Café
Shay Al Shoomoos
Shay Al Shoomoos is a celebrated Qatari breakfast spot in Souq Waqif, run by Shams Al Qassabi and famous for regag bread, balaleet and milky tea.
Evergreen Organics in Qanat Quartier is a fully plant-based Qatari café known for smoothies, bowls, cold-pressed juices and gluten-free baking, open from 7am to 11pm.
Good to know
Evergreen Organics describes itself as a food movement from Qatar, and it has been serving entirely plant-based food for about ten years, a decade it marked with its own recipe book, A Food Movement from Qatar, containing 89 plant-based recipes. Marhaba describes it as Qatar's first fully plant-based café, founded by Ghanim Al Sulaiti and Joujou Al Fardan, and its interiors use reclaimed and sustainable materials.
The menu is fully plant-based and suits vegans and non-vegans alike. Smoothies and nourishing bowls are the best-known dishes, alongside cold-pressed juices, electrolyte drinks and certified gluten-free baked goods. The café also sells whole-food products such as nut and seed butters, raw cacao, maca, plant protein, ceremonial matcha, sun-dried fruit and za'atar crackers. Juices and drinks are bottled in glass with lids made from recycled plastic, and there is a bottle-return scheme. For residents and longer-stay visitors, Evergreen runs meal plans and juice cleanses.
The Pearl branch is in Palazzio 1 in Qanat Quartier and opens daily from 7am to 11pm, so it works for breakfast, a light lunch or an evening juice. Allow 30 to 45 minutes. There are other branches on the ground floor of The Gate Mall, also open 7am to 11pm, and at Hamad International Airport in Concourse C near gates C7 to C9, which is open 24 hours and is handy before a flight.
It suits vegans, health-conscious travellers, people with gluten intolerance and anyone who wants a lighter meal after several days of rich Gulf food. Families will find smoothies and bowls that appeal to children, and the café is a useful stop during a walk around the Qanat Quartier canals.
If you are flying out of Doha, the airport branch is a useful last stop for a healthy meal before a long flight.
Qanat Quartier is the Venice-inspired district of The Pearl, with canals, water taxis and colourful buildings, so a visit to Evergreen fits neatly into an afternoon walk around the area or a water-taxi ride from Gate B. A taxi or ride-hailing app is the simplest way to reach The Pearl from central Doha. For general enquiries, the café publishes a WhatsApp and phone line as well as an email address.
Yes, all its products are 100% plant-based.
Daily from 7am to 11pm.
In Palazzio 1, Qanat Quartier, The Pearl.
Yes, it sells certified gluten-free baked goods.
Smoothies, nourishing bowls and cold-pressed juices are the best-known items.
Yes, at Hamad International Airport in Concourse C near gates C7 to C9, open 24 hours.
Drinks come in glass bottles with recycled-plastic lids, and there is a bottle-return programme.
Yes, it runs meal plans and juice cleanses.
Tour operator
Discover Qatar, the destination management company of Qatar Airways, runs Doha city tours, sunset dhow cruises, desert safaris and short tours for transit passengers.
Thing to do
The Doha Corniche is a seven-kilometre crescent promenade around Doha Bay, linking the Museum of Islamic Art, Al Bidda Park and the West Bay skyline.
Restaurant
Alain Ducasse's IDAM occupies the top floor of the Museum of Islamic Art, serving Michelin-starred contemporary French tasting menus with views across Doha Bay.
Hotel
Mandarin Oriental, Doha is a five-star urban hotel in Msheireb Downtown, a short walk from Souq Waqif, with a rooftop pool, spa and nine dining venues.