Catch of the Capital: Doha’s Finest Seafood Restaurants
In a city gilded with luxury and surrounded by the sea, it’s no surprise that Doha has cultivated a seafood scene as polished as its skyline. From crisp white tablecloths to barefoot dinners by the water, Qatar’s finest seafood restaurants offer more than just oysters and octopus — they serve up atmosphere, theatre, and craftsmanship on every plate.
At the top of this aquatic hierarchy is La Mar by Gastón Acurio, perched elegantly at the InterContinental Doha. It’s the kind of place where the ceviche arrives like a crown jewel — delicately citrus-cured, resting on ice like it was caught just moments before. The restaurant dances between the ocean and the Andes, pulling Peru’s finest flavours into a sleek, coastal sanctuary with views as fresh as the menu.
Then there’s L’Wzaar, a long-time darling of Katara Cultural Village. Though casual at first glance, its charm is in the ritual. You choose your seafood from a glittering ice bar — think hammour, prawns, and lobster tails fanned out like jewels — then pick your preparation, your spice, and your side. What follows is a whirlwind of fire, lemon, and smoke, orchestrated with precision and delivered with flair.
Not far off, Novikov Doha raises the bar with Asian-Mediterranean glamour that seduces the well-heeled and the jet-lagged alike. Their black cod miso is whispered about in social circles, and the raw bar glistens like a fashion week invitation. It’s the place where Tokyo meets St. Tropez, dressed in amber lighting and glossy lacquered wood.
In Lusail, Sora is more than a rooftop — it’s a horizon. While not purely seafood, its Japanese fusion menu showcases seafood with elegance: sea bream carpaccio glides in on handcrafted ceramics, and miso scallops balance richness and restraint. It’s where the view rivals the plates, but the plates never let the view steal the show.
For something soulfully grounded yet utterly unforgettable, The Fish Market at the InterContinental Doha Beach & Spa offers barefoot luxury at its best. Pick your fish from the day’s catch, settle into your cabana, and let the chef turn your choice into grilled perfection scented with olive oil, lemon, and local herbs. It’s warm, unpretentious, and lets the sea do the talking.
And then there’s Sushi On, a tiny temple to Japanese seafood craftsmanship. Understated in décor but reverent in approach, each slice of tuna belly and each mound of caviar-topped nigiri is a masterstroke. It’s where chefs lean in to whisper details of the day’s best cuts, and diners lean back to savour every note.
These restaurants don’t just serve seafood—they romance it. They know how to let a scallop speak and how to dress a shrimp without drowning its story. They understand that the perfect oyster isn’t just shucked — it’s introduced. In Doha, the seafood scene is less about eating and more about ritual, elegance, and occasion. And at the very top, where the salt lingers on your lips and the wine is always crisp, it feels a little like the ocean has finally found its most stylish stage.
