Reviews

Riyadh Spa Reviews: 

SPA REVIEW: MAISON JOELLE- A LAVISH EXPERIENCE

Riyadh Restaurant Reviews:


TOP TEN RESTAURANTS IN RIYADH


THE TOP 14 MOST ROMANTIC RESTAURANTS IN RIYADH



Maya La Chocolaterie


Centro Restaurant And Lounge


Trader Vic's


Coco's Restaurant And Bakery


Il Terrazo Brazilian Restaurant


CEnto Per CEnto



Tango









Piatto
I had wanted to try out this Italian restaurant located on the Northern Ring Road for a long time because of its inviting appearance. What especially sparked my interest was the outdoor area adorned with a large fountain and a lovely terrace. I could not wait to be able to sit outside by the fountain listening to the water flowing. In my mind I had pictured this restaurant as a romantic restaurant for couples. Finding such a pleasant family section area outdoors in Riyadh seemed too good to be true.
To my great disappointment, it was too much to ask for. The outside seating area is not in use for dining, it only serves its purpose as a waiting area for people when the restaurant has closed its doors for prayer.  I had a feeling the "no eating outside" rule might have something to do with the religious cops aka muttawa.
Despite the initial disappointment and my wrong expectations of the venue, our dining experience was very positive. The inside area was equally attractive with a large courtyard and more fountains. There is no music but happy chatter and sounds of children filled the restaurant. This is definitely a restaurant designed for families. There is even a large play area complete with computer games and a ball pit on the second floor of the restaurant

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When we were there with our baby the restaurant was very full and the waiters were busy but nevertheless remained very friendly, considerate and professional.  You can choose between sitting in the lovely "Piazza" among the fountains or in one of the more private booths in the family section. There were plenty more tables on the second floor overlooking the Piazza but unfortunately they did not serve to those tables.
For starters we ordered the meatball sliders which any kid would love! These mini burgers were very
appetizing and well presented. The restaurant offers a complimentary garden salad and a delicious bread basket. The kids get their own menu which is also an activity booklet they can keep.
The menu has a long list of creative pasta dishes to choose from. I loved the broad pizza menu even more. So many interesting toppings to choose from such as wild mushrooms, smoked salmon, rosemary potatoes, goat cheese and arugula. We ordered their most popular pizza, sundried tomato, pesto and goat cheese pizza.
The pizza was amazing, the crust was thin and crispy and the taste was perfect. Would have ordered another one straight away if we weren't already bursting from all the different foods we tried! The pastas were delicious, although to my taste a bit too salty. Another positive surprise was how many healthy food choices were on the menu such as the grilled chicken and salmon dishes.
For dessert the restaurant offers a variety of Gelato, Italian ice cream. The only problem was choosing which one to try from all the wonderful flavors! The coffee ice cream was divine and we also tried their crème brulee which was fab and had a very authentic Italian feel to it.

This place has the genuine Italian family-oriented feel and warmth to it. I would highly recommend it for families with small children or for a group of friends. 




18 comments:

fatma87 said...

thanks for this post, i love it,, its really helping me to found a perfect romantic resto in riyadh :-)

Anonymous said...

Hi I had a great time at the Najdi Village, I like to food and the private room. I have njoyed going with my husband to this place. I also went to the Brazilian place and enjoyed the food and the sauces they served at this place. Also if the weather is cold they offer you with a warm, furry kind of coat :)

The Stig said...

I am coming to Riyadh for a business meeting.. but would like to know if you guys have a Saudi Aggregator where i can see all of the Saudi blogs?

Ummaryam said...

Oh I love your resturant reviews! I lived in Riyadh for a while and visted some of these resturants but not all of the ones listed....makes me wanna go back and try them lol

Anonymous said...
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FST said...

beautiful photography and great info!

hosam_first said...

good photo

Aliyah said...

mashAllah...great place. i love the Najd style restaurant. its wooow

Jean said...

YOu might want to write a blog post about eating...camel.

It sounds abit strange, it would be the equivalent of eating horse..an animal that works and is loved by owner.

Anonymous said...

Assalamualaikum, I'm a reader for Indonesia. On February 2012 I visited Madina and Mecca to perform Umra, only transitted in Riyadh for an hour. I had a great time in Saudi Arabia, I wish I could go back there again and again. It's nice to read your blog, describing how a woman lives in Saudi ;)

Diah - deetwilight.blogspot.com (my blog is in English, I live in Bandung, Indonesia)

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Anonymous said...

I just stumbled upon your blog and it's really interesting. I love the style of dining in these restaurants, where you can sit in privacy with your family. I'd like to see more restaurants designed that way here in the west.

Tina said...

Beautiful places. I love it! Thanks for sharing this to us.

Anna said...

Wow! Those places are really awesome and beautiful. Also, the food looks delicious. How I wish i could go to one of those places someday. Keep posting!

Collin said...

Yes. This place is really cool. Looking forward to here and enjoy their delicious foods. Thanks for sharing and keep posting.

Maria said...

Those Italian Restaurants are really awesome. Love it! The foods really looks delicious. How I wish I could visit the place. Thanks for sharing.

Thuy Wilkinson said...

The owner must have believed on the Chinese beliefs because they put a fountain outside the restaurant. It is said that when you want be lucky, you should have the flowing fountain outside the area.

Unknown said...

Awesome venue set ups and such a great article. We love the way you wrote the article. Were from restaurant in Brooklyn and we admire your blog.