SD headed to Le Royal Méridien Doha to discover a stylish eatery with sumptuous Italian flavours.

ADRIFT Anda by celebrity chef David Myers, located at Le Royal Méridien Doha, is a cosy and characterful Italian diner. A concept brought to life by David Myers’ insatiable desire for travel, which has resulted in him being dubbed the Gypsy Chef, ADRIFT Anda is the perfect spot to get some much-needed Italian-style TLC. As Chef David set out to discover iconic new destinations and open restaurants around the world, his Italian adventure highlighted three key things for his restaurants – pizza, pasta and meat – and all of these are brilliantly represented at this venue.

The décor is a fusion between rustic tones and modern motifs, with cute nods to classic Italian icons, such as a yellow Vespa at the entrance. With ambient lighting and a large brick oven, right beside an open kitchen with square-paned glass encased in a black iron frame, it feels as if we’re sitting in the home of an important Italian family, letting them spoil all our senses.

A live singer belts out soulful, melodic tunes and we simultaneously dive into the menu that is a superb mix of classic comfort foods with contemporary touches and flavours.

The selection of appetisers is very tempting, the type that makes us want to order one of everything. But the Pasta Fritta most piques our interest, with a smoked aubergine mayo (something we’ve never seen before). So, we start with that. It’s quite addictive. The dough, which is the same dough they use for their pizzas, is fermented for 72 hours and goes perfectly alongside the wood-fire roasted aubergine mayo. Two dips in and the smoky flavour really takes over, in the most delicious way, with a nice, earthy aftertaste.

The restaurant is a true Italy lover’s fusion of a Roman trattoria, a Neapolitan pizzeria and a Florentine steakhouse. Which can only mean the pizza is a must-try. It’s a tough choice between the Mushroom, Provolone and Beef Pepperoni versus the Ricotta, Black Truffle and Farm Egg. The latter wins and is brought fresh out of the oven shortly after. Little puddles of ricotta surround a farm egg in the centre, with a generous amount of black truffle that really brings it together. We take it to the next level and order some chilli oil to kick up the spice a notch and it’s absolutely winning.

The next course is obvious – pasta. We order the Truffle Girasoli with Lamb Ragu and Rosemary. The girasoli has the right bite, drowning in the most flavourful juices of the lamb ragu that clings on to the al dente pasta. It’s comfortingly familiar and it properly represents the humble yet brave menu that David Myers coined on a napkin, aboard a train headed for Tuscany.

We’re too stuffed to try Anda’s signature Veal Milanese, though it’s highly recommended by the staff and Restaurant Manager Vanessa.

This is undeniably honest Italian food and Head Chef Christian drives the point home. He’s an eclectic mix of Brazilian and Italian – so it’s no surprise that every dish has a special flair, even though each one focuses on simple, fresh ingredients.

The finale is obvious – an epic tiramisu. A big bowl of perfectly constructed tiramisu arrives. The mascarpone cheese is fresh and mixes very well with the coffee, negating any sour flavour that may sometimes overpower this popular dessert.

The live singer continues to serenade us as we spoon up the last morsel of that delightful tiramisu and realise joyfully that dessert isn’t over – the best is yet to come. The Lemon Sorbet with Basil Oil takes the trophy tonight. The simplest of tastes create an exquisite and elevated dessert with the sweetness of the basil perfectly balancing the tartness of the lemon – we can’t recommend this enough.

Our meal finally finished, we leave with the sensation we’ve left something behind (it’s most likely the Veal Milanese) and can’t wait for a repeat visit to this restaurant that speaks fluent Italian comfort food. ✤

GO: CALL 4141 6050 FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A BOOKING.