By Isabel Ovalle
What to do in Doha on weekends? As mercury starts rising and the scope for outdoor activities shrinks, that small meal which combines breakfast and lunch — named after the two mealtimes — is the perfect excuse to get together with friends and have a bite to eat.
As a multicultural city, Doha has brunch offerings that suit all palates and pockets, promising a rewarding experience if one is willing to invest a few riyals in good food and entertainment for the entire family.
These are some of the offers in the city on Easter weekend:
The Grill Brunch at Grand Hyatt Doha
Start your weekend surrounded by delights at The Grill Restaurant. While the adults dine on specialties from every continent, the children can play in the big kids section in Grand Hyatt Doha’s lush gardens.
For dessert, there is an array of gateaux, cupcakes, chocolate fountains, gelatos of every flavour, tarts and much more.
To ensure regular guests never get bored, every Friday the Grill changes the concept. Some Fridays a live band performs outside in the sunshine, other afternoons it’s a DJ playing. If you’re lucky, you will be there on a Friday when the Grand Hyatt goes all out with themes like James Bond or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The available packages are QR250 with soft drinks and QR395 with special beverages.
Renaissance Doha City Center Hotel
Brunch at Ipanema on March 29 will be fun for the entire family with a visit from the Easter bunny, an egg hunt and live tunes by the only authentic Brazilian band in Doha, Tocandira. Ipanema is the place to go for sizzling meats, seafood on skewers and flambé desserts. A QR250 package includes soft beverages. For children, the price is QR120. Ipanema is open for brunch from 12.30pm to 3.30pm.
Also on March 29, there will be a family brunch at Crossroads. The restaurant will also have a special visit from the Easter bunny with Easter treats for everyone. Indulge in Asian, European and Arabic delights along with a children’s buffet and entertainment area with face painting, movies and games. QR225 per person includes soft beverages, from 12 noon to 3.30pm.
Ritz-Carlton
While Friday will continue being “the” day for brunch, Ritz-Carlton will launch the Saturday brunch on April 6, calling it Family Fun Day, at The Lagoon Garden, starting at 12 noon and going on till 4.30pm. The hotel thinks of children in particular, aiming to keep everyone occupied. For little ones, there will be a bouncy castle, face painting, a magician and numerous games, including decoration of cupcakes.
All family members can enjoy a lavish selection from the grill, sushi boat, pasta station, dim sum, carving station and the grand empire of dessert, including waffle, pancake and ice cream station located in front of The Lagoon entrance.
The price is QR260 per person including soft beverages and QR335 per person including special drinks or QR415 for a full brunch. Children under the age of four can dine for free while children aged four to 12 years will be served for QR130 each.
Friday brunch will still be available from 12 noon to 4pm at the same price at The Lagoon.
Movenpick Hotel
If the kids are tagging along, there are plenty of hotels that feature special prices for the little ones. This is the case with Movenpick Hotel, where children under 12 eat free of charge. The venue offers all types of cuisines, from Asian to international and seasonal products. Brunch is available only on Fridays from 12 noon to 3.30pm, but this Sunday it will be available on occasion of Easter. For adults, the price, with no drinks, is QR215.
Sharq Village and Spa
Sharq Village and Spa offers its brunch in Al Liwan Lebanese restaurant, with Chef de Cuisine Ali Hadla’s creations featuring a wide array of traditional favourites, savoury delights, grilled dishes and exquisite desserts, all wrapped up in an authentic Arabic atmosphere.
Chef Hadla varies the buffet each day to combine new specialties and regional favourites with selections like roasted lamb ouzzi, mashawi mushakala, samak harra, samak chermoula and a display of fresh seafood such as sea bass, red snapper, lobster, tiger prawns, hammour and salmon. At the grill station, guests may feast on a selection of fine meats, including beef sirloin, shish taouk, lamb kofta and marinated lamb cutlets.
For an indulgent finale, the buffet offers a desert station laden with a selection of puddings, assorted tarts, chocolate entremets, financiers, macaroons, cream puffs, individually prepared cheesecakes, apple pies, flans and more.
There is brunch every Friday for QR250 or QR390 with special drinks. Children from six to 12 are charged half the price and those under six eat for free. The restaurant is open from 12.30pm to 4pm and features a kid’s buffet.
Oryx Rotana
Choices restaurant features numerous choices with an international menu. The prices are QR250 for adults with a beverage and QR325 with special beverages. Children aged five to 12 years get a 50 percent discount and those below five eat for free. Choices is open from 12.30pm to 4pm for brunch.
The Peninsula
