As the world flocks to Qatar for the Fifa World Cup, Doha’s food scene is being given a hearty boost, with several world-class restaurants opening in the capital.
From pop-ups to permanent spaces, some of the world’s most premium restaurant chains are offering their culinary delights in the Qatari capital.
From UAE home-grown favourites to chic beach clubs, here are some new spots in Doha:
Gaia
Dubai’s home-grown restaurant Gaia, from Chef Izu Ani, has just opened its doors in Doha’s West Bay, as part of an expansion that will also include outposts in London and Riyadh over the coming months.
The Greek-Mediterranean inspired menu, designed to be shared, features an array of fresh fish and seafood, which is delivered daily, as well as an extensive menu featuring dishes such as lobster salad, grilled octopus and moussaka.
The space will also house NYX, a speakeasy and terrace space where a DJ will spin a mix of funk, deep house music and club classics, for a lively after-dinner vibe.
Street 801, Zone 61, Doha; +974 4453 6200, gaia-restaurants.com
Cipriani
Italian favourite Cipriani has opened in Doha’s West Bay area, bringing its chic Venetian vibes to the Qatari capital.
Decked out in the restaurant’s signature nautical colours and maritime-inspired interiors, the space features intimate bar and restaurant area, as well as a private Cuban lounge located upstairs promising a more upbeat vibe.
On the menu, inspired by the story of Giuseppe Cipriani Sr, expect dishes such as carpaccio alla Cipriani, calf’s liver alla Veneziana with fried polenta, baked tagliolini with ham, risotto alla primavera and vanilla meringue.
North Beach Development, Diplomatic St, West Bay, Doha; +974 4453 6111; cipriani.com
Zuma
Award-winning Japanese favourite Zuma has opened a pop-up in Doha for four months, until March.
The pop-up, located at Al Maha Island, will offer diners the full selection of the brand’s signature dishes, such as spicy beef tenderloin with sesame, black cod marinated in miso and grilled seabass with chilli and ginger.
The space will boast Zuma’s signature sushi counter, robata grill, lounge and bar, as well as a terrace and private dining room, overlooking the sea.
Al Maha Island, Doha; +974 4497 1666; zumarestaurant.com
Nammos
Famed Mykonos beach club Nammos made its Middle East debut in Dubai in 2019, and it has now opened an outpost in Doha.
Nammos Qatar has opened on a private stretch of shore on Al Maha Island, offering beachfront views set against the backdrop of the Doha skyline.
Its recognisable turquoise and white striped umbrellas line the beach, that sits below an azure pool, with in-water loungers and comfy loungers surrounding it.
The restaurant will feature Nammos’s signature Mediterranean fare, with restaurant and more casual beach dining available.
Al Maha Island, Doha; +974 5100 0077, nammos.com
LPM
Another Dubai favourite, LPM, has joined the line-up of restaurants on Al Maha Island, marking its eighth location worldwide.
The seafront restaurant mirrors LPM’s classic yet contemporary style, which remains consistent throughout its global portfolio. The menu features signature dishes, fusing Mediterranean and French fare to create a list of tried-and-tested staples such as escargot de Bourgogne, lamb chops and whole roast chicken with foie gras.
Al Maha Island, Doha; lpmrestaurants.com
Shanghai Me
Another lively Dubai spot, Shanghai Me, has opened on Doha’s North Beach Corniche. The pan-Asian restaurant’s menu is being overseen by Chef Izu Ani, and will offer contemporary Japanese and Chinese dishes. Executive chef Yukitaka Kitade from Japan and head chef Xiong Wang from China takeover the kitchen.
The space will also house Shanghai Me’s late night concept, Bund Lounge, which will open from midnight until 2am for a lively after-dinner vibe.
Dafna Street, area 61, Doha; +974 3063 3429, shanghaime-restaurant.com
Company%20Profile
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
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FIXTURES
UAE’s remaining fixtures in World Cup qualification R2
Oct 8: Malaysia (h)
Oct 13: Indonesia (a)
Nov 12: Thailand (h)
Nov 17: Vietnam (h)
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
57%20Seconds
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Stage 5 results
1 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 3:48:53
2 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team -
3 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott -
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:00:04
5 Ilnur Zakarin (RUS) CCC Team 0:00:07
General Classification:
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 20:35:04
2 Tadej Pogacar (SlO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:01
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 0:01:33
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:48
5 Rafał Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:02:11
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
SPECS
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
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The biog
Year of birth: 1988
Place of birth: Baghdad
Education: PhD student and co-researcher at Greifswald University, Germany
Hobbies: Ping Pong, swimming, reading
Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
UFC%20FIGHT%20NIGHT%3A%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20RESULTS
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Racecard
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes (PA) Group 3 Dh175,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile (TB) Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
The National selections
6.30pm: Chaddad
7.05pm: Down On Da Bayou
7.40pm: Mass Media
8.15pm: Rafal
8.50pm: Yulong Warrior
9.25pm: Chiefdom
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
