Restaurant culture in the Riyadh has evolved drastically over the past year, with pop-ups and permanent homes for some of the region’s (and the world’s) biggest names in food nipping at the heels of some of the Saudi Arabian capital’s finest homegrown concepts, altogether creating what is undoubtedly one of the world’s fastest-rising dining scenes.
As Riyadh continues to grow, Esquire Middle East has put our time and expertise into sorting out which of the many high-end concepts open now across the city are worth adding to your list–by making our own.
Without further ado, (and with some favourites left off the list as honourable mentions, such as Meraki), here are our collection of the must-visit restaurants in Saudi Arabia’s gorgeous capital. We hope you’re hungry.
And while you’re here, take a look at how these restaurants stack up to the region’s elite in our list of the 75 Best Restaurants in the Gulf. Enjoy.
Esquire Middle East counts down the best restaurants of Riyadh
10. Il Baretto
Elegance is the name of the game at Il Baretto. The upmarket Italian restaurant has quicly become a firm favourite for business diners within Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD). Channeling a classy Italian city vibe, the dining room itself is well put together, with a muted colour scheme, rich wooden flooring and dim lighting from the high ceilings adding to the ambient jazz piano soundtrack. The service and atmosphere are both faultless, ensuring that it is not just a good spot to secure further business relationships, but one that warrants the evenings of well-groomed local couples and groups of friends.
KAFD
+966 92 001 2508
Make a reservation here.
9. Clap Riyadh
Proof of how well the region’s diners have taken to Clap’s seductive, contemporary Japanese omakase vibe was its successful pop-up during Riyadh Season at the end of last year. In Dubai, the city-slick restaurant is perched on a rooftop overlooking DIFC, wth a vibe is unquestionably more New York or Tokyo than it is DIFC, and that plays to its advantage. Distinctively split into three areas (dining room, terrace and bar) Clap wants to be everything to everyone but, crucially, not at the same time. Now open in its new permanent home in Ramla Terraza, this distinct spot captures all the charm it should, and then some.
As Sahafah, Riyadh
Make a reservation here.
8. Cipriani Riyadh
It’s easy to overdo restaurant concepts. Fortunately, Cipriani treads this line with the same grace as some of its most famous clientele (everyone from the likes of Charlie Chaplin and George Clooney have graced Cipriani’s original Venice location over the years). The results are top notch food, more traditional than flouncy, and with a dining room seemingly straight out of Frank Sinatra’s NYC penthouse.
North Riyadh
+966 11 277 6700
Make a reservation here.
7. LPM Riyadh
LPM has set the benchmark for slick, high-end dining in the GCC since it opened more than a decade ago. Such is its reputation that its expansion into Doha and Riyadh (joining Dubai and Abu Dhabi) is seen as a sign of both cities respectively stepping up their restaurant game. Regardless of the telephone prefix, LPM’s offering of a bubbling atmosphere and high-quality (but not overly-elaborate) Nicoise food continue to make it a firm favourite.
6. Hakkasan
In 2001, the modern Chinese restaurant was born in London and it has been an award-magnet ever since. With four locations now in the GCC (and another set to open in Muscat), it is fair to say that when it comes to modern Cantonese food, Hakkasan continues to be the standard setter all across our region.
Make a reservation here.
5. Coya
Since it first opened in the GCC, Coya quickly elevated what we expected from a fine-dining scene. Initially in Dubai, then Abu Dhabi and Doha, and then last year it opened doors in Riyadh. Coya has been one of the first to really champion Peruvian food in the region, and outlasted several pretenders thanks to a steadfast emphasis on fresh ingredients and delicious, unfussy food. Be warned, more is certainly merrier here, and Coya’s food is best enjoyed as part of a group.
Make a reservation here.
4. Maharaja East by Vineet
Global star chef Vineet Bhatia was in Riyadh before it was cool. While he is known for putting a modern and playful twist on his native Indian cuisine, the success of Maharaja East hasn’t been its creativity, but its consistency. The food isn’t as “out there” as some of Bhatia’s other restaurants. The samosas look like samosas (none of this deconstructed faff here) but come with significant flourishes. The food is pretty as a picture, which explains why most people in the dining room greet every dish with the snap of a smartphone (even ‘gram gets fed at Bhatia’s restaurants).
Al Sulimaniyah, Riyadh. +966 11 464 6161
Make a reservation here.
3. Suhail
Riyadh
Amid a whirlwind of international openings, celebrity chefs and haute cuisine in Riyadh, Suhail shows that Saudi Arabia’s national food still has plenty to offer. Combining traditional dishes with a refined, elegant aesthetic the growing popularity of this restaurant is no surprise—it is the embodiment of the exciting new self-esteem that Saudi is currently imbued with.
An Nakheel, Riyadh. Tel: +966 92 000 2690
Make a reservation here.
2. Myazu
Such is the popularity of contemporary Japanese food in Riyadh, that this homegrown concept is rarely ever not busy. The sleek interior was dreamed up by Japanese design legend Noriyoshi Muramatsu (founder of Studio Glitt) and it has the cooking to match. Grab some gyoza and yuzu-infused red snapper granite—because this place isn’t the ‘Riyadh Zuma’ it is very much its own thing. It is Myazu.
As Sulimaniyah, Riyadh.
+966 92 000 9686
Make a reservation here.
1. Roka Riyadh
Internationally, Roka is often—if not entirely accurately—referred to as “Zuma’s younger cousin”. While this is not a bad thing, it also downplays a restaurant that more than holds its own. Choosing to hero the use of the Japanese robata grill, the open kitchen theatre is as enticing as the creative and miso-heavy menu. While the Dubai branch has been a success since it opened, the recent expansion into a spectacular two-storey venue in Riyadh’s trendy Sulimaniyah district has laid out a strong indicator of what is to come in the KSA capital.
As Sulimaniyah, Riyadh.
+966 920012327
Make a reservation here.