Riyadh

Al-Malaz Restaurant

No-frills, somewhat fly-blown South Indian eatery that's always packed thanks to tasty food, low prices and generous portions. At lunchtime, you can get four curries meat or veg, pickles, fresh veggies, rice, chapattis, pappadums, dessert and tea, all with infinite refills, for the scarcely credible price of SR6.

Ya Mal Asham

All the ambience of a giant school cafeteria, but there's a great selection of Arabic food from shwarma to soups, grills, stews and desserts and the "take a tray and point" style of ordering makes it easy to choose although they do have an English menu as well.

Immensely popular chain which does excellent thick, fresh juice cocktails as well, but the main draw here is the famous shwarma, arguably Riyadh's best. They're minuscule in size but cheap at SR4 a pop, so most people order at least three! The menu available in English also covers freshly baked pastries, kebabs and some Lebanese treats. Place your order and pay first, then queue at the counters. You can eat in at the diner-style high counters among towering piles of fruit, but most opt for take-away.

Iranian restaurant offering a good range of kebabs and a better range of mezze like tabbouleh, hummus, eggplant, vine leaves etc.

Korean Palace

Korean-run eatery offering reasonably authentic Korean, Japanese, and Chinese food at reasonable prices. Popular with the local Asian community.

Abdulwahab

Modeled after a restaurant in Beirut of the same name, this restaurant has quickly become one of the most popular and reputable Lebanese restaurants in town.

Duo

Chain Italian restaurant that caters to families. The selection is decent, but quality is lacking. If you go, try the Spaghetti Curry dish - fried chicken, peas, pineapple curry pasta - sounds weird, but tastes good. If going as a bachelor group all males, the room is off to the side with limited service.

Steak House

Basic chain steak house - think Ponderosa - with a decent selection of steaks and other meat products. One of many locations throughout Riyadh.

Assaraya

This very popular Turkish restaurant is packed during the evening hours. Meat is the name of the game here, and it comes in numerous tasty variations. The bread is superb!

Teatro

Teatro is an amazing find in the small area between Olaya and Kind Fahad Road. The bachelor side the only side visited this trip looks like a very odd dance club. We were escorted to the "VIP room" and were not told about the extra SAR 30 charge per person. Although this was disappointing, the area is a mix of 1960's mood lighting, lava lamps, odd kitsch, and a hunter's room with hunted animals every where. Add in Pink Floyd's "The Wall" a bit of irony for the Kingdom and a few huge screen TVs - the place is a den for sports fans in Riyadh. We were told the place sells out on football nights. The food was international in style and average. The pizza had too much cheese. Overall the food was average, but the decor and oddity of finding a place like this in Riyadh will entice a return visit during a football match. There is a family side that looks just as interesting.

Tokyo

This is an oldest Japanese restaurant in town dating from the 80's. It is said to be run by Japanese and to serve excellent Sushi. Closed on Fridays.

Burj Al-Hamaam

One of the older Lebanese restaurants in town, this sparsely-decorated restaurant has had an enduring reputation. It is especially known for its "Sayyadiyya" and its "Kibbe in pomegranate sauce."

Mirage Restaurant

Taiwanese-Saudi run Chinese restaurant offering a variety of foods from throughout Asia, stick to the Taiwanese or Chinese menu items. The pigeon is a great appetizer as an alternative to the deep fried appetizer menu. The restaurant is accepting of business mixed gender groups. Ask for a table on top of the illuminated fish tanks in the center of the restaurant. Getting there can be difficult as it is in a side strip mall, look for the pagoda top and the neon Chinese gate.

Chilis

Quite good rendition of TexMex with a typical American look-and-feel. If you're from the Northeast of the US, the Buffalo Wings / Tenders are recommended - excellent hotsauce.

Avadh

Avadh is a traditional north Indian restaurant on the Tahlia strip western style shops/restaurants. The family section is quite nice. The food is traditional, authentic, and expensive in comparison to other Indian restaurants. The naan and roti are fresh. The lamb "dum style" was the best dish of those ordered.

Najd Village

Probably the restaurant with the nicest decor in Riyadh, traditional saudi food, you will be sitting on a the floor."

Mondo

Probably the most expensive and highest quality restaurant in Riyadh, with varied, international cuisine.

Sheraton Riyadh

Offers a very rich buffet for breakfast, covering a wide spectrum of mediterranean and middle eastern delicacies, as well as regular european food. the italian restaurant in the ground floor of sheraton riyadh is excellent. the pasta with its freshly prepared sauce is recommended.

Spazio

Located at the top floor of kingdom center, this restaurant is nominally italian but in fact serves a varied international cuisine. despite the view and cost, the food is not especially impressive.