City guide · Riyadh

What to eat in Riyadh: local context and restaurants

Understand Riyadh’s marqooq and Saudi jareesh while choosing four checked restaurant formats, exact branches, sharing styles and dietary questions.

Editorial responsibility: Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

This guide is part of our Riyadh destination coverage. Riyadh

Understand local food before choosing a restaurant

Jareesh — representative photo Representative photo Savoury
Photograph · Sayom · CC BY-SA 4.0
02Restaurant

Jareesh

The Saudi Culinary Arts Commission selected jareesh as the Saudi national dish; no selected venue is claimed to serve it.
Source and date: Jareesh
Jareesh https://www.spa.gov.sa/w1838683 Checked 2026-09-29
The Saudi Culinary Arts Commission selected jareesh as the Saudi national dish; no selected venue is claimed to serve it. https://www.spa.gov.sa/w1838683 Checked 2026-09-29

Riyadh’s food choices include Saudi traditions and restaurants serving cuisines from elsewhere. Keep those two ideas distinct when deciding what to eat. Visit Saudi describes marqooq as a regional speciality associated with Riyadh. The Saudi Culinary Arts Commission selected jareesh as a national dish, according to the Saudi Press Agency. These are useful names to recognise when reading a Saudi menu, but none of the four checked restaurants below has a readable current listing for either dish. Do not make a reservation at one of them assuming marqooq or jareesh will be served.

The distinction also helps with other food names. Jareesh is a national selection, while Visit Saudi places marqooq with Riyadh’s regional identity. That does not mean either dish was invented by a particular restaurant, or that a menu must contain one to be worth considering. If tasting one is your priority, find a current restaurant menu that explicitly names it and ask about the preparation. This shortlist instead gives four different restaurant formats whose current service can be checked independently.

San Carlo Cicchetti’s operator explains a Venetian sharing-plate idea and describes pasta, pizza, seafood and antipasti at its Riyadh restaurant. Be Karam identifies Lebanese food and provides a menu route, although the detailed items could not be read here. Alkhrof identifies Kuwaiti cuisine and separates its Riyadh ordering route from Kuwait branches. Shurfa describes an international restaurant concept and links to a menu. Choose among those formats for the kind of meal you want, then obtain the exact current dish list before naming anything as a restaurant speciality. A cuisine label describes a direction, not a complete plate or guaranteed choice.

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · www.visitsaudi.com

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · www.spa.gov.sa

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · sancarlo.co.uk

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · linktr.ee

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · linktr.ee

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · shurfa.com

Use exact Riyadh branches and plan the journey

Italian sharing plates

Source and date: Italian sharing plates
https://sancarlo.co.uk/restaurants/international/cicchetti-riyadh/ Checked 2026-09-29 Dated information; check the source before travelling
Not recorded
San Carlo Cicchetti describes smaller plates that can be shared or eaten individually.
Source and date: San Carlo Cicchetti describes smaller plates that can be shared or eaten individually.
https://sancarlo.co.uk/restaurants/international/cicchetti-riyadh/ Checked 2026-09-29 Dated information; check the source before travelling
Order
Not recorded

Lebanese restaurant

Source and date: Lebanese restaurant
https://linktr.ee/bekaramofficial Checked 2026-09-29 Dated information; check the source before travelling
Not recorded
Be Karam links current Lebanese dining, a menu and a reservation route.
Source and date: Be Karam links current Lebanese dining, a menu and a reservation route.
https://linktr.ee/bekaramofficial Checked 2026-09-29 Dated information; check the source before travelling
Order
Not recorded

Kuwaiti restaurant

Source and date: Kuwaiti restaurant
https://linktr.ee/alkhrof Checked 2026-09-29 Dated information; check the source before travelling
Not recorded
Alkhrof links a Riyadh Kuwaiti restaurant and Saudi ordering route.
Source and date: Alkhrof links a Riyadh Kuwaiti restaurant and Saudi ordering route.
https://linktr.ee/alkhrof Checked 2026-09-29 Dated information; check the source before travelling
Order
Not recorded

International restaurant

Source and date: International restaurant
https://shurfa.com/ Checked 2026-09-29 Dated information; check the source before travelling
Not recorded
Shurfa describes a Riyadh international restaurant with menu and online-order links.
Source and date: Shurfa describes a Riyadh international restaurant with menu and online-order links.
https://shurfa.com/ Checked 2026-09-29 Dated information; check the source before travelling
Order
Not recorded

The four restaurants are separate Riyadh destinations. Start with the district or street that fits the rest of your day, then consider the dining format. A brand’s city name alone is not enough for a meeting point, especially when the same operator has several Saudi or Gulf locations. Share the restaurant name and the exact link or street address that identifies the branch, and decide how the group will return after the meal.

San Carlo Cicchetti’s checked page identifies its Riyadh restaurant in As Sulimaniyah. Its operator also lists Jeddah and Khobar locations, so use the Riyadh branch page when reviewing a booking or a menu. Be Karam’s own directions link points to 6657 Imam Saud Bin Abdulaziz Bin Mohammed Road in An Nakheel. A reservation link accompanies the menu route. Use that street and the Be Karam name rather than relying on a cuisine search to identify the place.

Alkhrof’s operator page presents a Riyadh ordering route and several maps. The map for the selected restaurant matches its existing location, while a separate link labels the Hittin branch on Prince Turki Al Awwal Road. Do not silently substitute Hittin for the restaurant in this guide. The selected location’s full street address was not established in the pages read here, so share the correct operator map and confirm the meeting point with the restaurant.

Shurfa’s own map embed gives 4676 Makkah Al Mukarramah Branch Road in King Abdul Aziz, Riyadh. That is a specific restaurant destination, not a general promise that another venue with a similar name serves the same food. For any of these four, a precise destination is more useful than trying to fit every format into one cross-city restaurant circuit.

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · sancarlo.co.uk

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · linktr.ee

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · linktr.ee

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · shurfa.com

Four checked restaurant formats

San Carlo Cicchetti is the Italian restaurant identified by its operator in As Sulimaniyah. Its description explains smaller Venetian-style plates, which may be shared or eaten individually, and mentions pasta, pizza, seafood and antipasti. This is an Italian restaurant experience in Riyadh rather than an example of Najdi cooking. The operator says freshly prepared plates can arrive as they are ready, so discuss the intended sharing plan with the table before ordering. Individual current dish names are not recorded here because the Riyadh menu text was not readable.

Be Karam is the Lebanese restaurant whose operator-linked directions identify the An Nakheel address on Imam Saud Bin Abdulaziz Bin Mohammed Road. The same link page offers a menu route and a reservation route, confirming the dining service. Ask about the current dishes and portions instead of inventing a mezze or grill recommendation. Lebanese cooking is part of the city’s restaurant range without becoming a Riyadh-origin dish.

Alkhrof’s operator-linked page identifies Kuwaiti food and a Riyadh ordering route, separate from Kuwait links. Its selected Riyadh map is also distinct from a labelled Hittin location. Name the intended branch when contacting the business. Since the detailed food list was not readable, ask about the current options and whether the intended arrangement is a restaurant meal or an online order.

Shurfa gives a current international restaurant concept, online ordering and a menu link at its King Abdul Aziz district address. That combination establishes food service, but not a fixed dish from each of the cuisines it describes. Ask to see the current menu and clarify whether everyone wants individual mains or shared items. The choice among these four depends on format, location and the food actually offered on the day.

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · sancarlo.co.uk

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · linktr.ee

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · linktr.ee

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · shurfa.com

Agree on portions and sharing before ordering

The four venues do not establish one rule for ordering in Riyadh. Their service formats differ enough that a group should clarify its plan before choosing dishes. Decide whether everyone wants a separate plate, whether some items will be shared and whether the question concerns dining at the restaurant or an order placed through a linked service. Ask about portion sizes when the menu does not make them clear.

San Carlo’s cicchetti idea is the clearest sharing example in this selection. The operator describes smaller dishes that may be shared or eaten individually. A table can compare several plates, but the number of plates should follow the group’s appetite rather than a fixed formula. The restaurant also says freshly prepared dishes arrive as they are ready. Do not make simultaneous service a condition of the plan unless you discuss it with the restaurant. Someone wanting a different meal can order accordingly after the group agrees what is shared.

Be Karam has a separate menu and reservation route on its operator page. Use them to check the actual Lebanese dishes and the booking you intend to make. At Alkhrof, choose the correct Riyadh branch link before moving to its Saudi ordering service; the operator also lists Kuwait and a different Riyadh map. At Shurfa, the restaurant site links both an online order and a menu. Clarify which route is relevant to your meal before treating a digital order as a table booking.

For every venue, ask about the complete dish and what comes with it. A broad category such as antipasti, Lebanese food, Kuwaiti cooking or international cuisine is not a portion description. Choosing from a current menu and sharing a clear branch location are more useful than assuming a familiar cuisine works identically at every restaurant.

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · sancarlo.co.uk

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · linktr.ee

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · linktr.ee

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · shurfa.com

Discuss complete dishes with the venue

No halal, kosher or allergy certification is established by the sources checked for these four venues. Riyadh’s location does not itself certify a restaurant’s preparation, and a cuisine label does not say what every dish contains. If certification or a defined preparation process is essential, obtain that evidence directly from the venue before arranging the meal. Give the restaurant the exact ingredient or preparation requirement instead of relying on a general description such as “Italian” or “Lebanese.”

San Carlo’s operator describes pizza, pasta, seafood and antipasti, but the current individual dishes could not be read. A pasta might contain ingredients beyond the shape or sauce name, while a shared plate can affect several people at the table. Ask about the actual menu item before including it in a shared order. If one diner needs a different preparation, agree whether a separate plate is more suitable than adapting the whole group’s selection.

Be Karam and Alkhrof both provide operator-linked routes to current food service, but their detailed menus were not readable here. Do not classify an unknown Lebanese or Kuwaiti dish as vegan, gluten-free or nut-free by guessing from the cuisine. Obtain the item description from the relevant Riyadh branch and ask which changes, if any, can be made. Keep the Kuwait branch menu separate from Alkhrof’s Saudi ordering route.

Shurfa’s international concept covers a broad range of possible food, which makes dish-specific questions more important. Use the menu link to identify the actual item, then ask about ingredients and preparation. The same principle applies if you seek Riyadh’s marqooq or the national dish jareesh elsewhere: the cultural designation does not establish an ingredient list for a specific restaurant’s preparation.

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · sancarlo.co.uk

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · linktr.ee

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · linktr.ee

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · shurfa.com

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · www.visitsaudi.com

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · www.spa.gov.sa

Avoid cultural and branch mix-ups

  • Use Alkhrof’s selected Riyadh map rather than the separately labelled Hittin branch.
    Source and date: Use Alkhrof’s selected Riyadh map rather than the separately labelled Hittin branch.
    https://linktr.ee/alkhrof Checked 2026-09-29 Dated information; check the source before travelling

Do not turn a cultural food reference into an unsupported menu claim. Visit Saudi associates marqooq with Riyadh, and the Culinary Arts Commission chose jareesh as a Saudi national dish. Those facts help a reader distinguish regional and national food context. They do not show that San Carlo, Be Karam, Alkhrof or Shurfa serves either dish today. Look for a current menu that names the dish if it is the purpose of your meal.

Avoid substituting one branch for another. San Carlo’s Riyadh restaurant differs from its Jeddah and Khobar venues. Alkhrof’s selected Riyadh map is not the separately labelled Hittin branch, and its Kuwait links belong to another country. Be Karam’s directions specify An Nakheel. Shurfa’s restaurant address is 4676 Makkah Al Mukarramah Branch Road. Use the exact link or address when sharing a destination; a generic brand search can lead to a different place.

Skip invented dishes, prices and hours. San Carlo describes food categories and a serving approach, not a readable current list of named plates in this check. Be Karam and Alkhrof link menus or ordering services whose detailed food text was not read. Shurfa links a menu, but no individual current item was transferred here. Ask each venue what is offered for the meal you intend to have. A special offer, old photograph or another branch’s page is not a substitute.

Finally, do not make a four-restaurant itinerary simply to use every entry. These venues offer different cuisines and parts of Riyadh. Choose one that matches your appetite, district and group size. A precise branch, a clear ordering format and a real answer about ingredients help more than an unsupported ranking or a promise that one venue suits every visitor.

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · www.visitsaudi.com

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · www.spa.gov.sa

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · sancarlo.co.uk

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · linktr.ee

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · linktr.ee

Checked 2026-09-29 · Official site · shurfa.com

Common questions

Is marqooq served at one of these four restaurants?

Not established. Visit Saudi associates marqooq with Riyadh, but the checked restaurant sources do not name it on a current menu.

Is jareesh a Riyadh-only dish?

No. The Saudi Culinary Arts Commission selected jareesh as a Saudi national dish; that is different from Riyadh’s regional marqooq association.

How does San Carlo describe cicchetti?

The Riyadh operator describes smaller Italian plates that can be shared or eaten individually, with freshly prepared dishes arriving as ready.

Which Be Karam branch is identified?

Its operator directions specify 6657 Imam Saud Bin Abdulaziz Bin Mohammed Road in An Nakheel, Riyadh.

Is Alkhrof’s Hittin link the selected branch?

No. The operator provides a separate Hittin map; use the selected Riyadh location link when arranging this restaurant meal.

Where is Shurfa?

The operator map and restaurant address identify 4676 Makkah Al Mukarramah Branch Road, King Abdul Aziz, Riyadh.