Now that summer is finally coming to an end bringing in the light evening breeze, it’s a great time to be out and about at this special establishment – Halul Café.

Living in Doha for more than 20 years, I can honestly tell you it has been an amazing journey seeing this place develop at a rapid rate and come alive in the span of the last 10 years. Keep in mind, that when we as a family came to Qatar, City Center was still under construction and there were hardly any malls or hypermarkets or superstores. With a heavy influx of the expat community over the past few years, a lot has changed in the country with regards to streets, roads, culture, diversity, people, even rulers.

But a little part of me still loves the city when life was simpler back in the 90’s and when there used to be smaller establishments for a good time with the family. One such café is the Halul Café situated on the Doha Corniche just before the Museum of Islamic Art Park entrance.

Why is this place great you wonder? Well, it’s the only place where people can play games at the table. In most restaurants and dining areas, playing games is considered to be a gamble of sorts which is illegal in this part of the world and is frowned upon. Dominoes and card games are a major hit at this café. One could see people from various parts of the world chatting away to glory in their own languages.

Affordability is another reason why this little café stands out from the rest. The have a small menu that serves basic snacks like foul, sandwiches, burgers, tea, coffee and juices along with the shisha which is priced at 10riyals only. One could have an egg sandwich for 3 riyals, kabab sandwich for 5 riyals, or burger for 7 riyals from the menu. Just to give you an example, 8 of us friends went to this place to play UNO, dominoes and other card games, sitting for a minimum of 4 hours ordering all kinds of snacks, juices and shisha and the bill came up to 130 riyals only.  Where else do you get these prices in Doha today!

The view is absolutely gorgeous and offers a street view, deck view and a seaside view for its customers. If you’re lucky enough to get a seaside seating arrangement, there isn’t anything else that you need for a chilled out day at Halul Café. Indoor seating is also available but if weather permits, this is a great outdoor hangout. The service can be a bit slow and definitely very warm but if you speak to the waiters in Hindi or Arabic, you just might get special preference.

A popular notion is that this place is a man’s world but on the contrary, many ladies also visit this café to take in the view, ambience and have a good time. The only part where this place is lacking is the maintenance of a good washroom for ladies.

This is a part of the local traditional Qatari experience that any expat living or touring this place shouldn’t miss.

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Written by: Keertana Koduru