After 12 months of eating our way through Riyadh’s food scene, the capital’s best restaurants are one step closer to being crowned by Time Out Riyadh.

And today, the shortlist for the third edition can officially be revealed ahead of the Time Out Riyadh Restaurant Awards 2024 on Wednesday September 11.

But first, before we get to the nominees, it’s important to note this year is a record-breaker.

The shortlist for 2024 features the top restaurants, eateries and cafés across more than a whopping 24 categories, with more than 200 entries – the highest number of venues to make the list, a testament to the capital’s ever-growing and boundary-pushing culinary scene.

The Time Out Riyadh Restaurant Awards are the culmination of 365 days of anonymous restaurant reviews all over the city, taking in all manner of cuisines, experiences and price points. Every meal is paid for, eliminating bias across the board.

It all adds up to this moment.

In just a few weeks we will unveil the winners of the Time Out Riyadh Restaurant Awards 2024.

Categories span the range of cuisines represented across Riyadh, from American and French to Japanese and Saudi. To top it off, the awards recognise top dining experiences in themed categories ranging from breakfast to pizza, coffee to dessert.

Afternoon tea or brunch, anyone?

New categories at the Time Out Riyadh Restaurant Awards

There’s no denying that food from the Middle East has always been a favourite for diners in Riyadh, which is why 2024 was the year to add a Lebanese category, highlighting the best in the city, thus offering an even more robust MENA category.

In addition to our usual Regional and Themed sections, this year for the first time, we’ve created a special vertical addressing the ever-popular fast-casual sector in Riyadh. Enter the Fast section. The hype is real when it comes to easy and express dining, with popularity and demand up for casual experiences designed for the whole gang.

Fast is making its debut with a host of new categories including Fried Chicken, Ice Cream & Gelato and Sandwich along with the returning (and very popular) Burger category.

All competitive categories cover each and every vibe, from home-grown heroes to international players, casual eateries to fine-dining destinations and more.

Moving into our Themed sections, a Barbecue category is coming in hot for 2024. The influence of global cuisines in Riyadh has brought with it an influx of Southern barbecue styles and techniques, making it a category that’s here to stay (and highly anticipated).

Inside the Time Out Restaurant Awards review process

For more than 20 years, Time Out’s reviewers have conducted anonymous, independent restaurant visits in the region, booking anonymously and paying for every meal in order to decide which restaurants are truly worth diners’ money, time and stomach space.

The Time Out Restaurant Awards are the longest-running, most established dining awards in the Middle East with events across the UAE and Saudi, with the first held in 2005.

Want to know more about our review process and the six things every reviewer is looking out for? Click here.

Time Out Riyadh Restaurant Awards 2024: Gala dinner

The Time Out Riyadh Restaurant Award 2024 Gala will take place on Wednesday September 11 from 8pm at the voco Riyadh.

Guests can expect an elegant evening of dinner, entertainment, and of course, the winners of the third edition of the Time Out Riyadh Restaurant Awards to be revealed.

To purchase tickets contact events@timeoutriyadh.com

And now, here is the shortlist for the Time Out Riyadh Restaurant Awards 2024.