11A

We went to 11A on the recommendation of a Saudi friend over two years ago.  As I haven't been for a while I can only presume it is still there.

 Eleven A is on the eleventh floor of Faisaliah Tower.  The veiw was lovely, decor not overstated and middle eastern buffet style food quite nice.  You could even sit outside on the balcony if you fancied,  though the day we went was a little windy for outdoor dining.  My shots of the place leave a lot to be desired but give you an idea what to expect.  Those of you with vertigo issues might not want to sit next to the windows.  You can feel as if you'll drop through.

My only shot of the food. Isn't it terrible!  I must have been wanting to get to it.  Note to self - do not take pictures of food when hungry.

Now that I've dredged these photo's out of the folder on my computer, I may have to make a return trip to 11A  to see if anything has changed.

Ka Kite,
Kiwi

Hediards

Hediard was plunged into darkness in Riyadh this evening.

Someone turned all the lights off. Sure it was salah but does that mean we need to be completely hidden while the Hai'a cruise the streets shooing everybody off to the mosque with their loud speakers.

It turns out, thankfully, that someone made a blue and much flicking of switches behind the cake display unit meant the mood lighting was soon taking the edge off the darkness, though a torch was still needed to read the menu.

This welcome, plus the smell of fried food assaulting the nostrils as soon as we entered what is supposedly a French restaurant, made us consider reconsidering our decision to come here.  We were, early on a Friday evening, the only two customers in the circular shaped family section with its large windows leaning out over Tahalia St.  The lack of other customers meant service was rapid.

Hediard must have been a beauty in its day with its French style chairs of dark wood and white upholstery against red decor and heavy timber dividers.  It has, of recent times, been going down the gurgler due, so we heard, to a falling out between Hediard HQ in France and the local Saudi partner.

The menu was more Middle Eastern than French.  We were after a light meal so decided to settle for starters only.  Hubster had Mushroom Soup that he described as 'nothing outstanding'.  I had Kibbeh - an Arab dish that is basically a minced meat croquette.  Having been raised on minced meat in all its many forms, Kibbeh is a food that reminds me of my childhood so I'm quite comfortable consuming it. The accompanying sauce was thick and fruity.

Our drinks, a lemon mint for myself and juice for the other half, were served in quirky glasses that Hubster took a fancy to because they were shaped so you could, literally, pour the liquid into your mouth.

The weather outside was cold, so we decided to stay for dessert and coffee.  The coffee, I have to say, was very nice and a decent sized serving in chic cups.  However, the Tiramisu was out of the frij and still damp in places.  Hubster's caramel slice was better quality - it must have been, he ate it all.

Hediard used to be a happening place on Tahalia.  We have passed it many times over the last three years, its cone shape towering over the single section patio has quite an imposing presence.  Perhaps the cold weather was keeping everyone away this night, though I tend to think people vote with their feet when food quality is not up to scratch.

There is an upstairs terrace at Hediard's which, for thermal reasons, we didn't go and investigate though, because I do like a good coffee out in the open air, I'm prepared to go back and suss it out when the current cold snap has settled down.

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.