One of the best ways to soak up a city’s culture is to visit its cafés and coffee houses. Doha – a city known for its extravagant vibe – is home to tons of beautiful spots where Arabian culture meets modern influences.
When Saleh Alayan struggled to find good carrot cake in Doha, he decided to bake it himself, opening Sugar and Spice. This award-winning café in Aspire Park offers customers delicious bakes, comforting classics and tried-and-tested recipes. Choose from feel-good dishes such as flavourful tacos, mouthwatering club sandwiches and healthy meatless burgers. The dollhouse-like café is decorated in colourful yet subtle pastel colours and floral displays, with pictures adorning the walls. Make yourself at home at this cosy venue, and enjoy a beverage of your choice and a sweet treat, like its pecan pie or churros.
The colourful W Café is elegant and chic. Located inside the equally cool W Doha hotel in West Bay, this café offers a great selection of food and drinks that comes with a presentation that is equally impressive as its decor. Bright, bold colours fill the space, along with the comforting aroma of coffee and freshly baked pastries. And you can enjoy anything from brunch to lunch, cupcakes to afternoon tea, smoothies to coffee. But the star of the W Café is its delicious rainbow coffee and baklava, made by baklava master chef Ilyas Kahraman, who perfected his trade in Turkey. Indulge in this sweet treat that takes three hours to prepare – it features 60 layers of filo filled with syrup and nuts.
Take a casual stroll through the beautifully manicured MIA Park and find a spot on the lawn for an al fresco lunch. MIA Park Café offers the perfect place for a lovely picnic in front of panoramas of the West Bay skyline. Grab a picnic basket and fill it with your favourites, or take a seat on the shady terrace and choose from the menu of salads, sandwiches and pastries – all for very reasonable prices.
If you consider yourself a coffee connoisseur, then this is the café for you. The Italian brand was established in Milan and has now become extremely popular among the Qatari for its quality coffee and affordable prices. Grab a book from the packed shelves, choose a blend to sip and treat yourself to a delicious dessert (try its crème brûlée or black forest treat) all in the comfort of the sophisticated surroundings of The Pearl-Qatar. Mokarabia also has two other branches: one in the Mall of Qatar and the other in Ezdan Tower 1.
This lab-themed café is unique in every way. Located inside the B Square Mall, Mesaimeer, The Chemist Cafe offers its guests a memorable experience where everything is served in test tubes and beakers. The venue’s interior is unmissable. It features a Breaking Bad-inspired mural, and dry-ice smoke fills the interior at times. Admire the baristas interesting lab uniforms while trying a frappé or the turquoise-hued Crystal M mojito.
Qatar’s first 100 percent vegan café, Evergreen Organics offers plant-based drinks and dishes, with no added preservatives, additives or processed sugar. Much of the fresh and seasonal food is also raw and gluten-free, so this is the perfect lunch location for health-conscious visitors and vegetarians. With a wide selection of dishes, it offers an all-day menu that boasts salads, sandwiches, burgers, pasta and pizza – all at very affordable prices. Try its protein-packed chia pudding, the green pasta or South American soul food. Evergreen Organics is based on the sun-drenched isle of The Pearl-Qatar, so after filling your belly, make sure you explore the beautiful area.
Listen up, chocoholics: Chac’Late is what you’ve been waiting for. The European-inspired café celebrates everything chocolate, from mouthwatering mousse to sweet waffles, in lavish surroundings in the heart of Katara. Offering classic chocolate brands from the UK, Italy and Switzerland, this popular venue also introduces you to the taste of traditional Arabic flavours. While Chac’Late also has a menu packed with savoury options and beverages, the star is its white chocolate fountain. Make sure you sample the café’s showstopping centrepiece to find out why this venue is so adored.
Unsurprisingly, given its rather urgent name, Café #999 is located within Doha’s Fire Station gallery. As well as serving international cuisine with a touch of local influence, the café is an artists’ hub supporting the local art community. Here, you’ll have an alternative café experience, where contemporary, urban space is designed with simplicity at the heart. This place is also great if you’re on the hunt for healthy, vegan and organic options. Have shakshouka for breakfast, falafel wraps for lunch and, if you’re feeling brave enough, camel burgers for dinner.
If me time is what you’re craving, then Meesh Me-Time is the café you need to visit in Doha. The industrial-designed, deli-style venue offers an international grab-and-go selection of sandwiches, salads, cakes and cold-pressed juices, with vegetarian and vegan options. Dine in or order takeaway, which is available 24 hours a day, at this affordable, bright and colourful café.
Situated in the heart of Souq Waqif – a popular marketplace in Doha – Cafe Tasse is the perfect stop for a refreshment or lunch. You can find this café inside a picturesque traditional building with large, colourful arched windows and a sunny terrace. The affordably priced menu offers breakfast, hot and cold beverages, main meals, pizzas, sandwiches and desserts. And on a hot summer day, enjoy delicious home-made ice cream while uncovering the beauty of Doha.
