URBAN CAMPING

The Diplomatic Club is taking the hassle and long drives out of the camping experience, by introducing its own seaside Urban Camp.


One of the great things about living in Qatar is the constant access to scenic desert plains and a multitude of beaches. However, to have a great experience you need to be prepared with 4×4 vehicles, portable grills, coals, charcoal, food, and much more. We don’t know about you, but we reckon the preparation alone can exhaust anyone who’s not an avid camper.

So, instead of heading (far) out for some adventure, we take a detour to a luxurious camping experience, that gives us all the play without any of the work. The Diplomatic Club is an intimate, serene waterfront venue in the heart of West Bay, and it brings residents of Doha an Urban Camp experience right on its own shores.

The camp allows guests to indulge in authentic Oriental cuisine and ambience, which tastefully combines quality and extravagance, infused with a rustic Middle Eastern charm that will leave you wanting more. Fun fact, the club used to be an actual palace back in the day, so you really get a full Qatari experience. The experience is set up on the club’s beachfront, with large private tents adorned in majlis style furniture, complete with a set of amenities and fire pit — what more do you need for a fine-dining camping experience within the city? Leaving behind the hassle of setting up a camp, fixing a fire, preparing for barbecues and, at last, dining.

The camp provides a selection of fresh meats and a rich, and distinctive menu to make the experience unforgettable. Guests can unwind and enjoy the scenic views while grilling their meals on charcoal, or just leave it to the service staff to handle it.

We start our meal with a refreshing Rocca Menthe, an authentic Qatari drink, and something none of us have ever had before. Needless to say, we go through two jugs of this delightful beverage. Following that refreshing taste comes a traditional Arabic coffee dallah, giving us just the kick of appetite we need for what’s to come. For the appetisers we are brought a selection of cold and hot mezze, comprising of the smoothest hommous, a creamy moutabbal, a simple rocca salad, sweet mohammara, tantalising vine leaves, the perfectly spiced potato harra, and a warm and flavourful mix of fatayyer on a large traditional silver platter.

We indulge in it all and have some seconds from the fatayyer platter as well. While we clean out the appetisers, our mains are being grilled right in front of us by the chefs. Guests also have the option to grill the food themselves for an even more authentic camping experience. The mains consist of the juiciest meat we have had, so much so, that the flatbread underneath is drenched in an aromatic and salty essence. The trays arrive bearing kabab, kofta, taouk, lamb chops, and grilled potato, onion, and tomato.

There is no exaggeration when we say that literally every single piece of meat has us going back for more. We end our meal with a pistachio-filled, creamy, and warm bowl of Um Ali. There’s just something about a warm dessert after a hearty meal that brings comfort to the body. The Urban Camps come with traditional seating accommodating up to eight guests and are available daily from noon to midnight. Priced at QR750 for four hours, the experience includes a welcome drink, Arabic coffee dallah or a suleimani teapot, local mineral water, deluxe dates, a generous fruit basket, and a firepit.

Further food can be added for a minimum of two people to complete the experience, priced at QR235 per person for the meat and chicken option, and QR280 per person for added shrimps. This unique dining experience by the seaside is great for any day for suhoor or iftar this Ramadan, or an evening out with friends and family. ✤

GO: CALL 4484 7420 FOR PRIOR RESERVATIONS.