How to eat like the French without leaving Qatar

I’m a self-confessed Francophile. The accent. The chic sense of style (how do French women always dress so well?). The music (Air, Phoenix, Etienne de Crecy, Cassius and so on). And more importantly, it’s the food I like. Those buttery pastries, the everything-with-cheese mentality, and the simple comfort foods like dauphinoise potatoes, confit duck, beef bourguigon. Really rich dishes laden with butter, cream… basically fat. What I can’t seem to understand is how the nation stays so slim. But that’s another discussion all together. We thought it would be fun to find the places which help me (Nats) satisfy my obsession with all things French. So here’s how to spend a day pretending you’re in France (you’ll just have to use your imagination a little). Best of french food in Qatar.

Breakfast
Say Bonjour to Brioche Doree

This place is our go-to breakfast option. We go there so often we don’t even have to place our order anymore. As total boring creatures of habit we always order the Bonjour Breakfast, which at QAR 19 also ticks off the ‘Bargain factor’ to give you your coffee and croissant of choice. This is a bargain for cappuccino lover Hani as his coffee alone is QAR 18. We love the Zaatar which of course isn’t typically French and the almond croissant. The pastry is buttery and light, and the coffees are strong enough to get me going (it does tend to be so much harder on a Friday morning).

The damage: 38 QR

Lunch
Oh Crepe this isn’t really French… Crepa Crepa

Yes, we avoided another chain (that would have been Paul) by taking ourselves to The Pearl’s brightest district, Qanat Quarter where the pretty coloured houses remind you of Europe… maybe not France. But still, Europe. Though Crepa Crepa doesn’t claim to be French, it does serve up wonderful crepes and their origins are from France… so we’ll continue.

Crepa Crepa is a modern little café that serves us a wide range of crepes that take you to different countries all over the world. We opted for the Italian and Mexican. The Italian being our fave, as the flavours really stand out. The Mexican could do with more spice for my liking and I would remove the raw tomato (they just add unwanted sogginess). Good sized portions and reasonably priced (which certainly doesn’t reflect Paris) and the décor is right up our Rue (street).

Crepa Crepa will be our go-to when we’re this side of town.

The damage: 104 QR

Rendez- vous au La Mer

Dinner Date at La Mer

Hani and I went here on Christmas Eve and I left grinning like an idiot. It may have been the mulled wine. It may have been the Muscadet that followed. However, when we went back to discover more of the menu I still felt the same way: as if I’d found the Parisian Bistro of my dreams… the one where the staff actually acknowledge you and go the extra mile to make your evening feel special.

Their opening welcome, etched on a mirror, states that it a snob-free environment. Yes it’s casual French dining, with a menu that features all of those much-loved dishes: Moules frites, Confit Duck, Beef Bourginion and more. But the restaurant’s location, at the 23^rd floor of Doha’s five star Ritz Carlton, gives you glorious sea views that elevate your experience.

This time we went for a charcuterie sharing board, with offered up lots of delicious morsels of meat and pates. The chicken liver parfait was tasty and rich, as were the duck rillettes which were wolfed down with the restaurant’s delicious homemade bread. Next up came a trio of dishes… Duck confit (Cest Magnifique), Beef Bourginion (a little salty for our liking) and Steak and Frites (melt in your mouth perfection) with peppercorn sauce and roasted garlic.

The dishes were all well-cooked, the presentation appealing and the overall ambiance was very congenial. It’s the type of ‘fits all occasions’ place. Smart enough for a dinner date. Relaxed enough for after work drinks with the girls (someone take me up on this). A place where you just feel at home.