Isaan

Isaan is the Thai restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel and Villas in the West Bay Lagoon area, north of the city centre. It holds a Bib Gourmand in the 2026 Michelin Guide for Doha, which recognises good cooking at good value. The restaurant occupies a corner of the hotel's ground floor, with teak parquet floors, Thai décor that includes a traditional boat and three open kitchens in view of the dining room.

Despite its name, which refers to the north-eastern region of Thailand, the menu covers Thai cooking from across the country, rather than one regional style. The open kitchens are a large part of the atmosphere, letting you watch dishes being prepared. If you are unsure about heat, the staff can recommend spice levels, which the Michelin inspectors note as a helpful touch for diners new to Thai food.

Isaan opens for dinner from 6.30pm to midnight every day, and also for lunch from 1pm to 4pm on Friday and from 12pm to 4pm on Saturday. Reservations are managed by the restaurant, and booking ahead is worthwhile at weekends. Allow around an hour and a half to two hours for dinner. There is a terrace with outdoor seating, a car park and valet parking. As it is in a large hotel, ask when booking about drinks if that matters to you.

The restaurant suits couples, families and groups who like to share several dishes. Its weekend lunch service is useful for a relaxed long lunch, and the terrace is pleasant on cooler evenings from late autumn to spring. Smart casual dress suits the room.

Thai meals are built around balance and sharing, so for a table of two to four a good order is a salad, a curry, a stir-fried dish and steamed rice to share, adding more if you are still hungry.

The Grand Hyatt Doha is on West Bay Lagoon Street, close to Katara Cultural Village and The Pearl, so dinner here combines well with an afternoon at Katara or an evening walk in Qanat Quartier. A taxi or ride-hailing app is the easiest way to get there from West Bay or the Corniche.