Discover

The best restaurants in Riyadh

Riyadh’s restaurant scene is evolving at rapid speed, but our tried-and-tested picks are a good place to start

Riyadh’s restaurant scene has never been hungrier for attention. What was once a city of simple shawarma joints and kabsa spots has reinvented itself into one of the most exciting culinary capitals in the Middle East — a playground for celebrity chefs, global fine-dining heavyweights and homegrown culinary trailblazers alike.

With the long-awaited metro system unlocking new pockets of the city, and Riyadh Season bringing dozens of exciting pop-ups, there’s never been a better time to eat out in the Saudi capital. Here are the best restaurants to check out in Riyadh in 2025.

apital. Here are the best restaurants to check out in Riyadh this year.

Al Mamlaka Social Dining

Struggling to pick between Riyadh’s restaurants? Al Mamlaka Social Dining solves that dilemma by bringing almost two dozen of the city’s best under one roof. Tucked beneath Olaya’s Kingdom Centre, this green-hued food hall – anchored by a bar shaking up non-alcoholic cocktails – is a smorgasbord of coffee shops, desert stops and street food spots, including scaled-down outposts of Easy Bakery (don’t miss those swirly chocolate croissant wheels), Nozomi, Overjar, Burger Boutique and Hanoverian. For something heavier, head to the sit-down spots: the first Middle East branch of El Ta’koy slings flavour-packed Hawaiian bowls and bao buns, while Assembly by Chef Tommy – of Beirut’s beloved Baron – elevates traditional Lebanese-Armenian shish skewers with contemporary twists (splurge $27 for a stick of meat and an hour of unlimited mezze). The queues can be long on weekends when the food hall is open until 3am, but it’s a feast that’s well worth waiting for.

Address: Kingdom Centre, Olaya St, Al Olaya

Al Orjouan

Forget everything you think you know about hotel buffets at The Ritz-Carlton’s Al Orjouan, which lays out a feast fit for a king in the grand halls of a former royal palace. The variety of dishes is dazzling, from mini cocottes of scrambled eggs with rich truffle oil at breakfast to authentic ful medames served throughout the day, plus a curated selection of dates including the finest local and international varieties. An Arabian-inspired beverage menu features the Desert Rose – combining pomegranate syrup, rose water and honey – and the Green 600, an inventive mix of green apple, cucumber, spinach juice and an olive syrup “ice cube” that celebrates the ancient olive tree in the hotel’s grand courtyard.

Address: The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh, Al Hada

Attaché

In a former horse stable on the edge of Riyadh’s walled-in Diplomatic Quarter, this hush-hush member’s club from the team behind MDLBEAST sees foreign officials rubbing shoulders over a multicultural menu that’s equal parts style and substance. Dining reservations are open to all, with winning dishes like twice-baked Swiss comte souffle, locally caught sea bass and a glistening strawberry dome – revealed beneath a cloud of candy floss with a blowtorch – crowning the indoor-to-outdoor space. As the night rolls on, the party spills into Unstable, the restaurant’s clubby alter ego next door. Moody low ceilings and edgy beats keep the after-hours crowd going until late, although in keeping with the diplomatic theme, you’ll need to apply for a “visa” online first to get inside.

Address: Al Safarat

Barbar

What began as a humble Lebanese bakery has since expanded across the Middle East to Riyadh, where hot Arabic breads and generously sized shawarma platters are served from roaring ovens 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The canteen-style dining room is unpretentious, putting the focus entirely on dishes like the akkawai cheese man’ousheh, chilli-spiced Beiruti hummus drizzled with tahini and sandwiches stuffed full of meat, fish or fried vegetables. It’s also one of the cheapest places to eat in the city — a chicken shawarma loaded with cucumber pickles, fries and garlic sauce will set you back just $2.67.

Address: Prince Muhammad Ibn Abd Al Aziz Street, Al Olaya

Café Bouloud

At Riyadh’s first cheese cave, maître fromager Philippe Caillouet works his magic, carving and spiralling wheels of gruyere, wedges of Fourme d’Ambert and his signature Paris Medina goat’s cheese, stuffed with fresh mint from Saudi’s second-holiest city. It’s a fittingly French amuse bouche for celebrated chef Daniel Boulud’s first Saudi restaurant, which delivers a roll call of continental classics flecked with local flavours in a mid-century dining room wrapped in hand-drawn murals of Arabian horses in Central Park. The Café Riyadh pot de crème, paired with saffron biscuits and wafer-thin curls of caramel, is a must-try, while the thyme-slicked Dover sole Grenobloise and lavender-honey glazed duck breast speak to the kitchen’s delicate hand. The restaurant’s non-alcoholic wine library – overseen by Caillouet when he’s not tending to the cheeses – is equally impressive, with bottles matched to dishes or folded into the cooking itself.

Address: Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre, Kingdom Centre, Olaya Street, Al Olaya

Carbone

Riyadh is the first global outpost for this New York celebrity favourite, where stars from David Beckham to Kim Kardashian come for cuisine that pays homage to the great Italian-American restaurants of the mid-20th century. The original in Greenwich Village is so popular with A-listers that George and Amal Clooney are said to have once failed to secure a last-minute reservation. While the lavish dark blue and red velvet interiors in Riyadh are far more elegant than in the low-key New York original, the menu remains full of classics. There’s an alcohol-free spin on the restaurant’s famous Spicy Rigatoni, direct from Mario Carbone’s family recipe book — plus the kitchen’s signature shell-shaped carrot cake with thick frosting that swirls around the plate.

Address: Mansard Riyadh, A Radisson Collection Hotel, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Road, Ar Rabi

Chi Spacca

American breadmaker-turned-chef Nancy Silverton’s temple to the art of butchery flaunts a West Coast vibe in a sophisticated space where slow food takes centre stage. The restaurant’s brick-walled dining room is bathed in the glow of a wood-fired open grill, which turns out tender dry-aged steaks, beef and bone marrow pies (a signature from the original restaurant in Los Angeles) plus whole sea bass drizzled with charred lemon. Although Chi Spacca is mainly for meat-lovers, vegetarians are well catered for too — the surprisingly juicy portobello mushroom, with its carefully charred edges and lashings of cheese, is a standout in its own right. Silverton herself is known to swing by when she’s in the region.

Address: VIA Riyadh, Makkah Al Mukarramah Road, Al Hada

Il Baretto

One of the first restaurants to open among the gleaming towers of Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District, this art-deco-styled restaurant continues to impress. Take a seat on one of the red-leather stools at the bar, in the heart of the space, for some mean non-alcoholic cocktails (we’ve nursed many a ‘No-groni’ there on a weekend afternoon). Like the London flagship, Il Baretto is classic Italian: beef carpaccio with black truffle; homemade pappardelle with lamb ragu; and wood-fired pizzas. Watch for evenings with live jazz – the venue, with its teal walls and black and white photos, seems made for it.

Address: King Abdullah Financial District

LPM Riyadh

If the ladies from And Just Like That… had a regular lunch spot in Riyadh, LPM would be it. This classic Mediterranean bistro has made many a person’s day with its burrata, although our personal favourite is the homemade rigatoni with cream and mushrooms. Meals are served on crisp linen tablecloths by remarkably polished waiters; beige walls and banquettes are brightened by colourful pops of modern art. Reserve ahead; the weekends are hopping.

Address: Al Motassem Street, Al Olaya

Maiz

Among all the restaurants to open as part of Bujairi Terrace, a tradition-inspired village in Diriyah overlooking At-Turaif, Maiz is the most authentic choice. It showcases the best Saudi food from the kingdom’s various regions, with contemporary twists on classics such as lamb khabsa, chicken saleeg and massabeeb, a dessert with mascarpone, Arabic coffee and Saudi farm honey. The design is contemporary, with nods to tradition in the sadu pillows and gahwa cups. Access to Bujairi Terrace is free in the summer; otherwise check Diriyah’s website to book tickets.

Address: Bujairi Terrace, Ad Diriyah

Mamo Michelangelo

This little piece of Provence in Saudi Arabia is a popular branch of the Michelangelo restaurant that Italian chef Mamo started in Southern France and is now at home in the Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah. Amid the lemon trees, “planted” in an indoor tiled terrace, beneath terracotta-painted arches, waiters serve risotto al tartufo in copper pans and wood-fired pizzas on colourful crockery. Whatever you enjoy for the first or main course, keep some room for the tiramisu, served in a large bowl with “Mamo” emblazoned in cocoa – always an Instagram crowd-pleaser.

Address: Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, King Fahd Road, Al Olaya

Myazu

While global restaurant brands are fanning out all over the city, perhaps one of the best restaurants in Riyadh is actually homegrown. Myazu, which also has a location in Jeddah, is next-level Japanese food in a dramatically lit, contemporary Zen space designed by Noriyoshi Muramatsu. Dishes from the sushi counter and robata grill range from the light marinated yellowtail sashimi with ponzu dressing to the Wagyu sando with katsu sauce. The mushroom takikomi-gohan, its signature rice dish cooked in a clay pot, is comfort food at its most luxurious.

Address: Musad Bin Jalawi, As Sulimaniyah

NUE by Nomad

Bahrain’s beloved Nomad has finally landed in Riyadh, bringing its signature copper accents and chic, laid-back vibe to a curving, glass-fronted space tucked behind greenery on Olaya Street. Downstairs, trendy shoppers from nearby Centria Mall spill in for pillowy short rib bao buns, frothy mastiqua spritzers, and an expanded bakery selection (though sadly the marmite butter cornbread didn’t make it across the Gulf). Upstairs offers a quieter escape, with a small balcony of tucked-away tables perfect for lingering over a flat white or watching Riyadh’s fast-paced world go by.

Address: 3074 Prince Muhammad Ibn Abd Al Aziz, Al Olaya

Roma Restaurant

Long before Saudi flung open its doors to tourists and its dining scene erupted in a frenzy of new openings, there was Roma Restaurant. Tucked at the base of an office building in Olaya since 1991, this unassuming Italian stalwart has been the city’s go-to for honest plates of pizza, pasta and tiramisu for nearly 35 years. While a flashier outpost now graces the Boulevard, the original still reigns supreme, with a menu that swings from the hearty truffle-laden dishes of the north to crispy golden arancini balls from the south. The pasta selection is immense, split between perfectly al dente dry varieties and fresh handmade options — you can’t go far wrong with a bowl of Bolognese or the bright and buttery pasta al limone.

Address: Ceiricon Buildings, Shubah Ibn Al Hajjaj, Al Olaya

Sobhy Kaber

Sobhy Kaber is renowned for its generous portions of succulent Egyptian kofta, aromatic tagine and creamy baba ghanoush — plus cow’s trotters, pigeon grits soup and crispy fried veal liver for more daring diners. The restaurant is an offshoot of the wildly popular original branch in Cairo’s Rod El Farag neighbourhood, where queues for tables often run out the door well into the early hours. Its legendarily low prices continue in Riyadh, with salads starting at $2.13 and clay pots full of spicy tagine based on traditional Egyptian recipes costing around $12 for a portion that could easily feed four.

Address: Al Takhassousi, Al Mathar Ash Shamali

Urth Caffé

Organic coffee, free-range eggs and leafy green trees as decor: with such good vibes, it’s little surprise California’s Urth Caffé has rapidly spread its roots since opening its first Arabian Gulf branch in Riyadh in 2017. It can be hard to find a casual breakfast spot outside of hotels early on a Friday morning, so Urth is a welcome option. Highlights of the breakfast menu, which includes vegan and gluten-free options, are avocado toast, shakshuka and, of course, granola.

Address: 5090 Prince Muhammed Bin Abdulaziz Road, As Sulaimaniya District

Villa Mamas

This celebrated restaurant – the fourth outpost launched by Bahraini chef Roaya Saleh, adding to London, Abu Dhabi and the original branch in Saar – aims to evoke the feeling of home through rustic wood-panelled interiors and a menu that makes use of fresh, seasonal ingredients. Traditional tabbouleh and pomegranate salads give way to creative twists on classic Gulf dishes that see medallions of minced lamb teetering atop balls of mashed potato and chicken tahchin swirled with barberries and rose petals. Yet it’s the herb-garnished skewers of tandoori shish with yoghurt and scalding hot bowls of dum biryani, revealed by breaking apart the dough sealing in the spice, that really steal the show.

Address: Bujairi Terrace, Ad Diriyah

Yauatcha

At Yauatcha’s open-air rooftop, delicate dim sum parcels served in classic bamboo baskets offer a more “accessible” take on Cantonese cuisine from the team behind high-end Hakkasan. The menu features dozens of varieties of yum cha (with plenty of options for vegetarians) served baked, fried, steamed or grilled amid smart, airy surroundings dotted with cherry blossom trees and touches of greenery. Order the colourful steamed platter for a selection of the greatest hits, including translucent crystal shrimp har gau, sea bass wrapped in sunbeam yellow shells and plump pink seafood dumplings.

Address: Al Faisaliah Mall, Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Road, Al Olaya

Zuma

After years of anticipation, Zuma has finally landed in Riyadh, bringing the same magnetic glamour to the Saudi capital as its ultra-trendy siblings in places like London, Dubai, Bodrum and Mykonos. Occupying a sleek, soaring space in King Abdullah Financial District, the perpetually packed dining room is a showstopper, flanked with sweeping staircases, glowing amber walls and a head-turning mix of wood and stone. The izakaya-style menu is equally as dramatic: miso-marinated black cod that melts like butter, rock shrimp tempura you’ll fight over and Riyadh exclusives like yuzu-drizzled lobster carpaccio and beef gyoza stuffed with earthy seasonal mushrooms. Upstairs, the glowing bar, flanked by suspended glassware, shakes up zero per cent cocktails for the baying crowds as they wait for tables — try the Rikka Tonic for a zingy burst of yuzu and grapefruit, or the strawberry-sweet Ozaka Spritz.

Address: Metro Boulevard, King Abdullah Financial District

By Mo Gannon and Scott Campbell

Discover

Does more testosterone mean more muscle?

It’s an increasingly popular idea: “boosting” testosterone with diet tweaks – increasing foods rich in zinc and magnesium – hoping to build muscle faster. But the reality is more nuanced.

Testosterone is an androgen hormone that plays a key role in development, particularly in boys during puberty. Its effect on muscle isn’t simply about how much of it you have, but how your body responds to it.

“There are two key factors,” says Prof Leigh Breen, a muscle physiology specialist from the University of Leicester. “The amount of testosterone in your system, and the number of androgen receptors in your muscles.” These act like docking sites, allowing the hormone to exert its effects on muscle mass. The number you have is largely determined by genetics, but how well they work can be influenced by lifestyle factors such as exercise.

For most people, natural variations in testosterone don’t make much difference to muscle mass. “For most of our adult life, natural fluctuations, or changes we see with exercise and diet, are subtle,” Breen says.

Testosterone does have a clear impact at the extremes. The most obvious example is anabolic steroid use. These drugs flood the body with testosterone at levels far beyond what would occur naturally. “The effect on muscle mass is significant,” says Breen. “People have been reported to gain muscle even without training.”

At the other end of the spectrum are medical conditions that drastically reduce testosterone, such as hypogonadism in older men. Severely low levels are associated with muscle loss and weakness, which is why some people are prescribed testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).

But, for most of us, testosterone operates within a relatively narrow range. Building muscle still comes down to the fundamentals: consistent training, adequate nutrition and time.

The Guardian

Discover

Anna Wintour’s Vogue cover is a power play

In the world of magazines, when someone announces they’re leaving a job, their colleagues will traditionally present them with their own personalised mock-up of the magazine’s front cover. Perhaps their face is superimposed on the body of a previous celebrity cover star. There are probably some witty cover lines referencing memorable office moments or their favourite snacks. It’s a rite of passage – and this week, Anna Wintour was bestowed with her very own cover. But instead of a jokey imitation bidding her adieu, it was the real, glossy deal, coming to a newsstand near you on 28 April.

In a somewhat surprising effort to promote the forthcoming The Devil Wears Prada 2, Vogue’s May issue sees Wintour share the cover with Meryl Streep, whose steely Miranda Priestly, editor-in-chief of the fictional title Runway, is said to have been inspired by Wintour. “Seeing Double. When Miranda met Anna” reads the cover line. While Wintour has fronted various industry titles, including Interview in 1993 and Ad Week in 2017, it’s the first time an editor has placed themselves as the subject. In another fun twist, both Wintour and Streep are wearing Prada.

First teased via Vogue’s Instagram on Tuesday, within seconds the image had gone viral, amassing, at the time of writing, more than 1.2m likes. “Maaj” commented the model Gigi Hadid. “Just so good” added the actor Mindy Kaling, while the 10k-plus other comments from the general public span everything from “Actually groundbreaking”, in reference to Priestly’s immortal florals line from the original film, to “Getting this framed”.

Rather than just plugging the highly anticipated sequel, though, Wintour’s newsstand appearance serves as something more significant (of course it does, this is Wintour we’re talking about): it’s her own personal power move, and a klaxon for the next phase of Anna Wintour. The cover comes just 10 months after she announced she was “stepping back” as editor-in-chief of Vogue and six months after she promoted Chloe Malle to head of editorial content. What better way to affirm that she is still very much in control of the magazine she has helmed for close to four decades than by appearing on its cover?

When Wintour first revealed she was relinquishing her editor-in-chief title, many misconstrued it as a step down. Her cover appearance now hammers home that it was no such thing. Her current role as chief content officer for Condé Nast and global editorial director for the magazine allows her to retain the ultimate authority while leaving the day-to-day running to Malle.

Mark Borkowski, a press consultant and author, describes Wintour’s appearance on the cover as “a hell of a smart move”. “This is very much about Wintour not letting go of her power,” he says. “A lot of people in these types of jobs recognise they are sitting in a chair that has power. Wintour doesn’t believe that. She believes she is the power. She’s not a personality that’s going to fade away into the background.”

Even the ideation of the cover hints at the authority Wintour still wields. Writing in her editor’s letter, Malle outlines how it came about. She was in the backseat of Wintour’s personal town car (a nice power play by Wintour, and reminiscent of the first film) running ideas for the next batch of covers past her (a tacit hint that all the big decisions still need to be approved by Wintour) when Malle first suggested the idea. Wintour initially shot it down, saying: “That’s very flattering, Chloe, but it’s not really my style.” It then, so the story goes, fell to Streep to persuade her. Wintour called the Hollywood star directly (another not-so-subtle power move).

Wintour was dismissive of the first film when it came out in 2006. Although she did attend the premiere – wearing Prada, no less – she was cagey about her reaction. In 2024, at the opening of the musical version in London, she told the BBC that it was “for the audience and for the people I work with to decide if there are any similarities between me and Miranda Priestly”.

However, more recently she has seemed happier to engage, suggesting that Priestly is very much “a caricature” and a highly enjoyable and very fun one at that. The various social media videos that accompany the shoot drive this idea home. Streep stays in character, while Wintour plays herself. We see her fumble her lines and get the giggles. She is warm and witty, a sharp contrast to the icy Priestly.

We first saw her toy with the idea at the Oscars in March, where she jokingly referred to Anne Hathaway as “Emily”, a nod to Emily Blunt’s character in the film. Meanwhile, the next read in the Vogue Book Club is the novel by Lauren Weisberger that inspired the film. Borkowski suggests these stunts hint that Wintour is beginning to separate herself from brand Vogue. “Her life has been defined by Vogue,” he says. “Back in the day she was recognisable by a very distinctive haircut and a pair of dark glasses. She was a cypher. But now it’s all about the narrative of the personal brand.” She is, he says, “getting involved in the film because she sees it as something that can establish Anna Wintour, the brand”.

The Guardian

Discover

GLP-1 diabetes drugs could stop anxiety and depression

Diabetes drugs could prevent anxiety and depression from worsening, according to research.

Type 2 diabetes affects more than 800 million people globally and research shows that those with the condition are about twice as likely to have depression as the wider population.

GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide are commonly prescribed for diabetes and obesity. While studies have found other health benefits beyond weight loss and better blood sugar levels, the medications’ effects on mental health have been unclear.

International researchers examined Swedish health records of almost 95,000 people with a diagnosis of depression or anxiety who were also taking various diabetes medications between 2009 and 2022.

The study compared periods when patients were taking GLP1s, or other second-line diabetes medications, with when they were not taking them. Worsening mental health was assessed through data on psychiatric hospital admissions, sick leave from work due to mental health reasons, hospitalisation owing to self-harm and death by suicide. Published in the Lancet Psychiatry, the research also examined data on new diagnoses of anxiety and depression.

The authors found that semaglutide, the active ingredient in the drugs Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss, as well as liraglutide (Saxenda) were associated with a lower risk of worsening mental illness in those with anxiety and depression.

Semaglutide had a 42% lower risk of worsening mental health, while liraglutide was linked to an 18% lower risk. Other GLP-1 drugs, including exenatide and dulaglutide, did not show the same benefit.

Semaglutide was associated with a 44% lower risk of worsening depression, a 38% lower risk of worsening anxiety and a 47% lower risk of worsening substance use disorder.

“For anxiety and depression that co-occur with diabetes and obesity, semaglutide and, to a lesser extent, liraglutide might be useful dually effective therapeutic options,” the authors concluded.

Dr Markku Lähteenvuo, a research director at the University of Eastern Finland, said: “It is possible that, in addition to factors such as reduced alcohol consumption, weight loss-related improvements in body image, or relief associated with better glycaemic control in diabetes, there may also be direct neurobiological mechanisms involved, for example, through changes in the functioning of the brain’s reward system.”

Responding to the findings, experts urged caution, including Prof David Nutt, who is the head of the neuropsychopharmacology unit at Imperial College London and chair of the independent scientific committee Drug Science.

He said: “It is well established that better mental health tends to follow from better physical health and since the 1880s we have known that diabetes is associated with depression, although I think it’s unlikely that using GLP-1R agonists alone as treatments for depression or anxiety will work.”

Prof Eduard Vieta, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Barcelona and editor in chief of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology journal, said: “From a clinical perspective, these findings are reassuring regarding the psychiatric safety of GLP-1 receptor agonists and suggest a potential role not only in preventing worsening but also, possibly, in improving mental health outcomes.

“However, they should not yet be interpreted as evidence of a direct therapeutic effect on depression or anxiety.”

The research came as a separate study found that women taking semaglutide for diabetes before they knew they were pregnant had a 84% higher relative risk of preterm birth, compared with those who did not take GLP-1 medication, while the risk was 70% higher with liraglutide.

Academics looked at Danish health registries for nearly 500,000 women, of whom 529 had been taking liraglutide or semaglutide when they became pregnant.

The study found that inadvertent exposure to GLP-1s in early pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of the baby being born before 37 weeks when the drugs were used for diabetes treatment, but not among those taking them for weight loss.

Taking semaglutide was associated with approximately a 11% higher absolute risk of preterm birth. Liraglutide showed a 9% increased risk.

The Guardian