idam by alain ducasse - ادام

best buisnesslunchin doha, the food is artistic and fresh accorded to what idam chef finds in the market

qr 200 is competitive for a 3 stars michelin level restaurant andlunchoffer is also available on saturdays

if you go for a la carte menu like my friend did:

- the harira mezze is magnificient

- the camel rossini with foie gras and truffle sauce is to die for

- the date souffle is a shortcut to heaven

the drinks are just fabulous and refreshing + the ambiance a bit formal but unique with the design and view

they have valet parking and the service is excellent - my best experience in town :)

located in the heart of doha in the museum of islamic art , restaurant offers stunning panoramic views of the city skyline. the interior design is really exquisite and elegant, i would say luxurious and comfortable ambiance at the same time.
i had a chance to visit the restaurant for businesslunchand had the best dininglunchexperience in town. exquisite and good quality food, amazing cocktails, attentive staff and impeccable service.
will definitely visit them for dinner or special occasion.  worth to experience truly fine dining in doha.

have had the pleasure of dining 3 times now at idam by alain ducasse; twice forlunchand once for a sohour last ramadan and each occasion has been a delight!
the restaurant is located in the beautiful museum of islamic art here in doha, with the fabulous interior designed by world-renowned french designer, philippe starck. guests can avail of fantastic views of the doha skyline through the floor to ceiling windows, while they dine.
the first time i dined at idam was to sample the ramadan sohour menu that commenced with a selection of 3 mezze; saffron cromesquis, baby leave and green samboussek, fattouche salad, rabbit and foie gras pate, summer flower and vegetable salad and french snails.
the starter consisted of delicate "harira" soup or chilled tomato "consomme" minestrone. i chose the consomme and it was was very good.
a crockpot of lightly spiced vegetables or a cumin zucchini crockpot, flower and sage followed. i chose the first option and again, it was excellent.
our mains consisted of free range chicken, coco-curry and basmati rice or roasted wild hammour with soft and crunchy egyptian rice. i had the chicken, which was perfectly cooked.
a plate-cleanser of poached peach with redcurrant granite or roasted apricots and iran pistachio followed and then our dessert of date souffle with laban sorbet (which was fantastic and a stand-out dish for me!). idam always follows their meals by offering guests a great selection of chocolates, meringues and other sweets (and arabic pastries in ramadan) and offers a great selection of fresh juices and mocktails.
on my second visit to idam, i hadlunchthere, which consisted of: mrouzia lamb risolles, winter white vegetable and black truffle salad, marinated bonite fish from the arabian gulf with lemon gold caviar, kabssa free range chicken with cereals and lemon and soft, crunchy and iced iranian pistachio to finish. again, it was a great experience.
on my last visit, we partook in a healthylunchas part of a healthy eating initiative at qiff 2016. chef alain ducasse was in attendance too, which made the meal even more special. we started with chickpeas and lentils in harira vinegrette, vegetable and flower salad with a black truffle condiment, marinated wild red prawns with gold caviar, crockpot of tiny spelt, seasonal vegetables and herb pesto and roasted and confit citrus. the meal was very light, fresh and tasty (and healthy!).
in summary, the food at idam is always innovative, fresh and extremely tasty. staff are very well trained and knowledgeable and the location is fantastic. prices are high, but the food is of extremely high quality. they do, however, offer a 3 course businesslunchon wed, thurs and sat from 12.30-3pm for qr 200, which would be a great way to check out this great restaurant, but not break the bank.

idam is fabulous. the food is exquisite and wonderfully presented with layers of flavour. the environment is immaculate and that staff are excellent led by mikko. they are attentive and helpful without being intrusive. thelunchhour menu is tremendous value and available on a saturday. highly recommended and i will be returning soon. give it a try. you will not be disappointed.

visited this place forlunchduring a working day. we had a 4 course meal that was outstanding in every way. my favorite part the end: a dark chocolate raspberry dessert. i know you normally need reservations, but i guess we were just lucky we were able to walk in.

deliciouslunchin gorgeous setting with excellent service. a must during your stay in doha. a memorable experience and a gastronomical delight. loved it and hated to leave. simply unforgettable and exquisite!!!

words are not enough .....

very exceptional .....

unforgettable experience in all aspects ....

stunning view .....

perfectlunchever ......

by far the most extraordinary food in doha. alain ducasse's menu showcases local ingredients cooked using classical french cooking techniques... the signature being a braised camel with foie gras a la rossini. i prefer thelunchsetting when sunlight streams in and illuminates the cavernous dining room. plus the setlunchis a mega deal compared with the evening ala carte.

this is by far and large the best dining experience i've ever had in doha, and that includes dining in the recently closed qusine by guy savoy. alain duccasse truely did this region justice with his artful use of fresh local ingredients in truly explosive ways! now, i've been eating almost everything on the menu since i was a kid (yes, that also includes camel meat which is usually served for special occasions such as weddings and eid in our culture), and even with that it was definitely a spectacular journey to my palette.

a few notes:
- this place is crazy expensive even compared to other fine dining venues around the world, better save up for a special occasion.

- i remember i came here for a friend's birthday once and i took my family out here when i graduated. both times i got the experience menu which was 700+qr each and both times i was not disappointed!

- did i mention i spotted football legend raul dining here with his wife once?

- sometimes they have live music which was a wonderful addition to an already spectacular venue (the i.m. pei designed museum of islamic art is also my favorite building in qatar)

- make sure you reserve your table in advance. they will receive you like royalty from the moment you hop off your car right by the museum's door until the (surprise which i won't spoil) at the end.

- get the camel! even if you think it would taste strange and you want to play it safe. i assure you it's the star of the restaurant and you will not be disappointed! also get alain's signature cookpot!

- they don't serve alcohol. but wait! while i know many many many expats would consider this a deal breaker i've actually heard from a couple of my alcohol drinking colleagues that they were not disappointed with the creative ways in which this challenge pushed alain to create some of the finest drinks they've had!

my one (and only) criticism of this place is that at times it can be quite empty. one time we were actually the only table at the whole restaurant! felt like we rented the whole place to ourselves. but that is understandable due to the nature of this restaurant and their prices.

lastly, they do have a reasonably pricedlunchmenu but i haven't tried it yet so i won't comment on that.

do note that the whole museum is closed on tuesdays and some holidays, so again, do book before you go! (tel: 44224488)

impeccable service, stunning location. i recently hadlunchhere with my family. everything about the meal was at the highest standards. food was delicious, highly refined and perhaps slightly less adventurous that i might have expected. it is well worth a visit for thelunchprix fixe. my only complaint with the restaurant would be that they have an arguably antiquated practice of using 'ladies menus' which omit prices. because of this half of our large party decided to order a la carte having no idea that just the appetizer on the a la carte menu cost considerably more than the entire prix fixe lunch. a choice that would not have been made had it not been for the 'ladies menu' and polite gentlemen at the table who did not point out the cost discrepancy assuming all menus were the same. needless to say we ended up with a bit of a bad taste in the mouth when my mother (who was treating us to lunch) discovered her meal cost well over 1000 qar while for equally exquisite food the prix fixe was 200 qar per person. 

we were also quite astounded by the treats delivered at the end of the meal. there was an embarrassing abundance of gorgeous chocolates, pastries and sweets as a gift from the kitchen so make sure to save room for these.

in short, please don't hesitate to visit forlunchbut do be aware of the menus. 

on a side note, the food served  in the cafe in the lobby of the museum is almost certainly from the idam kitchens and is better than most restaurants. from what i've sampled so far at the cafe, the food is certainly on par with what is served at idam.