The Villa Restaurant

Mr Finland loves The Villa Restaurant in Aruba St.  He is of the opinion that The Villa Restaurant serves the best Thai food in Riyadh.

Not being a Thai food connoisseur I couldn't tell you if he's right about that, but the meal we had, which was considerable, was certainly consumed rapidly enough, always a good indication of whether or not the food is up to par.

My favourite because I love prawns

Hubster is a rice kind of guy.

Mr Finland had the rest.  Seriously!

The Villa Restaurant resides in a rather unassuming building located a long way from the main restaurant and shopping strip of Riyadh.  It reminds me of the busy Vietnamese restaurants you can find down Victoria St in Melbourne - a small place with hardly enough room to swing a cat,  no attention to decor  (it's certainly not fancy), busy, quick turn over of customers and great tasting food.

Our meal all on a small table squished on a corner of the family section.

I'm guessing The Villa Restaurant  used to be a workers local and has undergone a huge surge in popularity over recent times  Their increased fame, however, has not gone to their heads - the place still looks like a local,  and, though the food is presented simply, its flavours continue to please the patrons, as do the prices.  In fact, knowing Mr Finland as I do, if this place didn't provide value for money, he wouldn't have a bar of it.

Mr Finland is actually a bit of star at The Villa Restaurant.  We discovered that he usually rocks up on his loudly revving Harley, gunning the engine, just a little, as he parks outside the singles section.  The night we tagged along with him the waiters were calling him Mr Vroom Vroom and were rather shocked to see him in the Family Section with guests.  As I mentioned earlier, he loves this place and is a frequent visitor.

The Villa Restaurant has the typical separation of the sexes to be expected of a dining establishment in Riyadh.  The Family Section spans through two rooms and it appears that increased volume of patrons required knocking down a wall into the neighbours place.  If the Family Section is a little crowded, the Singles, according to the boys, is more so.  Both can get very busy, especially on weekends.

The staff are kept on their toes filling orders, carting meals and piling the dish trolley to the rafters as they scurry about clearing away tables.  Even being so busy, they still manage to crack a joke, smile and wave as they realise they're in the line of fire of my camera as I'm taking pictures of the opening hours sign.

Yes, if you are looking for a change from the glitter and cost of Tahalia St dining but don't want to miss out on tasty food, then The Villa Restaurant is definitely worth a visit.

Le Baron

Le Baron on Sulamaniyah street (turn left at the T-intersection) serves very nice Middle Eastern food.

The family section is upstairs, take the lift if you don't fancy exercising on the stairs.  The dining area is fairly roomy but the large wooden dividers around the tables (there is no open space) does give a sense of heaviness to the room.  Some of the tables also have a TV attached to the wall - not really my idea of dining in peace though if you can snag a table next to the window it feels much more light and airy.

Le Baron has a lunch time special which is quite substantial - I had difficulty getting through it.

The service at non busy times was very good.  At busy times you sometimes have to go flag someone down.   Despite this the food is nicely cooked and tasty and I have dined at Le Baron Restaurant more than once.

Centro

Centro on Tahalia is much nicer to eat in than it looks from the outside,

Its decor is red and black and there is a large television down one end that tends to play the latest football matches, so I can only presume it is a sports diner with class.

There's a mix of dining tables and more relaxing coffee tables all with very comfortable seating.  The boothes in the family section are divided from the open tables by black string curtains though it is also possible to close the very thick red brocade curtains for even more intimacy under the minimal lighting. 

The tables are always nicely set with a small but lovely floral arrangements. The menu is mix of Italian and general western. The other night our group had Calamari starters and a rack of lamb, chicken stuffed with spinach and cheese and a pizza for our mains. All very nicely cooked. The coffee also meets my exacting standards.

Centro, on Tahalia, is a pleasant dining experience, so pleasant that we tend to go back often.

The Ritz Carlton

'Puttin on the Ritz' in the Ritz Carlton, Riyadh is a coffee date not to be missed.  The place is rather spectacular.

My friend phoned me one day some months ago. 
Would you like to go for coffee at the Ritz? she asked. 
Yes, said I
Excellent, she said and a date was set.

Such an occasion calls for dressing up a little - wearing my 'going out' abaya, the one made of shiny satin with gold coloured embroidered trim and a headscarf to match.  Name dropping, or in our case position mentioning complete with 'We're with an important company' business card, got us a personal tour of the premises.

We were shown through the restaurants (some weren't open for business yet as The Ritz in Riyadh had only recently opened its doors).  The largest of these is the buffet.   It was put on my list of places to try.

The pool area is quite large with its lovely loungers and stunning mocaics overlooked by the smaller more intimate dining areas.  Can women swim here?  The managment may well consider women only swimming days.  In case you're thinking you will be eating while watching some bloke in his bathers, don't fear - the pool is closed during busy meal times.

The smaller restaurants that look out onto the pool include an Italian, a Chinese (not yet open), a 'piano bar' which welcomes (so I hear) any good pianists who would like to entertain fellow guests and a 'clubroom' where, if you pay a fair amount of SAR's, you get to enjoy the facilities within. 

There is a bowling alley downstairs open for women only on Tuesdays.  We were also taken to a wing of the hotel and shown the rooms - Mr Key and his entourage would be very happy with the apartments should he ever have cause to head this way with the blessing of the tax payer footing the bill.  The security rating was emphasised on more than one occasion on our tour.

We even got to gate crash a medical conference. 

'Come in', said the women in their last year of medical school to our question, 'What's going on in there?'. 
'We haven't registered', we said. 
'That's ok', they said and showed us to our seats and brought us orange juice so we were nicely settled just as the speaker was about to begin.  I found the topic under discussion (spinal surgery) quite fascinating though my company was a little lost, so we excused ourselves and headed out to the cafe lounge - there are four of them on each side of the entrance foyer, one offering an al-fresco option for dining.

Everything in the hotel is very plush.  Not ostentatious - which some furnishings in the country can be - but definitely opulent.  The stone arched gateway, the lengthy palm tree bordered drive terminating in fabulous fountains, men in uniforms to open your door and, once past the security screen, the grand open foyer with beautiful flower pieces taking center stage beneath a dazzling display of glittering lights is exactly what one would expect of a palace hotel in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

We enjoyed playing ladies that day at the Ritz Carlton, sipping our coffee and nibbling our light lunch seated in the lounge and promised to come back to spoil ourselves sometime.  My chance came sooner than expected when my husband said to me last week, 'Where would you like to go for dinner for our wedding anniversary?' How about The Ritz , I said.

Hubsters receptionist rang and booked a table in the Italian a la carte' restaurant.  He mentioned the occasion we were celebrating and on arrival we were greeted outside the resatuarant by the head waiter and shown to our rose petal decorated table.  How sweet.

The meal was superb.  The service very attentive.  The scene was very pretty seated beside the pool and the atmosphere very relaxed.  Perfect for a 31st wedding anniversary.  And the price, I have to say, was not as exhorbitant as I imagined it would be.  Ekky yes.  Ultra ekky, no. 

It is obvious that The Ritz has a very good training programme.   On our way out, when we were standing around admiring the decor a young man from guest services took the time to introduce himself and explain the facilities and services, all in a very professional and friendly manner.

If you ever fancy coffee, lunch or dinner in palatial surrounds fit for a King then throw on your best abaya and head to The Ritz Carlton in Riyadh.

Da Pino's

Da Pino's is a very nice Italian in the Al Khozarma Center.

The center piece of the Singles section, through which you must pass to access the Family Section if you're of the fairer gender, is an excellent salad and antipasto bar.   We always take nibbles from here because there's usually a reasonable selection and everything is quite tasty.

The decor at Da Pino's gives the impression of an Italian patio overlooking a piazza with brightly colored patio tables and chairs adorned with bunches of flowers in small white vases.  The family section walls are adorned with murals reflecting Italian life and love of food.  The large mirrors on the wall enhance the brightness and add a feeling of spaciousness.  

You can choose to be seated in an alcove for an intimate dinner - very cosy - or take a smaller table with a view of the cooks as they prepare your meal in the open kitchen.

I loved the steak with mushroom sauce.
Hubster thought the risotto was the best he has had here in Riyadh.

For dessert, take another trek out to the Single Section to view the sweets on offer.  I have difficulty going past the Tiramisu because it's my favorite dessert (apart from my mother's home baked apple pie, of course).  The coffee served to end our meal was perfect.

We enjoy Da Pino's when we go.  It's a nice, quiet, get away from it all kind of place.
The service is attentive.
The ambience is relaxed.
The food is delicious.

Steaky's

Steaky's

I've decided to take back any negative indication I may have given about Steaky's.  The place is ok for steak.   The last couple of times we went the steak was beautifully cooked, though not huge - but size isn't everything, right? 

Hubby has tried the ribs twice - beef of course.  Once with the bone, once without.  It's taken him two attempts to decided that ribs that don't originally go 'oink' just do not make the grade.  This has more to do with his palate than with how the Steaky's crew cooks ribs which he admits are nice, they just aren't pork.

The branch of Steaky's we go to is just across the road from Jazeera Market, on Mussah ibn Nasser.  The family section is small and on they way you can look over to the chefs in the kitchen.

You also pass a board with information on how to cook steak which is an eye opening read if comments on your own steak cooking attempts have been less than complementary.  

All seating for families in our branch of Steaky's is booth - no open area.  There has, at times, also been background music playing.  Country and Western, Kenny Rogers. 

The meal has an option for a salad bar to select your own vegetables or the meals have vege's on the side.  We usually do both. 

Although there is dessert, we've never had it.  No particular reason why not other than the fact we've over-eaten our soup, salad and mains. 

If you're after a nice steak meal in a smaller more intimate setting, then yes, come to Steaky's.

Pardon Cafe

Pardon Café is our favourite lunch place, largely because of its proximity to Hubsters work.

To find it head down Ulaya from Uruba Street. Turn left at Hollandi bank ladies branch. It's just along the street a little.   You can't miss the pretty garden with sculptured vessel and bowl just outside.

Pardon Cafe has asian influenced cuisine though it is possible to buy a nice breakfast omlette as well.  Our favourite is the spicy chicken.  They also do a nice range of drink cocktails that are quite refreshing.

The table spaces downstairs are very spacious with large lounge like seats - perfect for small groups out for a bite.  Upstairs the foyer space gives the place a feeling of openness, that's until you sit down and they put up the cane screens to hide you from view.

Najd Dining

For traditional Saudi dining, Najd Village Restaurant is the place to go.

Apparently there are two Najd Restaurants. The one we went to was in Takasussi Street.  When Noor dropped us out front I had to ask him where it was because the front is quite unassuming.  No blaring advertisment in neon announcing it's existence which is not a criticism.  In fact, the lack of flashing neon in this city is something I like about it, though it is slowl,y but surely, creeping in.

The restaurant reflects the traditional mudhouses of the area and, as you enter, you find the walls adorned with traditional art, craft and wares.   The main lobby has more antiques and tidbits of interest to look at before heading to the eating areas which, for families, are out the back. 
Our friends had pre-ordered a private room.  Our shoes were left outside the door and there was more than sufficient space for we seven expats to spread our legs because the seating in our little space was traditional Saudi style - long, flat cushions on the floor with a leaner or two spaced here - and sitting cross-legged for many of us (moi included) doesn't happen easily. 

An empty fireplace occupied the back wall (we went to Najd in summer when fires are definately not required) and above it were shelves adorned with dullah (arabic coffee pots), weaved baskets and enamel tea pots reminiscent of days spent camping on the farm with billy's on the campfire, except these pots were painted with pretty patterns.  

The ceiling exposed typical materials of Najd yester-year -strips of wood beneath which thinner natural twine bound wood panels could be spotted.  It reminded me of tukutuku panels.

The evening began with qahwah and dates and a bit of chit chat about life and Saudi living. One of our crew was more au fait with the menu, and Arabic food in general, than the rest of us so was in charge of ordering.    Requests were put in for something lamb, something camel and something trraditional we've never had before.

The food, when it arrived, was served on the floor on a small weaved mat which meant manoeuvring our less than lithe bodies around the mat to serve our food into painted plastic plates.  The effort was worth it.

The food was delicious. 
I can highly recommend a night of traditional Najd dining.

Wooden Bakery

The Wooden Bakery, Khurais Road is a nice place to have lunch.

The Wooden Bakery company hails from Lebanon.  Their specialty is Arabic and European breads, French Pastries and Arabic sweets.

The shop downstairs displays all their bakery delicacies and bread as well as a selection of deli meats.  Wooden Bakery also makes pizza.  Most bakery items you see downstairs you can buy upstairs in the family section.

The restaurant also has more substantial items on their menu.  Salads, sandwiches and so on.  I do like the coffee here, except the cups are too small.  Price wise you could probably buy cheaper at other bakeries, but the food here is quite good quality. 

I tend to make a beeline for the tables with comfy lounge though everybody else seems to prefer those seats as well, so going off peak times is better for your butt.

The Wooden Bakey has opened smaller branches in a couple of other locations around Riyadh, but the one I prefer is on Khurais Road.  The building has the unmistakable windmill on it which was subject to Muttawa scrutiny not long ago.

Story has it (and yes this is gossip) that the original windmill was a 4 bladed wooden structure.  The Muttawa deemed that the 4 blades looked too much like christian cross so asked the company to do something about it.  They added another blade, although it didn't fit correctly with the existing 4 and looked more like a stump than a blade (according to Hubster).  Plus the weight of the extra blade put a strain on the mechanism that turned the windmill.  So, the company had to take down the entire windmill and reconstruct a 5 blade structure made out of lighter material, hence the blade that now adorns The Wooden Bakery.

How true is this story?  Who knows!.  And it doesn't really matter.  With or without the windmill the food and coffee at The Wooden Bakery has still maintained excellent quality

Where I've been so far

The following is a list of other eateries we've been to and I will get round to adding more extensive comments as time permits

• 11A - Arab cuisine, buffet, nice views
• Al Bohsali - large interior, beautiful entry, food is pretty good.
• Appetit - take time to craft their meals, decent portions, Parisienne decor contrasting with pipes
• Applebees - American style family dinners
• Café Blanc - cave set up and air con made the place cold as the day we went. Interesting food
• Centro - Red decor, good service, OK food.
• Corsini - Sign out front says health food and all the pictures have fries.
• Crepe Place - serves the usual chips and burgers menu as well.
• Dairy Queen - burgers and ice-cream.  Go elsewhere for good coffee.
• El Chico - Mexican , quacamole made at the table.  Quite a nice place.
• Elements – Four Seasons Hotel, another expensive options.
• Entrocote - the most expensive steak, chips and salad I've ever had.
• Filicori - most of the menu is not available both times we have been
• Fish n Chips Tahaliah - for your F'n'C hungers.
• French Corner - cakes downstairs, eat in upstairs.
• Fudrukers - family venue, noisy, busy
• Gate of Jazeera – Chinese, our favourite.
• Globe - expensive option, they also serve non-alcholic wine if you want to try that, lovely views
• Golden Lobster - asian, not stunning but ok
• Golden Palace – Chinese with ice cream
• Granada Mall – La Wein - expensive coffee, plastic food
• Hagendaas - ice-cream....yumm
• Hediards - have a deck up top.
• Hindi Akudh - very plain decor, food is ok
• Indian Summer - lovely decor, food repeated on me for days.
• Kingdom Ladies Floor - a few eating and coffee options that are nice enough
• Kosebase - Turkish, tables jammed in, food nice.
• Ladauree - French me thinks, nice cakes on lovely china
• La Cuchino - part of Faisaliah, presentation of food is beautiful. Italian
• Lamborghini - totally expensive for a coffee place
• Lebanese Corner - plain decor, nice food.
• Le Baron -- good place for reasonable lunch.
• Le Sani - Pakistani, buffet, ok
• MBCo - say there food is fresh each day but I've had a stale cake from the frij.
• Nino’s - must go again.
• Seattle’s Best - coffee.
• Steakhouse - family restaurant. 
• Steaky – nice steak
• Tao - roomy eating areas, lots of curtains, expensive but nice.
• The Crepery – Riyadh Gallery - very popular.  Crepes and ice-cream variations
• The Mexican - hubby says he will never go again. I haven't been, so am willing to try it one day.
• The Tea Garden - don't expect cucumber sandwiches.  A fast food menu.
• Tony Romas - eat chips, burgers and nachos American style, family target
• Yamama - nice chicken kapsa
• Yoshi Sushi - one of the few places to do sushi and it's ok.

Chocolata Cafe

Are you a chocolate freak?

Then you may find Chocolata Cafe to your liking.

It's on King Fahad Road in the block of diners between the Novotel Hotel and Kingdom Tower.  Access to the family section is around the back, which, the first time I went was a bit of a freaky experience because there wasn't much light at night.

The foyer of Chocolata Cafe is decked out as a chocolate bar - dark chocolate I think.  The dining area for families is, as per usual, upstairs.

My first impression of the interior was dark, small and...bitsy.  There's an area in the middle of the cafe that looks down into the Singles Section below which might have been nice on the architects design plan but only serves to take detract from the space in the Family Section upstairs.  

The booth was a bit dim, but on request there was a light hiding behind a curtain that brightened things up sufficently to read.  The menu is loaded with chocolate goodies, so if you're a chocolate lover you'll be happy, though Hubster thinks the chocolate is the 'less cacao, more sugar' variety. 

For those, like myself ,who are not in love with chocolate there are other options.  The carrot cake made up for any doubts my first impressions may have formed about the place.

The Croissant Place

For Croissants early on a weekend morning after a bike ride we like the Croissant Place in Sulamaniya. It is one of the few eateries with a family section we have found that is open early in the morning.  

The family section is small but that's because I believe most people take their croissants home.

Glenn loves the turkey croissant, I prefer the butter. There are other things on the menu but, to be honest, we don't go there for anything but the croissants which, to date, have always been fresh and very delicious.

The coffee, on the other hand, is interesting which is another way to say improvement is not beyond the bounds of possibility.

********

Appetite

Appetite in Tahalia is another French influenced restaurant.  From the street the diner has a petite French look.  On the inside the chandeliers and décor remind me of a Château in France.

The color scheme is a misty grey on grey broken up with white candles and table coverings.  The book case dividing the dining area from the kitchen provides a talking point - we didn't get around to seeing if the book were real or not.  It's all works together to be quite comfortable.

We started with some breads.  Lovely.  And huge.

The rest of the meal was so delicious that I forgot to take photo's of it.  However, as my dining companion said while enjoying her tasty brown onion soup 'They take time to craft their meals'.

  

We really enjoyed dining at Appetite near the top end of Tahalia St and would happily go back again.

Al Bahsaly or Al Bohsali Palace

Al Bahsaly Palace, as the name was spelled on the signage outside, or Al Bohsali Palace, according to the menu inside, provides a very spacious dining experience.  Entry to the family section the night we went was around the side which, if you're in an unhappy mood, can make you feel like a second class citizen shafted round the corner and out of sight especially as the lighting wasn't that stunning and the signage indicating use of the stairs was completely missing.

However, once inside things take a change for the better.  The downstairs foyer on the night we went was empty except for lots of earthy toned tiling and stonework and an elevator.  So into the elevator we went and were delivered to a very elegant restaurant entrance that my point and shoot camera work does not do justice.

Rounding the corner to the main dining area you're greeted with wide hallways, still in earthy tones, and minimal decor save for the rather stunning lighting hanging from the ceilings and gracing the walls.

We followed a waiter around to the open dining area where the feeling of space continued.  The table settings are large, perfect for groups or for a couple who like to spread out, and the one we scored was next to a tinted window decorated with not too thick drapes and funky blinds allowing a view over King Abdullah Street below.

Solid wooden dividers separated us from fellow diners but unlike other restaurants where dark, heavy wood can make you feel quite claustrophobic, these gave the impression of being in a great, grand library and didn't intrude on the dining space at all.

The table itself was a deep black embedded with sparkles providing a contrast for the stylish white dishes and plush, ruby colored chairs and reflecting the arabic lights above.  It was all quite impressive though not overdone.  After ordering we waited, in anticipation, for the food.

Al Bohsali Restaurant is Lebanese.  Given the quality of the surroundings we were expecting great things.  The food wasn't a disappointment. What was served to the table was, in fact, perfectly delicious for a couple of hungry Kiwi's.  The hummus was divine.  The meat cooked perfectly.  The presentation was fine.  The serving sizes ample.  However, as Hubster commented, despite all this the overall effect didn't quite have the same level of grandeur that the backdrop suggested.  It was more like mums meal in a castle although, let's admit, any meal that mum cooks is perfect, anywhere.

Hubster had sufficient that he declined dessert.  Umm Ali was on the menu and, I have to say, it is such a pleasure being in a restaurant that serves a traditional arabic dessert.  One can get tired of cheesecakes and slices and a warm traditional dessert has a real home comfort factor.  (That fact that it is very similar to Bread Pudding, a dish my mother served up on many an occasion in my childhood, may have something to do with the 'down home' feeling I have for this particular dessert).

I enjoyed our dinner at Al Bohsali/Bahsaly Palace - we weren't rushed, we loved the space and the place wasn't loud or crowded (though we did go early'ish).  I thought the food was very nice, but then I'm easy to please.  As I don't pay the bills, I can't comment on the price and there's no point asking Hubster as he's beginning to complain about everything because, let's face it, he's getting on in years. Every week after Arabic class I drive past Al Bohsali and have no qualms about eating there again.