Food & Drink in Riyadh

The already exciting gastronomic scene in Riyadh is constantly expanding with new restaurants, eateries and cafés. It is hardly an exaggeration to say that there are around a dozen new openings every month – which does not make it easy to keep track. The city’s restaurant and café scene has experienced a real boom since the opening of the country.

Of course there are branches of the global fast food chains, especially in the malls. But it is not these that are shaping the new development. Rather, it is the restaurants with excellent cuisine and attentive service, exceptional ambience and comfort, some of which come from all over the world and offer international, regional as well as local cuisine at its best – making Food & Drink in Riyadh an experience.

Whether you prefer the regional, more hearty cuisine of Arab countries or exquisite dishes from the cuisines of Italy, France, Japan, Korea, India, Pakistan, Central Asia, China or “just” want to enjoy excellent burgers, fish, vegan food – here you go, there is everything in abundance. From traditional regional to Mediterranean or Saudi fusion cuisine, almost everything can be found. Stuffed lamb, khūzī, is the traditional national dish. Kebabs and shāwarmah, a marinated meat dish of lamb, mutton or chicken grilled on a skewer and served either as an appetiser or a sandwich, are also popular. Makhbūs, a rice dish with fish or crab, is equally popular. Unleavened flatbread is practically part of every meal, as is all kinds of fresh fruit.

Many of the restaurants, cafes are well known for their top quality and authentic food, spicy & strong, nutty & chocolaty, fruity & vibrant coffees, teas, tarts & cakes and the best desserts in town. 

A certain trend that can also be observed in Riyadh should not go unmentioned here, according to which huge, stylish places with cafés and restaurants have recently sprung up in various locations or districts in completely new development zones, some of which are called terraces, hubs, quarters, plazas, etc.. Here, one café, one restaurant follows another, inviting people to linger and eat. So although the restaurants and cafés are certainly spread all over the city, a certain trend or concentration of them in these new zones can be detected. Many of them are concentrated in the newly built centres because these new centres automatically attract many visitors and because the necessary latest infrastructure is available. So you should always find something there that suits your taste. Therefore, some of them are listed below.