Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh (review)

Stylish surroundings at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Stylish surroundings at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

The first thing that hits you when you walk into Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh, is that it is designed in a very stylish manner. It displays a hint of opulence without being gaudy. It incorporates elements of Louis XIV and the Pompidou Centre in a way which manages to avoid falling into the trap of covering everything wooden with gold paint and thinking the height of luxury has been achieved.

As we know, however, restaurants aren’t (or shouldn’t be, anyway) a success because of looks alone, so how does Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh, fare on the food front?

Extensive Menu at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

The menu has two pages for lunch, and two pages for dinner; make sure you realise which you should be reading. The font size is not the most reader-friendly of any restaurant that have been reviewed here, although it does allow for an impressive number of dishes to be included on each page.

It is a nice touch that many of the fresh fruit and vegetables are on display, although it’s a shame the tomato and lemon that are used as decoration on each table aren’t more prime specimens.

Fresh fruit and vegetables on display at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Fresh fruit and vegetables on display at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Bread basket at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Bread basket at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Once the order has been placed with the waiter, a basket of bread is brought to the table. This has the unusual distinction of being bread made well, something that is lacking in the vast majority of restaurants in Riyadh.

Foie Gras at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Foie Gras at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Two of the most famous French starters are Foie Gras and French Onion Soup, and Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh, does both well.

French Onion Soup at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

French Onion Soup at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Main Courses at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

As for the main courses, there is a wide choice of pasta, pizette, fish and meat.

Lasagne at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Lasagne at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Whilst the lasagne was possibly more of a local interpretation than a traditional recipe, the salmon comes highly recommended and is well prepared and very tasty.

Grilled salmon at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Grilled salmon at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

This stylish restaurant also has a very cool website

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Tenderloin Steak at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Tenderloin Steak at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Both the Filet Mignon and the Tenderloin Steak are grilled as requested (another aspect of Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh, that is quite unusual in a city that sees chef’s preparing meat with scant regard to a customer’s wishes).

Filet Mignon at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Filet Mignon at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Dessert Heaven at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Dessert trolley at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Dessert trolley at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Caramel Roasted Pineapple Dome at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Caramel Roasted Pineapple Dome at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Perhaps the most impressive options are contained within the dessert menu. The Dessert Trolley at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh, has an enticing selection of cakes and tarts that allows you to view before you order, although the creations on the menu are far from disappointing.

Crispy Vanilla Mille-Feuille at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Crispy Vanilla Mille-Feuille at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh, is famed for it’s love of chocolate. This extends to the desserts and to its drinks, with several varieties of hot chocolate available, as well as an indulgently smooth cold chocolate option.

Hot Chocolate and Lemon Meringue Tarte at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Hot Chocolate and Lemon Meringue Tarte at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

Our Opinion of Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh

There is very good food served at Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh. Be careful, however, as it is easy to fall into the trap of ordering far more than is advised by nutritionists. That said, the taste is generally worth it.

The main drawback to the place is that the upholstery could do with refreshing, as sadly it appears that some diners ate a little too enthusiastically and decided that they would contribute to the decoration of the seats, confusing epicurean treats for an artist’s palette.

Please add any thoughts you have about Appétit Kitchen, Riyadh, in our comments section below

About the Author

Andy Conder has lived in Saudi Arabia for over six and a half years. During that time he has travelled to the north, south, east and west of the country, over the sand dunes and under the water. "Whilst Riyadh is the place to be for work, it is only when people get out to the more provincial and desert areas that they will see Saudi Arabia in its true splendour. Most people who arrive for the first time have no idea of the variety of life in the kingdom." Having been involved with restaurants in London, and having reviewed establishments in Cape Town and Dubai, Andy is knowledgeable about what people want when they go out to eat, and he is happy to guide people through the confusing array of restaurants that are found in Saudi Arabia.