15 High Points From a Year of Eating in Qatar

Stylish sandwiches, pocket friendly noodles and Michelin supernovas

Over the past 12 months I have eaten the length and breadth of Doha and beyond. From glittering five-star hotel restaurants to squeezing into plastic chairs in more humble spaces, to an Argentinian BBQ at the very western tip of the peninsula. It was a year of eating widely and well.

You may disagree, but for this food writer, 2024 was the year that Doha started to get its dining groove back. Free from the shackles of the 2022 juggernaut and emerging from the funk of 2023, this year saw some new openings, new concepts and the start of a new energy.

The biggest highlight for me, which I have already covered extensively, is of course, the one-star awards for both IDAM and Jamavar. Yet there were some glitches in the matrix - closures, confusing and confounding trends and more, but mostly it’s been positive.

Stuffing my face every day is not always the life I make it out to be - yes there were some BIG misses. But after a happy year of eating (and writing about it for a range of sites and publications), I have chosen a different route to my usual “best dishes” post to give a more wide-ranging view.

The sandwich I can’t stop ordering

Caccia proved that we could have nice things, OK nice sandwiches. Good bread, quality fillings, generous quantities – Caccia delivered. They now have a second branch in West Walk and the Number 14 – beef, pickles and harissa cream on their signature focaccia - will remain my go-to for a long time.

The hype beasts that deserve the spotlight

Carbone and Opa come with social media swag but in my experience this year, they can also hold their own on the culinary front. OPA’s menu reads like a “greatest hits” of the Greek food we all know and love. The food is finished tableside by the Greek chef, who takes the time to give the history and ingredients – I love this touch. Meanwhile Carbone’s menu and cooking represents something many of us are perhaps familiar with – the huge, saucy, cheesy portions of Italian-American cooking. Yes, it’s relentlessly, eyewateringly pricey and dripping with self-consciousness, but also just fun and delicious.

Gone but not forgotten

The M Doha shone bright but briefly. The menu of elevated comfort food and innovative (for Doha) Chef’s Table, with its 12-course tasting menu, made us all think we had finally turned a dining corner. Perhaps it was just a fraction too soon. The market is still tough for independent eateries, especially those with fine dining intentions. And location, location, location us everything. Will we see something like it again? An Omakase style restaurant? Probably. We hope that Michelin could fuel this direction but it takes some vision and a bucket of cash.

The Burmese Spot I Had on Repeat

HanNan Kitchen opened its doors in Bin Mahmoud and was an instant hit. Opening our eyes to Burmese cuisine (alongside Thai and Vietnamese), there is one dish I came back again and again – Aloo Hitung. Burmese potato salad – crushed and mashed potato with mustard leaves, brought together with a tangy hit of vinegar. It’s not a looker but it packs a punch, with other dishes on the menu like Mont Lim Mar Yah (aka Couple snack), mini pancakes with crunchy yellow beans, and a strong Vietnamese coffee, I’m in heaven.

Traversing the premier eat street in Doha

I’ve haunted the streets of Bin Mahmoud more than any place in Doha this year. To find the true beating heart of Qatar’s food scene, you need to step outside the West Bay/Pearl thunder dome and head to a spot like this. Is it the only “eat street” in town? Definitely not. But the axis of Al Jazeera street and Bin Mahmoud Street and surrounding area is home to what I think is the most diverse concentration of independent eateries in town – Thai, Turkish, Burmese, Vietnamese, Hotpot, Shawarma, Korean…and it just keeps on growing.

The best burger you (probably) haven’t tried yet

In a city full of stunt burgers, the cheeseburger at the Electric Diner at The Ned Doha is refreshingly analogue. Quality beef patties, smashed just a little, the beef is seared until it darkly crunchy and savory in parts. Then, layer in the melty cheese, some onions and condiments encased in a perfectly portioned bun that doesn’t fall apart. No artifice. No QR495 price tag. Just a great bite, or five, of food with a spear of dill pickle on the side all served in a fun, 1950s retro diner style set up.

Bib Worthy Short Eats

Hoppers may have been a sleeper hit in the Bib Gourmand list, but those in the know recognize its simple menu of amped up Sri Lankan staples have always been praiseworthy. On paper the star of the show is the velvety bone marrow varuval, but I am a sucker for the gently spicy hot butter squid as well as the eponymous rice flour hoppers.

Ramadan But Supercharge it

BIG Ramadan was back in 2024 – ornate, OTT and very, very compelling. Gamra by Fahad Signature at Al Maha Island and Leylah at The Plaza Doha both showed us that more is never enough. An actual island of desserts? Of course! Animations of camels traversing Qatar’s interior? Absolutely! Roll on 2025.

The QR18 noodles I couldn’t get enough of

Yellow River opened in Al Sadd and set foodie hearts aflutter with a banging bowl of “oil splash noodles” for just QR18. Made in house and finished with a tingly, pungent Sichuan pepper oil, it had foodies fighting over the food hall seating and ordering other staples from the no-fuss menu, served on plastic plates. In a city where luxury is common place, some didn’t get it. More for those who do then.

Old school eats on repeat

Ruby Wu, Chingari, Bentley’s and nearby Lo Spaghetto proved that old is gold in 2024. Refreshingly old school, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it style eats were front and center on my food radar this year. Three of my faves are all housed at the Radisson Blu Doha. Chingari for the lush Indian classics like butter chicken; Ruby Wu comes at you with Cantonese favorites like roast duck and silky pepper beef. And of course, Bentleys, envelops you with the pitch perfect crab cakes and the grilled USDA and Australian sourced steaks. Meanwhile, Lo Spaghetto has two-hour limits on tables for a good reason – dependable pasta and pizza in a Ikea rustic space – the proper Napolitana with anchovies and a bit of friction in the base. Don’t change guys.

My favorite “big night out destination”

Great food, excellent cocktails, seamless service and If you squint, the quiet luxury room and views across the bay give South of France vibes. LPM Doha is like a proper, grown-up restaurant. The showstopper is the Escargots de Bourgogne, snails to the rest of us. A garlicky, buttery confection. But there isn’t an off dish on the extensive menu – the glossy beef tartare or the marinated baby chicken. Everything is simply dressed yet hitting every note.

The unexpected celebrity hotspot with a humble menu

Shay Al Shamous missed some recognition in the Michelin Guide for 2025, but the menu of Qatari breakfast favorites still manages to impress. It serves up shakshouka, papery ragag bread and of course steaming cups of milky sweet karak. You dine in the presence of celebrities, well their photos at least, and the service is perfunctory, which is part of the charm.

The most consistent restaurant in Doha keeps us coming back

Hakkasan could just keep turning out immaculate dumplings and their stellar Peking Duck and we would all lap it up. But equally, consistency doesn’t mean complacency and again this is one of the few venues that understands you need to add new menu items and keep its DNA intact. Their seasonal menus are a delight – a recent example is a seared Hokkaido scallop with carrot broth and caviar - sweet and salty with three plump perfectly cooked scallops.

Michelin worthy places with much to prove in 2025

La Mediteranee Robuchon, Curiosa and Liang all were very rightly recognized in the “selected” Michelin list this year. La Med, as it’s affectionately known, and its chef Eric Gonzalez served us some of the most creative, French inspired cuisine this year – a deliciously fun soft boiled egg with smoked salmon and caviar among the highlights. Meanwhile Curiosa, under the helm of Chef Edgar Hurtado continues to shine, with robust yet homely flavors like the the squash empanadas. And Liang, that little slice of Hong Kong, with delicate dumplings. A new year and a new list is in progress – we will see some real moves from these places.

The most stylish dining room in Doha

It’s vast, but it’s beautiful. MURU at the Waldorf Astoria Doha is finally finding its feet in terms of menu and service, but there is no argument about the space. While in terms of intimacy, it could benefit from being at least 30 percent smaller, this doesn’t detract from the visual feast – a wabi/sabi mix of organic lines, moody light fixtures and colorful patterned textiles. And that terrace, in the heart of Doha’s high rise jungle. Yeah, it’s hot.

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