The Best French Food in Saudi Arabia
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The best French food in Saudi Arabia, according to the experts: the Michelin Guide has weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Benoit comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Riyadh and Jeddah.
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Café Boulud and Julien by Daniel Boulud hold the next two places.
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Rank 1. Benoit
French
Red banquettes and vintage chandeliers land inside the glass-and-steel futurism of the King Abdullah Financial District, which is a choice. This is Alain Ducasse's classic French bistro de luxe, a Parisian reference point dropped into Riyadh, with escargot and pâté en croûte on the menu and Édith Piaf on the speakers. A camel Rossini and lamb kafta quietly acknowledge where you actually are, which the district's architecture certainly doesn't.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Five places have the exact same Score, so they share #1. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #1 Benoit (this place) 68.544
- #1 Café Boulud 68.544
- #1 Julien by Daniel Boulud 68.544
- #1 Maritime 68.544
- #1 The Globe 68.544
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Rank 1. Café Boulud
French
Daniel Boulud's French bistro sits inside the Four Seasons at Kingdom Centre, spread across pastel rooms that flow from a bar through a lounge to a bright orangery. The menu pairs classic French cooking with quiet nods to the Middle East, and a dedicated cheese chef oversees a serious selection of French fromages, which is either charming or alarming depending on how you feel about being guided through a cheese course.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Five places have the exact same Score, so they share #1. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #1 Benoit 68.544
- #1 Café Boulud (this place) 68.544
- #1 Julien by Daniel Boulud 68.544
- #1 Maritime 68.544
- #1 The Globe 68.544
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Rank 1. Julien by Daniel Boulud
Modern French
A 12-seat counter tucked inside Café Boulud at the Four Seasons, where Daniel Boulud's team runs a 10-course French contemporary tasting menu over three hours. The kitchen works directly in front of you, which keeps the meal from feeling ceremonial. Modern French technique bends toward local influence, paired with non-alcoholic wines and mocktails. The name honors both Boulud's son and his father, which is either poetic or a lot of pressure on a tasting menu.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Five places have the exact same Score, so they share #1. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #1 Benoit 68.544
- #1 Café Boulud 68.544
- #1 Julien by Daniel Boulud (this place) 68.544
- #1 Maritime 68.544
- #1 The Globe 68.544
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Rank 1. Maritime
French
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Five places have the exact same Score, so they share #1. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #1 Benoit 68.544
- #1 Café Boulud 68.544
- #1 Julien by Daniel Boulud 68.544
- #1 Maritime (this place) 68.544
- #1 The Globe 68.544
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Rank 1. The Globe
Modern French
The restaurant sits inside a literal glass sphere bolted to the top of Al Faisaliah Tower, so the 360-degree views of Riyadh's skyline come with the architecture rather than a separate ticket. It's a formal modern dining room where the kitchen leans classical, French technique folded into local produce, served by a team that keeps everything running smoothly. The kind of place you dress up for and probably expense.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Five places have the exact same Score, so they share #1. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #1 Benoit 68.544
- #1 Café Boulud 68.544
- #1 Julien by Daniel Boulud 68.544
- #1 Maritime 68.544
- #1 The Globe (this place) 68.544