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Marble

Riyadh

• The Best Restaurant in Saudi Arabia

Riyadh’s temple of meat and open-fire cooking

Street food origin: Marble began life as a makeshift wooden stall on Prince Turki Road in 2018. Owners Abdulrahman Alsowailem and Meshal Alakeel built enough of a loyal following that they opened their own restaurant two years later and have been serving solid dishes ever since. Simple ingredients are treated with love, meaning Marble has maintained the quality of its steak, whether served roadside or in a more upscale restaurant.

Double meaning: Marble’s name serves a dual purpose: the marbling on the beef, as well as the marble counter tops used for food prep. The owners made sure to pay homage to the moniker in the restaurant’s interiors too

On the Pass

Abdulrahman Alsowailem

Who’s in the kitchen? A pilot by profession, Alsowailem is a self-taught chef who stepped up when he couldn’t find a steak in the city that lived up to his standards. He uses his travels to learn about local cuisines and introduce new specials to the menu, while retaining a core of steak-based options.

Must-orders: The signature Marble burger is popular among diners, with the option to double or triple the number of patties, as is the prime rib – a 400g open-flame ribeye cooked over oak wood, and served with mashed potato, kale chips and a homemade mushroom sauce.

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