Riyadh is definitely not your most touristy destination but if you crack the locals code you can enjoy it just as much as your favorite getaway city. The trick is to understand the popular spots and the best dining options in each one. This way you will know how to navigate around, avoiding traffic and the hassle of running from one side to the other. Lucky for you this comprehensive NAMI guide is here to help.
Disclaimer: this is a 99% food post.. stay tuned for Riyadh activities blog!
Popular Spots
Riyadh Front (a must see)
what to checkout?
- Museum of happiness [possibly closing Nov 30th]
- They have a very nice big cinema
- The area has many cafes, restaurants and shops – big nice Urth cafe branch and Giorgio Italian coffee house
Welfare center area (Popular quick bites)
what to checkout?
- Amai japanese bakery serves lovely breakfast pancakes, sweets and other quality food
- SORS, has a creative 3 bars concept serving drinks, bakery goods and sandwiches
- Fabrica de cafe has a nice unique design
- Slider house and Smokey Beards Q for lunch or dinner
- Sayaki for ice cream 🍦
The Zone (great for families)
what to checkout?
- Em sherif cafe
- Greem cafe, instagram-able 2D black and white drawing design, branch of the popular Korean cafe
- Jarlicious lounge
- Also
- Shi Nail Spa, bohemian open air vibes
U Walk (the university complex)
what to checkout?
- 34 Kitchen, new local cafe with excellent food
- Solia, a kuwaiti restaurant offers some of Chef Ahmed Zamil dishes
- Surround
MEFIC Center (arabian themed and open air complex)
what to checkout?
This is an interesting spot with fancy dining local options that are very good and very popular ex. Lusin, cello and Suheel.
Turki AlAwwal North (Hittin)
what to checkout?
- International fancy dining – ex. Cipriani, scalini
- Famous Jeddah and Khobar restaurants – ex. Section B, lounge by aurum
- Interesting local trending brunch options – ex. Yello, Ohayou
- The boulevard – sum plus things
- Le grenier a pain, nice breakfast
Turki AlAwwal South (Maathar & Muhammadiah)
what to checkout?
- Marble for steaks at Turki square
- Lily for breakfast
- Ovvi lounge, restaurant
- Nearby is Panorama mall,
Oud square (Diplomatic Quarter)
what to checkout?
- Nice park and many cafes
- nozomi garden (temporary)
- Monopoly, European restaurant
Olaya (good old central Riyadh)
what to checkout?
- Al-Faisaliah restaurants – MAMO, Entercote, wagamama
- Nobu Hotel, fancy dining
- Baozi and Burger Boutique, lunch or dinner
- Centeria Mall has many fancy restaurants
Tahliyah East (the new and the good)
what to checkout?
- The elite complex, has nice food outlets ex. wagyu for bugers, takya trendy local
- Villa palma, very popular fancy dining with great food
- Eataly, shop and eat Italy
- Maharaja East by Vineet, widely recommended
- San Carlo cicchetti
- Bianca pizzeria
Tahliyah west (easy access and no regrets)
what to checkout?
- Porterhouse , possibly the best meat in riyadh
- Tomahawk, great burgers.. this is the nicer branch
- 2 eat lunch or dinner
Others! (too good to miss!)
Everything above is good and well contained in nice areas. However, here are some things that are located in other less popular spots but are trendy and so good, the explore is worth it..
- Tameesa, authentic nice breakfast [loocation: alyasmeen]
- 92 brew cafe, popular nice breakfast [locations: alnada & alsalmaniyah]
- 7 ribs, good meat [location: almalga]
- Richoux Restaurant for afternoon tea [location: alyasmeen]
- Riyadh Park, very nice mall with many amazing dining options. an interesting choice would be Social by Chunk [location: alaqiq]
- Eclat, new and very popular speciality coffee spot. I’d visit for the architecture [location: alkhuzama]
- SOE Restaurant, new nice and big experimental cuisine [location: alnakheel]
- Jar restaurant, new coming from kuwait and bahrain [location: alyasmeen]
- Pressed, all drinks are without sugar and they have great cookies [location: alaqiq]
- Serge, famous dessert from Milano [location: Hittin]
- Aljabal restaurant in Amariyah Hills, this one is far from central Riyadh but it is a nice open area and very popular in winter. The resort will also accommodate new dining options late November [location: Alammariyah]
Last but not least, here is the full Riyadh Spots Google Map.. for more information & easy navigation
Enjoy Saudi