Riyadh

Al Faisaliah

At the foot of the Al Faisaliah skyscraper, this is one of Riyadh's swankiest malls, anchored by a Harvey Nichols department store. The food court on the third floor is among the best in the Kingdom; the one in the basement, on the other hand, is deserted. There is a fun park in the basement near the entrance on Olaya road. Families only W-F.

Al Nakheel Mall

The mall has a range of clothing shops, Virgin store and food count. Shops in the extension are mostly not opened yet but with a cinema at the end.

Al Shaya Persian Restaurant

A chain of Iranian restaurants available at several locations in the city. They offer a good range of kebabs and a better range of mezze like tabbouleh, hummus, eggplant, vine leaves etc.

Single portions under SR10, huge set meals SR21

As-Sufaat

Deira Square

Next to the Great Mosque and the mutawwa headquarters, this nondescript expanse of cement is known by expats as Chop-Chop Square as convicts are publicly beheaded with a scimitar here. Public executions are rare since MBS came to power. Executions used to take place on Friday mornings at 9AM, but not every week, and no notice was given in advance. Beware that any Westerners nearby have been known to be taken to the front row and forced to watch the whole thing, in order to further shame the condemned. It is forbidden to take photos of executions or to record videos of them.

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!

SR30

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."

SR30

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 and tenders are recommended - excellent hotsauce.

SR60

Dirab Golf & Country Club

Nice layout with green and inviting grass, and the last 9 holes are even floodlit. They offer tennis, swimming and horse-back riding as well.

Jarir Bookstore

Makatba Jarir

The two-level flagship store of Saudi Arabia's largest bookstore, most of the store is actually taken up by a wide range of computer gear, stationary, music and DVDs. The best English-language magazine and book selection in Saudi — which, alas, isn't saying all that much.

KSU Stadium

ملعب جامعة الملك سعود

Opened in 2015, this is the home ground of Al Nassr FC, who play soccer in Pro League the top tier. It has a capacity of 25,000 and in 2027 hosts matches in the AFC Asian Cup Finals.

King Fadh Sports City

مدينة الملك فهد الرياضية

This stadium has closed for reconstruction. It's being expanded to 92,000 capacity and will host soccer matches in the AFC Asian Cup Finals in 2027.

Kingdom Centre

المملكة Al-Mamlaka

Undoubtedly Riyadh's most stunning piece of modern architecture, at 305 m the Kingdom Centre is the second tallest building in Saudi Arabia and quite a sight, especially when lit up at night. The centre hosts an (expensive) three-story shopping mall, with one floor reserved for women, but the main reason to visit is the 99th-floor Skybridge connecting the two peaks at a height of 300 m. Best visited at dusk or after dark, from here you'll get great views over the vast and flat but well-lit expanse of the city.

Daily 4-11PM·SR60 (Skybridge)

Korean Palace

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

SR100 pp

Localizer Mall

A great place to visit if you are in Tahlia. They have wide range of clothing store as well as fine dining restaurant such as Outback.

Masmak Fortress

قصر المصمك, Qasr al-Masmak

The heart of old Riyadh, this was the fortress stormed by King Abdul Aziz and his men in their daring reconquest of Riyadh in 1902. Renovated in 2008 to an inch of its life, the mud brick structure now looks like it was built yesterday, but the museum inside does a pretty good job of recounting the story of the raid and has some fascinating photos of old Riyadh as well. Alas, the second half is devoted to extolling the greatness of the Sauds in everything from agriculture to education.

Free

Mirage Restaurant

Taiwanese-Saudi run Chinese restaurant offering a variety of foods from throughout Asia, stick to the Saudized 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.

SR80

Murabba Palace

قصر المربع,Qasr al-Murabba

Riyadh's second old mud-brick palace, built by King Abdul Aziz after he conquered Masmak Fortress and figured he should built something harder to conquer. This two-story structure does indeed look pretty intimidating, but permits are no longer needed to venture inside, where you can find sights including the first royal Rolls-Royce.

Sun-Fri 6-9PM·Free

Najd Village

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

SR75

National Museum

This museum (opened in 1999) is done up with the latest technology and is very accessible to visitors, with almost everything available in English. There are several video presentations and mini-theatres, so you could probably spend a lot of time here doing virtual tours of Madain Salih or watching re-enactments of the Prophet Mohammed's battle of Medina. Highlights include a kiswah cloth that once covered the Kaaba in Mecca. Half the time, though, it feels more like a propaganda exercise than a museum: the display on plate tectonics starts with a quote from the Quran, the history of the Sauds is rather airbrushed, and the display on the birth of Mohammed, reached from the clash and noise of the Jahiliyah (age of ignorance) by riding an escalator up into a room of soothing, pastel light while a choir of angels sings, has probably inspired a few conversions to Islam. Many cabbies will not recognize the English name: ask for the neighboring Murabba Palace (Qasr al-Murabba) instead.

Sat Mon Wed Thu 8AM-8PM Fri 4PM-8PM Sun 8AM-2PM·Free

Othaim Mall

A large mall with local and international brands, a food court and a couple of fine dining restaurants.

Paragon Family Restaurant

Providing traditional Malabar cuisine, North-Indian and Chinese. Paragon specials are biriyani, kudukka biriyani (served in a pot) and traditional style fish items.

5AM-2AM

Prince Faisal bin Fahd Sport City

مدينة الأمير فيصل بن فهد الرياضية

With a capacity of 22,500, this is the home ground of Al Hilal and Al Shabab, who both play soccer in Pro League. It too is a venue for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Finals.

Riyadh Park Mall

Contains several local and international brands, cafes, cinema and restaurants.

Sahara Mall and Hayat Mall

Sahara Mall hosts a VOX cinema. The second floor and food court are under renovation as of 2021, half of the shops are closed hence it is pretty desert. Hayat Mall is right next to Sahara Mall, it is significantly bigger than Sahara Mall with Danube hypermarket.

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.

Souq al-Thumairi

شارع الثميري

Also known as Antique Souq, this is Riyadh's most touristy souq, which isn't saying all that much. It specializes in Arabic goods cheap and expensive, authentic and fake, with carpets, coffee pots, daggers, jewelry and more. Most of it is made elsewhere, nothing is authentically Saudi. English is generally spoken, and haggling is obligatory.

Spazio

This restaurant is nominally Italian but in fact serves a varied international cuisine. Despite the view and cost, the food is not especially impressive.

Steak House

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

SR60

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. The "VIP room" and were not told has an extra SR 30 charge per person. The area is a mix of 1960s mood lighting, lava lamps, odd kitsch, and a hunter's room with hunted animals everywhere. 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 is international in style and average. The food is 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.

SR60/SR90 VIP

The Globe

Suspended 240 meters above Riyadh in the giant glass ball of the al-Faisaliah building, the Globe is the hippest cafe-restaurant and probably the single best splurge in town. So dimly lit at night that the waiters fade into the shadows, you can settle back in a plush leather seat, order a bottle of (non-alcoholic) bubbly, puff on a Cohiba and watch the lights of the city twinkle below. Reservations required, but they'll make one for you at the lobby if there's space. On the way out, stop at "the experience" level outdoor viewing platform.

Day SR100, night SR170 minimum charge, dinner SR175