A Review of Afghan Brothers Restaurant, Doha

Afghan Brothers Al Mandi Restaurant

9 Matar Al Qadeem Street

Doha, Qatar

There are several branches of Afghan Brothers Restaurant or Afghan House Restaurants in Doha and the one we went to was called Afghan House on google, but all signs at the restaurant points us to Afghan Brothers, which I am going to call it as. This is an institution in Doha for those seeking authentic Arabian cuisine.

On the first floor of the restaurant, we have regular tables and chairs but when you head downstairs, you get to the family area, where every family gets their own little section. This is a typical family dining setup called the Majlis-style seating. Majlis translates to "a place of sitting" and can mean both communal spaces as well as places for meals. Many restaurants in Doha have these seating booths decorated with carpets and large colourful rugs and an array of cushions and bolsters that highlights a Bedouin heritage.

Our servers helped us with a large plastic sheet and our food is sent over very quickly. We had the goat mandi, lamb chops as well as shesh taook along with some salad and a daal like soup. Middle eastern food is for us, simply amazing. The goat mandi we had here was literally falling apart, and so flavourful. Served on top of a bed of long grain basmati rice, all mixed in with the juices from the goat mandi, was just too good. Whilst goat might be quite intimidating for many, middle eastern goat is seasoned really nicely with a variety of spices, the goat meat is never overpowering and is tender and succulent. A definite must try.

We enjoyed our lamb chops and chicken as well which were grilled so well with the most perfect charred exterior. All the meats we had were tender and succulent with that perfect smokiness. Too good!

Booking

It was definitely busy when we visited on a weeknight. However, Afghan Brothers establishments are all huge and I don't think a reservation is really necessary. We didn't make a reservation and our friend in Doha was fairly confident we would be able to rock up and get a seat and he was absolutely right. If you are concerned, perhaps the hotel staff might be able to make a reservation on your behalf via phone as there is no online reservation system available.

Accessibility

There will be an Afghan Brothers establishment somewhere near you. Doha is extremely accessibly via both public transport as well as taxi.

The Damage

There were 3 of us and we spent 175 QAR, which is approximately 62 SGD. Extremely good value!

Would We Recommend?

Yes! We would definitely recommend Afghan Brothers Restaurant. Go for the experience, ask to sit in a traditional Majlis and definitely have the goat mandi. When we go back to Doha again, this is definitely a restaurant we would be visiting.