where to eat and drink in Doha in February. After the longest January in the history of Januarys, there is a lot to be excited about! New happy hours, new restaurants and a couple of surprises – here is the list you have been waiting for… La Bodega Negra Hot off the plane from London’s Soho, this Mexican joint has won me over with its atmosphere and well executed food. It’s located adjacent to the less than swoonworthy HuQQA at the St Regis Doha. When I say this place is about the “vibe”, I mean it. The bar area is…
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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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Your April Hit List – Where You Should Be Eating and Drinking in Doha This Month
This is no April fool’s joke – Mad March is done and dusted and we are running headlong into April and soon the second half of the year. There is a lot to be excited about this month – new concepts and menus as many try to squeeze the last drops out of us before Ramadan. So here it is – where you should be spending your dining and drinking riyals in Doha this month: Oishi Sushi As they say, out of sight and out of mind. I had forgotten about this gem of a restaurant tucked away in a corner of Royal Plaza until they took the recent food…
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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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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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Let’s Taco About It – Cinco De Mayo
I have to admit, until very recently I thought Cinco De Mayo had something to do with mayo – as in the type you put on potato salad. Now I know it has a lot to do with tacos. And enchiladas. And pinatas (hitting things – I’m all for that!) Mexico is a long way from Doha. But this weekend the Marriott Doha is hosting a Cinco De Mayo party and frankly, if it involves tequila, hitting things and cheese, I’m there.
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South of the Border…Doha Style
I admire the people of Mexico and their devotion to all things cheese-related. I mean, what’s a taco without cheese? But I am stereotyping this great country and its’ food. It’s much more than tacos and enchiladas. That said, it is hard to find authentic Mexican food in the Middle East, or anywhere outside of Mexico and the US.To make authentic Mexican food, you need a Mexican chef. Which is why I am hightailing it down to The Sheraton Doha tonight to check out a Mexican chef, Demian, in his unnatural habitat. For one week only, the Sheraton is hosting this chef for a Mexican Gastronomic Week, with a special…
