FACT’s Amica Sicilia hits Doha’s hottest new dining spot, the Spanish sensation Tatel on Al Maha island, to experience fine dining made fun.

Many cities are said to never sleep, but Doha goes beyond that. This is a city in a constant state of total transformation and the newest jewel in its crown is Al Maha island. Born from the sea, the island has gathered the crème de la crème of luxury leisure and entertainment along a promenade that has fast become the new place to see and be seen in Doha. It is also the latest home of the Spanish sensation that is Tatel.

From its flagship in Madrid, the Tatel phenomenon now has locations in Ibiza, Beverly Hills, Riyadh, and soon in Mexico City. Its mission is to distil the quintessence of Spanish gastronomy. So far, so haute cuisine. But there’s a twist. With different live entertainment every night, director Diego Mateo Sánchez explains, Tatel is testing what happens when fine dining becomes fun. And Tatel’s new Doha outing has already become a favourite of stars from footballer Cristiano Ronaldo to actress Esha Gupta.

Inside, the vibe is members’ club meets waterfront chic, with a bit of arty edge. There’s an uplit art deco bar backed by well-stocked shelves. A floor-to-ceiling mural of a cheeky Salvador Dalì faces another by the Spanish master of light Joaquín Sorolla, showing two white-clad ladies strolling by the sea. Cosy booths in dark blue velvet and cream leather are raised in ranked tiers so that everyone can enjoy the entertainment (tonight DJ Ahmet Ataka provides the soundtrack to our dinner). But it’s such a beautiful night that we make our way through the restaurant and out onto the terrace, overhung with wisteria and half-screened by elegant white curtains. It feels as if we have a private view across the water to Lusail and front-row seats for the evening promenade of Doha’s finest in their finest.

We’re greeted at our table by some of the foundational flavours of Spain. Pan Con Tomate is something of a Spanish ritual, as fresh tomatoes are squashed into warm bread, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. The oil is Tatel’s own brand of peppery liquid gold, sourced from the multi-award-winning groves of the Reales Almazaras de Alcañiz.

Our taste buds activated, we peruse the menus for a trio of starters. The first is claret-coloured Tartar De Atún. The secret to this dish is all in the marinade. Its savoury-sweetness comes from pairing Asian-inspired soy with an aromatic fish broth, to provide a depth of flavour belied by the wafer-thin slices that almost dissolve in our mouths.

Next, we up the ante with the tartare’s Latin cousin, ceviche. Tender, milky white seabass is cold cured in a citrus leche de tigre, whipped to an incredible foam. We complete the trio with the antithesis of the first two dishes, an iconic tortilla. This traditional Spanish omelette is celebrated as a national dish but what most foreigners don’t know is that it is not supposed to be cooked firm. Ours arrives creamy soft in the middle still, the result of an artistry of timing and temperature to get it to plate.

For the mains, once again we start from the lightest, most delicate flavours. The first set before us is a Pil-Pil Bacalao, a classic Atlantic salt cod. This traditional recipe from the Basque country in northern Spain uses a combination of constant motion and olive oil to emulsify the natural gelatine from the skin and create a silky sauce. The delicate flavour of the fish is punctuated by shards of crisp roast garlic and hot fresh chilli.

But we have been saving ourselves for the main event. The true star in executive chef Aldo Sebastianelli’s repertoire is the Señoret or gentleman’s rice. This apotheosis of a traditional Spanish paella is crowned with two majestic deep-sea Carabinero prawns, as long as my forearm. The perfect paella is not just a secret but a series of secrets. The most important is the simplest: the right rice. It must be short grain, ideally bomba Calasparra. The next is the pan, which must be wide and thin, able to respond to changes in heat and cook evenly without stirring. At Tatel it’s served in a flat cast-iron beauty and it’s this, when combined with just the right rich fish stock, that provides the divine socarrat – the crisp, brown layer gilding the base of the rice. The result is spectacular.

We didn’t think we’d have space for dessert but we give in to Diego’s coaxing and don’t regret it. My companion’s Torrija is a tender brioche, caramelised and sprinkled with cinnamon. But the prize goes to my Basque baked cheesecake, its centre oozing soft over a crumbling base. It’s the perfect accompaniment to the extra strong black coffees we need to help carry us home. But we linger over them a little longer as we watch Qatar’s finest enjoy their evening strolls, the world goes by and the stars rise over the sea. ✤

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