Karak chai — sweet, strong tea brewed with condensed milk, cardamom, and sometimes saffron — is the defining drink of Qatar's street culture, and the Souq Waqif chai stalls are the best place to drink it. Small glass cups for a riyal or two, consumed standing at the counter or in plastic chairs on the lane outside.
The stalls stay open late and the area around them becomes one of the most animated spots in the souq after 10pm, when the heat drops and families and groups of young men settle in for the night. It is the closest Doha comes to a traditional coffee-house culture. No alcohol, obviously; but excellent people-watching.