The worker moves quickly between the café’s indoor hall and its outdoor courtyard to meet the requests of customers, who come individually and in groups to the “Halul Café” in the evening or just before sunset, in a scene that brings together different backgrounds and nationalities, including members of the “Chiashin” club, whose mouths are linked by an emotional relationship with “Nabrij.” » Hookah, where they practice every evening, until late at night, the hobby of blowing on the banks of the Corniche, amid dense clouds of smoke mixed with the smell of heavy Persian tombac, and tobacco soaked in fruit juice with its various flavors.
Hibiscus, karak, chapati, sahlab, and light dishes, including nakhi and bagel, are eaten by café patrons to the tune of old or modern Tarab songs, with or without playing cards or drinking hot drinks.
Decades ago, in the early 1970s, and specifically between 1971 and 1972, the café was a small cabin that served free tea and coffee, before it obtained a commercial register and bore the name of the Café for hunting enthusiasts, “The Fishermen,” then “Halul Café,” as its owner, Muhammad bin Khalaf, wanted. Al-Kubaisi.
Leaning on the simple outdoor café table, Al-Kubaisi talks about his memories of the place and also talks about one of his precious possessions, where every verbal piece tempts you to listen to it and nostalgia for its time.
Traditional seating at cheap prices
His daily schedule throughout the week is not devoid of visiting the café and following up on its work and needs, as he has been frequenting the café since 1979, and where he is accustomed to “reading” with sips of red Ceylon tea, the faces of the customers who have become part of the café’s history and rituals.
Al-Kubaisi attributes the continued demand for Halul Café, which is on the rise in the current season, as visitors enjoy sitting by the sea in a traditional setting at cheap prices that may not be available in any other café in Doha, to people’s real need for such a café, to people’s real need for a shared space to meet and communicate. Away from the noise of large malls, he noted the keenness of the private engineering office to preserve the café despite its vital location on the Doha Corniche, with its wool being one of the manifestations of longing for the beautiful past. He also noted people’s relationship with familiar places for which they set aside a special time, comparable to various other times such as work and home.
Al-Kubaisi tells the story of the café’s connection with one of the pioneers of the Qatari plastic movement and the late dean of modern Qatari art, Jassim Zaini, who suggested to a group of young people who used to sit in this place daily to build a small café, “Where do you want it?”, so the young people decided that the café should be in the same place. Where they sit, because it is closer to the sea, so he built the café in 1983, and “we sat in it for four free years,” then someone invested in it, until Al-Kubaisi received it.
Part of Doha’s heritage
The café has maintained its heritage character despite the passage of a long period since its establishment. “The reason for this is due to its location directly adjacent to the Doha Corniche beach on the one hand, and people’s love for this type of simple popular cafés on the other hand, which has become part of the heritage of the city of Doha and for many people and customers.” Memories with her.
Al-Kubaisi points out that the heritage character of the café was a factor that attracted tourists and visitors throughout the year. In the winter, the traffic increases as hundreds of citizens, residents and visitors receive foreign tourists, pointing out that the café is placed on Qatar Tourism’s list of famous Doha restaurants. “This humble café along the Corniche is known as the Fishermen’s Café, as it is a famous meeting place for local fishermen and expatriates.” And tourists, and offers basic foods such as beans, sandwiches, burgers, tea, coffee, and juices, in addition to shisha,” as stated on the Qatar Tourism page.
Fits all categories
There is no doubt that the heritage character gave the place a unique character to be consistent with its location on the banks of the Corniche. Ali Al Kubaisi, one of the pioneers and customers of the café, says, “I have been going to this place for a long time with my friends because it suits all age groups, and it is important to preserve this café because it has become something we are proud of.” With its presence on the waterfront.”
He added, “The café is very old and heritage, and its walls tell memories of part of this city through the pictures hung on its walls, which include figures and landmarks of old Doha.” He pointed out that the café is one of the places most visited by the elderly as well, because its location and heritage appearance take them back to the beautiful time. Perhaps the hanging pictures will be given away. On its heritage walls, the pioneers have a sense of familiarity and simplicity, with memories of a time narrated in black and white, of people who went through life in the fields of sports, diving, etc., in addition to pictures of heritage places that adorn the covered hall of the café, as if it were a witness to the past.