From Berenjak to Cipriani Dolci: The International Names Choosing Riyadh
London’s Persian grill has settled into VIA Riyadh, and Cipriani Dolci has brought a taste of Venice to the Diplomatic Quarter.
Two international restaurants that arrived in Riyadh this year show the range of names now choosing the capital: Berenjak, the Persian grill that began in London’s Soho, and Cipriani Dolci, the Venetian pasticceria from the Cipriani family. Each is its brand’s first permanent restaurant in Saudi Arabia.
Berenjak, VIA Riyadh
Berenjak opened its first permanent Saudi restaurant at VIA Riyadh in April 2026, taking over the space previously occupied by Chi Spacca. Reports in March gave 2 April as the opening date, and by September FACT’s guide to the year’s new restaurants listed it as open. It follows a pop-up at the same district in early 2025.
The restaurant began in Soho in 2018 as a modern take on Tehran’s hole-in-the-wall kebab houses. It was founded by chef Kian Samyani and launched by London’s JKS Restaurants, and it has been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand in London. It reached the UAE in 2023, with restaurants in Sharjah and Dubai. The Riyadh branch is a collaboration with Cool Inc, the group behind Gymkhana, Ferdi and Madeo in the capital, according to FACT.
The cooking centres on charcoal-grilled kebabs, notably koobideh and jujeh, alongside small mezze-style plates and stews such as ghormeh sabzi with lamb, with taftoon and sangak breads from the tandoor. The name comes from a brightly coloured toasted-rice snack sold at Persian funfairs. Berenjak was on the shortlist for Favourite Middle Eastern Restaurant at this year’s What’s On Saudi Arabia Awards, alongside Kababshow, Mahsan, Shishlik and Ziba; Ziba won.
Cipriani Dolci, Diplomatic Quarter
Cipriani Dolci opened its first Saudi restaurant in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter by early June, three years after the brand was first announced for the kingdom in 2023. It is an all-day Venetian pasticceria, serving breakfast, lunch and coffee through to dinner, with seating for up to 170 across an indoor room and a terrace. The interior is done in greens and whites, with natural materials and maritime details.
The menu leans on the family’s classics: carpaccio alla Cipriani, the dish first created at Harry’s Bar in Venice in 1950, and baked tagliolini, with cakes and pastries such as the vanilla meringue cake and the torta di cioccolato. Reports do not name an operating partner for the Riyadh branch.
Two routes into the same market
The two openings arrive differently. Berenjak came through a local hospitality group that already runs several international names in Riyadh; Cipriani Dolci arrived as a family brand that had spent three years between announcement and opening. Both sit alongside this year’s other arrivals in our guide to nine Riyadh openings to know, and both follow the pattern described in our report on Chipotle’s Saudi debut.
Sources & fact-check12
- From London to Riyadh: Berenjak opens a permanent restaurant in VIA RiyadhFACT Magazines, 16 March 2026
- London’s favourite Persian restaurant Berenjak to open permanent home in RiyadhLIST Magazine, 17 March 2026
- Berenjak is going from pop-up to permanent in VIA RiyadhWhat's On Saudi Arabia, 16 March 2026
- 6 New Restaurants in Riyadh in 2026The Riyadh Atlas, 3 July 2026
- New in Town: Riyadh’s Hottest New Restaurants for 2026FACT Magazines, 28 September 2026
- JKS Restaurants return with yet another opening – Berenjak, a Tehran-style kebab houseHarden's, 1 November 2018
- Cipriani Dolci Riyadh Opens in One of the Capital’s Most Prestigious NeighbourhoodsFACT Magazines, 1 June 2026
- A taste of Venice arrives in Riyadh with Cipriani DolciBBC Good Food Middle East, 1 June 2026
- Cipriani Dolci Opens in RiyadhRetail & Leisure International, 4 June 2026
- Cipriani Dolci RiyadhCipriani, 14 October 2026
- What's On Saudi Arabia Awards 2026: Shortlist revealedWhat's On Saudi Arabia, 13 August 2026
- What's On Saudi Arabia Awards 2026: Here are the winnersWhat's On Saudi Arabia, 3 September 2026
Every name, number and date in this story was checked against the sources above before publication. Spotted something wrong? Tell us — we correct errors openly. See our editorial standards.
