Fans in Qatar: Top 14 Bars And Restaurants To Watch World Cup 2022

Rosemary November 09, 2022 | 10:31

Besides fan zones in public places, football fans can select bars or restaurants in Qatar to enjoy the matches. Not only big screens, you will be satisfied with food and drinks.

Top 14 Bars And Restaurants To Watch World Cup 2022 In Qatar. Photo KnowInsiders

Contents
1. Hudson Tavern 2. Champions 3. Vine 4. The Irish Harp 6. Al Shurfa Arabic Lounge 7. La Liga Lounge 8. Lemon Garden 9. Boston's 10. Choices Football Garden 11. El Cedro Lounge 12. Oyster Bay and Bar 13. Qube 14. Shehrazad Lounge Will be fans in Qatar charged with drinks at bars and restaurants?

While nothing will beat the feeling of being in the stands at a World Cup match, the atmosphere across the city is set to be electric this November and December. If you’re wondering where to watch the World Cup in Qatar, give it a try to these bars and restaurants to have the best experience.

1. Hudson Tavern

Aptly known as the ‘Locker Room’ for the duration of the World Cup, Mondrian Doha’s Hudson Tavern will be turned into an indoor football pitch complete with whistles, red cards and other sporting regalia.

With no booking required, Hudson Tavern has become the talk of the town and a great place to catch a cold one and some handheld snacks like burgers, nachos and tacos. To relish the gaming experience, they offer some in-house games for the supporters of the winning team. Enjoy free bar access (with a minimum spend), happy hour from 3 pm to 7 pm and a DJ on the decks to get the party started. Why go? It’s trendy but not pretentious and gives off a downtown New York vibe.

2. Champions

Where To Watch World Cup 2022 In Qatar: Top Bars And Restaurants

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One of the top sports bars in the city, Champions should be among your top picks for where to watch the World Cup in Doha on days you don’t have match tickets. There are 47 LED screens and two giant projectors for catching the action on, and cracking pub grub to boot. Make sure you book your table well in advance.

Open daily noon-3am.

Champions Sports Bar in the Marriott Hotel, which Time Out magazine describes as Doha’s leading sports bar, is charging fans 200 Qatari riyals (about £48) to get in to watch group games. That gets you three drinks – Budweiser, Corona or house wine – an equivalent of £16 a drink.

And you can’t nurse your bottles of gassy Budweiser either, as that is per game for three hours. It costs another 200 riyals if you want to stay for the next match – that is the minimum charge per game.

Champions are then upping the charge to 750 riyals (£180) for the knockout stages and 1,000 riyals (£240) for the semis and final, with three-drink vouchers still offered – so £240 would be the equivalent of £80 for a bottle of Corona.

3. Vine

From Vine’s outdoor terrace you’ll be able to watch all the football matches live, and catch live music on rest days. The set menu with soft drinks is QR350 for lunch or dinner, with à la carte house beverage options.

Open daily 6am-11pm.

4. The Irish Harp

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The legendary Irish Harp is a great place to gather with friends to cheer on your favourite team this World Cup. A little bit of Ireland right in Doha, this bar will be screening all the action on 12 large TV screens. The pub offers some delicious bites such as loaded potatoes and bourbon meatballs, and if you’re still wondering about its authenticity, it was designed and created in Ireland by the Irish Pub Company, the world’s largest exporter of Irish pubs. Go for the bubbly atmosphere, where you’re bound to make new friends who will be ever-ready to take selfies with you.

Open daily noon-3am.

5. RISE

Another favourite from Mondrian Doha, RISE, a bar located on the 27th floor of the hotel overlooking the pool, is a must if you’re looking to fly high this World Cup. A VIP Pass gets you access to the ‘skybox’, which has unlimited food and drinks. This pass also allows access to other nightlife venues at the hotel and free drinks at the trendy Hudson Tavern. Need just one reason to go? Watching the game in one of the prettiest venues in Doha under Marcel Wander’s hand-painted sky dome. VIP Passes can be collected at the hotel, where your name will be printed on a tag and lanyard with your personal image on it, much like the skyboxes at stadiums around the world.

6. Al Shurfa Arabic Lounge

Soak up the World Cup vibe at Al Shurfa Arabic Lounge, part of Al Jomrok Boutique Hotel, which offers shisha and views of the Corniche and the Doha skyline, while also enjoying all the hustle and bustle of the souq, where it’s conveniently located. This rooftop location oozes cool and if you want to experience the game the way the locals do, this is the spot; plus with all those views, it’s totally Instagrammable.

7. La Liga Lounge

If you’re football obsessed, there is no better place in the city than La Liga Lounge to watch the biggest football tournament in the world. Situated at Hotel Park is this lounge with the best tech for big games, decorated in football memorabilia and set up like a pitch with a goal area for target practice. This lounge is no doubt going to be a fan favourite during the World Cup: burgers, hot dogs, wings and some Spanish specialities are on the menu, so come hungry.

8. Lemon Garden

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If you’re wondering where to watch the World Cup in Doha with a bit of privacy, you can book out one of four VIP rooms with 85 inch TV screens at Lemon Garden. Elsewhere in the garden, there are five 85 inch TV screens indoors, plus a 3×2 metre screen outdoors. Shisha service is available here.

Open 24/7.

9. Boston's

When it comes to World Cup festive feel, Boston’s has Doha sorted. This popular weekend spot is going all out, offering unlimited house beverages, drinks buckets and specials for friends ordering together. You can enjoy the game on the screens and then partake in Boston’s very own world cup of games, like eating a huge bucket of spicy wings in 10 minutes. If you can’t handle this challenge, make sure you come kitted in full World Cup regalia to support your team and you could get a special discount. Go for the relaxed atmosphere, which is both somehow homely yet trendy at the same time.

10. Choices Football Garden

The Hyatt Regency Oryx is turning Choices’ terrace into a football garden, complete with giant LED screens, barbecued dishes and a live DJ in-between matches throughout the day.

Prices: QR300 (group stage, F&B coupons per match), QR500 (round of 16 onwards, F&B coupons per match). Open daily noon-2am. Licensed.

11. El Cedro Lounge

Cheering on one of the Latin American teams at this year’s World Cup? Then you might just want to check out the luxe venue El Cedro Lounge, which is famed for its elevated bar bites including ceviche and tacos. During the World Cup, you’ll be able to enjoy two-hour packages inclusive of a set menu that changes daily (but don’t worry, there will still be taco Tuesday) and beverages. Shisha is also served here.

Prices: QR475 (soft drinks), QR775 (house beverages), QR1,075 (bubbly). Open daily noon-4pm, 6pm-2am.

12. Oyster Bay and Bar

Another option for those looking to watch the World Cup in Doha while enjoying the wonderful winter sun, outside guests can book a spot on the beach deck. The set menu, with water, is QR250, but you can also add on a three-hour house beverage package for QR245. You will need to book and pay in advance.

Open daily 9am-sunset.

13. Qube

The Radisson Blu Doha is also going all out with its World Cup offerings, and you can catch all the action at Qube. There are tonnes of different offers – including a bucket with five bottled hops for QR155, or a hops bucket with your choice of chicken wings or a beef burger with french fries for QR200 – for you to take advantage of, too.

Open daily 11am-2am. Licensed.

14. Shehrazad Lounge

The sports bar at the Radisson Blu, Shehrazad Lounge, is also a top option where to watch the World Cup in Doha, and will be running all the same offers as Qube.

Open daily 11am-2am. Licensed.

Will be fans in Qatar charged with drinks at bars and restaurants?

Possibly yes.

World Cup fans are to be charged £80 for a beer in some Qatar venues to watch the semi-final and final. The Middle Eastern state is highly religious with a ‘sin tax’ applied to all alcohol sales during the tournament while bars and hotels are charging extortionate entry fees to watch games as supporters look for places to watch matches away from the grounds.

Fans have already been largely put off travelling to Qatar to take in the World Cup in person as a result of the costs associated with it. There is a shortage of accommodation within the country itself meaning the best options for people are in desert camps or neighbouring countries, costing match goers hundreds of pounds a night.

Those who do decide to make the trip can expect to pay hundreds more if they would like a drink while they are there given the country's laws. It is illegal to drink in public places or to be caught drunk in Qatar while a ‘sin tax’ has been levied against alcohol to discourage people from buying it.

Bars and hotels are charging cover fees to allow people to come in and watch games on TV with some alcoholic beverages included in the price.