Dining Reviews with JeanneinDoha | Sampling Cucina's New Menu

Cucina, the Marriott Marquis City Center Doha's Italian restaurant, has consistently been one of my favorite dining spots in Doha. My husband, Matthias (occasionally referred to on this blog as Mr. JeanneinDoha), and I had our first date at Cucina. Three hours, a pizza and some pasta later, I knew I had met the man I wanted to marry. Perhaps even the serving staff knew something magical was afoot. We dined at Cucina with family the evening prior to our wedding. A year later, a group of our closest friends hosted us there for our first anniversary dinner party. Many of our fondest memories as a couple center around this restaurant and its rustic interiors.

Cucina has had the same menu for almost as long as I can remember. Matthias and I had it quite happily memorized and it never disappointed. So when I learnt, via Instagram, that Cucina had launched its much-anticipated new menu, I was keen to try it out. And so, Matthias and I headed over to the restaurant on Saturday evening on a quest for pasta.

Cucina's new menu

On entering Cucina, we noticed that the Marriott had not just introduced a new menu for the restaurant, but had also updated some of its previously tired-looking decor, and the addition of further soft lighting had considerably enhanced the ambiance. Moreover, the staff had picked up a little Italian along the way: our hostess, Marjorie, greeted us with a warm 'buonasera' and seemed genuinely keen to talk us through the menu, explaining the new additions, describing the provenance of dishes and pointing out the chef's recommendations. Whilst polite hosting staff are ubiquitous in Doha, those that endeavor to learn more about the cuisine they are serving and seek to engage in conversation with guests are few and far between. So it was heartening to see that the Marriott had not just thrust the new menu on to their staff, but had helped them understand it as well.

Now to the food. After gobbling up the complimentary crusty bread (still steaming from the oven) and the generous accompanying portion of sun-dried tomato pesto, Matthias and I tucked into the tagliere da condividere. The arancini were the stuff of dreams, luxurious on the inside and crisp on the outside. The bresola was light and not overly seasoned and the burrata, buttery and inviting. (Note: on writing this review, I realized we were served a slightly different version of the tagliere than marketed on the menu. Ours was lovely either way and I was too enamored with the cheese to notice at the time). Our board of bruschette e crostini made for a tasty accompaniment. The caramelized onion bruschetta was my favourite.

On to our second courses. Matthias opted for the minestrone soup which he found pleasing, whilst I was excited to try out the agnolotti di carne. I am particular about my pasta in Doha and only choose to eat the freshly-made variety in restaurants. Cucina never disappoints. The al dente agnolotti were filled with a light meat mixture and the accompanying meatballs were dense and rich. The dish's highlight for me was the sauce. Whilst a little saltier than my palate usually prefers, I appreciated its smokiness and general depth. One suggestion would be to alter the plating style. It's hard to see the shapely crescent agnolotti under the layer cheese topping, and the large plate is perhaps slightly unnecessary. 

Stuffed and short of room for further courses, we settled back into our chairs with full bellies. I will admit that I miss some of my old menu favorites, such as the salmon with crushed potatoes and olives. But we are looking forward to returning to Cucina to explore more of  the new menu and try out, in particular, the ossobucco.

Many thanks to the Marriott Marquis' Carol Braganza and Karen Castillo for organizing our dinner, to Cucina's Chef Trovato Claudio for his delicious cooking, and to Restaurant Manager, Fabrizio Depascale, for his attentive service. We had a fabulous evening and encourage you to try out Cucina's new menu soon.