• Zengo doha
    Hit List,  Restaurant Reviews,  Restaurants

    Rachel Recommends: My Doha Dining Picks for May 2026

    How can we be in Q2 already? April was a weird one, and the uncertainty continues into May. Some places are closed, menus reduced, staffing too. But there are still some great meals to be had, and our restaurant friends are working overtime to get us through the doors. So here are some places I have been loving over the past couple of months and keep going back to. Indian Flavors Indian Flavors in Tawar Mall boasts its cuisine was “once cooked for emperors” and frankly I’m ready for the royal treatment. The menu is heavily focused on Mughlai cuisine, a rich, aromatic culinary style developed in India by the…

  • Dessert at Da Terra
    Travel

    Dining at Da Terra: A Michelin Star Experience in East London

    There’s an October chill in the East London air when the dubious uber drive deposits me in front of an Edwardian style building. “Is it open?” he asks me, peering through his windshield. This is a valid question, because the building looked like…a town hall. Primarily because it is or was, a center of local government. This brings its own set of (admittedly, triggering) memories for me, both my parents were elected local officials, so a large part of my childhood was spent within buildings just like this. Late evenings, doing my homework while half listening to debates about curbs, guttering and the like. I digress… This building has now…

  • Mr and Mrs Hawker at Andaz Doha
    Doha,  Hit List,  New Restaurants,  Qatar,  Restaurant Reviews,  Restaurants

    Top New Dining Spots and Must Try Menus in Doha This Summer

    All the new restaurants and bars, menus and dishes you need to try as the weather heats up… From the alluring bar at Doha’s newest five star hotel, to unlimited hotpot and also, a well priced Omakase menu; here’s where (and what) to eat and drink in Doha this month. Stoke and Stoker at Rosewood Doha Stoke and Stoker is a huge space in the quietly luxurious new Rosewood Doha. With comfy leather chairs, alcoves for tastings and small events, and a sea facing outdoor terrace. It’s also smoke free. Cocktails play on the “Art of Travel” and there is a full Zero Proof menu. On the drinks menu are spirits…

  • Hit List

    Your January Doha dining hit list: the hot, new and just-reviewed places to check out, right now

    Sliding into 2025 with some recommendations to start your year as you intend to continue it! Here’s my January Doha dining hit list: the hot, new and just-reviewed places to check out, right now. Curry Night at Isaan I don’t like to bang on about how long I have lived in Doha (blah blah), but I was actually one of the first to dine at Isaan when it opened back in 2010. And I have been a fan of it ever since. Originally it served almost exclusively small plates with a spicy menu from the north east of Thailand. The menu has evolved over the years, with more crowd pleasing…

  • Hit List

    Doha Dining Hit List October 2024 – new, hot and just reviewed restaurants and bars

    It’s been a while I know, but as the city gears up for a busy end of year, it’s time to bring back my monthly hit list. Summer, to put it bluntly, was slow. But time to clear the backlog, shine a light on some great new offers and openings. Sushi spots, steak and chips and a gorgeous new brunch awaits you in this month’s recommendations. So, for October, this is where you should be eating in Qatar right now: Friday Brunch at Sora Rooftop I’ve predicted this place would come good before and finally, it is. A Pan-Asian blended buffet/a la carte menu with multiple options; live entertainment and…

  • Restaurant Review

    Review: Gymkhana Brings Some Michelin Gloss to Doha’s Indian Fine Dining Scene

    It doesn’t take a food writer to tell you that Doha is spoiled for choice with some good Indian food at all price points. At the upper end, we’re also well – Rivaaj, Jamavar, Chingari among the standouts. Gymkhana opened in 2022 at the Katara Hills LXR. If you are unsure where that is, you’re not alone. It’s in the verdant…hills inside Katara, past the Padel courts. The hotel and restaurant benefit from the elevation, but the view from the admittedly lovely terrace is across the… Lusail Expressway which, is well, very Doha. But I imagine in winter it’s perfect. Fun fact – this is Gymkhana’s second iteration in Doha.…

  • Hit List

    Doha Dining Hit List May 2024 – new, hot and just reviewed restaurants and bars

    It’s been a hot minute but my dining hit lists are finally back… by popular demand. So, here is my Doha dining hit list for May 2024 including all the new, hot and just reviewed restaurants and bars in Qatar. Muru by Mauro Colagreco I waited patiently and it’s finally open. Vast, pricy and very beautiful, Muru’s food is also settling in nicely. The menu is also pretty vast…circumnavigating crudo, ceviches, tartare, maki rolls, several types of grills including Tandoor and more. Starters include a catch of the day ceviche (QR85), made with a surprising cut of barracuda – it’s meaty yet bright thanks to the injection of pomegranate and…

  • Lobster tail
    Travel

    What is it Like to Dine in Qatar Airway’s Al Safwa First Class Lounge?

    Have you always wondered what it is like to dine in Al Safwa, Qatar Airway’s first class lounge at Hamad International Airport? I took a spin back in 2018 but had been itching to get back inside it’s cavernous and classy space. So when an offer to book the Al Safwa experience for an additional fee popped up when I was booking a flight on Qatar Airways recently, I keyed in my well used credit card. How to Access Al Safwa Lounge? When I say for a fee, I mean QR585. Yep , the price of a very nice meal and drinks in Doha. But, research. Otherwise, access to Al…

  • Brunch,  Restaurant Review

    Brunch Review: ZUMA Doha has Hype and Celebrities but Does it Deliver A Great Brunch?

    Let’s be honest. First impressions were not great – a questionable table and a server with an attitude as chilly as Doha in late February. Our Zuma Baikingu Friday brunch experience was off to a rocky start. We’d already had internal monologue/whatsapp group chat about the QR500 price tag and the “sceney” vibe. But my lack of a Zuma visit was, I confess, a gap in my food writing resume. A generous table move, the injection of Pocket Rocket server called Camilla and a decent Bellini soon had us purring. Let’s be clear – Zuma Doha is a SCENE. So much so that we had a mix of wannabe main character…