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Home » Restaurant Reviews » A Persian Dinner In Doha’s Souq Waqif
QatarRestaurant Reviews

A Persian Dinner In Doha’s Souq Waqif

Matthew Klint Posted onDecember 23, 2022November 13, 2023 13 Comments

We went out one night while in Doha to the Souq Waqif for a Persian dinner – I highly recommend Parisa for superb Iranian food in Qatar.

Parisa – Great Persian Food in Doha’s Souq Waqif

Souq Waqif feels old and is in fact the oldest souq in Doha, but it has been rebuilt and is actaully not that old at all. Even so, as you make your way through the winding corridors of shops selling anything and everything, it feels like you are stepping back in time.

people walking in a street

people walking in a plaza

a group of people sitting outside of a building

people in a market with many people wearing masks

a hallway with many fabric on the wall

shelves of shelves with different dishes and utensils

a store with a window

The concierge staff at the Four Seasons Doha highly recommended we tray Parisa for dinner, which is located in Souq Waqif and offers Persian cuisine (and is technically part of the Ritz-Carlton Sharq Village, though we did not know it at the time).

We found the restaurant on a fairly busy promenade with the Al Fanar mosque and Abdullah Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center towering nearby.

a group of people walking down a sidewalk

a crowd of people walking on a street with a flag

people in a street with a flag

a group of people outside a building

a building with a sign and a restaurant

The dining room felt very much like being in Iran and the hospitality was quite warm as well.

a hallway with colorful columns and a light fixture

a painting of a man at a table

a bowl of water with red petals

a long hallway with a bench and lights

a room with a fountain and tables and chairs

a room with many tables and a fountain

a room with a fountain and a chandelier

a group of people sitting at tables in a restaurant

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a man wearing a mask in a restaurant

a box with a qr code on it

Dinner began with a lovely assortment of raw vegetables and Maast-o Khiar (yogurt with cucumbers) with freshly-baked bread.

a plate of food and a bowl of salad on a table

We ordered a couple appetizers including Kasha Bademjan (fried eggplant with walnut, onion, sundried yogurt, and mint dressing) and Kurt Anar (pomegranate meatballs).

a plate of food on a table

a bowl of food with a spoon

Then for our main course, served family-style, we ordered lamb, beef, and chicken kebabs with saffron rice and vegetables.

a table with plates of food

a bowl of rice with a spoon

a bowl of food on a table

a plate of food on a table

No alcohol on the menu…we had fresh-squeezed fruit juice instead.

a glass of orange juice with a slice of orange on top of it

Prices were not cheap, but everything was delicious and we left quite satisfied.

a receipt on a table

CONCLUSION

Living near West Tehran (Beverly Hills, CA) and West Yerevan (Glendale, CA), I routinely enjoy great Persian and Armenian-Persian food in Los Angeles. Even so, I love it wherever I am in the world and we quite enjoyed eating at Parisa in Doha’s Souq Waqif.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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13 Comments

  1. Santastico Reply
    December 23, 2022 at 4:03 pm

    Fantastic! Love Persian food. One can hope one day Iran will be an open and safe place to visit.

  2. ECH Reply
    December 23, 2022 at 4:31 pm

    not sure if I would like the food or not but the restaurant is cool with the stained glass and colorful decor

  3. Harish Potter Reply
    December 23, 2022 at 4:49 pm

    One of my biggest regrets was having food poisoning while I was eating here since the food was some of the best I ever had. Normally, I could have eaten twice the amount I actually ate. The Park Hyatt was a good place to rest and recover though

  4. globetrotter Reply
    December 23, 2022 at 6:54 pm

    I hope OMAAT, FM or you will visit Iran in near future, at least for three days, and write a trip report. Iran is on my bucket list of must visit country later in this decade. A Persian rug is the best rug in the world, especially it is made from Tabriz and Asfahan. I love Arabic food, unsure if it is similar to Persian food. It is quite unhealthy as it is mostly red meat and greasy but wildly tasty.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      December 23, 2022 at 7:24 pm

      I’d love to spend time in Iran. I really would. I know the people would be very welcoming of Americans. Not sure about the government, though.

  5. Wanna Travel Reply
    December 23, 2022 at 7:06 pm

    I love Parisa, always have a meal there when on a layover in DOH using QR to get to/from Australia. Fabulous food and the decor is pure magic!

  6. RV Reply
    December 24, 2022 at 12:58 am

    Looks tremendous. I’ve transited Doha many times but never thought about leaving the airport and spending a few days in the country itself…now perhaps I shall.

    Did you visit any other attractions besides the hotel/restaurant? My impression is there isn’t much to do in Qatar

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      December 24, 2022 at 8:59 am

      There’s an art museum and history museum. Otherwise not too much. I went to church…that was interesting (I’ll write about the “religious compound” in a future post).

  7. Beep Reply
    December 24, 2022 at 3:26 am

    That’s not expensive for what you got 80 bucks for two people? Barely buys you a round of drinks in a is city.

  8. Kasia Reply
    December 24, 2022 at 6:29 am

    Wonderful restaurant

  9. Sal Reply
    December 24, 2022 at 6:34 am

    Where did you get that impression? I have an overnight layover in Doha in about 2 weeks and have enjoyed researching things to do. Plan on walking through the Souq, dining at an amazing looking restaurant called SMAT, walking the Corniche (waterside promenade), and checking out a local hookah lounge).

  10. Davoudi Asl Reply
    December 24, 2022 at 5:09 pm

    The correct pronunciation for food are KASHK-O-BADEMJAN and KOOFTEH ANAR
    thank you for trying the Persian cuisine

  11. Nima Reply
    December 27, 2022 at 4:31 am

    Excellent explanation of persian cuisine. We invite Matthew to come to Iran, experiencing Persian foods just inside Tehran traditional Bazar(market) for more cheaper price than Doha.

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