New Indian Restaurants in Doha (August 2026)

TL;DR

• 🍛 Doha supports one of the Gulf's most varied Indian dining scenes, built around a 650,000-strong Indian expat community
• 🌶️ South Indian options span Udupi, Kerala, and Malabar styles — each with its own distinct regional character
• 🫓 Chettinad, Hyderabadi, and North Indian options round out the city's Indian food map
• 🏙️ Hyderabad Biryani House runs multiple locations across Doha, making biryani accessible citywide
• 📍 Najma and Al Gharrafa are the strongest neighborhoods to explore for Indian food right now

Why Indian Food in Doha Keeps Getting Better

Qatar's Indian expat population is one of the largest in the Gulf, with estimates consistently placing the Indian community at over 650,000 people across the country. That scale creates genuine culinary demand — not just for a generic curry house, but for authentic regional cooking that reflects the diverse states Indians come from.

Doha's restaurant scene has responded over the years. You can now find Udupi-style South Indian food, Kerala seafood preparations, Malabar parottas and biryanis, Chettinad spicing, and Hyderabadi dum biryani — all within a city that, a generation ago, offered far fewer options for the Indian expat looking for the taste of home.

August 2026 is a good moment to map out what is on offer and understand which kitchens are delivering on which regional styles. The variety across Doha's Indian restaurants is wide enough that regular visitors and new arrivals alike can spend months exploring without retracing their steps.

South Indian and Kerala Cuisine in Doha

The South Indian community in Doha — particularly Keralites, Tamils, and Kannadigas — is well represented in the restaurant landscape, with dedicated spots that go well beyond a generic "South Indian" menu.

Udupi Restaurant serves the Tulu Nadu and South Indian community with a menu rooted in the coastal Karnataka tradition. Udupi cuisine is fundamentally vegetarian in its classical form, built around coconut-infused chutneys, sambar, rasam, and a wide range of dosas and idlis. It is a style of cooking that travels badly when done without care, which is why a dedicated spot like Udupi Restaurant stands out in a Gulf city where this specific regional style is not always easy to find.

For Malayali food, Dhe Puttu Restaurant is one of the more prominent Kerala-focused establishments in Doha. They are open Monday to Saturday from 07:30 AM to 11:59 PM, and Sundays from 07:30 AM to 10:59 PM — long hours that accommodate early risers and night-shift workers. Reach them at +97444449497. They are located at Shop Number 24, Building 16, Doha. The name "Puttu" — a steamed rice cake that is one of Kerala's most beloved breakfast staples — signals the kitchen's priorities clearly.

Kerala Delights (Century Restaurant) is another Malayali stronghold, located near Al Fardan Exchange, Building No. 76, Najma, Doha. Contact: +97433884450. Najma has long been Doha's most concentrated stretch of South Indian eating, and Kerala Delights fits naturally into that fabric, offering the fish curries, appam, and rice-based meals that the Malayali diaspora in Qatar depends on.

💡 Insider Tip: Early morning on weekdays is often the best time to visit Doha's South Indian restaurants. Dhe Puttu Restaurant and Tamilnadu Restaurant both open early, and pre-work meals tend to be less crowded, with freshly prepared morning staples like puttu, idli, and dosa coming straight out of the kitchen.

Malabar, Chettinad, and the Broader South Indian Spread

Regional Indian food does not flatten out into a single "South Indian" category, and Doha's kitchens reflect that diversity well.

Kickoff Restaurant specializes in Malabar Indian cuisine — a tradition from the northern coastal region of Kerala with significant Mappila influence. Malabar biryanis, parottas, and seafood preparations are distinct from the broader Kerala style and have a dedicated following of their own among the Indian expat community in Qatar. More information is available at kickoffrestaurant.com.

Tamilnadu Restaurant covers Chettinad, South Indian, and North Indian cuisine, open every single day from 05:30 AM to 11:00 PM. The early opening makes it one of the very few places in Doha where you can get a full Indian meal before 8 AM. Chettinad food — from the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu — is one of India's most intensely spiced regional cuisines, featuring dishes like Chettinad pepper chicken and kuzhambu-style gravies that draw on a roster of spices rarely found in other regional kitchens. The North Indian options broaden its appeal further for a community that spans the subcontinent.

For Hyderabadi Indian flavors in the Al Gharrafa neighborhood, Chaya Mukku brings the Deccan kitchen to a part of the city with a growing Indian residential population. The restaurant covers the spiced, slow-cooked preparations that define Hyderabadi cooking, giving residents of that part of Doha a local option worth knowing about.

Hyderabad Biryani House: The City-Wide Option

For biryani specifically, Hyderabad Biryani House has established a citywide presence with locations at Lagoona Mall, Education City, Al Azizyah, Gharrafat Al Rayyan, and QNCC. This kind of multi-location footprint is rare among Indian restaurant groups in Doha, and it means that wherever you are in the city, a proper Hyderabadi dum biryani is within reasonable reach.

Dum biryani — slow-cooked in a sealed pot, layered with rice, marinated meat, saffron, and fried onions — is a dish with strict technique requirements. Scaling that technique across multiple kitchens is not a trivial accomplishment, and Hyderabad Biryani House has managed it while maintaining the dish's core character.

For the Indian expat who uses biryani as a benchmark meal — the thing they measure a city's Indian food scene against — Hyderabad Biryani House delivers a reliable standard across all its Doha locations. Whether you are near the university area, catching an event at QNCC, or shopping at Lagoona Mall, the option is there.

FAQ

Which of these restaurants is best for vegetarians? Udupi Restaurant is the strongest option for vegetarian South Indian food. Tamilnadu Restaurant also carries vegetarian South Indian dishes alongside its Chettinad and North Indian options.

Do any of these spots serve breakfast? Yes. Tamilnadu Restaurant opens at 05:30 AM daily, and Dhe Puttu Restaurant opens at 07:30 AM. Both serve morning-appropriate South Indian food.

Where is Najma, and why does it matter for Indian food in Doha? Najma is a central Doha neighborhood with a high concentration of South Indian eating establishments. Kerala Delights (Century Restaurant) is located there, near Al Fardan Exchange. It is one of the more reliable areas to find authentic South Indian food.

Is biryani available across different areas of Doha? Yes. Hyderabad Biryani House has outlets at Lagoona Mall, Education City, Al Azizyah, Gharrafat Al Rayyan, and QNCC, covering a broad geographic spread across the city.

Can I call these restaurants to check hours? Dhe Puttu Restaurant can be reached at +97444449497. Kerala Delights (Century Restaurant) is at +97433884450. Other restaurants listed can be found via their online presence or at the addresses provided.

What makes Malabar food different from general Kerala food? Malabar cuisine comes from northern Kerala and has significant Mappila influence, featuring biryanis and parottas that differ from the rice-heavy, coconut-forward style of central and southern Kerala. Kickoff Restaurant is Doha's dedicated outlet for this style.

Bottom Line

Doha's Indian expat community has shaped a restaurant landscape that reflects genuine regional diversity. From the vegetarian Udupi tradition to Malabar parottas at Kickoff Restaurant, the pre-dawn opening hours at Tamilnadu Restaurant, the Kerala comfort food of Dhe Puttu Restaurant and Kerala Delights (Century Restaurant), the Hyderabadi flavors at Chaya Mukku, and the citywide biryani network of Hyderabad Biryani House — the options are real and varied. August 2026 is a good month to make a proper tour of them.