Marhaba recently went on a road trip and an early evening of pub grub and drinks at The League
The League sports bar and restaurant at Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas has a homey vibe, with plenty of rooms to do your own thing – billiards, foosball – or you can choose to watch any of the ongoing matches on one of the big screens, which you can find everywhere in the restaurant.
We came before sunset and the place was happily preparing to open for guests. Assistant Restaurant Manager Tebo Kabelo Ngidi welcomed us warmly with cold drinks and stories, before serving us some of The League’s special offerings.
But first, let us tell you about the resort.
Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas is approximately an hour and 15 minutes from Doha and sits on a long stretch of beach southwest of Qatar. It has villas and a number of good restaurants and a world-class waterpark that is ideal for a weekend outing with the family.
Why would you want to go to a bar that is almost a hundred kilometres from Doha?
Well, driving the long road to the resort can get you on a ‘thinking’ mode. While it is indeed a stretch to drive that far for a couple of drinks, driving on an open highway can help relax your mind and ease the tension of city living.
Drink up! The drinks are served in fun glasses, garnished with generous slices of fruit. They have a wide selection of mocktails and cocktails plus a lot of other ‘fun’ drinks to choose from. If you intend to have ‘fun’ at the bar, it will be safer to book a room at the resort and stay overnight. A dip in the clear waters of the Gulf can do wonders for the spirit. Plus they just might give you a discount!
Now for the food
Pub grub does not raise a lot of expectations. They’re usually greasy and quite easily satisfy. But the food at The League takes the usual bar food a notch higher. Empanadas served on buckets, cordon bleu served rolled, even their salad has more colours.
The pièce de résistance (or should I say pieces) was of course their burgers. Aside from their very sporty names classified as Offence and Defense in reference to American football – these burgers have add-ons that are not usual in burgers. Maine lobster and foie gras? That long voyage to The League had such delicious rewards, we should go back!
Check out their menu here.
Their sweet treats are such treats it’s almost unbelievable you can actually order them from a bar. We have in fact, officially added their Banoffee Pie in a Jar to the list of our favourite desserts!
And now we’re back to the question: why would you want to go to a bar that is almost a hundred kilometres from Doha? Well, we liked the food and the people and the long drive that seems to take forever but ends in this relaxing place very near the sea. Plus anything that gets us out of the city is a good enough excuse for us. The League certainly is more than just a good excuse.
The League at Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas is open daily, from 1 pm until midnight. Please note that entry is restricted to fully vaccinated individuals 21 years and older. For reservations, call 5593 8084. You can also follow them on Instagram – @theleagueqa – for updates.
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