RIYADH, 31 July — El Terrazzo is a lovely Brazilian restaurant that, as its name suggests, seats you on a beautiful terrace.

Naturally it has a nice open outdoors feel to it. The view isn’t exactly breathtaking but nevertheless, it’s refreshing to get a whiff of fresh air.

The restaurant is on the second floor of the Al-Faisalia Hotel. When you enter, just a few steps down is a big salad buffet. I loved the way everything was displayed. They have potato salad, red kidney beans, a Caesar salad, corn, pasta: You name it. The tables are distributed rather nicely all around. It’s a fun place that all family members can enjoy. As for the dishes and cutlery, they are what I would call both funky and colorful. I would say even a little exotic. The staff were something else! The waiters were very welcoming and friendly. They all circled the tables as they sang a funny tune. They did this playfully while clapping their hands. The menu was read out from a big rolled up sheet of paper.

The menu is just a wide selection of meat — a variety of chicken, lamb, beef and veal. I was disappointed they didn’t serve ostrich or venison.  They said ostrich was too expensive.

At any rate, the meat they serve is all very well seasoned. I especially loved the chicken tandoori. My cousins loved the sausages. Along with the meat they also serve rice. They even have lentil soup, which surprisingly is drunk, out of a mug. On certain days you also have the chance to drink some warming mushroom soup.

Another fun aspect about the place is that you can get all the meat you can eat for just SR 135 plus 15 percent. The package includes the soup and salad but not the drinks. Actually each table has two wooden blocks that are green on one side and red on the other. They are used as a signal to the waiter. If you leave it on the green side, the waiter will “keep it coming” while red is a sign to stop. 

Dessert is very light after the heavy meal; it’s just some juicy fruit with ice cream. Imagine that luscious watermelon bursting in your mouth with amazing fruit flavor and smooth ice cream.

EL Terrazzo has been open for only a few months but it’s caused quite a stir. 

In Riyadh it the talk of the town. It is open every day except for Saturday and now that it is so hot, they are open for dinner until 2:00 am. It is in Al-Faisalia Hotel. For reservations call: 2732552.