French food in Riyadh? Here are 15 restaurants that you must check out
The selection includes old favourites and new launches…
For those looking to fill up on French fare, we’ve put together a list of French restaurants in Riyadh. From haute cuisine institutions and neighbourhood bistros to French-inspired menus, you’re sure to find something to love on this list.
Angelina
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The iconic French café Angelina provides a chic European atmosphere and its Parisian flavours to the streets of Diriyah. Enjoy a selection of signature sweet pastries such as the Mont-Blanc, lemon tart and more, along with breakfast items, pasta, and afternoon tea sets. This is the second outlet in the Kingdom, with the first located in Jeddah, and a third scheduled to be open in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter.
Angelina, Bujairi Terrace, daily 9am to 1am. @angelinaparisksa
Bagatelle
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After its brief pop-up in Jeddah, this famed restaurant has opened a permanent address in Riyadh’s Laysen Valley. Food wise, you can expect French classics enlivened with innovative flavour combinations and a lighter approach to dining. Bagatelle’s famous plates include truffle roasted chicken, baby potatoes and jus, and homemade gnocchi with truffle sauce and parmesan. And as we know, the Bagatelle experience has always been more than just great food. It’s about those wild nights, the extravagance of extravaganza, dancing on the chairs, swinging your napkin around your head in merry abandon, channelling the court of Marie Antoinette, and a rich vein of joie de vivre. Read our review of Bagatelle Riyadh here.
Bagatelle Riyadh, Laysen Valley, Wadi Al Amariyah, Umm Al Hamam Al Gharbi, Riyadh 12329, daily 4pm to 1am. @bagatelleriyadh
Café de L’Esplanade
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This upscale French restaurant is Café de L’Esplanade’s first branch outside France. The fusion-style brasserie menu serves up classics like French onion soup, château filet, and veal ribs, but you can also look forward to Thai curry shrimps, spicy lobster pasta, and vegan curry.
Café de L’Esplanade, Bujairi Terrace, daily 10am to 11.30pm. @cafedelesplanadesa
Chalmont
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Housed within KAFD, Chalmont is a dreamy fine-dining restaurant known for its timeless French classics and recipes. Each dish tells a story through well-thought-out ingredients and artful presentation. From small plates to a variety of dishes to share, you’ll be teleported to France with the scrumptious creations here.
Chalmont, KAFD, Al Aqiq, Riyadh 13519, Sat to Thurs 12.30pm to 11.30pm & Fri 2pm to midnight. @chalmont.sa
Chez Bruno
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What makes this restaurant special is the passion from the family behind it, who created the original on the French Riviera as an homage to an ingredient they adore, the truffle. The brainchild of Clement Bruno, the restaurant is now in the charge of his two sons, one of whom, Benjamin, now helms the kitchen. The menu, much like the original devised in the 1980s, is an ode to the truffle, and is as decadent as the setting it’s served in. Spread over two floors, the Bujairi Terrace restaurant is cosy and inviting, with dark woods and grand gold chandeliers, and a huge painting of Provence’s unmistakable lavender fields on the back wall, bringing a fabulous piece of Provence to Riyadh. Read our review here.
Chez Bruno, Bujairi Terrace, Sun to Wed 4.30pm to midnight, Thurs to Sat 2.30pm to midnight. @chezbrunoksa
Entrecote Café de Paris
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With its signature steak frites, Entrecote Café de Paris offers diners an authentic French experience set in an elegant, sky-high restaurant. There is only one main course (steak, of course), but you get to choose your type of steaks – striploin, tenderloin, or striploin Wagyu. They’re served with its secret sauce, alongside green salad and chips. Additionally, five different desserts are available for after-meal indulgences, such as crème brûlée and profiteroles topped with melted chocolate.
Entrecote Café de Paris, various locations, including Al Faisaliah Tower, Laysen Valley, and Lumiere Centre. @entrecote.sa
Entrecote Petit Louis
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For another incredibly tasty steak frites, but at a great price, head to Entrecote Petit Louis. Executive chef Brice Alexandre serves up one cut of steak on the menu – the beef tenderloin. For just SAR139, start with a fresh green walnut salad before digging into the soft, tender, and slightly smoky steak, paired with crispy golden fries and a generous helping of the secret sauce, as well as your choice of dessert. Not in the mood for steak? The set menu also offers fish and chips for its main course alternative. We recommend trying the ala carte dishes, too, such as onion soup and escargots.
Entrecote Petit Louis, two locations, including 8156 King Abdulaziz Rd, As Sahafah, 4391, Riyadh 13321 & Prince Muhammad Ibn Abd Al Aziz, Sulaimaniyah, Riyadh 12223. Opening hours: Sat to Wed 12.30pm to midnight, Thurs & Fri 1.30pm to 2am. @petit_louis_riyadh
Ferdi
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The 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. Signature dishes include the cheeseburger – which has become a Ferdi staple – Guasacaca, a salad of avocado, tomato, red onions, and coriander; ceviche, a whitefish salad marinated in lime; Ferdi’s Macaroni and cheese and its Mexican beef enchiladas with melted cheese. 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. From the distinctive matte black signage and red and black colour palette right down to the lighting, anyone who has experienced Ferdi in Paris will find themselves right at home at the restaurant’s Riyadh outpost.
Ferdi, Via Riyadh, 2941 Makkah Al Mukarramah Rd, Riyadh 12912, Sun to Wed 1pm to midnight, Thurs to Sat 1pm to 1am. @ferdi.saudi
L’ami Dave
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Located at Mansard Riyadh, a Radisson Collection Hotel, L’ami Dave is a homage to luxurious fine-dining in Paris. This old world glamour is a dazzling time capsule set to transport you to the golden age of the French capital. Expect waiters smartly dressed in black tie attire and a textured dining room designed to be photographed, with high ceilings, rich brocade upholstery and delicate gold accents. The extensive menu boasts a wealth of updated French classics like escargots de bourgogne, carpaccio de boeuf with black truffle, and a luxurious Cote de Boeuf.
L’ami Dave, Mansard Riyadh, a Radisson Collection Hotel, Ar Rabi, Riyadh 13315, daily noon to 11pm. @lamidaveriyadh
Les Deux Magots
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Step back in time in Parisian style when visiting the Riyadh outpost of Les Deux Magots, where art meets fashion and literature meets politics, transporting guests to a uniquely charming experience. With different menus for different mealtimes of the day, Les Deux Magots aims to deliver the finest French flavour to its guests. 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 menu. Read our lunch review of Les Deux Magots Riyadh here.
Les Deux Magots, Via Riyadh, Al Hada, Riyadh 12912, daily 1pm to midnight. @lesdeuxmagots.sa
Le Maschou
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Expect plenty of finesse at this popular restaurant in the Diplomatic Quarter. Known for its unique and exceptional cooking method using the wood-fire grill, Le Maschou specialises in traditional French food and steaks. The tenderloin carpaccio, fig salad and grilled rib-eye are all hot favourites. Just as unique as the food, the décor at Le Maschou is rustic yet stunning with a style unto itself that helps set a sophisticated atmosphere. Even celebrities like David Guetta, Afrojack, Cristiano Ronaldo and his partner Georgina Rodríguez have endorsed their love for Le Maschou Riyadh.
Le Maschou, Diplomatic Quarter, Tayma St, Al Safarat, Riyadh 12513, daily 12.30pm to 12.30am. @lemaschou_sa
LPM Restaurant & Café
LPM Restaurant & Café is dedicated to providing Riyadh’s sophisticated diners with the authentic flavours and iconic glamour of the French Riviera to the heart of the Kingdom. The menu showcases ingredient-led light French Mediterranean and Niçoise fare, alongside bespoke mocktails to perfectly match the fine food. Its divine cuisine perfectly blends with an ambience renowned for a pared-back environment reminiscent of the Cote d’Azur, framed in a light colour palette with fine linens and marble accents. The gorgeous interiors feature the same touches with eclectic art and occasional Belle Époque accessories.
LPM Restaurant & Café, Al Motassem Street, Al Olaya , Riyadh 12212, Sun to Thurs 12.30pm to 11pm, Fri & Sat 1pm to 11pm. @lpmriyadh
Le Relais de l’Entrecote
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This is another French steakhouse restaurant where only one main, the E’entrecote steak, is served. Here, the meat is without much fat but is still lean and tender. The thin slices of beef are complemented with a fresh walnut salad and crispy golden French fries. Be sure to leave some space for desserts.
Le Relais de l’Entrecote, two locations, including Almas Plaza, Sulaimaniyah, Riyadh 12223, daily 12.30pm to 11.30pm & Boulevard City, 2671 Prince Turki Bin Abdulaziz Al Awal Rd, Riyadh 13516, daily 5pm to midnight. @lerelaisentrecote
Raoul’s
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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, Riyadh 12912, Sun to Wed 6pm to midnight, Thurs to Sat 1pm to midnight. @raoulsrestaurant.sa
SO. Fleur
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This glorious, twinkling dining room, with its show-stopping chandeliers, museum-worthy sculptures, pillars, arches, and gleaming marble, is home to some seriously flawless French-Mediterranean cooking. Expect beef tenderloin carpaccio, grilled portobello mushroom salad, pistachio-crusted lamb chops, and roasted baby chicken with crispy potatoes.
SO. Fleur, Hittin, Prince Turki Alawaal St, Riyadh 13512, Mon to Wed & Sat 7pm to midnight, Thurs & Fri 7pm to 1am (Mezzanine is open daily from 2pm). Tel: 9200 12896. @so.fleur.sa
Coming soon: Benoit
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There is no other place as bistrot-like and as Parisian as Benoit, a contemporary French bistro by Alain Ducasse. And we’ll soon be able to immerse ourselves in the vibe of a genuine Parisian bistro in KAFD. Expect to see traditional French bistro elements, such as the signature red velvet banquettes, a lighter colour palette, and delectable French cuisine that blends beloved classics with modern inspiration.
Images: Instagram / Provided