Doha Restaurant Tips by call_me_rhia

Al mani: an extra-large (and extra-delicious) mohallabia

On our last time our friends took us to this busy and noisy restaurant, Al Mani, for a last shisha and some sweets. It is located in the suburbs and it's very lively and packed - mostly with people from the Gulf States.

Favorite Dish: We had a good shisha and excelent mint tea... our farewell smoke - and then a delicious mohallabia - a king-sized mohallabia, actually. The second best mohallabia I have had.

Address: Salwa Rd / C Ring Rd

Comparison: about average

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Local

caffè roma: italian coffee and simple meals

Caffè Roma is located in the City Center Mall, pne of the biggest malls in the Gulf. It has five levels and about 50000 visitors every day - and caffè Roma is located on the first floor... at the end of the left wing (if you enter from the main door). it's a franchise cafè owned by the Italian lavazza coffee group.

Favorite Dish: The restaurant/cafè is simple and the food good... salads are excellent (in particular the praw salad) and pastas are not too bad, considering you are not in Italy - though less sauce would be more appreciated. Coffees are out of this world... try the nocciolato (with a lot of nutella in it)!

Address: city cente mall

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: west bay area

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 3

Theme: Italian

al bandar: seafood galore

We had read about this restaurant specialising in seafood in many guidebooks - and failed to find it. The outdated information we had, said it was located in boats near the dhow harbour... of course when we went there, we were told that the restaurant had clsoed down. The following nights, as we were walking around souk wakiff with our local friends, we saw a restaurant there bearing the same name... the following evening, we went back for dinner.

The good thing about Al badar is that you can choose the exact "piece" of fish that you want, as well as the vegetables. And then you pick your favourite way of cooking it. Beware: waiters seem to think that everyone prefers their fish fried and with a sauce... Be clear when you order if you want it differently.

Favorite Dish: A delightful dinner. We had an olive salad with pomegranade juice and then the freshest red snapper you can imagine. Delicious - though it took some effort to persuade the waiter that we wanted it simply steamed - no sauce, no nothing. We also chose some king prawns - once again it took us time to have them simply grilled... unfortunately they were grilled for too long, so they turned out to be a bit chewy... though not bad.

Comparison: about average

Directions: inside souk wakif

Other Contact: info@albandarrestaurant.com

Phone: 4311818

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Seafood

Website: http://www.albandarrestaurant.com

Tajine Restaurant: shisha and camel stew

Tajine Restaurant is a lovely Moroccan restaurant in souq wakif, which specializes in tajines, of course. Dining rooms are on two levels and there's also a lovely terrace overlooking the souq, where you can eat and smoke shisha.

Favorite Dish: Traditional tajine, of course.... the lamb tajine is particularly good. There are grilled meats, too (kebab) and an interesting selection of camel-based dishes: kofta camel, camel sandwiches and baby-camel stews. Everything we and our friends ordered was delicious.

Comparison: about average

Directions: inside souk wakif

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Middle Eastern

Pa: Natural and macrobiotic food

When you are visiting or shopping in Villagio Mall you will find a food court with many restaurants to choose from - none of them too appealing. You'll find your usual range of KFC and MD, as well as many fake Italian, French, Chinese and so on restaurants. We chose Pa because it sells natural food and seemed to have helathy snacks rather than fatty meals.

It has a shop attached, too - so that you can but natural fruit juices, jams and marmalades, olives, bread and sun-dried tomatoes. They are all imported from Tunisia.

Favorite Dish: Pa is more a cafeteria than a restaurant so the menu is limited to soups, salads and some danswhiches. We had a delicious salmon sandwhich (homemade wholewheat breat) and a rocket salad. Simple and quite good.

Address: villagio mall

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Between Sport City and Hyatt Plaza on Al Waab Street, Doha.

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: Other

The Library Bar & Cigar Lounge: Snacks and cocktails at the Four Seasons

The Library Bar & Cigar Lounge at the Four Seasons hotel is a perfect place to have a cocktail and some snacks in a relaxed atmosphere... we spent New Years Eve 2008 there. Alcohol is difficult to find in Doha and even more if you want it without pimps and prostitutes (see the bars at the Sheraton Hotel).

Favorite Dish: We toasted to the New Year in comfortable armchairs, drinking excellent (albeit expensive) mohitos with dark rhum, munching huge delicious cheese-filled olives and nuts and - in particular eating some truly good sushi. This lounge also has a pianist performing in the evening, so we had some good background music, too.

Address: The Corniche

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: west bay area, at the entrance. A few minutes away from the Sheraton

Phone: (974) 494 8888

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 4

Theme: Japanese/Sushi

Website: http://www.fourseasons.com/doha/dining/the_library_bar_cigar_lounge.html

Al Bustan Tent: excellent lebanese food and shisha

Located under a Bedouin-style tent, this restaurant is very relaxed relaxed and cosy: you get to sit in comfortable dark-red armchairs and sofas and have some truly delicious lebanese food. Of crouse when you are finished with your meal, you can smoke a shisha - and, though I'm not an expert, the shisha is delicious.

Favorite Dish: As I said the food is good - we had really nice kebabs, grilled on charcoal. However it's the mezzes that make the Tent so wonderful: if you like spicy food, have the Beiruti hummus. it's truly out of this world. As for dessert, skip the mohallabia (mediocre) and choose some Lebanses biscuits instead.

Address: Museum Road

Comparison: about average

Directions: Just a few hundred yards from the Museum roundabout, which is on the Corniche Road. Attached to the Al Bustan hotel

Other Contact: albustan@qatar.net.qa

Phone: 9744328888

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 5

Theme: Middle Eastern