London's coolest restaurant, Nozomi, has opened in Riyadh

London’s coolest restaurant, Nozomi, has opened in Riyadh

May 2, 2015

One of London’s coolest restaurants, Nozomi, has opened in Riyadh this September and brings with it everything from the elegant surroundings, the best in Riyadh actually, and uber yummy and delicate food and great consistent service.

London’s Nozomi is in the middle of Knightsbridge, and it comes to life in the evenings, where the “Saudi Cool” rub shoulders with “Qatari hip”, INSEAD and Harvard grads network with Greek tycoons. A melting pot of style and cool mixed with ambience and outstanding food, a combination that is hard to find.

Regular diners include Kelly Brook and Henry Cavill, The Saturdays even celebrated their birthdays there, and Rihanna and Jay-Z constantly visit whether they on tour in London or just hanging in the coolest city in the world.

Like London, Riyadh Nozomi diners are super cool, even underneath the black abayas you notice a sneak preview of the latest Christian Louboutin or the Hermes this, Roberto Cavalli that and the Chanel other, and the Rolex fest of course. If you are like us, fash pack followers, and you like your tommy, then there is so much on offer at Nozomi and brings both of these worlds together.

The Dining Experience

The food is exemplary. A wide range to select from, and every time we go there, we try not to order the whole menu as the dishes are so good.

You can start slowly, try their duck melon salad, followed by the chili fried squid, and if you like your prawns then you should try the popcorn prawns.

Offering an extensive menu from the freshest of sushi and sashimi, to succulent black cod and Chilean sea bass, you really can’t go wrong here and if you are health conscious (like the majority of fashionista’s of Riyadh, of which there are many and we are proud of you, you are in supreme luck because everything is low cal but delicious taste).

Whatever you order, try to complement it with rice with tender wagu beef cubes with our favourite ingredient, white truffle. The lamb chops, “riyash”, are to die for. Close your dining fest with the chocolate fondant which melts in your mouth.

Ok, so Nozomi is a Japanese restaurant, so please be adventurous and dont just order sushi roles and a bowl of miso soup, there is so much more on offer to excite your pallet, that you have to take a different approach to satisfy your hunger.

The staff are professional, well trained and they know the menu, thanks for the hard efforts of Farshid and Jay, the team from London who have been stationed here overseeing the details behind the day to day operation.

The kitchen is in open view and busy with professional chefs running around making the final touches to each dish before being sent out, all under the stewardship of Ian Pengelley, the award winning chef who has had other ventures in London with kitchen icons such as Gordon Ramsay.

Nozomi is open for lunch as well as diner. During lunch, the men’s section is busy with business men, and it’s not a bad place to conduct discrete business meetings, and it has private rooms which are ideal for corporate meetings as they are spacious and equipped with the appropriate audio/visual equipment to deliver your presentations. The family section is generally bustling with “ladies doing lunch”.

The difference between Nozomi and the rest of the Japanese restaurants in Riyadh, well there are too many to list, but if you want elegance, beautiful presentation outstanding near Michelin star Japanese cuisine and service to match, wrapped up with an enjoyable vibe, then Nozomi is the place to be at. If however you are worried about your 350 SAR per head, then perhaps Nozomi is not for you.

Let’s face it, spending 350 SAR per head is not that bad, if people are prepared to spend that much to eat over cooked meat on skewers in some of our reputable hotels or eat-as-much-as-you-can buffets, then Nozomi represents good value for delicate dishes which are flown from far a field to satisfy our taste buds. We thank the Nozomi team and Modern Catering for bringing a spot of excellence into the Riyadh culinary scene.

Nozomi is so much more than a super chic hangout in Riyadh, It’s a restaurant, and it’s a destination that leads the way to defining Riyadh’s restaurant scene.

Website: www.nozomisaudi.com

Location: Riyadh, Dabbabh Street

Telephone: +966 11 415 22 13

Images courtesy of Nozomi.