Coffee Shops in Qatar: Our top picks for caffeine kicks

Neither of us are into chain coffee shops per se, however, we do feature one or two because the location and coffee are good and the price leaves us with enough left over to consider adding a slice of cake to the order too, and adding cake is never a bad thing is it?

In no particular order:

Monoprix The Pearl Qatar, Doha Festival City 

In terms of flavor and value this plucky underdog could well vie for top spot.  Here you can choose a pastry (at supermarket prices) from the pattiserie counter opposite and slurp on your favourite cuppa. There aren’t any coffee-flavoured drinks on offer like your pumpkin spiced latte for example – it’s just an all-star line up of Americano, cappucino, latte and flat white.  We visit so often that we don’t even need to place our order, so that kind of tells you everything you need to know.

Price of all coffees: QAR 10 (YES 10)

Paul

Are we Francophiles? From the list thus far it sure looks so, yet our taste buds (and our top coffee shops) do charter other territories, we promise.  If you’re a Doha resident you’ll probably know and love Paul. There’s the delicious line up of pastries, cakes and crusty bread to tempt you into ditching the diet for yet another day. There’s the prompt and friendly service. There’s coffee that tastes like coffee should, strong and bitter (if you’re an Americano fan like moi) and the cappuccino is highly appreciated by the Mr. L & M. There are also the little Madeline cakes served with your drink to try and help you forget about that creamy, dreamy looking hazelnut éclair.

Our tip is that if you’re going to indulge in a milky coffee you may as well spilt an éclair and pretend that shopping is a highly effective workout.

Price of coffees: Americano QAR 14 and Cappuccino QAR 21

Costa Coffee 

Another coffee chain, and once you manage to steer your eyes away from the signs advertising ghastly coffee-flavoured concoctions such as salted-penguin caramel latte (you get the picture), you’ll find a pretty good coffee on offer. They offer 3 sizes which are gallons bigger than your average. We’ve never had the thirst (or bladder space) to order the large, but please share a photo if you go for it as we’re willing to bet the cup will be the size of a small bath.

And the prices are worth a mention: 12QR for a small (the equivalent of a medium/large) Americano is pretty decent from a chain who could get away with charging more.

Illy Cafe

Oh how our eyes light up after a cup of Illy. We love their blend, their service and the design simplicity that they bring to their branding. If you go on the weekend you may believe that you’ve just stumbled into the zombie apocalypse – it’s unnervingly quiet. Although we’ve been lucky enough to witness their regular Italian clients pop in for a quick espresso at the counter. And we’ve been on a weekday just before lunch where the place was transformed into a buzzing city café. It’s nether cheap or pricey. It’s a steady Eddie. A safe bet. A good choice if you know what you want, and if we’re avoiding the temptations of Paul and just want the caffeine, this IS the place to go.

Prices: Americano 14 QR, Cappuccino 17 QR