Santini

Rating: 13
Author: Gault&Millau

Laysen Valley, Umm Al Hamam Al Gharbi, Building 28, Riyadh 12329

13/20
Chef's Restaurant

BOOK

Cooking: Italian | Vegan
Style: Casual | With family | With friends

Gault&Millau's review 2026

In the very chic and newly developed Laysen Valley neighborhood, where entry is marked by a gate emphasizing its exclusivity, fine dining establishments are popping up faster than cranes, much like in the rest of Riyadh. However, the commitment to quality is evident in the overall standard of the restaurants lined up here. Santini is no exception. Significant resources have been wisely invested: a beautiful, bright, and spacious setting, a well-trained staff, a maître d’hôtel named Eddy of Lebanese origin, fluent in several languages, and an Italian executive chef who has thoroughly trained his team, traveling back and forth between his home region of Bergamo and the Middle East. This results in dishes like an impeccable carpaccio, finely sliced, delicately garnished, and sprinkled with fragrant truffle, followed by outstanding linguine al limone, perfectly balanced with just the right touch of lemon, an impeccable sauce, and well-measured ricotta. The homemade chocolate cheesecake with red berries is less memorable than the delicious biscuits served alongside. The musical atmosphere stays firmly within the Italian repertoire, you can expect to hear Felicità, Bella Ciao, and Volare.