When Gymkhana Mayfair earned its second Michelin star, it became impossible to book in London. The queue stretched months. The question for Doha's dining elite was: how faithfully would the Katara Hills outpost — Gymkhana's first international venture — translate the original? The answer, delivered across stone walls and regal chandeliers in the LXR Hotels setting, is: faithfully enough to matter.
The setting at Katara Hills does not pretend to be London. It is better than that: it uses its Gulf context to frame the British Raj aesthetic with a warmth that Mayfair's basement dining room never quite achieved. Dark wood panelling, brass details, an open kitchen where you can watch the tandoor work its heat — and panoramic views over Doha that the original simply cannot offer. The room is handsome in a manner that reads boardroom-appropriate at lunch and genuinely special at dinner.
The menu is a curated tour of India's finest regional dishes, adapted but not compromised. Butter chicken that achieves the silkiness the dish demands, Rajasthani laal maas with a slow burn, tandoori lamb chops charred perfectly. The business lunch at QAR 125 per person — including a soft drink — may be Doha's most intelligent value proposition in the fine dining category. The full dinner menu climbs appropriately but never without justification.
Gymkhana Qatar is Michelin Guide listed, a fact that carries weight with international guests and clients who track such things. Use that credential.