Doha's Breakfast Central

Where: Villagio Food Court

When: 8 am to 11 am

What’s on the menu: Boiled eggs, mashed potatoes, falafel etc. Photos below for full view of what’s available.

What we ate:

Hani and Kavi: Since we both ate pretty much everything, we’re doing a joint review this time. There’s no beating the price, at QR 19 you’ll never see this much variety anywhere else. But but but… they dish out limited quantities, no seconds. Worst part? Every item you see in the photos including the falafels, the beef bacon, sausages and mashed potatoes are stone cold. Yep. If you don’t mind wolfing down such a vast expanse of food at a low price, head to Wrap It. The warm service of the staff may do what the food can’t.

Verdict:

Hani: Sometimes when something seems too good to be true, it actually is.

Kavi: Bunkumhouse

Where: Movenpick Tower, West Bay

When: 7 am to 11 am.

What’s on the menu: 
Five pre-decided breakfast set menus. Arabic, Energy, Lime Café and Westbay breakfast and not to forget the bread basket. Prices form QAR 30 to 92.

What we ate:

Hani:
As usual I ordered myself the largest combo available, that being the
West Bay breakfast. It comprised eggs, bacon, hash brown, breakfast pastries, sausages, juice and a choice of coffee or tea! Phew, I thought I wouldn’t be able to complete this in one breath.

Taste aspects, the eggs were lightly crisp! Quantity on my plate was not as much as my description would have made you to believe. Places that are not half as fancy usually have at least 2 hash browns, 2 sausages or 2 strips of Bacon. So quite naturally I polished off my plate (except the nuisance halved tomato). They just had one person manning the cash and the floor. He was able to do everything on his own.

Kavi: Against my better judgment, I ordered an “Energy Breakfast” that consisted of Grapefruit juice, brown bread, honey, butter, low fat yoghurt, tea and a fruit platter. Now I would imagine for some who’s a health buff, all of this must be very appetizing. But somehow the idea of consuming sweet stuff for breakfast doesn’t energize me in the least. There isn’t much to be said in the form of review. You can’t really go very wrong with fresh fruits or butter. However, the service was outstanding. With no help whatsoever, one person was able to greet customers, take orders and serve at all the tables.

Verdict:

Hani: Quantity is less compared to the price charged- food is not exceptional.  

Kavi: Biffsquiggle food but FIVE STAR service.

Insterestingness: They serve a small Toblerone with their hot drinks :)

Where: Landmark Mall in between Haagen Dazs and The One

When: Daily from 9am onwards

What’s on the menu: Eggs, Labneh, pancakes Coffee with Croissant
Prices between QAR 18 to 31.

What we ate:

Hani: I had The Gambini Omelet which was with butter bread, bacon
The baby potatoes were mushy and sweet, which does not fit my liking. The cheese instead of making the egg crispy was rather cooked to the degree that it formed a film on almost all the eggs (see egg border in the picture).

I had an after eight mint coffee, I am not sure whether it should’ve tasted the way it tasted, also was very sweet as if I was drinking sugar syrup. These guys have good service but it did seem to me as if it was one of those days …..
Even for the non-breakfast meals that I’ve had from here, nothing has been extraordinary.

Kavi: I ordered the Perfect Pancakes which comes up with maple syrup and fruits. The Pancakes were a bit heavy and not light and fluffy as I had hoped. It had a cake/bread like texture as though it had been baked. Not my favourite kind of pancakes. However, their servers are very attentive and will visit your table to enquire if you’re pleased with food or not. We’ve been to some places which serve good food and have terrible service. This feels like awkward change. We want to say great things about this place but the food is only so-so.

Verdict:

Hani:The food and coffee gave me zero appeal although the attentive service is praise-worthy. Almost like a place where you go not for the food but to enjoy the great service.
But then again, good food with bad service still gets a lot more business.

Kavi: Biffsquiggle

Where: Dar Es Salaam Mall

When: 8 am everyday - all day breakfast.

What’s on the menu: 
Set menu items all priced at QAR 49. Also you have the option of a la carte items like manakish (fatayer), savory crepes etc. priced at QAR 24 to 29. Eggs and specialties menu come in prices QAR 21 to 41, these include eggs (done your way, benedict etc.) foul etc.

What we ate:

Hani:

Healthy breakfast was quite a large sized breakfast but went well with the name. The eggs were were light and were accompanied by fruit and yogurt. Since it was meant to be healthy, I don’t know if I should complain about it being bland. There was nothing memorable about the breakfast, the service however, was accommodating. The bread basket and the butter were left as is. This place is already a busy place despite being new. So don’t expect it to be empty.

Kavi: After having just returned from London, where I was used to having an English breakfast every day, I decided to choose the same to for nostalgia’s sake. I have to say the scrambled eggs were a bit of disappointment. They weren’t fluffy or moist lacked flavor. The bacon, potatoes and sausages were very good. But that is kind of setting the bar low, isn’t it? It would be very hard for a decent restaurant to get that wrong. The furniture and ambience in this place feels a bit tacky at first but eventually warms to you.

Verdict:

Hani:
not ready to write this off yet!

Kavi: Biffquiggle

Where: City Centre Mall

When: 10 am onwards

What’s on the menu:
Croissants, eggs, French toast and breakfast combos. QAR 10 to 49.

What we ate:

Hani: We’ve been wanting to try this earlier but the timings (10 AM) for breakfast and perhaps it being a uselessly overcrowded mall prevented us from going here sooner.
What you see in the picture before I devoured it, is an English Breakfast. Eye eggs! My favorite thing on the plate you ask? Sausages. The standard sized slightly cooked tomato slices were very hard me to finish. Almost ended up wasting these. I didn’t enjoy their coffee either. Richoux remains empty most of the time and that kind of takes away from people trying out this place.

Kavi: Richoux, neatly tucked away on the third floor of the City Centre, has this odd other-worldliness about it which makes you feel like you are not in Doha, when you enter it. I had very low expectations from the food, but I was quite pleasantly surprised. I ordered a portion of scrambled eggs on toast. The eggs were quite fluffy and even had the right amount of cheese and salt in it. Although you can’t see it, the scrambled eggs came on a bed of toasted bread which made it all the more delicious. I recommend this place if you’re looking for a moment of a quiet in a maddeningly busy mall.

Verdict:
Hani: Wasn’t expecting this but it was a good experience dining here.

Kavi: Delumptious

Where: Qatar Sports Club

When: 10 am onwards

What’s on the menu:
Eggs N’ Cheddar, Eggs N’ Bacon and Eggs N’ Turkey. QAR 15 for a 6” and 23 for a 12”.

What we ate:

Hani:
I ordered me a eggs and bacon sandwich, and it was just that!
No Tomatoes, no lettuce, no cucumbers, no cheese! So dry it felt like I was eating a drought. Bacon was sparse and egg was egg. I don’t know why I am surprised, I got what I asked for after all. Service wise, better than subway, as it is delivered to your table. I wasn’t recommended addition of toppings despite the staff knowing that just eggs+bread+bacon won’t be easy to swallow.

Kavi:
I ordered the better sandwich (for a change) - egg and cheese sandwich. Unlike Hani’s, I loved my sandwich and it was absolutely delicious. And unlike all the other bad experiences with cheddar, this didn’t feel so sharp or bitter. If you don’t like driving around a bit for parking, try the Quiznos near Al-Meera Hypermarket, opposite West Bay health centre.

Verdict:

Hani: Trust me, Home-made is better!

Kavi: Delumptious

Where: Qatar Sports Club(They are also located in the Villagio Mall)

When: 24 hours (Only at QSC)

What’s on the menu: Other than the individual croissants and muffins(QAR 10 to 14), three items are available as breakfast options. Mediterranean Breakfast, Italian omelette and Delizioso egg panino (QAR 35 to 46)

What we ate:

Hani:

I picked the Italian omelet which tasted like ‘skimmed’ eggs. It felt too light and I was feeling empty soon afterwards. It also tasted quite bland which I remedied with a generous helping of black pepper. However their style of presentation, their cutlery and staff all were very impressive.

Kavi:
I ate the Delizioso panino and boy did it live up to its name. Aside from the omelette, the sandwich contains fresh parsley, fresh basil and oregano all of which make it a delightfully herby sandwich. However the sandwich can be improved by making the omelette a little less dry. But that’s just me nitpicking. I also wish there were more breakfast options to choose from. From Hani’s review, it appears my choice was the only item worth having. However be warned at QR35, this egg sandwich does not come cheap.

Their hot chocolate is very Italian in consistency. This means you should expect a thick, saucy, soup-like melted chocolate. Is this your kind of hot chocolate? Then Caffe Vergnano is the place to be.

Verdict:

Hani: I should probably stick with their coffees.

Kavi: Delumptious 

Where: Quick Bites - West End Doha

When: Daily from 6am to 11:00 pm (all day breakfast)

What’s on the menu: Eggs, pancakes, waffles and a bakery basket. Prices from QAR 40 to 50.

What we ate:

Hani:

I had a Motulenos which is made up of corn tortillas, refried beans, avocado, turkey ham with oven roasted tomato sauce. Nothing much to say about the mix, other than that it is quite Mexican. Even though, I’ve not had much Mexican food, I don’t think that the consistency of the sauce should be as runny. The tortilla was crispy and held itself despite having overflowing liquids around it. The heap makes it looks like it can put the largest pizza slice to shame but was surprisingly light compared to it’s looks.

Kavi:

My choice of “Eggs my way” fits my fantasy of the perfect breakfast. Well, almost. This came with eggs, baked beans, hash brown, and bacon. I also like having a few frankfurters thrown in the mix. So, I have no complaints about the taste. But no praise for it either. It tasted quite ordinary to be honest. And I had hoped for a bigger portion, given all this was priced at a hefty QR45. For that price, we get a lot more at the other places we have reviewed. I also hated the hot chocolate.

Would I visit again? Perhaps to give the waffles a try. Also, a great place for some quiet reading in the morning. The waiters leave you alone as they are under-staffed by their own admission and almost no visitors till 8.30 or so.

Verdict:

Hani:
Nice and quiet ambiance, no over whelming waiters. My dish could’ve been prepared better.

Kavi: Biffsquiggle

Where: Bismillah Restaurant - Souq Waqif

This is one of the oldest eateries in Doha that served the purpose of being a landmark, simply because of it’s stable operations since inception decades ago. Now, its a Royal Tandoor restaurant and they were smart enough not to do away with the original name.

When: Daily from 9am to 11:30 am

What’s on the menu: Indian style breakfast options like samosas, parathas, keema all ranging from QAR 10 to 20

What we ate: 

Hani:

I ordered my self an egg paratha- which is essentially a paratha like any other, except that the dough is mixed with egg before being fried. Usually, this means that the paratha should be so stuffed with the egg filling that it should be bent out of shape. My paratha on the other hand had little sprinklings of eggs all around it, which was kind of disappointing. The only drink on the breakfast menu was a Karak. For a desi breakfast, I’d rather have a lassi, and I ordered a saffron Lassi. As unique as it sounds, the taste wasn’t anything like expectations of a Lassi. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing but this tasted alright. :)

Kavi:

Before we get to the food, an important note on the service. While the restaurant was beginning to set up for the day, we waited outdoors on their chairs. A server informed us that they would start serving at 11.30. We asked him repeatedly about breakfast and he nodded his head in that infuriating Indian way that everyone mocks (chagrin). Finally
we sent him to see the manager and learn what his restaurant actually serves and he came back to us saying we would be seated indoors shortly. So around 5 mins before official opening time, we made our way to the restaurant only to be turned away rudely because it wasn’t time yet. It was so uncomfortably hot and we requested politely to let
us in as it was just a case of a few minutes. But the server shooed us off like we were asking him to feed for free. If it weren’t for the blog, I’d have stalked off right away.

Now on to the food. I ordered a paratha and omelette. To the uninitiated a paratha is a round Indian bread made of wheat flour. Depending on how refined it is and what you add to the dough, the paratha tastes vastly different place to place. The one I ate was made of super-refined wheat called ‘maida’. This ingredient while tasty, is
infamous for causing all kinds of health issues. It fills you rather quickly and makes you feel all sleepy and lethargic. Clearly unsuitable for breakfast. The eggs were super oily. It wasn’t the best omelette I’ve had but it was certainly desi.

Verdict:
Hani: Keep your watches on time to avoid standing outside. Prices are digestible, the food will take a little longer for digestion though.
Kavi: Biffsquiggle

Where: Mango Tree, 18 La Croisette

When: 9 PM to 11.30 AM -Friday and Saturday

What’s on the menu:

American, thai and healthy breakfast options to choose from. Interestingly almost all priced at QAR 60 and other few items for less than QAR 70.

Hani:

I chose the traditional thai breakfast which are three items from a choice of nine. The traditional Thai breakfast comes with a choice of soup or jasmine rice. As can be seen from the image above, I ordered the jasmine rice. Besides, I wonder how
one can have the above items with soup anyway? Lots of welcoming stuff the moment we sat down: thai coffee (yummy!), salty doughnuts (seen on the top right corner) and a detox shot welcome drink! Phew!!
While choosing the meal, I didn’t pick the right options, as all these items never gave me the impression of lunch and not breakfast. The main ingredients of a breakfast, i.e eggs and dairy products were absent from what I had ordered.

Kavi: I ordered a Thai Breakfast Tofu which is basically scrambled tofu with onions, carrots, soy sauce and vegetables. The picture looks beautiful. Alas, it didn’t taste as good. The soy sauce made the dish too salty to be healthy. However, I did help myself to Hani’s plate and his food was quite good. I’ve always had a good experience at Mango Tree and I would certainly go back to try the other dishes. But this one just didn’t cut it. Perhaps, I am not a Thai breakfast kinda girl.

Verdict:

Hani:
Will have to give this a second try- next time with the breakfast essentials on my plate.

They also had an offer on, which was at the purchase of a breakfast, get another one for free-that halved our bill just fine :)

Kavi: Biffsquiggle but will give this a second chance.