Things to eat and restaurants to try in Riyadh

hi

there are alot of nice resturants here.... you may go to thaliya which has nice cafes and resturants.

as well as u may try few in centria mall....

The food is very similar to what is available in Abu Dhabi.

There are plenty of restaurants offering worldwide cuisine. Eating out is favourite past time here.

Once you arrive will you understand, Saudia is lot more conservative than Abu Dhabi.

SaudiUK wrote:

The food is very similar to what is available in Abu Dhabi.

There are plenty of restaurants offering worldwide cuisine. Eating out is favourite past time here.

Once you arrive will you understand, Saudia is lot more conservative than Abu Dhabi.

Worldwide cuisine is great after I've been there for a while but when I first arrive I want to try all the Saudi dishes. Aside from shwarma, falaffel, mutabel and hummis, what things do Saudis eat and where do they go (cheap street eats and fine dining). I'm just curious... Is camel common?

marina753 wrote:

hi

there are alot of nice resturants here.... you may go to thaliya which has nice cafes and resturants.

as well as u may try few in centria mall....

Cool. Thanks marina.

inKIMtax wrote:

SaudiUK wrote:

The food is very similar to what is available in Abu Dhabi.

There are plenty of restaurants offering worldwide cuisine. Eating out is favourite past time here.

Once you arrive will you understand, Saudia is lot more conservative than Abu Dhabi.

Worldwide cuisine is great after I've been there for a while but when I first arrive I want to try all the Saudi dishes. Aside from shwarma, falaffel, mutabel and hummis, what things do Saudis eat and where do they go (cheap street eats and fine dining). I'm just curious... Is camel common?

Camel is not common but available. Lamb & beef are favourite meats, followed by chicken.

Typical Saudi dish would be rice and meat (known as Kabsa). Most other typical Saudi dishes are very similar to Lebanese dishes, shawrma, falfel, fatoosh, talouba etc are very common and perceived to be Saudi dishes.

Anyway there is lot on offer, you wont be dissapointed with choice, the other difference is Saudi dishes are bland compared to Lebanese counterparts.

SaudiUK wrote:

inKIMtax wrote:

SaudiUK wrote:

The food is very similar to what is available in Abu Dhabi.

There are plenty of restaurants offering worldwide cuisine. Eating out is favourite past time here.

Once you arrive will you understand, Saudia is lot more conservative than Abu Dhabi.

Worldwide cuisine is great after I've been there for a while but when I first arrive I want to try all the Saudi dishes. Aside from shwarma, falaffel, mutabel and hummis, what things do Saudis eat and where do they go (cheap street eats and fine dining). I'm just curious... Is camel common?

Camel is not common but available. Lamb & beef are favourite meats, followed by chicken.

Typical Saudi dish would be rice and meat (known as Kabsa). Most other typical Saudi dishes are very similar to Lebanese dishes, shawrma, falfel, fatoosh, talouba etc are very common and perceived to be Saudi dishes.

Anyway there is lot on offer, you wont be dissapointed with choice, the other difference is Saudi dishes are bland compared to Lebanese counterparts.

Thanks a lot for all the info! I'll try the Kabsa when I get there and I'll bring my hot sauce to spice up the bland Saudi dishes. I have lived in three Asian countries where the food is spicy hot and I love that!

Our favorite Saudi food (perhaps middle eastern food) from wat we've tasted is Shawarma (specially when it's from McCoy's or Goldensaj)

McCoy's is a Lebanese restaurant i reckon, who provide middle eastern dishes. We've tried fatoosh, falafel, mutabel and even humus...nothing gr8. Oh, I enjoy eating Kabsa's from Shawaya House...they got some good varieties.

If i've missed out any other Saudi delicacies do let me know. So i cld try them.

I've heard good things about a Yemeni restaurant on Dahab Street.  Anyone have any idea where exactly it is?

Any recommendations for non-chain middle eastern restaurants would be appreciated too!
Thanks!

mmmmm
you can try Foul and Tameez
Foul is smashed beans and Tamees or Tameez is a brad similar to Naan the Indian's bread.
Both aren't Saudi traditional cousins but eat them together is our tradition
they are for breakfast meal maybe dinner most commend breakfast .
Fuol restaurants and Tammes bakery open very early in the morning after Fajer prayer.
each neighborhood in riyadh has several stores or restaurant selling them.

Personally I like to eat Tammes with cream cheese (not the kind that used for cheesecakes)
[img]nsaayat.com/up/uploads/nsaayat906ffb5e7b.jpg[/img]
kind of cheese very hard to find the Western countries


the other dish that easy to find is Motabag
[img]forum.mn66.com/imgcache/2/395734women.jpg[/img]
Usually its will be next to Fuol falafel restaurant maybe in the same store
there are different filling
Vegetarian : egg, tomato leek
meet: egg, tomato leek and ground meat
sweet: I do not know what its I never try it but there are banana and honey

the real traditional food hard to find it in restaurant and if you find them the taste  is they will taste so different then the original
there are many women how sell the traditional food cook at home and its real traditional if u like I can give u some of there number and help u with the language because most of them are not young ladies and they do not speak english

I just remember a good traditional restaurant worth the try call Al-Najdiyah Village
they have good real traditional Najdi dishes
but of course the ladies dishes are better

you can see this link for an idea for a meal
goodbyeblighty.tumblr.com/post/6255341371/food-in-saudi-arabia-is#0_undefined,0_

And you are welcome to visit me and my Saudis' friends to try a traditional meal with us in Riyadh

actually, you can go to tahlia street . really , you will be amazed by multireasturants , you will enjoy them !!!

Woa, Thx Live here'n there for the very informative post. Till this moment i had the impression that foul thamees was a Pakistani delicacy and not middle eastern. Perhaps i'm wrong. Anyways, I've tried it and nothing gr8'n it.
Motabag....sounds very interesting'n scrumptious. Gotta try dem soon. Will also try visit Najdiyah village.
P.S: Dudette...the cream cheese u referring to ... is known as Cheese spread...I believe it's available world wide.

for lebanese,turkish,arab delicacies here's the list:

mccoys (siteen), mama noura (dabab), assaraya (talateen), abdul waheb (tahliya), bait al lebnani (sulemaniyah), yamal asham (olaya), iraqi (siteen), najd village (somewhere near takasussi not sure)
italian: amore (tahlia), lolimpo (tahlia)
american: applebees (tahlia), tgif (takasussi, buffalo (tahlia)
chinese: chinese golden palace (musa bin nusayr), noodle house( centria mall)
pizza: pizza inn

live here and there wrote:

mmmmm
you can try Foul and Tameez
Foul is smashed beans and Tamees or Tameez is a brad similar to Naan the Indian's bread.
Both aren't Saudi traditional cousins but eat them together is our tradition
they are for breakfast meal maybe dinner most commend breakfast .
Fuol restaurants and Tammes bakery open very early in the morning after Fajer prayer.
each neighborhood in riyadh has several stores or restaurant selling them.

Personally I like to eat Tammes with cream cheese (not the kind that used for cheesecakes)
nsaayat.com/up/uploads/nsaayat906ffb5e7b.jpg[/url]
kind of cheese very hard to find the Western countries


the other dish that easy to find is Motabag
forum.mn66.com/imgcache/2/395734women.jpg
Usually its will be next to Fuol falafel restaurant maybe in the same store
there are different filling
Vegetarian : egg, tomato leek
meet: egg, tomato leek and ground meat
sweet: I do not know what its I never try it but there are banana and honey

the real traditional food hard to find it in restaurant and if you find them the taste  is they will taste so different then the original
there are many women how sell the traditional food cook at home and its real traditional if u like I can give u some of there number and help u with the language because most of them are not young ladies and they do not speak english

I just remember a good traditional restaurant worth the try call Al-Najdiyah Village
they have good real traditional Najdi dishes
but of course the ladies dishes are better

you can see this link for an idea for a meal
goodbyeblighty.tumblr.com/post/6255341371/food-in-saudi-arabia-is#0_undefined,0_

And you are welcome to visit me and my Saudis' friends to try a traditional meal with us in Riyadh

Wow!!! Thanks for your detailed response! This is exactly what I was looking for. I will definately try the Tamees. I lived in India for a year and loved Naan. I think I'll put cream cheese, tomato, cucumber and purple onion on it.

Motabag sounds yummy, too. I think I'd prefer the savory ones over the sweet one like you. It's my goal to meet Saudis when I arrive in Riyadh. I really want to experience the culture and meeting your "older women friends" who cook at home would be so fun. Maybe when I get there we can meet and go to their homes together.

I was thinking about trying to start a weekly "new restaurant" group where we meet at new places every week and try new foods. I'll post a topic once I arrive and see who's interested.

Thanks again for your response and I'll look forward to future food correspondences.

I forgot to say
Motabag, Fuol, Tamess are more of street food than a food to eat in restaurant
you take ur order and find a place to eat it
some have tables for men not families or women

inKIMtax
that will be wonderful to go togther visting the cooks' homes but I do not think they will allow us into thier homes
I'm just a costumer bay the food form them, order by phone and take the food form the door.
Sorry but you still welcome to vist me and try our traditional food and meet my young friends


I love the "new restaurant" group I'm in

Skillz wrote:

P.S: Dudette...the cream cheese u referring to ... is known as Cheese spread...I believe it's available world wide.

mmm maybe that right
I lived in North-America for several years and had hard time to find Cheese spread
the only place I did find them was in Arabic stores (Arabic's Bagala)
yes I find Cheese spread once in Walmart but the taste the smell the color are nothing like the Cheese spread that we have in the gulf countries
You have to try our cheese spread is different ( I'm honestly not working for the cheese company just like the cheese )

live here and there wrote:

I forgot to say
Motabag, Fuol, Tamess are more of street food than a food to eat in restaurant
you take ur order and find a place to eat it
some have tables for men not families or women

inKIMtax
that will be wonderful to go togther visting the cooks' homes but I do not think they will allow us into thier homes
I'm just a costumer bay the food form them, order by phone and take the food form the door.
Sorry but you still welcome to vist me and try our traditional food and meet my young friends


I love the "new restaurant" group I'm in

I love street food. I lived in Thailand for a year and that's all I ate.   At the places for men can women still order food and take it out?

It would be fun to meet you and your friends. You'll probably think I'm old, though since you're 26 (is that right?). I'm 42 but very young at heart. I've never gotten married and don't have kids and travelling has kept me young.

live here and there wrote:

Skillz wrote:

P.S: Dudette...the cream cheese u referring to ... is known as Cheese spread...I believe it's available world wide.

mmm maybe that right
I lived in North-America for several years and had hard time to find Cheese spread
the only place I did find them was in Arabic stores (Arabic's Bagala)
yes I find Cheese spread once in Walmart but the taste the smell the color are nothing like the Cheese spread that we have in the gulf countries
You have to try our cheese spread is different ( I'm honestly not working for the cheese company just like the cheese )

You should try "Laughing Cow" cheese spread wedges. It comes in a circular box and has individually wrapped cheese wedges. It's just like the cream cheese found in the Middle East. In North America, we eat Philadelphia Cream Cheese. It's different than yours.

live here and there wrote:

mmm maybe that right
I lived in North-America for several years and had hard time to find Cheese spread
the only place I did find them was in Arabic stores (Arabic's Bagala)
yes I find Cheese spread once in Walmart but the taste the smell the color are nothing like the Cheese spread that we have in the gulf countries
You have to try our cheese spread is different ( I'm honestly not working for the cheese company just like the cheese )[/color]

Aight, will try the local version of Cream cheese. Keep u posted. Aaah, in the beginning i hadda funny feeling that u were promoting da cheese , it seems u don't.

inKIMtax wrote:

live here and there wrote:

I love street food. I lived in Thailand for a year and that's all I ate.   At the places for men can women still order food and take it out?

It would be fun to meet you and your friends. You'll probably think I'm old, though since you're 26 (is that right?). I'm 42 but very young at heart. I've never gotten married and don't have kids and travelling has kept me young.

inKIMtax
42 is the new 24 do not warry   
I do have friends form all ages 22-62 and I believe that your age is what u feel not the number of which year you born in

I can't wait to meet you in Riyadh I hope u will enjoy staying and working in Riyadh

hi welcome to riyadh there are many many nice restaurants in riyadh depending on what cuisine you love ,the typical american casual diners are applebees and chillis ,chinese Mirage and Diamond are nice for indian food INDIAN SUMMER is the best and for hamburgers its

inKIMtax wrote:

Hi everyone Fat Burger on takhassousi

enjoy your time in riyadh



! I'm new to this forum and have never posted a topic so I thought I'd try.

I will soon arrive in Riyadh and would like to know what the tastiest foods are and which restaurants are good. I lived in Abu Dhabi for two years so I'm familiar with shwarma and falaffel but other than that, it seemed like all the middle eastern food there was lebanese. I can't wait to try Saudi dishes!