Marriott Hotel

So nearly 3 months on the road often with nothing more on the daily menu than backpack bruised-to-death bananas, over-priced foil packets of salted cashew nuts and digestive biscuits and it's time for Stevie to have a treat. With the prospect of 3-4 weeks trekking in the Nepalese mountain ranges with nothing more than cockroach cakes and whatever animals he can catch with his own bare teeth to eat my friends are treating me to a reeeeal 5 star gastronomic send-off experience.

I feel kinda crummy that the first eatery I've bothered to review in this journey so far is a mega-bucks 5 star chain hotel restaurant complex but it was special for me and I have 5 star roots in Doha so I may as well stick to the script.

Whilst not cheap (maybe 200+ Qatari Riyal a head/ $60 with unlimited drinks refill - alcoholic or otherwise) the sheer staggering array of a-grade quality and variety of food stuffs available is truly taste bud tantalisingly unbelievable. The beautiful hotel lobby with the swan-like lady playing soft piano sonatas, moving through to the first parade of truly artistic food displays and it just keeps on coming and coming and coming. Qatari, Indian, 'Salsa' the mexican restaurant, the Chinese, the Japanese sushi bar, endless dessert stands of truly poetic composition and colour amidst complimentary water features an decor. Endless, infintely replenished buffets of the finest sea food (more lobster than you thought was in the sea), giant shrimps, fresh cooked mussels, fine soups, the best breads I've eaten in 3 months, perfect salads so pretty in presentation that if aches to dessimate them and fork them on to your plate. And as much of it as you can politely stuff down your gullet whilst various talented musicians aid the atmosphere and you knock back your 5th glass of white wine.

Nothing new. Nothing ground breaking. But truly a 5 star experience of this Friday 'brunch' ritual indulged in by the large ex-pat communities and the wealthy indiginous Qatari populace at the start of their weekend every Friday. Not one for the budget traveller, but plesant indeed! I will not likely eat or drink this well and freely again for maaaaany a long month or year to come! :D