Delicious Decadent Desserts in Doha - Decided by FACT
Chocolates, cakes, pastries, doughnuts, waffles, ice creams, brownies, biscuits, buns, iced goodies, custards, puddings, sweets and candies - whatever floats your boat, we all have a sweet tooth that longs to be satisfied with sugary indulgences, and we all hear the irresistible call of bakeries, dessert parlours and sweet shops as we walk past their terribly tempting window displays. And while we all know too much sugar is bad for you and have an inner voice that guilts us into being ‘good’, a little something sweet, in moderation, has some rather substantial benefits to our physical and mental well-being!
Not convinced? Then consider:
- Sugar is responsible for releasing endorphins such as serotonin in our brains; this ‘happy’ chemical helps elevate our mood, leaving us feeling cheerful and calm.
- Sugar is also a great stress reliever as it helps to reduce cortisol levels in our bodies - and as we all know, cortisol is a stress hormone, too much of which is bad for your health.
- Most of us associate sweet treats with a reward of some type. Our brain, therefore, perceives sugar as a reward and responds by making us feel contentment and satisfaction.
- Dark chocolate is scientifically proven to reduce the risk of having a stroke and helps to lower blood pressure, helping to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
And, while we’re not in the habit of encouraging bad habits, you can’t argue with the facts - a little of what you fancy is good for you!
Doha has a plethora of establishments serving a veritable array of goodies and desserts. So, if you find yourself lured by the enticing call of something chocolatey, covered in icing, or sweet and creamy, you won’t have a problem finding a nicety to satisfy your cravings.
Helpfully, the recent fact. DINING AWARDS 2023 (annual awards hosted by FACT Magazine for the Middle East to celebrate the culinary scenes in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai and Qatar) kindly awarded two of the city’s sweet treat establishments with the accolades of Best and Favourite Dessert Parlours in Doha. So if you’re looking for a great recommendation, try these fact. DINING AWARD winners:
Doha’s Top Spots for Dessert
Novecento, Intercontinental Doha Beach & Spa, Al Dafna, Doha (Best Dessert Parlour)
Image: Issuu
Regularly voted one of the best terraces in Doha, the Intercontinental Doha Beach & Spa sundeck overlooks the hotel's pool, golden beach dotted with palms and the glistening sea beyond. It makes a heavenly backdrop for Novocento, the hotel's terrace lounge and restaurant - many Doharites spend ample hours on the terrace admiring the view while being treated to some superlative plates of food.
However, it's not the restaurant's terrace, elegant interiors or French/Italian-style cuisine we're here to discuss; it's their dessert menu. Winner of the fact. DINING AWARDS 2023 for Best Dessert Parlour, Novocento don't just offer standard cakes and bakes. The lounge serves exquisitely and creatively crafted desserts, so refined and stunningly beautiful that it's almost a shame to eat them. The desserts and pastries, designed by celebrity chef Dimitris Chronopoulous, range from the classic French macarons, financiers and eclairs, the quintessential afternoon tea delight, scones with clotted cream and jam, to chocolate madeleines, chocolate brownies, chocolate pralines, mousses, tarts and filo pastries. There are so many delicious artisan-style puddings and sweet treats to choose from, but we love the Exotic Coconut Delight - light, creamy and tropical; the perfect titbit for a sundrenched afternoon on the deck.
Location: Novecento near Al Qassar Metro Station on the Red Line
Hours: Saturday to Wednesday, 7 am - 10 pm; Thursday and Friday, 7 am - 11:30 pm
Contact: +974 4484 4919
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/us/en/doha/dohha/hoteldetail/dining
Instagram: @intercontinentaldoha
Cova, Printemps Doha, Msheireb, Doha (Favourite Dessert Parlour)
Image: Cova
Cova is an Italian cafe, Milan's oldest pasticceria, located in one of the Middle East's largest department stores, Printemps. The Italian eatery, defined by its elegant, traditional decor, with wooden wall panelling, velvet furnishings, ornate chandeliers and mirrors, and aged photographs of Milanese society adorning the walls, and with waiters in tuxedos is a blast from the past where quality and good service were key to an eatery's success. With its old-style cafe atmosphere, guests can mill around the glass-fronted counters, with steaming coffee machines working away in the background, surveying the diner's raison d'etre…row upon row of handmade, artisanal pastries, chocolates, biscuits, cakes, desserts, tarts and torts.
Winner of the fact. DINING AWARDS 2023, Cova offers a full menu of irresistible pastries and desserts, including the timeless tiramisu and black forest gateaux, Maritozzo and Mignonne pastries, cakes, tortes and pralines. However, the glass counter offers a vast array of ever-changing 'cakes of the day', which you can eat at the venue or take away in beautifully presented boxes, hampers and baskets. Our favourites by far are the Gianduiotti chocolates, Panettone cakes, Biscotti biscuits and glazed chocolate torte. And we recommend dining in, luxuriating in the various sweet treat flavour sensations while soaking up the atmosphere.
Location: Cova near Msheireb Metro Station on the Red, Gold and Green Lines
Hours: Saturday to Wednesday, 10 am - 10 pm; Thursday, 10 am - 11 pm; Friday, 1 pm - 11 pm
Contact: +974 4410 6200
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.pasticceriacova.com/en/stores/doha
Instagram: @covadoha
And because you can never have too many sweet treat recommendations, check out our long-term favourites for more chocolatey delights, perfect pastries, mouth-watering cakes, tempting tarts and scrumptious biscuits:
- Maître Choux Doha - the city’s only choux pastry specialist patisserie, also located in Printemps, Msheireb.
- Santa Nata - serving authentic and traditional Portuguese Pastel de Nata (egg custard tart) in a cafe in Barahat Msheireb, the city’s largest covered plaza.
- Laduree - a French cake shop in the Place Vendome Mall, offering Qatar’s softest, pillow-like macarons.
For more FACT recommendations for dining experiences in 2023, check out the following articles:
Main image: ProstockStudio/Shutterstock.com