Alcohol is served only in hotel bars and licensed venues — not in restaurants, shopping malls, or public spaces. The practical consequence is that most of Doha's bars are attached to four- and five-star hotels, which makes them expensive. The cheaper alternative for an evening drink is to head to one of the hotel-attached sports bars that carry live sports coverage.
For non-alcoholic socialising, the shisha cafes of Souq Waqif are excellent — open until well past midnight, filled with locals and expats, and far better value than anything in the hotel circuit. Karak chai, the sweet spiced tea sold from small stalls around the souq, is the essential Doha drink.