I’ve been compiling the best restaurant dishes in Qatar for more than seven years now. And we have had good years; great years and some pretty average ones. I compile the list throughout the year and in previous years, it had always been a strong field from the start. This year was different – we had some stellar dishes out of the gate, a big rush mid-year, and limping to the finish at the end. I even removed some early contenders. All up it’s been a mixed bag of a year on the creativity and quality front. For 2023 I also changed up my own approach – this year’s winners…
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Doha Dining Hit List November 2023 – new, hot and just reviewed restaurants and bars
We’re now officially in the “business end” of the year and there is still so much left to explore on the dining scene. To help you navigate that, here is your essential Doha Hit List November 2023 – new, hot and just reviewed restaurants and bars: Thursday Night Churrasco at Toro Toro The Thursday night offering at Toro Toro is simple – a set menu of starters, unlimited “meat cuts” and desserts. We kick off with a glass of merlot and their “signature” smoked guacamole. When Toro Toro opened in 2011, the smoking trick was new. Different! Unique! Now, it’s done everywhere. That said, the guacamole is fresh and tastes…
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Doha Hit List October 2023 – New, hot and just reviewed restaurants and bars
September sped by like Lewis Hamilton on the track. Now we’re in October and headed towards, gulp, Christmas. But I’ve cut through the noise and here is your Doha Hit List October 2023 – new, hot and just reviewed restaurants and bars. Weekend brunch at Liang Liang is a little slice of Hong Kong in Doha. While the a la carte menu at Liang is full of stars, it’s the weekend dim sum brunch that gives a true glimpse of the restaurant’s appeal. Six courses, you lose track of the small plates as they are slid effortlessly on your table. Some in steaming bamboo baskets; others on small plates. From the…
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New Review: Innovative and Irresistible Indian Food at Masala Library
I’m usually one to tease my opinion in reviews. I’m not going to play around here. In fact I am deadly serious. We’re talking about butter chicken. Butter chicken is serious business. But if you are in any way a fan of Indian food, even a distant one in the way I am a fan of heavy metal bands, you need to go to Masala Library. Go for the butter chicken – a deconstructed thing of beauty which I will get to later. Stay for the rest of the experience. There’s no shortage of good high end Indian food in this town – Ishka360, Jamavar and Rivaaj among the most…
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New Review – Believe the Quiet Hype About LPM Doha, it’s the Real Deal
LPM Doha sits in the middle of the avenue of restaurants on Al Maha Island. While it has been perhaps overshadowed by its more glamorous, and dare I say, louder neighbors, LPM Doha has quietly amassed a legion of very devoted fans. So much so that when I posted a teaser photo of my visit on social media last week, I was flooded with messages from people who don’t usually send them – all glowing endorsements about the food, the service and the view. Maybe because I had been steering clear of those restaurants on the “Other Island”, maybe because I don’t vacation in Miami, I was unaware of the…
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Review: Is Kai’s Songbird Doha the Real Deal or a Flight of Fancy?
I had fully approached my return to this restaurant with a high degree of cynicism. Of the belief that the borderline cultish proclamations about Kai’s Songbird were a result of them being mesmerized by the location and the concept. For months, since my first visit, I had demurred – “it’s good….but….”. And you can see why I held this view. On arrival, it’s easy to be dazzled by Kai’s Songbird. It’s harborside location, soaring atrium interiors and almost over-designed plush furnishings are unlike anything in Doha. And, of course, there is the novelty of drinking alcohol. Not in a hotel! At The Pearl! With that view! OMG! Swoon! The rest,…
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Rivaaj Doha may have a new name but is the food still as good?
I was a big fan of Riyasat at the St Regis Doha and was curious what had changed since its recent “rebrand” as Rivaaj. With the dissolution of Al Fardan Hospitality, this was one of the high-profile changes. Rivaaj has now moved under the umbrella of their landlords St Regis. The other notable change has been neighboring BIBO moving to we presume, Marsa Malaz Kempinski where sister restaurant Lobito De Mar is located. As a side note – I have lauded what was done in the complex that once housed a moribund ballroom at the Al Gassar Resort. The addition of interesting and popular venues and a gallery was a…
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New Review – Is GAIA Doha Great?
In the 2022 Gold Rush of restaurant openings, it’s easy, for even the most enlightened foodie to lose sight of one, two, or even a handful of new places. For me, one of these was GAIA. So, much so that half way through my recent dinner there, ensconced in its Instagram neutral plush dining room, I had an unsettling feeling that perhaps I was the last to actually visit this place. For on this holiday Monday, by 9pm, the room was heaving. Nearly 300 covers would be done that night – a feat that will have chefs and restaurant managers across Doha quickly do the sums in grudging admiration. I…
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Your Summer 2023 Dining Hit List – Where to eat and drink in Doha this July and August
It’s hot. It’s humid. The days are long. But these are not excuses to not to dine well in Doha this July and August. What to expect? Gluten free dining; a Japanese/Korean fine dining option and a brunch for those who may be tired of the usual brunch scene. These are my hot, new and just-reviewed places to check out, right now. Pure Eats Pure Eats has opened at Qanat Quartier at The Pearl, offering a huge gluten free and dairy free menu of comfort food. I’ve always struggled a big with the “free from” cuisines as they have erred on the side of tasteless – thankfully Pure Eats turns…
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Mid-Year Report Card 2023 – The Qatar Dining Scene
It’s mid-June, Summer is well and truly upon us and vacations are being planned. This also means it’s time for my Mid-Year Report Card 2023 – The Qatar Dining Scene. For those new here, the Mid-Year Report Card is my annual check-in about the Qatar dining scene – what’s great, what’s leaving us a little cold, what could be improved. It’s also a chance to look ahead to what’s happening and what we can look forward to. What I’m Loving Filipino food in the spotlight, finally: This cuisine may finally be getting its time in the sun – with some international and local buzz New Openings Delivering the Goods: The M…
