Tipping at restaurants

Tipping at restaurants is not compulsory, although it has become fairly standard to tip about 10% to the waitstaff. Despite being banned, some restaurants still include a 10% service charge in the bill. Should your bill include a service charge, feel free to strike it from the total and leave a tip on the table instead.
Arabic coffee in Souq Waqif
to large 5-star international hotels. Bars are required to see identification (i.e. a passport) at the door, although this is rarely enforced. Residents with a special liquor license may purchase alcohol at the QDC (Qatar Distri-bution Company) on the outskirts of town. Importing al-cohol is not permitted – all bags are x-rayed upon arrival and any alcohol will be confiscated and held for you. With a claims receipt you can pick up your bottle again when you leave.
Some of the places favoured by local expats are the
Crystal Lounge and Waham Poolside Lounge (W Doha Hotel), Sky View Bar (La Cigale Hotel), the Belgian Café (InterContinental at West Bay Lagoon), and Trader Vic’s (Hilton). The Irish Harp (in the base-ment of the Sheraton near City Center Mall) has frequent live music.
 Tea and coffee

Karak is the local specialty, a very sweet concoction made from tea and evaporated milk available from stalls every-where, some of them drive-through (just park your car outside and honk). A particularly popular place is Cha-pati & Karak (tel. +974 4408 1408) at Katara Cultural Village.

Most international coffee chains (including the ubiqui-tous Starbucks) are well-represented here, especially in shopping malls.

PappaRoti, C Ring Rd, ☎ +974 4421 2001, e-mail: info@papparoti.ae. Daily 12PM-12AM. This branch of the popular Malaysian café chain offers a good selection of coffee and teas, along with special roti buns.