Austrian-American chef Wolfgang Puck brings his Beverly Hills restaurant, winner of two Michelin stars, to the Via Riyadh shopping, hospitality and entertainment hub. Spago, which came into being in 1982, offers dishes not yet commonplace in Riyadh, combined with unparalleled service.
What to expect and where to sit
The seating is extremely cosy, so much so that you can leave the restaurant abreast of what's happening around Riyadh even if you don't mean to eavesdrop. The closely placed tables don't take away from the dining experience, however; and you're more likely to spot the who's who of the city dining here, much like in Spago's LA and Vegas outlets.
The glossy, marbled interiors are combined with earthy tones and an urban feel. The outdoor area is scheduled to open in the cooler months.
The menu
My dining companion and I start off with fresh, complimentary bread served with a puree of carrots, labna and olive oil. The burrata salad with cucumbers and strawberry, as well as the mushrooms with home-made pesto are both exquisite starters. The simplicity of the ingredients conceals an explosion of flavours and is testament to the kitchen team's penchant for creative combinations.
We wash these down with a refreshing mocktail of lychee, elderflower, lime and grapefruit.
For mains, we get the Australian Wagyu, which is cooked to succulent precision; the schnitzel, made more delicious owing to its rarity in the kingdom; and the wok-fried angry lobster. All three dishes come to the table at a temperature that is just right, as well as being cooked to perfection and blanketed in joyful flavours.
The kung pao cauliflower from the sides menu is also bursting with Asian flavours, and you can easily fill yourself up with just this dish.
For dessert, we have the souffle with cream, which hits the right spot, as does the delicately textured Basque cheesecake with sour cherry and raspberry sauce.
Stand-out dish
The angry lobster is a Spago signature and with good reason – the crustacean is flown in straight from Maine and prepped in a way that makes great taste seem effortless.
A chat with the chef
Since he started his culinary career, chef Daniel Irvine worked throughout his native England before moving around the Middle East, to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Egypt, Kuwait and now Saudi Arabia.
He describes his cooking style as “classic European with an Asian twist”, and reveals that the mango is his favourite ingredient to cook with. “It’s a surprisingly versatile ingredient that can sweeten or sour a dish, can be wonderfully aromatic when mixed with spices, or just eaten alone as a perfect refreshment.”
Irvine recommends that those with a sweet tooth sample the Spago kunafa with mango salsa, passionfruit, mascarpone cream and saffron ice cream.
Other chef-backed dishes include the handmade garganelli pasta with wild mushrooms, parsley and pecorino Romano for vegetarians; the braised short rib rendang with coconut rice, peanut and kaffir lime sauce for meat eaters; and the whole fried blooming fish with sweet sour pineapple glaze for seafood lovers.
Price point and contact information
Appetisers start from 130 Saudi riyals ($34) and go up to 590 riyals for smoked salmon pizza with Siberian caviar. Mains are priced between 270 and 725 riyals, and desserts average 70 riyals a pop.
Spago by Wolfgang Puck is open daily from 6pm to 1am, and bookings can be made online via Seven Rooms or the Via Riyadh website.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant
