Friday Brunch in Doha: How It Works and How to Choose

Friday is the weekend in Qatar, and most hotel restaurants run a long Friday brunch, typically through the middle of the afternoon. Almost all of the 19 brunches we list run on Fridays; YUN at Waldorf Astoria West Bay also runs on Saturdays.

Pricing is by package, not by dish. Most brunches list a soft-drinks package alongside one or more enhanced, house or premium packages, so the headline price is the cheapest way in. Children usually pay less, and the age bands differ by venue, so check before you book. Several listings note that tier pricing is unconfirmed, and two brunches were paused for relaunch or renovation when we last checked, so confirm the date when you book.

Starting prices in our listings range from about QAR 195 at Walima (Mondrian Doha) and QAR 248 at YUN to around QAR 450 at Carbone. A typical soft-package price sits between QAR 275 and QAR 350, for example Spice Market at QAR 275, Curiosa at QAR 299, and COYA, Provok and Jamavar at QAR 350 or so.

Premium tiers climb quickly: the St. Regis Grand Brunch runs from QAR 390 to QAR 650, Nobu from QAR 375 to QAR 680, and Jamavar's top bubbly tier reaches QAR 1,100. If the drinks are not the point, the soft-package price is usually the better deal.

The Ritz-Carlton's Lagoon restaurant runs a family-first buffet with children under six eating free and QAR 125 for ages 6 to 12. At Rixos Qetaifan Island, in Lusail beside a major waterpark, Turquoise lets children five and under dine free. The St. Regis Grand Brunch charges half price for ages 4 to 11, with under-fours free and kids' activities, and Coral at the InterContinental lists QAR 95 for ages 6 to 12.

Curiosa at the Four Seasons lists QAR 130 for ages 5 to 11, and Nobu lists QAR 185 for ages 5 to 12.

For a classic international buffet: Vine at the St. Regis (16 food stations and nine drink bars), Coral at the InterContinental, and the Marsa Malaz Kempinski brunch at Sawa on The Pearl. For Asian: Spice Market at W Doha, Provok at the Fairmont in Lusail (sushi and a Korean barbecue grill), YUN's dim sum brunch 44 floors up, and Nobu's all-you-can-eat sushi and sashimi on the marina.

For Latin and Peruvian: COYA at W Doha (a five-course brunch with a live DJ), La Mar's Yunza brunch on the InterContinental beachfront, Curiosa's family-style hacienda brunch and SUSHISAMBA at Waldorf Astoria Lusail. For something different, Walima at Mondrian offers a Middle Eastern and Qatari brunch built around fatteh and mezze, Jamavar offers Indian, and Carbone on Al Maha Island plays more like an Italian-American supper club.

West Bay has the largest cluster (St. Regis, W Doha, InterContinental, Sheraton, Waldorf Astoria West Bay). Lusail has Carbone, Provok, SUSHISAMBA and Turquoise. The Pearl has Marsa Malaz Kempinski, and the Corniche has Four Seasons (Curiosa and Nobu) and The Ned. For a trip in itself, Riva's brunch on Banana Island is reached by catamaran.

Book ahead for popular brunches, especially during winter, and confirm the start and finish times, which vary by venue (Sawa's listing, for instance, runs 12:30pm to 4pm). Ask which package covers drinks, whether the price includes service charge, and whether children's pricing applies to your children's ages. The full list, with each venue's contact details, is on the Nightlife page.