Saida –Near Souq Waqif Art Center, Souq
Waqif, Doha
Cuisine: Middle
Eastern (Lebanese / Arabic)
All
reviews will be based on the Cuisine and Fare the restaurant/outlet is known
for / specialized in.
This
review is based on inputs from myself as well as fellow foodies who have
accompanied me to this restaurant.
ALL RATING ARE IN THE SCALE OF 5. A rating of 5 mean Excellent while 1 is Poor.
FOOD: RATING 4 OUT OF 5.
Item 1 –Manakish – All Manakish with Labneh /
Cheese /Meat
If I am not mistaken
SAIDA does have a bakery of their own, hence the Manakish they make is indeed a
good one. Especially the ones with Labneh or Meat. They are a treat to eat and
loved the way the serve them on the plate.
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Manakish
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Item 2 – Hot Appetizers – Batata Harah (Spiced
Potatoes)
It is quite a treat and I
believe it is grownups version of the French fries. Fried and Spiced to
perfection with a hint of Coriander that gives it a little kick in the overall
taste and texture.
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Batata Harah (Spiced Potatoes)
|
Item 3 – Hot Appetizers – Egg dishes
Even though I have not
tired the egg dishes it seems to be a commonly ordered dish as most of the
people I have asked about says a good review about it.
Item 4 – Cold Appetizers – Hummus / Hummus with
meat
For all those Hummus
lovers, this is dish does fit the bill as a feel good hummus.
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Hummus / Hummus with Meat
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Item 5 – Sandwiches
Again, I haven’t tried
this but this seems to be one of the most prominent dishes on the table of
every customer who visits this place. The cheese chicken sandwich (or is it the
Philly sandwich) does look tempting.
Item 6 – Juices – Fresh Juices
They are really
refreshing and must have especially as a “starter” before the meal!
Item 7 – THE MINT TEA!!! – WOW!!
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Mint Tea
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Item 9 & 10 – Pizzas & Salads
Unfortunately, I haven’t
tried this nor do I have any feedback from people I know on these items hence I
cannot rate.
This being the fact, the overall rating is
based only on the things I have tried or know about.
SERVICE – 4.5 OUT OF 5
Wonderful. They do make
you feel at home. I could have given it a 5 star but at peak times or more than
70% occupancy I feel the waiters are overloaded and they do take time to
receive an order especially if it is a refill or a second round of orders. The first
round of orders is quick and fast.
LOCATION – 5 OUT 5
The Souq Waqif – On the main walkway that now leads to the Mushreib Downtown development. On the right side a few meters before you reach the underground walk to Mushreib downtown.
PRICING: 4 out of 5 (5 means cheapest while 1 means expensive)
I rate this place 4 (The wallet may be needed)
The Price is a quiet affordable and the food is pretty good for the price and service.
AMBIANCE: 3.5 OUT 5
Like most small food
places in the Souq the seating is predominately outside and hence it can be
task in the summer (due to the heat) and weekends (due to the crowd, privacy is
almost nil). There is inside seating but then I haven’t seen many seating
inside until or unless they are really hungry and the outside seats are full.
But I tell you once it is
the winter, a Saturday lazy affordable brunch with a good shisha will be fab!
DECOR AND SEATING CAPACITY – 3.5
OUT 5
Nothing over the top.
Simple décor. Seating is limited like all other places in the Souq but you can
still a table for 5-7 people. Mind you in when all tables are filled, space to
maneuver can be a little limited.
OVERALL RATING: 4 OUT OF 5
The best thing about the
place is that, it is your feel good Arabic snack café that serves you the
simple food that has dotted the culinary snack / small meal scene of Qatar.
Plus, the fact that the Shisha they serve is good makes it a perfect family
weekend lazy brunch or early dinner place.
I would say if you are in
the Souq Waqif and not looking for anything fancy and yet want good food that
doesn’t hurt you pocket. Saida is worth the visit.
