La Cucina is a posh Italian restaurant located on the ground floor of Al-Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh. This ultra-fashionable eatery offers one of the trendiest brunches in the capital city.

La Cucina strikes the perfect balance between the traditional and the modern, offering innovative dishes made by Chef Nicola Russo. The hotel is renowned for its great service, which results in a delightful dining experience at La Cucina.

Chef Russo, a native Italian chef, brought with him authentic Tuscan flavors from the kitchens of Tuscany to the dining tables of Riyadh’s top restaurant.

As you walk into the restaurant, you can smell the scent of freshly baked goods from its bakery. The interiors are very sophisticated and comprise contemporary decor in earthy colors, dark hardwood floors, light stone walls, and an open kitchen framed with dark wood. The restaurant can seat 90 diners at once on its comfortable wooden chairs and side leather sofas around elegant wooden tables topped with fresh flowers.

The menu includes garden-fresh salads, sumptuous soups, fresh thin-crust pizzas baked in a traditional beach wood pizza oven, and homemade pastas with gourmet sauces made with fresh, all-natural ingredients. For the main course, the dishes include sautéed tiger prawns, grilled beef tenderloin, marinated duck breast and slow cooked veal shank. Desserts deliver the sweetest finale to a menu that delights the most discerning palate.

For brunch, guests can choose from the menu or from the open buffet featuring healthy and delicious options of salads, starters, pizzas, main dishes and desserts. Seafood lovers have plenty to choose from and the tastes and flavors of the buffet vary with the season.

I highly recommend the Rucola, funghi e parmigiano comprising rocket salad and sautéed mushrooms, topped with parmesan cheese. Also, try the Barbabietola e ricotta salata consisting of marinated beetroots, ricotta cheese crumble and baby radish.

For starters, you can never go wrong with the Carpaccio di manzi, misticanza, pecorino Tascano, pinoli tostati, which is Wagyu beef carpaccio, wild green leaves mix and pecorino cheese tossed with toasted pine nuts. The Mozzarella di bufala, pomodoro e basilico is a great option comprising buffalo mozzarella, assorted organic tomatoes and basil.

Soups work wonders when the temperatures are cooler. La Cucina offers the best soups in the city.

Zumma di pomodoro is a great option; it is tomato soup with ricotta cheese, basil and garlic ciabatta. The Cream di zucca gialla soup consists of pumpkin, sautéed mushrooms, parmesan puff and amaretto crumble.

I highly recommend the risotto pomodoro, provola affumicata e nero di sepia; it consists of tomato, smoked provola cheese and squid ink. From their fresh pasta menu, try the famous ravioli ossobuco e gremolada, ravioli stuffed with veal shank and lemon germolada sauce. Also, try the luxurious Tagliolino al tartufo nero pregiato comprising Tagliolini pasta and rich black truffle emulsion.

If you are more into classic Italian pasta, then you cannot miss the Linguine Alla’astice. It is made with linguine, Canadian lobster, cherry tomatoes and fresh chili. You can never go wrong with my personal favorite, the Spaghetti al pomodoro fresco e basilica, which is simply spaghetti pasta with fresh tomato sauce and basil oil.

You cannot visit La Cucina and not try their pizza. The restaurant offers a great selection of pizzas. I always go for the Emilia Romagana, made with mozzarella cheese, bresaola, arugula and shaved parmesan.

For the main dish, you have the luxury of choosing delicacies from the land and the sea.

If you are dining in a group, I would recommend the La Cucina seafood platter, which comprises grilled Canadian lobster, carabinero prawns, diver scallops, sea bass and salmon, all topped with a lemon and olive oil sauce. You should also try their Mediterranean inspired Branzino al guazzetto, which is baked sea bass, clam broth, chick peas and fregola from the famous Sardinia.

You cannot miss their Petto di pollo made with corn-fed chicken breast, sautéed mushrooms, salty almond granola and a dark butter saga sauce.

As for their beef dish, it is my personal favorite. You should try their Wagyu tenderloin, which is 400-day grain fed beef (Grade 9+). It is smooth, tasty and it melts in your mouth. It is served along with vegetable caponata (roasted vegetables, capers, black olives), roasted potatoes and is topped with black pepper sauce.

Opening hours: 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Brunch: Saturday, 12:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Expect to pay: SR 250-SR 300 .

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