A complete guide to all the restaurants at Via Riyadh
From chic fashion-focused cafes to upscale imports from LA…
Via Riyadh is the stylish new destination in the Saudi Capital you need to know about, and it’s now open.
Whether you’re looking for a quick and casual lunch or a more refined fine dining experience, the impressive collection of restaurants at Via Riyadh has somethingfor everyone. Almost all of the restaurants, which are brought to the Kingdom by purveyors of experiential hospitality, Cool Inc, are now open, although there’s still a couple of openings to look forward to. The final piece in the Via Riyadh puzzle, a luxury St Regis hotel, is also still to open.
Here’s a complete guide to all the restaurants you can now book at Via Riyadh.
Now open
Via Mercato
Via Mercato at Via Riyadh wants you to not only enjoy its onsite food experiences, but to also take them home with you.Envisaged as a food hall parallel to the splendour of traditional marketplaces in London and New York, Via Mercato is an upscale food emporium brimming with seafood, pastries, cold cuts, cheeses, bread, organic fruits and seasonal vegetables. Within the main space is a beautiful caviar bar that serves an incredible range of delights, including foie gras ice cream, caviar pani puri, blue lobster roll, prawn carpaccio with caviar and more. It also houses a salad and juice bar, a Matcha bar, a cheese shop, a bakery managed by Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh, a pizzeria, and a rotisserie. If you’re keen on an indulgent dinner, there’s also a sushi bar by Japan’s famous sushi restaurant Teruzushi, which serves an omakase set menu.
Via Mercato, daily 10am to midnight, Via Riyadh, Ground Floor, Makkah Al Mukarramah Rd, Al Hada, Riyadh 12912. @viamercato.sa
Scott’s
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Located on the ground floor of Via Riyadh, London-born Scott’s has opened its first restaurant outside of the UK in Riyadh. The restaurant promises to bring the old-world glamour of Mayfair to a sleek restaurant space in the heart of Riyadh’s most stylish new districts. Paying homage to the Mayfair flagship restaurant’s aesthetic with a sophisticated yet warm ’40s elegance, the timber-panelled dining room with burgundy leather banquettes and dining chairs creates an impressive atmosphere, featuring silver leaf mirrored screens, a marble top with a stingray fronted bar, and walls adorned with artwork from some of today’s most celebrated British artists. Just like the institution in Mayfair, this celebrity favourite serves up the finest array of seafood, alongside various meat and seasonal game options. Oysters, served at Scott’s elegant oyster bar, are a house speciality. Read our review here.
Scott’s, Via Riyadh, Riyadh 12912, daily 7pm to 1am. @scotts.saudi
Gymkhana
The Michelin-starred Indian fine dining restaurant travels outside of London for the first time For Gymkhana Riyadh. Guests at Gymkhana Saudi can expect the same level of flavour and experience as those in Mayfair. The carefully curated menu brings to life flavours from across India, offering a modern interpretation of renowned classics. All the restaurant’s signature dishes can now be found on the Riyadh menu, like Chettinad Duck Dosa with Coconut Chutney, Kid Goat Methi Keema with Salli and Pao, Wild Muntjac Biryani and Duck Egg Langoustine Bhurji with Malabar Paratha.
Gymkhana, Via Riyadh, Riyadh 12912, Sun to Thurs 7pm to 1am, Fri 2pm to 1am, Sat 2pm to 1am. @gymkhana.sa
Joan’s on Third
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LA’s hottest speciality food market, Joan’s on Third, is the ideal spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Marking the brand’s first international move, the Riyadh outlet reflects the LA outpost’s most distinctive features, including the neighbourhood-friendly atmosphere with communal tables and casual, charming decor. A hip gathering spot, Joan’s on Third Riyadh features the original rustic farm shop design, with a speciality food marketplace and an abundance of hand-packed products available to grab and go – from a freshly prepared beverage menu comprising a variety of bottled fruit juices and ground coffee, warm and comforting pastries for the ultimate bakery and café experience; to an extensive selection of artisan cheeses and deli counter.
Joan’s on Third, Via Riyadh, Riyadh 12912, Sun to Thu 2pm to 12am, Fri and Sat 2pm to 1am. @joansonthird.sa
Wagyumafia
Hailing from Tokyo, Wagyumafia is an exclusive members-only restaurant that offers champion-grade Wagyu beef. The brand became a global sensation after introducing the Kobe beef Chateaubriand cutlet sandwich in 2017. Now open in the capital’s latest hotspot, Via Riyadh, the restaurant currently accepts reservations from non-Wagyumafia members for a limited time. Diners can expect a prix fixe menu here – a 14-course meal for SAR1,300 per person. Wagyumafia shares the same space as its sister venue, Yakinikumafia, but with an entrance masked as a heavy-duty freezer door. While Wagyumafia has us at ‘hello’ with its unique entrance, the food has us equally impressed. The menu focuses on dishes grilled with the Josper oven, delivering the full flavour of each ingredient, and, of course, the rarest cuts from the most prized breed – the Ozaki Wagyu beef from Miyazaki, Japan, celebrated for its rich marbling and unctuous texture. Read our review here.
Wagyumafia, Via Riyadh, Al Hada, Riyadh 12912, daily 6pm to 11.30pm. @wagyumafia.sa
Yakinikumafia
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Built on the Japanese concept of Yakiniku, Yakinikumafia is an authentic Japanese barbecue concept that pairs fire-grilled meats with an industrial, youthful ambience. The lively and energetic space will be sleek and minimal, with each table set with a full Yakiniku grill plate for immersive dining. Designed by Wagyumafia, its uniqueness comes from being one of the rare Japanese grill restaurants that explicitly serves wagyu. The restaurant is currently open for dinner only on weekdays, and lunch and dinner on weekends.
Yakinikumafia, Via Riyadh, Riyadh 12912, Sun to Thurs 7pm to 1am, Fri 2pm to 1am, Sat 2pm to 1am. @yakinikumafia.sa
Madeo
Los Angeles celebrity hotspot, Madeo Ristorante is now welcoming foodies in Riyadh. Guests are greeted with “Benvenuti al Madeo!” as soon as they enter the restaurant, transporting them on a multi-sensorial voyage to fascinating Tuscany. The menu features traditional Tuscan dishes, pairing the freshest local ingredients with premium European elements to culminate in an exceptional flavour combination. Madeo draws its inspiration from timeless comfort over contemporary trends, and as such the venue features a warm colour palette with brass and wood accents, large, curved booths, and a semi-open kitchen.
Madeo, Via Riyadh, Riyadh 12912, Sun to Thurs 7pm to 1am, Fri 2pm to 1am, Sat 2pm to 1am. @madeoristorante.sa
café ELLE
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ELLE Café combines the art of healthy food with Parisian style in interesting designs and distinguished decoration elements, different according to each country and place, mixing the ELLE fashion magazine’s DNA with local cultures that are perfectly matched.
chi SPACCA, Via Riyadh
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An LA-born concept by the incredibly talented Chef Nancy Silverton, chi SPACCA is Italian for “she (or he) who cleaves.” chi SPACCA Riyadh brings together a Californian flair with Tuscan flavours and aims to bring a quintessential new Italian dining experience to the heart of Riyadh. The venue aims to be an “ode to meat, beautiful meat,” and amazingly seasoned fish dishes too served with the freshest of veggies, and beautiful salads too. So, it’s safe to say there’s a little something for everyone in the space. The intimate dining room has a gorgeous exposed brick wall, a chill atmosphere, an open kitchen where you can watch your meat being grilled right in front, and a dry-ager too. Sit down to dinner and you’ll be greeted with different kinds of hand painted plates for each course.
chi SPACCA, Via Riyadh, Al Hada, 6pm to 12am Sun to Thurs, 2pm to 12am Fri, 1pm to 12am Sat. @chispacca.sa
Ferdi
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This Parisian celebrity hotspot’s menu is a melting pot of favourites, made with love, packed with flavour, and presented in a friendly fashion, designed to be shared by the table. Ferdi Riyadh’s aesthetic mirrors the flagship restaurant’s signature eclectic décor featuring Ferdinand’s old toys and memorabilia, a mix of velvet and wood furnishing with a Parisian accent, and a welcoming, intimate ambience.
Ferdi, Via Riyadh, Al Hada, 1pm to 12am Sun to Thurs, 2pm to 12am Fri, 1pm to 12am Sat. @ferdi.saudi
Les Deux Magots
A Parisian classic, Les Deux Magots is one of the oldest cafés in Paris, where art, fashion, literature, and politics come together to transport guests to a uniquely charming experience. The smooth coffee blends, silky traditional hot chocolate, freshly baked viennoiseries, fluffy omelettes, juicy steak with crispy fries, and scrumptious club sandwiches are some of the favourites from the all-day menu.
Lex Deux Magots, Via Riyadh, Riyadh 12912, daily 2pm to 1am. @lesdeuxmargot.sa
ALSO READ: 42 restaurants opening soon in Riyadh
Raoul’s
Somewhere between casual and upscale, New York City’s famed French bistro Raoul’s is another restaurant you can now book at Via Riyadh. The restaurant’s carefully curated menu cements Raoul’s authenticity, featuring dishes like Steak au Poivre with Frites and Raoul’s dressing; and Organic Classic-Style Whole Roast Chicken to the Tarte Tartin. The design of Raoul’s Riyadh will pay homage to the extraordinary and bygone era that first gave rise to Raoul’s in Soho. With a dark colour palette, intimate spaces and red velvet accents, the aesthetic of Raoul’s is that of a classical French bistro. Read our review here.
Raoul’s, Via Riyadh, Al Hada, 6pm to 12am Sun to Thurs, 2pm to 12am Fri, 1pm to 12am Sat. @raoulsrestaurant.sa
Spago by Wolfgang Puck, Via Riyadh
Spago is the flagship restaurant of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, and it’s now landed at Via Riyadh. Here, it offers an imaginative and seasonal menu of Californian cuisine with global accents highlighting the freshest and healthiest ingredients in a sophisticated and inviting atmosphere.
Spago by Wolfgang Puck, Via Riyadh, Al Hada, daily 6pm to 1am. @spago.sa
Temporarily closed: Over Under
Popular London-born café-to-bar concept Over Under is unlike other coffee shops. The experience continues after hours, as the shop ‘flips’ at 5pm, transforming from a café into an upbeat yet low-key mocktail bar – Over by Day, Under by Night. The Riyadh venue will carry the brand’s signature minimalistic, approachable menu, comprising dishes such as Spiced Mascarpone & Berry Toast; The Original Over Under Granola Bowl; Reuben Toastie; and Smoked Chicken Wrap.
Over Under, Via Riyadh, Riyadh 12912, daily 9am to 1am. overunderco.sa
Opening soon
Bianca, Via Riyadh
Famed LA hotspot Bianca is a restaurant and bakery offering a menu influenced by the owners’ roots – Italian, Argentinean and French. Bianca serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, complemented by a rotation of seasonal specials. Alluding to the restaurant’s name, the foundation of Bianca’s interiors is bright and airy with strong natural light. The aesthetic is a layered expression of the chefs’ coastal roots and is inspired by Forte Dei Marmi in Tuscany, Italy. A visit to Bianca is as much about the cuisine as the lifestyle.
Sexy Fish
Another Mayfair export, Sexy Fish serves a diverse menu of Japanese-inspired sushi, sashimi, seafood, fish, and meat cooked on a Robata grill inspired by the seas of Asia, with a focus on Japan. The Riyadh outpost will retain the signature dishes of the original Sexy Fish, such as duck salad; vegetarian sushi; smoked tuna belly; black cod and king crab, with the addition of new dishes and bold, seasonally inspired flavours. Guests can also expect brilliant entertainment by the restaurant’s resident DJs from lunch to dinner through the later hours.
Book now via viariyadh.com/dine