Berenjak Souq Waqif — Restaurant in Doha

My wife and I dined here yesterday with high expectations, given the premium pricing and upscale ambiance. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a disappointing experience, despite the high price tags and the restaurant's premium brand.

While the presentation of the food was appealing, it was generally overcooked. Starting with the positives, we specifically came to try the salad oliveh, a dish that's difficult to find in Doha, and it was probably the highlight of our meal. Our only quibble would be the large chunks of chicken, which could have been shredded more finely for a better texture.

The roasted potatoes were beautifully crisp on the outside, but somehow tasted dried out inside. The corn on the cob had a deliciously flavored marinade, but it was ruined by being burnt to a crisp on a couple of sides – completely blackened, leaving an overpowering burnt taste.

As for the mains, both the kobbideh kebab and jujeh kebab were flavorful but unfortunately overcooked, leaving them dry. Each portion consisted of a single large skewer, served with grilled tomato, raw onion, and a single sliver of crisp bread shared between the two mains.

The tanoor bread was fresh, fluffy and enjoyable, but at 19 QAR for a single piece, it felt overpriced, especially when many restaurants in Doha provide an endless supply of fresh bread for free. The rice, which included crispy bits mixed in, wasn’t to my taste and is a dish I'd avoid in the future.

We were hoping for a memorable meal, but sadly, Berenjak didn’t deliver. The service was good, perhaps even overly attentive, but that wasn’t enough to make up for the subpar food quality. At around 400 QAR for lunch for two people (two courses, no dessert), it simply wasn’t worth the price. Overall, it felt like we were paying for the brand rather than the...

A new spot in town just opened all the way from London in the heart of the bustling Souq Waqif. The interior is really cozy and dim lit, feels like you’re having dinner by the candle light in one of the ornate Persian palaces. It’s only been a few days since it opened but I have no complaints against the food or service.

The food was all superb with lots of options to choose from. The menu is classic with most typical Persian dishes, with a bit of a modern take on some of them. We started off with their Hummus made with black chickpeas, tahini, walnuts and sumac. This dish was surprisingly good, tasted a bit like creamy peanut butter yet with some tang from the sumac and garlic. Served well with a side of Taftoon bread, freshly baked in their oven. Then we had the Shirazi salad, a classic Persian side dish, very fresh and tangy. Also got to try their Mirza Qasemi, a dip made out of coal cooked aubergine, garlic, tomatoes and eggs.

For the main course we had to try their classic Koobideh Kebab and Jujeh Kabab. Both extremely juicy with just the right amount of char on the outside. For the ultimate treat, taste some of the bread on the bottom that’s been soaking up all of the juices. Seasoned really well, served with side of sumac onions, roasted whole tomatoes and chili. We ate this with a side of their House Rice, classic saffron rice served with sumac, butter and topped with their delicious crispy rice. I had to wash it all down with their Doogh drink, sparkling salty yogurt drink with mint.

Will have to visit again to try their other dishes as they have a few dishes made to be shared by 2-3 people.

Food: 10/10 Price: 8/10 Location: 10/10

Recommend Hummus Taftoon Bread Shirazi Salad Koobideh Kabab Jujeh...

Bread doesn't come default with any appetizer or main course, you have to order it separately. The issue is the bread is overpriced, normal bread costs around 19 QR.. considering you already pay a decent premium on meals, the expect you to to eat kabab/kofta/ appetizers with a fork! This sounds like a gready move if you ask me. Also, the sanjk bread is not what you would expect at all, it's not authentic and looks like a tortilla that you would buy from the supermarket. Also, cucumber yogurt is something that you would pay for, while almost all other Iranian restaurant give it to you as complementary.

Also, it worth noting the the bathrooms are small and tight, if you happen to set on the 1st floor, you will need to go downstairs.. the issue with that is the stairs are very tight and if the restaurant is crowded, you will have to wait for people to go up/down

Overall, the food was fine but nothing blew me away... Definitely not the best in town by any means..I think its ovehyped by the fact that they have a UK branch and many of the locals do recognise it as its...