Oulu hearts Riyadh, and it certainly seems Riyadh hearts Oulu given the number of jovial diners that fill the restaurant and terrace. This As Sulimaniyah spot seems to strive to spread the love, with hearts on the door, staff aprons and crockery. And it does it with food fresh from the pizza oven.
You can get in a virtual queue ahead of your arrival, and even on a weekday it’s a wise idea to because the place fills up quickly. Restaurants on upper levels can sometimes miss out on footfall, but Oulu seems to encounter no such struggle.
Sure, Oulu isn’t the most elevated Italian in the city, nor is it trying to be. It’s an easy choice for friends and families to gather and celebrate an occasion (especially birthdays) or single diners looking for Italian comforts with a few inventive options.
Crazy corn with a cheesy sauce is an unexpected dish from the one-page menu, but appears on many a table. Mains are focused on pasta, risotto and pizza with all dishes around SAR50, up to SAR72 for a truffle pizza made with Oulu special sauce (a worthy choice). There’s just one dessert: classic tiramisu, sliced in a generous slab.
The bright, white-walled space has black-and-white photos of Italian movie stars as well as a tree seemingly growing out of the floor, but it’s the mammoth pizza oven in the corner of the open kitchen that your gaze will be drawn to.
There are plenty of glamorous European eateries, especially Italian restaurants, in the Saudi capital for when you want to splash out. For times when you’re after an affordable, cheerful spot to please a group, Oulu works.
