Restaurant in Doha, Qatar
Michelin-noted heritage Indian, easy to book.
Rivaaj at the St. Regis Doha holds consecutive Michelin Plates for 2024 and 2025, making it the clearest choice for heritage Indian dining in the city at the ﷼﷼﷼ price tier. The moodily lit room, warm service, and tandoor-led menu work well for special occasions and weekend meals. Book through the hotel with a week's notice and ask about the Signature Board on arrival.
Rivaaj, the St. Regis Doha's Indian restaurant, is one of the more considered heritage Indian dining rooms in the city. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) confirm it's performing at a level that serious diners should take note of. At the ﷼﷼﷼ price tier, it positions itself as a mid-to-upper spend for Doha, and it earns that positioning through kitchen discipline and an atmosphere that works particularly well for special occasions. If you're deciding between this and a comparable Doha hotel restaurant, Rivaaj is worth the reservation.
The restaurant's guiding concept is heritage Indian cuisine, led by Chef Surjan Singh, widely known as Chef Jolly. That framing matters for managing expectations: this is not a modern reinterpretation of Indian cooking, nor a fusion exercise. The menu moves from refined street food through to curries and biryanis, with tandoor cookery as a consistent thread. The Signature Board, which draws from tandoor-cooked meats and seafood alongside salad and chutney, is the most practical entry point for first-timers or groups with mixed preferences.
The room is elegant and deliberately dim. If you're planning a date, a business dinner, or a celebration meal, the atmosphere supports all three formats without feeling generic. The moodily lit interior is designed for lingering, not for a quick turnaround, and the service style reinforces this: reviewers consistently describe it as warm and attentive rather than formal or rushed. At a 4.6 Google rating across 250 reviews, the service quality holds up beyond isolated visits.
For those considering Rivaaj as part of a weekend or late-morning occasion, the setting inside the St. Regis Doha gives it an advantage that standalone restaurants in the city don't automatically have. The hotel property at Al Gassar Resort provides a sense of occasion before you've sat down, which matters when you're planning a celebration or a slower weekend meal. The tandoor and biryani format translate well to a midday or weekend pacing, dishes that are built for sharing and don't demand the urgency of a tight evening sitting. If your group is weighing a weekend Indian lunch in Doha, Rivaaj is the clearest answer at this price point.
Among other Indian options in Doha, Dalchini, Gymkhana, and Masala Library each occupy different points on the formality and price spectrum, but none carry the dual Michelin Plate recognition that Rivaaj holds. That credential is a reliable signal that the kitchen is consistent, not just occasionally good.
Rivaaj sits inside the St. Regis Doha on Al Gassar Resort, which means it benefits from hotel booking infrastructure. Booking difficulty is rated easy, meaning you are unlikely to face significant lead times except during peak Doha season (October to March) or around major events in the city. For special occasions, booking a week in advance is sensible rather than essential, but don't assume walk-in availability on a busy Friday night. Dress code information is not confirmed in available data, but a St. Regis property context suggests smart casual as a reasonable default. Phone and direct booking link details are not publicly confirmed, so approach reservations through the St. Regis Doha hotel directly.
For context on Doha's broader dining scene, see our full Doha restaurants guide. If you're planning around a stay, our Doha hotels guide covers the full accommodation picture, and our Doha bars guide is useful for pre- or post-dinner options. You can also explore Doha wineries and Doha experiences for a fuller trip.
For those benchmarking Rivaaj against Indian restaurants in other cities, the Michelin Plate recognition puts it in company with serious regional operators. Trèsind Studio in Dubai operates at a higher level of tasting-menu ambition, and Trishna in London and Amaya in London both represent the benchmark for Indian fine dining in the Gulf's reference city. Opheem in Birmingham holds a Michelin Star for comparison. Musaafer in Houston, Haoma in Bangkok, INDDEE in Bangkok, and Rania in Washington D.C. round out the international peer set. Within Doha itself, IDAM by Alain Ducasse and Baron are the relevant comparisons for hotel fine dining, though neither is Indian.
Quick reference: St. Regis Doha, Al Gassar Resort | Indian, heritage format | ﷼﷼﷼ | Michelin Plate 2024 & 2025 | Booking: easy, reserve directly through the hotel.
The menu covers a range of Indian categories including vegetarian dishes, which are a strong suit of the heritage Indian format. The kitchen works across street food, curries, and tandoor, giving reasonable flexibility. For specific allergies or strict dietary requirements, contact the St. Regis Doha directly when booking, as confirmed dietary policy details are not publicly available.
At the ﷼﷼﷼ tier for Doha, yes. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024, 2025) and a 4.6 Google rating across 250 reviews indicate consistent quality, not a one-off strong night. Compared to IDAM by Alain Ducasse at ﷼﷼﷼﷼, Rivaaj delivers a comparable special-occasion experience at a lower price point, with a more accessible menu format. If you want serious Indian cooking in a hotel setting without paying top-tier Doha prices, it earns its price.
Start with the Signature Board if you're undecided or dining with a group. It draws from tandoor-cooked meats and seafood with salad and chutney, giving a broad view of the kitchen's strengths. From there, the curries and biryanis are the core of the heritage Indian format that Michelin has recognised. Specific dish names are not confirmed in available data, so ask the service team for current recommendations when you arrive.
Booking difficulty is rated easy, so a week in advance is generally sufficient. During Doha's peak season (October to March) or around major events, push that to two weeks. Friday evenings and weekend lunch sittings fill faster than weekday dinners. Book through the St. Regis Doha directly, as a standalone reservation link is not publicly confirmed.
A confirmed tasting menu format is not documented in available data. The Signature Board functions as a structured introduction to the menu and is the closest equivalent for those who want a curated experience without committing to a fixed tasting sequence. If a tasting menu is important to your decision, confirm with the hotel before booking, as menu formats at hotel restaurants in Doha can shift seasonally.
The menu's range across tandoor meats, seafood, curries, and street food gives reasonable flexibility for non-red-meat diners and pescatarians. The heritage Indian format means the kitchen works with a broad spice palette, so specific allergy requirements are worth raising directly when booking through the St. Regis Doha. Vegetarian options are a standard part of Indian heritage menus at this level, though exact current availability isn't confirmed in public records.
At QQQ pricing with two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025), Rivaaj delivers credible value for a hotel Indian restaurant in Doha. The recognition signals consistent kitchen standards, and the St. Regis setting adds polish that standalone restaurants at similar price points don't always match. If you're comparing spend, it's a stronger case than most hotel Indian dining rooms in the Gulf region.
Start with the Signature Board if you're undecided — it covers a range of meats and seafood from the tandoor alongside salad and chutney, giving a broad read on the kitchen's strengths. From there, the curries and biryanis represent the heritage Indian core that Chef Jolly's menu is built around. The elevated street food dishes are worth exploring as a lighter entry point.
Booking difficulty at Rivaaj is rated easy, which means a few days' notice is generally sufficient rather than weeks out. The St. Regis hotel infrastructure means reservations can typically be made through the hotel directly. For weekend evenings or larger groups, booking a week ahead removes any uncertainty.
Specific tasting menu details aren't confirmed in current records, but the Signature Board functions as the closest structured option — a curated spread from the tandoor that suits diners who want range without committing to individual dishes. If a formal tasting menu is a priority, confirm availability when booking via the St. Regis Doha.
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