We’re halfway through this year so it’s a good time to take stock of what’s happening – think of it like the Doha dining scene’s mid year report card 2019. After a year or two of stagnation, the restaurant scene really kicked into gear in late 2018 and early 2019 with a raft of new openings and a real buzz. There’s a lot to like but also a lot to be skeptical about. Here’s a look at what we’re loving, what’s leaving us cold and what we are looking forward to: What I’m Loving New restaurants! This year continues to see an exciting new upswing in the number of new…
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Is The Pearl Social the Best Restaurant in Doha You Have Never Been To?
Doha’s dining scene can be fickle and driven by fads, as anyone who has seen a line outside the latest specialty coffee house can attest. A few weeks ago I went for my third visit to The Pearl Social at the Kempinksi Marsa Malaz. For a Friday night, the restaurant was at half capacity. The bar (aka the Diver’s Club) upstairs was busy. But the restaurant was not. Occupying the spot that was once home to the overrated, overpriced and over itself Antica Pesa, the Pearl Social completes the trio of restaurants on the hotel’s mini island. This venue has been hit and miss – the location on the water…
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Six New Doha Happy Hours You Must Try Right Now
Who needs a reason to enjoy happy hour in Doha? Certainly not me. We survived the “Great Alcohol Tax Earthquake” of 2019 and as predicted by Life on the Wedge, things are starting to settle down. That means more happy hours, more deals and well…more fun for Doha’s foodie crowd. Here’s a list of six new happy hours in Doha I’m loving right now and you must try: Tanoshi at Nobu at Four Seasons Doha You have to hand it to Nobu Doha – it maintains it’s well earned place at the top of the Doha dining pyramid thanks to its commitment to spicing things up in terms of menus…
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Your April 2019 Doha Dining Hit List – Where You Should be Eating and Drinking this Month
Wait…wasn’t it just February a red hot minute ago? April is here already and frankly I am not ready for it. Just a few weeks until Ramadan, Summer is looming and….Well, at least we have some amazing new restaurants, menus and dining concepts in Doha to ease us through the transition.Here is Life on the Wedge’s Doha dining hit list – your top eating and drinking in tips for April (new addition this month – a price guide) so there is no excuse not to eat well this month: Izu It took me two visits but this restaurant at the brand spanking new Mandarin Oriental Doha has grown on me.…
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My Top 5 Must-Eats at the Qatar International Festival 2019
Here we are again – it’s the 10th Qatar International Food Festival. New venue and new restaurants and a new vibe. I braved the first day crowds to source what I think are the top five must interesting and tasty dishes on offer in 2019. As a price indication, dishes range from QR10 through to QR45 – pretty good value. Here’s my list (and stick around for some real talk at the end) of what to eat at the Qatar International Food Festival 2019… Beef short rib sandwich at Arnag The breakout star of the food Festival a couple of years ago, this Al Wakra eatery has returned in 2019…
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Your March 2019 Dining Hit List – Where to Eat and Drink in Doha this Month
That escalated quickly! It’s March already and frankly I am still unprepared. Luckily there are some great drinking and dining options around Qatar to ease me into the stark reality of a new month. This month’s list focuses mainly on outdoor venues – we all know summer is fast approaching so lets enjoy this while we can. Here’s where you should be dining out in Doha this month: Lo Spaghetto A longtime cult favorite which I have recently rediscovered. It’s on the list because of the well executed Italian and crossover classics but also for its sublime outside dining area. A rarity in Doha, this tree fringed venue is dreamy…
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Seven Reasons to Visit Doha in 2019
It’s official – Doha is one of the world’s hottest destinations right now and this has been confirmed by both the Forbes Travel Guide and the New York Times. And with the 2019 Asian Football Cup under its belt, the 2022 World Cup coming in hot and a string of exciting new openings and events in between, there is no better time to visit Doha. In addition, Qatar has been named one of the safest countries in the world and thanks to the nation’s flagship carrier, you can easily access Doha from one of its 160 plus destinations around the globe. Here are my top reasons by you should visit Doha…
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Sticker Shock – Seven Places to Enjoy Happy Hour Post Qatar Alcohol Tax Increase
It came like a bolt in the dark in the dying days of 2018 – the new “sin tax” due to take effect on 1 January 2019 would in fact include alcohol. Some labelled it the end of days. Unprecedented apocalypse-looming style lines formed at the QDC. Wailing was heard. Now, the dust has settled, QDC has lowered some of its prices ever so slightly, hotels have taken stock and we can see start to see what this actually means to the average diner and drinker. As a keen observer of the food and beverage trends in this city, and having spoken to drinkers, hoteliers and others in the industry:…
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Your September Dining Hit List – Where you Should Be Eating and Drinking in Doha This Month
Ahhh…September. I can almost see the end of the year from here and it looks…cooler. Now we are at the business end of 2018- school is back, vacations over, life resumed – it’s time to check out all of the new goodies being offered by restaurants and bars in Qatar. There is a LOT going on – some revamped menus, openings and new mojos for some old favorites. So buckle up, grab a snack and here is my essential guide to where to eat and drink in Doha this month: Mama Rozie It’s not in a five star hotel or in a “glam” part of town, but I can assure…
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Three New Doha Happy Hours You Need to Try
Let’s face it, sometimes you need to blow off steam and unwind after a tough week at (or day!) at the coalface. Lucky for us, hotels and bars in Doha are keen to attract our custom with some new and interesting happy hours designed to please even the the most discerning drinker. Here are three new Doha happy hours that have managed to drag me off the sofa in recent weeks and ones you should be giving a red hot go: Gin and Vodka flight at Elements at Four Seasons Doha They say everything comes in threes, and in this case, three is a lucky number. Element’s discrete bar has…
