Qatar prohibits public alcohol consumption under Islamic law. Only licensed hotels, private clubs, and the Qatar Distribution Company retail outlet at West Bay permit alcohol sales to non-Muslim residents and visitors holding permits. The outlet requires passport presentation and restricts purchase quantities. Restaurants outside hotel properties cannot serve alcohol regardless of clientele. Most restaurants offer only non-alcoholic beverages.
Karak chai defines Qatari drink culture more than any other beverage. This spiced tea arrived with South Asian laborers during the 1950s oil boom and became ubiquitous across all social strata. Vendors brew it in large pots with evaporated milk, cardamom, saffron, and sugar, serving it in small disposable cups for one to three Qatari riyals. Chapati and Karak on Souq Waqif's western edge operates 24 hours and draws taxi drivers, construction workers, and families equally. The drink sits at every Qatari social gathering, business meeting, and roadside rest. Preparation ratios vary by vendor but typically use two parts evaporated milk to one part water with loose black tea steeped directly in the mixture.
Laban, a salted buttermilk drink, accompanies meals throughout Qatar. Vendors serve it fresh at Souq Waqif and restaurants across Doha. The drink uses yogurt thinned with water and salt, sometimes adding dried mint. Restaurants serve it alongside machbous and grilled meats as a digestive aid. Fresh laban tastes sharply sour with visible separation if left standing. Industrial versions sold in supermarkets add stabilizers and reduce salt content.
Jallab appears during Ramadan across Qatar. This date syrup drink combines grape molasses, rose water, and dates, served over crushed ice with pine nuts and raisins floating on top. Vendors at Souq Waqif prepare it fresh during iftar hours. The dark purple-black liquid tastes intensely sweet with floral notes from the rose water. Some preparations add carob molasses or tamarind. The drink originated in Syria but arrived in Qatar through Levantine merchants during the early 20th century.
Fresh juice stalls operate throughout Doha, particularly concentrated at Souq Waqif and Katara Cultural Village. These stalls display whole fruits in refrigerated cases and blend orders immediately. Mango, orange, pomegranate, and watermelon dominate sales. Vendors charge five to ten riyals per cup depending on fruit type. Sugar cane juice vendors operate manual press machines visible from the street, extracting pale green liquid served over ice. The juice oxidizes rapidly and turns brown within minutes. Some vendors add lime or ginger. Al Tawash Restaurant at Souq Waqif operates a juice counter producing approximately 200 cups daily during peak season.
Gahwa, Arabic coffee, follows different preparation standards than Turkish or European methods. Qatari gahwa uses lightly roasted beans ground to powder consistency with cardamom added during grinding at ratios between 1:4 and 1:1 coffee to cardamom depending on family tradition. The mixture brews in a dallah, a long-spouted brass or copper pot, at temperatures below boiling. Hosts serve it in small handleless cups called finjan, filling each cup one-quarter full. Guests shake the cup side to side when declining refills. The coffee tastes bitter with pronounced cardamom sharpness and no sweetener. Some families add saffron or rose water. Serving gahwa carries social obligation in Qatari homes and businesses. Refusing it entirely causes offense while accepting one cup satisfies protocol.
Street food culture in Qatar centers on Souq Waqif, where approximately 50 small restaurants and outdoor vendors operate. The souq's eastern section contains the highest concentration, with vendors selling food from temporary carts and permanent storefronts. Most establishments operate from late afternoon until past midnight, with peak hours between 8 PM and 11 PM. Weekends see family groups occupying outdoor seating areas while weekday evenings draw single male laborers eating quickly.
Regag bread vendors demonstrate the cooking process publicly. The vendor spreads thin batter across an inverted dome-shaped griddle heated underneath by gas flame. The bread cooks in 30 to 45 seconds, emerging paper-thin with a diameter of approximately 50 centimeters. Vendors serve it immediately, folded and filled with cheese, za'atar, honey, or Nutella. Plain regag costs two riyals while filled versions range from five to eight riyals. The bread becomes brittle within minutes of cooling. Traditional Qatari preparation used regag as an edible plate for thareed, soaking it in meat broth and vegetables. Sweet versions appeared only in the 1990s following Gulf-wide commercialization of street food.
Chap kebab, lamb chunks marinated in yogurt and spices then grilled on metal skewers, accounts for significant Souq Waqif sales. Vendors display raw marinated meat in refrigerated cases and grill orders over charcoal. Each skewer contains five to seven pieces and costs between 12 and 18 riyals. Marinades typically include yogurt, garlic, black lime powder, and turmeric. Vendors serve the meat with fresh regag, sliced onions with sumac, and green chili peppers. Al Jasra Restaurant and Turkish House both operate visible grilling stations processing dozens of skewers hourly during evening service.
Shawarma arrived in Qatar during the 1970s with Lebanese and Syrian merchants. Vertical rotisseries turn lamb or chicken stacks weighing 10 to 15 kilograms. Vendors shave meat directly onto flatbread with tahini, pickles, tomatoes, and parsley. Chicken shawarma costs eight to twelve riyals while lamb versions run twelve to fifteen riyals. The bread wraps the filling into a cone shape with foil covering the base. Shawarma Joint and Fit Shawarma on Souq Waqif's northern edge sell approximately 300 sandwiches daily. Rotisserie meat runs out by midnight on weekends, forcing late arrivals toward other options.
Samboosa (samosa) vendors operate throughout Doha beyond Souq Waqif, particularly near mosque exits after Friday prayers and throughout Ramadan evenings. The triangular fried pastries contain spiced meat, cheese, or vegetables. Vendors fry them in large woks over portable burners. Fresh batches emerge every 10 to 15 minutes during peak hours. Meat samboosa costs one to two riyals each while cheese versions cost slightly less. The pastry shell uses thin wheat dough similar to phyllo. Filling mixtures for meat versions include ground lamb or beef with onions, coriander, and cumin. During Ramadan, vendors near Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha distribute free samboosa to worshippers breaking fast.
Lugaimat represents Qatar's most traditional street dessert. Vendors at Souq Waqif fry small balls of yeast dough until golden, then immediately coat them in date syrup or honey with sesame seeds. The dough contains flour, yeast, sugar, saffron, and cardamom. Frying occurs in oil heated to approximately 180 degrees Celsius. Each ball measures two to three centimeters in diameter. They sell by weight, with 100 grams costing approximately five riyals. The exterior crisps while the interior remains soft and slightly hollow. Lugaimat must be eaten within one hour as the syrup softens the crust. Vendors prepare the largest quantities during National Day celebrations and Ramadan nights.
Harees vendors operate primarily during Ramadan at temporary stalls near major mosques. This porridge of wheat and meat cooks for six to eight hours until both ingredients break down into uniform consistency. Vendors serve it in styrofoam bowls topped with sugar and cinnamon or clarified butter depending on preference. A bowl costs 10 to 15 riyals. The dish requires constant stirring during cooking to prevent burning. Traditional preparation occurred in clay pots buried in sand with hot coals above and below, but contemporary vendors use large steel pots over gas burners. Harees texture resembles thin oatmeal. The dish originated among Bedouin communities as a method to preserve meat through long cooking times in scarce water.