Alba Earns Doha’s Third Michelin Star as the Guide Grows in Its Second Year
The MICHELIN Guide Doha 2026 lists 44 restaurants, with Alba promoted to one star, eight Bib Gourmands and nine new entries to the Selected list.
The MICHELIN Guide Doha 2026, the guide’s second edition for the city, was unveiled on 9 December 2025 at The St. Regis Doha. Its headline is a new star: Alba, an Italian restaurant in the Katara Towers at Raffles Doha, was promoted from the Selected list to one star, taking Doha to three starred restaurants. IDAM by Alain Ducasse and Jamavar both kept theirs.
The selection lists 44 restaurants in all: three with a star, eight Bib Gourmands and 33 Selected. Twelve are new to the guide, nine of them on the Selected list.
The new star and its chef
Alba is led by chef Cristhian Serraino, who also received the guide’s Young Chef Award. Michelin’s write-up points to Barolo-braised veal cheek, shrimp ragù spaghetti and Balfegó tuna flown in from Europe, and notes Serraino’s experience in top European kitchens.
Value picks and new names
Of the eight Bib Gourmands, four are new to the list. Fenyal, a café on Gewan Island, serves local Middle Eastern food including falafel, lamb kofta and Arabic coffee. Mila, at Rosewood Doha, offers Mediterranean and Levantine sharing plates. Berenjak Al Maha cooks Persian stews, fresh breads and charcoal-grilled kebabs. Baron, the Doha branch of a Beirut restaurant, moved up to the list with a Mediterranean menu built around shareable dishes such as crab capellini. Argan, Hoppers, Isaan and Jiwan retained their Bib Gourmands.
The nine new Selected entries span Em Sherif and Carbone Doha on Al Maha Island, Koo Madame, Shanghai Me Doha, Hunters Room & Grill, Salt Road, Loris, Mr & Mrs Hawker and yūn. The range is part of the story: Italian, Persian, Lebanese, Chinese, South African and Singaporean kitchens now sit in one Doha list.
Special awards
Koo Madame, at Rosewood Doha and styled on 1920s Shanghai, took Opening of the Year. Shanghai Me Doha won the Service Award. The guide’s Exceptional Cocktail/Mocktail Award went to yūn, a Cantonese restaurant on the 44th floor of the Waldorf Astoria Doha, which Michelin singles out for its tea-based mocktails.
Museums on the list
Three venues run by Qatar Museums’ hospitality arm, QC+, were recognised, according to its press release. IDAM, at the Museum of Islamic Art and led by executive chef Fabrice Rosso, kept its star. Jiwan, at the National Museum of Qatar under head chef Julien Guilloret, earned its second consecutive Bib Gourmand. Desert Rose Café, by the museum lagoon, joined the Selected list.
IDAM also took the title of Best Restaurant in Qatar at MENA’s 50 Best 2026, ranking 44th; our report on that list covers the region’s results in full.
Sources & fact-check5
- MICHELIN Guide Doha 2026 (ceremony report)MICHELIN Guide, 9 December 2025
- Full list: MICHELIN Guide Doha 2026 selectionMICHELIN Guide, 9 December 2025
- QC+ celebrates triple success in the MICHELIN Guide Doha 2026Qatar Museums, 10 December 2025
- MICHELIN Guide Doha 2026 restaurants unveiledMarhaba Qatar, 9 December 2025
- IDAM received the Best Restaurant in Qatar award at MENA’s 50 BestQatar Museums, 10 February 2026
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