We know that it can be tough to keep the kids entertained, especially at mealtimes and if they are fussy eaters. So whether you’re after monster-sized burgers, comic book-inspired restaurants or just want to feel at home with traditional Saudi cuisine, here are the 20 top family-friendly restaurants that should do the trick.
Alkofeia
If you’re downtown with a healthy bank balance and a penchant for Palestinian, this atmospheric eatery should satisfy your appetite. The kitchen’s calling card is fattoush, to be nibbled alongside grilled meats, traditional dips, and breads. What could be a starkly industrial dining room is softened by scatterings of knicks-knacks and paraphernalia, plus there’s a decent amount of outdoor seating.
Tahlia Street, instagram.com/alkofeia (055 345 3888).
Benihana
As an increasing number of restaurants strive to cultivate a sense of connection between the kitchen and the diners, Benihana has long taken the extremely direct approach: just put the chef at the table. Sit back and watch your personal teppanyaki pro smash out a range of Japanese grilled and broiled bites right in front of you.
Northern Ring Road, www.benihanainternational.com (011 415 7878).
Bistro Chino
With a name like that, it’s no surprise that this big restaurant specialises in fusion. But as well as sushi, barbecue, and Chinese cuisine that pinches ideas from all over Asia, Bistro Chino’s other speciality is eye-catching interior design. Like walking around a theme park, there’s something fun to look from every seat.
King Abdulaziz Avenue, opposite Kingdom School, facebook.com/bistrochino (050 961 4587).
Buffalo Wild Wings
These themed sports eateries will give you wings. But not just any wings. Since 1982, this Ohio-born chain has been in a flap over authentic, New York-style Buffalo chicken wings. A kaleidoscope of condiments ranges from Honey BBQ through to Caribbean Jerk, before flying east for Asian-flavoured dollops like Thai Curry and Teriyaki.
buffalowildwings.sa.
Catch 22
This Americana explosion enjoys a deep romance with Lichtenstein-style pop art, which means you’re basically eating inside a comic book. In other words, kids will adore it. Whip out the chopsticks for colourful, elaborate sushi rolls, dislocate your jaw for a ‘monster’ burger, then deepen your doctor’s frown lines with a milkshake the size of your head.
The Zone, catch22.ae (011 411 1124).
Em Sherif Café
It might be described as a café, but this offshoot of the Em Sherif restaurant empire doesn’t do things casually – the room is stunning, featuring an elaborate ceiling with a galaxy of hanging globe lights. Known for her special takes on Arabic cuisine, Mireille Hayek’s menu includes hindbeh with goats’ cheese, and byed bi awarma (eggs with
lamb confit).
The Zone, Takhasousi Road, www.emsherif-cafe.com (092 001 7617).
Florya Steakhouse
When you’re feeling fancy, Florya will oblige: it’s all shimmering golden surfaces, ambient lighting, and waistcoated waiters. The menu includes everything you would expect from a steakhouse, with a Turkish influence. There’s oven-roasted Australian Black Angus cuts served with Turkish pide and salad, giant cheese kofte, as well as all sorts of kebabs.
La Valle Mall, An Nafal, King Abdulaziz Road, floryasteaklounge.com (055 860 6444; 011 466 5511).
Give Me Five
This popular and casual Lebanese-Turkish joint benefits from a smattering of larger-than-life camel statues. Who doesn’t want their lamb livers and shakshuka with a side of massive camel? The menu is a crowd-pleaser, so alongside the hummus, labneh, falafel, shawarma platters, and savory katmer, there’s pizza, burgers, and fried chicken, too.
Various locations across Riyadh, instagram.com/givemefiveksa.
Goodies
When you call your restaurant Goodies, you’ve got to be pretty confident about what you’re plating up. In this case, that’s Lebanese fine-dining goodies, such as lobster salad, dandelion greens, mozzarella-stuffed grilled eggplant, fresh seafood flashed across the grill, and a long list of platters. Goodies might be upmarket, but the separate kids’ menu shows it isn’t stuffy.
Street, www.goodies.com.sa (092 001 2043).
Karam Beirut
This pair of classy Lebanese dining rooms are related to the Karam family’s first restaurant in (you guessed it) Beirut, which swung its doors open in 1960. With their white tablecloths and pretty, delicate tableware, these restaurants are ace for a special occasion.
Bin Awwal, Prince Turki Ibn Abdulaziz Al Awwal Road, and As Sulimaniyah, karambeirut.com (011 416 1717).
Najd Village
Designed to reflect the region’s culture and cuisine, Najd Village showcases wheat, dates, and dairy. Expect your table to burst with colour, from deep-red jareesh soups, to the naimi meat magloba, which is a bit like a rice-topped lamb pie served upside down. The Village Sofra platters are perfect for families.
Various locations throughout Riyadh, najdvillage.com (092 001 7373).
Off White Lounge
This incredibly pretty option showcases traditionally Saudi, Armenian, Lebanese, and Italian cuisine, while striving to sprinkle a sheen of luxury atop every dish. The kitchen’s specialities include the crunchy, meat-stuffed Off White Quzi, and braised lamb shank served with Armenian rice. If you’re a committed dipper, check out the nicely presented signature hummus trio.
offwhite.kuzama.co (053 919 0894).
Piatto
This collection of restaurants has been plating up family-friendly Italian classics across the Kingdom for years. Choose from soups, pastas, pizzas, sandwiches, and meat and seafood dishes. Piatto’s proud of its special brand of ‘hospitaliano’: when a restaurant’s casually cooking up spectacular new additions for your vocabulary, just imagine what they’re spinning out of the kitchen.
Various locations including Riyadh Front, piatto.com.sa.
P.F. Chang’s
The wok is king at this stir-fry paradise, which clearly suits an unfathomable number of hungry humans because P.F. Chang’s operates more than 300 restaurants across 25 countries. The menu spans multiple countries, too, from a classic lo mein or kung pao chicken, to Mongolian beef and pad Thai. Beyond Chang’s all-conquering wok, there’s also sushi and dim sum.
Sidra Mall and Riyadh Park, pfchangsme.com/sa.
Spread
Go fast-casual at this no-fuss, playfully decorated sandwich specialist. Diners choose from a range of sarnies, add in extras from a list including fried sweet potato, pulled beef, and mushrooms, then collect it at the counter. There are salads and appetizers too, as well as an area of little tables and chairs with toys for playful kids.
Anas Ibn Malik Road, instagram.com/spreadrestaurant (011 410 3172).
Steak House
Launched on old Thalatheen Street in 1992, Steak House really took off and now has branches across the Kingdom, including eight in the centre. Hit the all-you-can-eat soup bar (just don’t be a rookie and fill yourself up), nibble a bit of salad, then get stuck in to a range of Halal-certified cuts. The rest of the menu is utterly massive, so bring your fussiest family members here.
Various locations including Riyadh Front, steakhouse.com.sa.
TGI Fridays
From New York City beginnings in 1965, Fridays has since nailed the fun, family restaurant formula. If you’re picturing a particular classic American dish in your ravenous mind, it’s almost certainly on the menu: cheeseburgers, Buffalo wings, potato twisters, Texas short ribs, chicken tenders, Cajun chicken pasta, molten chocolate cake… arrive hungry.
Takhassusi Street, Al Mathar Ash Shamali, tgifridaysme.com (050 855 6055).
The Butcher Shop & Grill
For South African-style slabs of steak, this brand is a cut above thanks to the on-site butcher’s shop – they know what they’re talking about. If you want something theatrical, order the dangling skewers of meat from the espetada menu. Otherwise, there’s plenty of straight-up Australian beef steaks to pick from, as well as ribs, brisket, chicken seafood, lamb, burgers, and combos.
Tahlia Street and Al-Ahmadi Street, butchershoparabia.com/ksa.
The Cheesecake Factory
Born in 1972, this globe-spanning brand undersells itself – there’s far more than cheesecakes on its menu, which lists an extremely broad range of savoury dishes. Not that we’d ever undermine cheesecake: the Factory’s original is a creamy slab topped with sour cream and bottomed with a Graham Cracker crust, or there’s dulce de leche, chocolate tuxedo, and pineapple upside-down iterations.
Sidra Mall and Riyadh Park, thecheesecakefactoryme.com/ksa.
Zafran Indian Bistro
This smart and modern restaurant group cooks up Northwest Indian cuisine, such as dahee kebabs (deep-fried yoghurt and coriander dumplings) and gosht kairi ka kheema (minced lamb curry with raw mango and chilli). Vegetarians will be extremely happy with the menu’s long list of choices and the range of soft drinks is impressively creative.
Rubeen Plaza, Turki Square and Levels Mall, zafranrestaurants.com.
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