David Burke flaming beef bacon in his kitchen at the Front, Riyadh.
Photographer: Tasneem Alsultan/Bloomberg
Saudi Arabia’s Social Revolution Arrives at Riyadh Dining Tables
Restaurants serving sushi, mocktails and even babka are becoming more commonplace in the Saudi capital.
David Burke’s staff are busy putting up blue and green balloons. The places are set, glasses polished, and candles lit. Music from The Godfather plays in the background.
If this were Dubai, London or Singapore, it might barely raise an eyebrow. But this is Riyadh, traditionally the most conservative of Saudi Arabia’s big cities and gastronomically what arguably used to be its dullest. A few years ago, it would have been inconceivable that the American celebrity chef would open a restaurant here, let alone his second one in less than a year.