Excellent dining in the mall and other Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: The food court in Al Faisaliah

In Al-Faisaliah mall, under the landmark tower (the one with the globe), you can get all sorts of food, from Indian to local shawarma to Pakistani. Excellent for a quick lunch break if you work nearby or even for a dinner. And hey, families and singles go together! This is progress!
Don't go on Wed-Fri since it's reserved for families only (though security may let you in after a bit of discussion it's better to avoid since you may get in trouble anyway).

Favorite Dish: Chicken shawarma beats them all.

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Theme: Fast Food
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: In Al Faisaliah mall
Directions: In the middle of Olaya, spot the Faisaliyah tower (the one with the Globe)

Restaurant Name: Shazan

Could this be my favourite indian place in Riyadh? tough call, but it sure scores high. The ambience is excellent, the staff serviceful and the food is cracking. If only they served beer :o)

Favorite Dish: Anything tikka masala, and the paratha bread

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Theme: Indian
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: Olaya
Directions: Just behind the Abraj Atta'awunaya (tallest building in the area after the Faisaliyah tower), in a slightly shabby area.

Restaurant Name: Da Pino

Da Pino offers probably the best pasta I've tasted outside Italy (said by an Italian, this should mean a lot). They also have an antipasto buffet for 45 SAR.
It's a wee pricey (pastas go from 40 to 70 SAR) but definitely worth a try for its excellent quality. A plus is that you can dine in the middle of the Khozama centre, with the cook making pasta in front ot you.

Favorite Dish: Try the three pasta combo when they have it on offer, it should feed you for one day.

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: Khozama Center, second floor.
Directions: Olaya street, next to Faisaliyah mall

Restaurant Name: Yamal Ash'am

This is a fast food, but you'll get top-class shawarma in here. The interior is that of a fast food, so nothing very fancy, but at least you get air conditioning. In cool evenings it's preferable to stay out and watch the flow of cars and people in busy Olaya street.

Favorite Dish: Shawarma and fresh lemon juice. A real must.

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Theme: Fast Food
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Olaya street
Directions: Near the Jarir bookstore.

Restaurant Name: Hong Kong

I wasn't impressed by this place, but perhaps it's just that I'm not best friends with Cantonese food. Even so, the fried stuff was poor, the buffet was quite disappointing and the service pretty lousy. Kind of a misfit in Riyadh. Not worth even the cheap price they charged me.

Favorite Dish: The buffet had some stuff I could eat...

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Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Directions: Olaya, near the Attaw'unaya complex

Restaurant Name: Al Nafoura

As local as it gets. There's no place where you can be more in touch with the local culture than Al Nafoura. Actually, there's quite a few similar places around the area, and they're all cracking good. Nice Middle-Eastern food (though Nafoura serves fairly standard fare), your own TV to watch football or lousy arabic song festivals and a great selection of Turkish pipe flavours.

Favorite Dish: The Hubbly!

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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Directions: On the way to Dammam, some 10 km past the airport road junction. Pass the fast food outlets on the right and take the next exit. Turn left at the traffic lights and park your car.

Restaurant Name: Spazio 77

This place is quite unique. This is not only thanks to its position on the 77th floor of the Kingdom Tower (see my other tip), which makes for a nice view over the city.

The food is also worth a notice. Its main inspiration is italian (which can't be too bad :o) but with some international influences.

The portions are not too abundant, but two dishes make for a decent light dinner. Their ingredients are very fresh, and the layout is impeccable.

A word of praise for the service, which is fast, polite and ready to accommodate every customer need. The waiters will even take your chair when you get up in order to go to the toilet.

Ask for a table near the window in order to get the best view! Prices are proportionate to the experience, but in Saudi terms (i.e. you don't end up paying 100 euros for the dinner as you would down here in Rome).

Favorite Dish: I remember the dessert being nice but not what it was

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Address: In the Kingdom Tower, floor 77