For various reasons there was a long gap between our 'P' and 'Q' meals, but we finally managed to meet up for the Q meal in Nov 2016.
Q was a tough one, and a Qatari restaurant was impossible for us to find (and no other options for Q sprang to mind), but there were one or two Qatari cafes around, especially in the Knightsbridge area, which I presume has a large Qatari population?
So we met in a pub near to Harrods (which was resplendent in its extravagant Christmas decor, though I thought rather boring window displays), called The Bunch of Grapes, which was very busy downstairs, but had a smaller and quieter upstairs for dining, and had our main meal there. The food there was fine - a limited choice, which normally means more fine dining, but in this case seemed more like relatively 'standard' pub grub - a good standard, but nothing to write home about. There were only two choices for vegetarians - a curry and a burger, and we tried both, which were nice. The meat eaters in the party had fish and chips and a steak, and we all seemed happy with the food, though no one raved about it.
After the meal we went to the main event - the Qatari cafe. This was just opposite Harrods, and called "Chapati & Karak" (https://www.facebook.com/chapati.karak.98) - they don't have a website, just a facebook page.
The place was very busy, and a constant stream of people (most of whom seemed to be of Qatari descent) came into the cafe while we were there - the tables were always full, and most people came in for a drink and maybe a snack before leaving and letting someone else take their place. Except for us, who hogged the one alcove for over an hour. Primarily because it was an alcove with just cushions and a low table, so we had to sit cross legged, and once we had sat down, getting up was a problem for many of us!
The cafe also does take away and many people came in and queued up for a take away drink instead of a sit down. Regardless, all drinks were served in take away cups even if you were sat down.
The menu was very limited, but that was no bad thing. They serve chapatis - the flat breads that are in between a pancake and a naan - filled with either a sweet filling (e.g. honey, or cinnamon) or a savoury one (e.g. cheese). These were lovely. And quite filling too, though we had all had a full meal beforehand!
Drinks were either standard cold drinks, or green tea, or 'karak' which I had never heard of before, but is essentially the masala chai tea they have in India - sweet, milky and spicy. And very nice. The mint tea was tea with some fresh mint leaves, not a mint teabag, which was also nice.
So we all had a chapati and a tea of some description. In a lovely setting, with a buzzing atmosphere with all the people coming and going. The manager came over to check we were enjoying everything, which was a nice touch.
I'd definitely go back here, and would love to stop off for a chapati and a karak next time I was shopping in Harrods (which happens about once every 20 years!)
Q was a tough one, and a Qatari restaurant was impossible for us to find (and no other options for Q sprang to mind), but there were one or two Qatari cafes around, especially in the Knightsbridge area, which I presume has a large Qatari population?
So we met in a pub near to Harrods (which was resplendent in its extravagant Christmas decor, though I thought rather boring window displays), called The Bunch of Grapes, which was very busy downstairs, but had a smaller and quieter upstairs for dining, and had our main meal there. The food there was fine - a limited choice, which normally means more fine dining, but in this case seemed more like relatively 'standard' pub grub - a good standard, but nothing to write home about. There were only two choices for vegetarians - a curry and a burger, and we tried both, which were nice. The meat eaters in the party had fish and chips and a steak, and we all seemed happy with the food, though no one raved about it.
After the meal we went to the main event - the Qatari cafe. This was just opposite Harrods, and called "Chapati & Karak" (https://www.facebook.com/chapati.karak.98) - they don't have a website, just a facebook page.
The place was very busy, and a constant stream of people (most of whom seemed to be of Qatari descent) came into the cafe while we were there - the tables were always full, and most people came in for a drink and maybe a snack before leaving and letting someone else take their place. Except for us, who hogged the one alcove for over an hour. Primarily because it was an alcove with just cushions and a low table, so we had to sit cross legged, and once we had sat down, getting up was a problem for many of us!The cafe also does take away and many people came in and queued up for a take away drink instead of a sit down. Regardless, all drinks were served in take away cups even if you were sat down.
The menu was very limited, but that was no bad thing. They serve chapatis - the flat breads that are in between a pancake and a naan - filled with either a sweet filling (e.g. honey, or cinnamon) or a savoury one (e.g. cheese). These were lovely. And quite filling too, though we had all had a full meal beforehand!
So we all had a chapati and a tea of some description. In a lovely setting, with a buzzing atmosphere with all the people coming and going. The manager came over to check we were enjoying everything, which was a nice touch.
I'd definitely go back here, and would love to stop off for a chapati and a karak next time I was shopping in Harrods (which happens about once every 20 years!)
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