Staying in the heart of Souq Waqif in one of the beautiful boutique hotels here, perfectly places us within the maze of vibrant stalls and restaurants. This means that choosing somewhere to eat, for someone like me who is terribly indecisive is a chore within itself! There are so many places to choose with both local cuisines including Indian, Turkish, Lebanese, whilst you can even find Italian, Chinese and French!
Last night we dined at Al Matbakh Rooftop Grill which served mouthwatering Seekh Kebabs and Chicken Tandoori dishes, so tonight we were looking for something equally as good, but for half the price. I remember passing Royal Tandoor and we decided to dine here tonight, literally 2 minutes’ walk from our hotel and already bustling with activity. The tables outside on the street were full, but we were happy enough to eat inside.
Royal Tandoor is a chain of restaurants, and inside we were welcomed by a cosy setting, with long drapes that separates tables to have your own private dining experience with friends and family. Our table however was near the entrance and didn’t have the drapes which allowed us to enjoy the atmosphere and the cool draught coming through the door.
We were surprised with the menus - a digital format, almost like an ipad where you can scroll through all the dishes and choose what you want to eat and drink! Not sure if I liked this menu format or not, obviously being used to paper menus where I can flick back and forwards, but I’m sure more restaurants will soon be taking the digital approach!
All the food on the Royal Tandoor menu sounded delicious with many dishes straight from the Tandoor Clay Oven – similar to what we had last night. Choose from seafood, mutton, chicken, lamb and vegetarian dishes. I ended up going for the Royal Murgh Malai Kebab, whilst my boyfriend had the Chicken Tikka Masala and we shared some saffron rice.
Food was freshly prepared so took about 25 minutes to arrive; however, similar to last night, fresh poppadums were brought out to nibble on whilst we waited, and these were wonderful, crispy and flavoursome. A refreshing orange drink with mint was also brought out which we gratefully received.
Not long after, our main dishes came out and both dishes looked extremely appetising and of good portion sizes. My Royal Murgh Malai Kebab was beautifully presented and I couldn’t wait to dive in! The chicken was spiced, but extremely tender and literally melted in my mouth. It wasn’t too hot, but there was a great depth of flavour with every bite that I savoured! My boyfriend’s dish was equally as tasty, but I was happy with my choice and soon ate the lot!
I would say that tonight’s dinner even though more than half the price of last night, was the better meal. The food here was absolutely divine, perfectly cooked and plenty of it! I would happily return here the next time I’m in Doha. The setting was cosy and atmospheric with a choice of inside and outside dining, perfect for a quiet, intimate dinner or for a large family get-together!
As well as having a restaurant in Souq Waqif, Royal Tandoor can also be found in the Pearl – another opportunity to dine out in this fabulous restaurant! Prices are very affordable, with each main dish working out as around AUD$14.
Thanks again Royal Tandoor – I will return the next time I find myself in Doha!