RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA —Billionaire, the luxury hospitality brand founded by Formula 1 legend Flavio Briatore, opens its Riyadh location today on Dabbab Street in the city’s Sulaimaniya District, elevating Saudi Arabia’s sophisticated dining scene to a new standard.
Billionaire Riyadh offers a menu of two distinct yet harmonious cuisines—New-Asian and Italian—curated by celebrity chef Batuhan Piatti Zeynioğlu. The restaurant’s standalone building features a spectacular sculpture-garden entrance and a multisensory interior designed by the London-based firm Sagrada. Inspired by the idea of a nocturnal adventure, the versatile setting strikes a balance between formality and casual ease, where Riyadh’s refined urban clientele can meet in a discreet environment for daytime business lunches, all-evening dinners with friends, and private events.
The Billionaire restaurant brand, a subsidiary of the Billionaire Life hospitality and entertainment portfolio, opened its first location in Porto Cervo, Italy, in 1998. Since then, it has established itself as an icon and leader in the international dining and entertainment scene. Billionaire Riyadh, the brand’s second location in the Middle East, gears its menu, interior, and ambience toward the city’s discerning professionals, who seek innovative dining experiences in exclusivity-conscious spaces. The restaurant is owned and operated by Modern Food Company Ltd. (MFC), a Saudi-based franchisee of international hospitality brands.
“Modern Food Company is thrilled to partner with the world-renowned Billionaire Life brand,” says Mr. Faisal Shaker, CEO of Modern Food Company Ltd.
“We look forward to working together as a team and as a family to be a part of Saudi Arabia’s luxury dining and hospitality offerings that are already available in this Kingdom, set in a premium class surroundings.”
“The opening of Billionaire Riyadh will complements the capital’s top class dining scene, as well as aligning ourselves toward Saudi Vision 2030, which will set the standards for our Kingdom’s vision working towards higher quality of life for Saudi nationals and residents, also putting Saudi Arabia as a world’s class tourism and dining destination as the Kingdom prepares itself to stage Formula-E and Formula 1 2021 race later this year.”
“Billionaire Life is delighted and proud to work with Modern Food Company in establishing our first venture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” says Flavio Briatore. “Their expertise in the Saudi hospitality market is second to none. Just as importantly, theyshare our values and creative vision, as well as our commitment to providing the highest standards of quality and service.”
Chef Batuhan Piatti Zeynioğlu has developed an ambitious menu of New-Asian and Italian dishes exclusively for Billionaire Riyadh.
The New-Asian selections include lobster salad and Korean-style baby chicken, in addition to sushi, sashimi, and the Billionaire brand’s signature maki rolls. Among the Italian offerings are house-made spinach-and-ricotta ravioli with butter and sage, Wagyu-beef carpaccio, and burrata with cherry tomatoes. Options from the open-view “Live Fire Grill” range from lamb chops to chicken to Wagyu ribeye steak.
Billionaire Riyadh’s majestic, high-ceilinged interior boasts velvet-upholstered chairs and banquettes; brass metalwork; natural-granite countertops and flooring; and ribbed-timber wall paneling. Sputnik-inspired lighting fixtures wash the space in a muted, celestial glow, imparting a sense of calm. The 20-meter-long “Live Fire Grill” allows guests to observe preparation of the meats, adding a flame-filled, theatrical visual to the experience. Moreover, fully equipped private spaces offer unparalleled versatility and discretion for business meetings, special occasions, or parties—spaces that seamlessly transition from the main dining area to reflect the progressive spirit of a contemporary Saudi Arabia.