To Market, to Market

Hosting brunches may have gotten more complicated lately, but one venue at W Doha makes it look effortless, as OHLALA’s Craig Ferriman finds out.

For as long as I can remember, the W Doha has been a byword for outstanding restaurants, trendy design, and high-level service. I’ve always loved its outlets, but my recent visit to Market illustrated that it hasn’t gotten complacent and remains strong when it comes to its brunch offering.

There have been a few staff changes, both in the kitchen and front of house, as well as a few additions to the menu over the past two or three years. Admittedly, some of the changes weren’t to my liking, but under new general manager Jake Woodhouse, this is a brunch to (once again) rave about.

Despite the difficulties of Covid-19 restrictions, the vibe at Market is highly sociable and perfect for friends seeking a group brunch. While the traditional buffet set-up is next to impossible, we were allowed to wander around and browse at raw displays behind perspex glass and choose what we’d like, so that the chefs could cook it for us.

This had the added bonus of still having that buffet feel, where you have the option to look and see eye-catching displays of food, but can eat it fresh when it arrives cooked – as opposed to dining on lukewarm dishes sitting under lamps for a long time as is often the case.

Unlike so many brunches that really don’t fill you up but lull you into the false sense of security, this one really feeds you. There is starch and substance, even from the appetisers brought to the table. We had a squash pizza, which is new from the à la carte menu, alongside cheese puffs, smoked salmon, burrata cheese, and a tomato salad.

I’m also told that no two brunches are alike as the starters and other things are regularly rotated, so it’s always exciting. We then asked for the seafood platter and were handed heavenly pleasures like rock oysters, great lobster, and big prawns among other crustaceans! The digital menu shows a selection of main courses to choose from. These are all greatest hits from the à la carte menu from what I could tell. I chose the beef cheeks, which were divine and served on a bed of mashed potato. I cheekily tasted some of my dining companion’s sea bass en papillote – it was equally delicious. There is a whole desserts station with a plentiful array of sweet treats to choose from, as well as an all-too-rare thing: an actual choose station.

Once again, we couldn’t help ourselves to it as we honour the pandemic-related safety rules, but were able to choose what we wanted. The choice of beverages was not curtailed to a few, like so many brunches, but included many great signature W cocktails as well as plenty of bubbly to quaff on. As brunches go, this was truly in the champions league. Good vibes, great food, and excellent service.

For more information, please call 4453 5135