Whether it's luxurious dining rooms to local, pocket-friendly favourites, Doha's restaurants offer a personalised culinary journey for every taste and budget.
Talk to locals in Doha, and many will tell you it was during the 2022 FIFA World CupTM that visitors first began taking the Qatari capital's dining scene seriously. They came for the football but found a multicultural city serving every conceivable epicurean experience. Today, whether you're a devoted foodie, or in town for Qatar's winter season sporting spectacles – from the Grand Prix and MotoGP to the FIFA Arab Cup and Qatar ExxonMobil Open – you'll find culinary diversity at every turn.
From the open-air feasts of Souq Waqif market to tasting menus in elevated West Bay, Doha's food culture is far more layered than its glossy image suggests. Yes, the city does high-end beautifully, but it also shines at the unpretentious and affordable. It is this blend of polish and everyday authenticity that sets Doha's dining scene apart, with spots to suit every taste and budget. These are the best to seek out on your next trip to Doha.
Local and budget-friendly
Shay Al Shoumous
@shay_alshomous
Watch her flit between tables, warmly fussing over guests at Shay Al Shoumous, and it's clear that owner Shams Al Qassabi was born for hospitality. But to Qataris, she is more than a gracious host – she's a trailblazer who launched her career decades ago, when female entrepreneurs were a rarity. Her perseverance paid off: today, members of the royal family and international celebrities often drop by for generous Qatari breakfasts, including beid tamat – fried eggs simmered with spices and tomatoes – and the restaurant's signature regag flatbread.
Bayt Alwaldah
@bayt_alwaldah
Meaning 'mother's house', Bayt Alwaldah lives up to its name with a welcoming atmosphere. The original restaurant sits waterside at Doha Port Mina, nostalgically decorated with traditional portraits of Qatari families, with a second outpost at Place Vendome Mall. The menu is equally comforting and best enjoyed with a local to guide you through the nuances of Qatari and wider Arabic cuisine. Among the highlights is margoga chicken, a slow-simmered stew often shared at family gatherings and celebrations.
Evergreen Organics
@evergreen_organics
Nearly a decade after its debut, Evergreen Organics remains Qatar's only fully plant-based café, though it has expanded beyond its original spot at The Pearl, with branches now at The Gate Mall and Hamad International Airport. At each, all-vegan menus attract a loyal following with dishes that not only look and taste delicious, but also provide proper nutrition, enlivened with playful, creative touches. Standouts include a beetroot and sauerkraut soup served with chunky sourdough and tangy miso butter, and a moreish figs-and-cheese toast piled with cashew cheese, sweet figs and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
Karak Mqanes
@karakmqanes
Loosely inspired by the desert hunters who once revived themselves with cups of karak tea, the menu at this popular café chain blends unfussy, family-friendly staples: chicken and steak satay skewers, flavour-packed rice dishes and comforting Qatari favourites such as sweet donut-like luqaimat dumplings and balaleet, a dish of spiced egg and vermicelli noodles. You'll also find Western comfort food in abundance – from mini burgers and truffle fries to crispy chicken strips – that are perfect for satisfying particular palates.
Mid-range dining
Chabrat Al Mina
@chabrat.alminan
You might expect a place called Old Doha Port to be a gritty industrial zone, but in well-heeled Qatar, it's been reimagined as a pastel-hued hub of restaurants and boutiques. Located next to the port's immaculate fish market, Chabrat Al Mina is a haven for seafood lovers, where platters of barbecued lobster, salmon tandoori and jumbo prawns are served alongside charred seabass and elevated sushi in a nautically inspired dining room. You can also select the catch of the day from the counter and have it prepared exactly to your taste.
Bayt el Talleh
@bayt.eltalleh
On a hilltop overlooking Katara Cultural Village, Bayt el Talleh is arguably at its best on spring evenings when half of Doha seems to gather on its terrace for dinner. Adorned with framed photos of former patrons Bella Hadid and David Beckham, this restaurant serves one of the city's best Levantine menus, where classic dishes – pillowy scoops of hummus, zesty tabbouleh, smoky grilled meats – are prepared with finesse and served generously. It's a hit with the kids as well, where an open kitchen lets you watch chefs skilfully toss and bake flatbreads before your eyes.
Parisa
@parisarestaurants
One of Doha's most dazzling restaurants, Parisa is somehow still easy to miss, despite being ideally located in the heart of Souq Waqif. Step through the discreet doorway and you'll be greeted by a kaleidoscopic corridor of mirrored tiles, offering a glittering preview of what lies ahead. The dining rooms are a maximalist's dream: hand-painted mosaics, chandeliers and splashes of electric green and yellow. The cooking shines just as brightly, with signature dishes such as Akbar jooje, chicken marinated in saffron and pomegranate sauce plus meigu shrimp kebabs sharpened with a hit of lime.
Bayt Sharq
@baytsharq.qa
Doha may be defined by its sleek glass towers, but genuine heritage buildings are far rarer, making a visit to Bayt Sharq – near the National Museum of Qatar – all the more special. Set within a renovated century-or-so-old home, the restaurant is a time capsule (complete with a dinky museum dedicated to the building's former resident family) and, fittingly, serves traditional Qatari favourites. On warm autumn days, comfort dishes such as majboos – with lamb, rice, coriander and cloves – are best enjoyed in the sunny garden.
Luxury cuisine
Idam by Alain Ducasse
@idambyalainducasse
A visit to the Museum of Islamic Art is a non-negotiable on every Doha itinerary, but a trip to this I.M. Pei-designed landmark peaks with dinner at Idam. Set above the museum's central atrium, the space takes design cues from its artistic surroundings: carpets patterned with swirls of Arabic calligraphy, towering bookshelves lined with literature and poetry and exquisitely plated dishes. Don't miss the Experience menu, which dishes up hard-hitting flavours and precise technique: blue lobster smoked over embers with juniper and kumquat, alongside roasted saddle of lamb with mushroom, lime chutney and offal wrapped in sorrel.
Muru
@muru.doha
A 50 Best stalwart, Mauro Colagreco has made his mark on Doha with the launch of Muru in West Bay's Waldorf Astoria. Meaning 'seed', the restaurant's internationally minded concept draws from the four elements, with distinct sections representing fire, water, air and earth reflected both in dishes and decor. Expect rich bursts of flavour in plates such as hamachi with truffle ponzu, jalapeño with black lemon and wasabi, and flame-grilled octopus with saffron and chickpea.
Alba
@albabyraffles
From the outset, Raffles Doha's signature fine-dining restaurant makes its brief clear: top-tier Italian cuisine. Named after the Piedmont town of Alba – known for its white truffles, which feature on the seasonal menu – the restaurant sources every ingredient with peerless commitment to quality, turning even simple dishes into utter decadence. Beneath soaring vaulted ceilings and seated on plush, green-velvet chairs, savour the blue lobster ravioli with black garlic emulsion or charcoal-grilled wagyu tenderloin finished with hazelnuts and tender broccoletti.
Jamavar
@jamavardoha
Located within the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel, Jamavar owes much of its panache to the pedigree of its founders – the same family behind India's acclaimed Leela hotels – and their knowledge of world-class hospitality. Named after a delicate Kashmiri lace shawl from the 16th century, the restaurant is an ode to India's rich food traditions, offering one of Doha's most distinguished fine-dining experiences. Dig into robust dishes such as Rajasthani laal maas, a lamb shank slow-stewed for eight hours with white onions and cloves, or raw Arabian Sea oysters topped with chili salsa and strawberries.
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