Riyadh is growing fast, and you can taste that change in its restaurants. Chefs are bringing serious skill to the city. People come in groups, families, and business meetings, and the dining rooms stay full. It feels like a place where food is becoming part of the city’s identity in a real way.
The arrival of the Michelin Guide in Saudi Arabia has pushed this momentum into the global spotlight, and Riyadh now stands tall among the world’s great culinary capitals.
The search for Michelin star restaurants in Riyadh 2025 is only growing. Everyone wants to know where the stars will land in December. Until that moment comes, the guide has already revealed a strong list of Bib Gourmand spots and Michelin-selected restaurants that tell a clear story about Riyadh. A city rooted in heritage. A city that welcomes global talent. A city where Saudi flavors live beside French, Japanese, Armenian, and Thai traditions with ease.
This guide brings everything together for you. The places to look forward to. The restaurants already recognized. The dining experiences shaping Riyadh’s culinary rise.
Michelin Guide Saudi Arabia: What 2025 Looks Like
The introduction of the Michelin Guide Saudi Arabia follows a clear three-chapter rollout. First reveal in October, second in November, and the final reveal in December, when the stars will be announced.
This phased approach kept everyone glued to the updates. It also created room for the inspectors to explore Riyadh in depth: its luxury dining scene, its modern Saudi restaurants, and the new culinary districts taking shape across the capital.
As of now, Riyadh has not received its stars yet. The revealed selections focus on Bib Gourmand winners and Michelin-listed restaurants that already demonstrate quality, consistency, and chef personality. The stars come on December 15, and the anticipation alone tells you the scale of this moment.
Bib Gourmand Restaurants in Riyadh
Great Food. Great Value. Authentic Saudi Heart.
Michelin’s Bib Gourmand highlights restaurants that create memorable meals at moderate prices. Riyadh earned four spots in this category, and every one of them reflects deep Saudi identity.
Tameesa
Tameesa is a celebration of traditional Saudi breakfast culture. Warm bread coming out of the tandoor. Foul, moutabbal, mutabbaq, and the kind of morning flavors that feel like home. The interior glows with retro charm and an open kitchen that never stops moving.
Mirzam
Mirzam is a contemporary Saudi space by Chef Samer Abdullah Al Hajj Mahyoub. Every plate holds something familiar yet refreshed. The mulawah, baked the old Saudi way in a clay oven, carries that smoky taste Michelin inspectors loved. Egg Maghash, Kibda Hijazi, and the famous maasoub make this one of the strongest Saudi selections.
KAYZO
A bright, modern restaurant where Japanese cooking feels both creative and comforting. You see everything happening through the long open counter. Colorful plates, bold flavors, and a mood that becomes richer at night under warm low lighting.
Fi Glbak
Fi Glbak is Chef Hisham Baeshen’s love letter to the regions of Saudi Arabia. The dining room carries a giant suspended tree trunk as its centerpiece. The food carries flavors from Hijaz to the East and the South. Samosas. Molasses seabream. Sharqawi rice crowned with onions. It is heartfelt and deeply local.
Michelin Selected Restaurants in Riyadh
The City’s Most Exciting Fine Dining Experiences
These restaurants were included in the guide for their mastery, consistency, and distinctive character. They represent the best of Riyadh’s fine dining landscape.
French and European Icons
Café Boulud, Four Seasons Riyadh
Chef Nicolas Lemoyne leads one of the Middle East’s most refined French kitchens, Café Boulud. Elegant rooms, pastel colors, a dedicated cheese chef, and plates shaped by classical French training with subtle Saudi touches. Business lunches and Friday brunches give travelers and residents a chance to try world-class cuisine in a relaxed setting.
Benoit by Alain Ducasse, KAFD
Benoit is a true Parisian bistro transported with precision. Red banquettes. Brass chandeliers. Escargot, pâté en croûte, soufflé au chocolat, and even a gentle twist like Camel Rossini. This is Riyadh’s slice of Paris, created by one of the greatest culinary names in the world.
Italian Excellence
Il Baretto, KAFD
Warm lighting. Velvet chairs. Classic Italian flavors prepared with skill. Think gnocchi alla Sorrentina, veal Milanese, and the softest Amalfi lemon soufflé. Il Baretto is the restaurant that feels like an evening in Milan while overlooking the futuristic skyline of Riyadh.
Asian Mastery
Long Chim, Bujairi Terrace
Long Chim is David Thompson’s tribute to Bangkok street food. Papaya salads with sharp freshness. Khao soi with deep warmth. Homemade ice creams. The terrace feels alive on cool Riyadh evenings.
Hōchō, VIA Riyadh
Hōchō is one of Riyadh’s most refined Japanese experiences. The only restaurant in the region serving genuine Kobe beef. Chef Hassan Fetyani blends Japanese precision with Saudi storytelling, ending the meal with a date and walnut Saudi coffee tart.
Robata, The Canopy
Grilled seafood and meats prepared the Japanese robata way. Open flames behind a glass wall. A lively dining room and signature plates like Gulf prawns in kimchi sauce and Angus fillet in ponzu.
Middle Eastern and Regional Highlights
Lusin
Lusin is Armenian gastronomy at its finest. The iconic cherry kebab. Lusin kibbeh with pomegranate molasses. Artful plates inspired by Armenian heritage and Middle Eastern warmth.
MLLE
Chef Abdullah Bakri’s new Lebanese direction, MLLE. Tabbouleh with passion fruit. Sayadiyeh risotto. Lamb shanks full of depth. A colorful interior and a terrace that feels perfect during cooler months.
Yawmiyat by Dalal
Yawmiyat features Lebanese home cooking shaped through generations of family recipes. Dalal and her daughter Sarah create a cosy, soulful dining experience with sambousek, grills, salads, and warm desserts.
Thara
Modern Saudi cuisine served inside a space designed like a traditional Najdi home. At Thara, classic dishes like jareesh, machboos, and saleeq appear with refined balance and texture.
Villa Mamas
Chef Roaya Saleh brings beloved Khaleeji dishes to Riyadh at Villa Mamas. Soft lamb mozat. Fresh herbs from Bahrain. Sicilian olive oil. A serene and elegant dining room overlooking Diriyah.
Takya
Takya offers contemporary Saudi dining shaped by research and respect for regional recipes. Familiar flavors with beautiful presentation. Full of life from lunch to late dinner.
Tofareya
Tofareya is a warm neighborhood restaurant that highlights regional Saudi dishes such as Hasawi kebabs and Marqooq. Bright kilims, fresh Arabic coffee on arrival, and a wide dessert menu.
What To Expect When Stars Arrive
Michelin inspectors use five clear criteria. Quality of ingredients. Mastery of techniques. Harmony of flavors. Chef personality. Consistency.
With the chefs and restaurants already selected, Riyadh is set for an important reveal on December 15. The city is prepared for its first Michelin stars, and the dining scene already shows the confidence of a capital ready to stand with the world’s finest.
As Riyadh Waits For The Stars To Land
You learn a lot about Riyadh by looking at the restaurants listed in the Michelin Guide. The mix of local and international kitchens shows a city that enjoys good food and takes it seriously. Exploring the Michelin star restaurants in Riyadh 2025 is an easy way to feel this shift for yourself and to see how the city is shaping its place in the region’s dining world.
FAQs
What are the Michelin star restaurants in Riyadh 2025?
The official Michelin stars for Riyadh will be announced on December 15, 2025. Until then, the guide has released its Bib Gourmand restaurants and Michelin-selected restaurants, which already highlight the best fine dining experiences in the city.
Which restaurants in Riyadh are expected to earn Michelin stars?
Based on chef pedigree, consistency, and inspector attention, restaurants such as Café Boulud, Il Baretto, Benoit, Hōchō, Long Chim, and several VIA Riyadh concepts are viewed as strong contenders.
Are there affordable Michelin restaurants in Riyadh?
Yes. The Bib Gourmand list recognizes high-quality, moderately priced dining such as Tameesa, Mirzam, KAYZO, and Fi Glbak.
Does Riyadh have Michelin-star chefs?
Several Riyadh restaurants are led by chefs with Michelin backgrounds, including Daniel Boulud’s team at Café Boulud, Alain Ducasse’s team at Benoit, David Thompson at Long Chim, and international chefs behind Spago, Scott’s, and Gymkhana.
Is Saudi cuisine included in the Michelin Guide?
Yes. Saudi restaurants such as Tameesa, Mirzam, Thara, Takya, Fi Glbak, and Tofareya are all part of the official Michelin selection, reflecting the strength of Saudi culinary heritage.
Which area in Riyadh has the highest number of Michelin restaurants?
VIA Riyadh currently hosts the highest concentration of Michelin-selected restaurants, making it one of the top spots for luxury dining in the city.
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