Back in the old days, when my hair was as red as my wine, THE place to go for a quiet and romantic night out was Maxims at Radisson Blu. It was old school fun, a secret elevator whisked you its hushed and plush interior and the menu included classics like Dover sole, crepes suzette and foie gras. It was a different time, before Instagram and Alas folks, Maxim’s is no more and something very 2018 has replaced it – a gin bar. Now more Parisian bistro than bolthole, the new incarnation, Inginuity, sits comfortably inside the revamped Maxims interior and with more than 20 gins on the drinks menu,…
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Your October Dining Hit List – Where to Eat and Drink in Doha this Month
October signals the start of the “season” in Doha – new restaurant openings, showcasing of new menus and more. This is the time to break out of your dining rut and try something new or perhaps revisit a place you haven’t been to for some time. And believe me, there is plenty to try… This month also means Oktoberfest! Check out Intercontinental Doha – the OG of German fun in Doha – as well as the menu at Hudson Tavern for your schnitzel and beer fix. As an addendum to this regular post, you should also read my update on the new openings in Doha in coming months – many…
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Seven New Restaurant Openings to Look Forward to in Qatar in Before the End of 2018
With a slew of new restaurant openings it looks like the last quarter of 2018 is going to be one of the most interesting and delicious Qatar foodies have seen. After the uncertainty of 2017, investment and creativity is flowing and food lovers have a lot to look forward to. Here’s a look at what’s opening in coming weeks and months and a peek at what we can look forward to in 2019. A word of caution about opening dates – as is always the case, they are fluid. But buckle up this should be a fun end of the year! La Mar Doha’s future dining has a distinctly Peruvian…
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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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Seven Daytime Dining Options in Doha This Ramadan
While I do love seeing the city come alive during the long Ramadan nights (and this year the days will also be long!), it’s nice to have some quality, convenient options around Doha to eat out during the day, especially on weekends. Check my friends at Marhaba for a full list of Ramadan offerings as they occur and Time Out Doha has a great guide to the Holy Month. But I thought I would give you just a handful of good, solid places for breakfast and lunch over the coming weeks. Breakfast Santa Monica Breakfast Club. This has become one of the hottest spots for a weekend breakfast in town. As…
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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…
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Your March Hit List – Where You Should be Eating and Drinking in Doha this Month
March is here and thank God. Wasn’t February the longest short month ever? But March, it holds so much promise. Winter is over, we are well and truly in the midst of the actual year. And restaurants in Doha are finally hitting their straps – serving up new and interesting menus, dishes and even a new opening or two (finally). So here is where I am putting my dining riyal in Doha this month. And let me just say, it’s probably the most interesting line-up (old and new) for a few months: The Melting Pot You had me at cheese. All of the cheese. So much cheese. This is proof…
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Is the New York Steakhouse Brunch the Best in Doha Right Now?
Forget your gimmicks, your themed events and fancy dress. For me – good Friday brunch experience has a number of key elements – good food, great service and yes, crowd-pleasing music. And there are many around town – Nobu, Market at the W Doha, Shangtastic at Shangri-La who get it spot-on. But last year, a new and surprising entrant shook up the brunch scene – the Big Apple Brunch New York Steakhouse at Marriott Marquis. Besides my sporadic trips to Quick Bites and Ipanema, frankly I never rated this hotel for its food and beverage. For me, it was a little too cookie cutter – big hotel, no real personality. So…
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Trucking Good – Food Trucks Roll Into Qatar’s Food Scene
It has been a long time coming…but the food truck movement has finally started rolling in Qatar. OK so they may not the the mobile trucks we are used to seeing on the streets of the US, UK and Australia, but they are a step in the right direction. While Burgeri (owned by Katara Hospitality) has been roving the country selling serviceable burgers, hotdogs and fries for a few years, the slow road started back in 2016 when the Ministry for Economy and Commerce indicated it would issue licences for mobile food vendors, giving a boost to the private sector. This came after a successful “Food Truck” section at the…
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Your February Hit List – Where You Should Be Eating and Drinking in Doha Right Now
Don’t be hating on me – it’s been a while I know, and this round up is a little late out of the starting blocks even for me. Bad food blogger that I am. But as you know, I really only recommend places in Qatar and experiences I have personally tried. And this month, well, in Doha it’s been a little slow to move on the dining front (or is it that I have been a little slow to move? Don’t answer that). But we are finally starting to see some traction – new dining offers and new menus popping up in and around the Doha. February, as it turns…
