Renowned celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s signature Californian cuisine comes to Spago Saudi Arabia. Spago holds various locations across the world, from Las Vegas to Budapest with even pop ups in London. First started in 1982 in West Hollywood, Wolfgang Puck’s chain epitomises Californian luxury dining.
VIA Riyadh
Spago has opened at VIA Riyadh. VIA Riyadh is a mixed-use development with high-end retail, hospitality and entertainment outlets in the al-Hada district of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, located next to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. They’ve branded themselves as being the new area of luxury, as well as being a premier destination for experiencing luxury, steeped in local tradition and heritage.
Designer brand stores, renowned restaurants and even a cinema all come together here to create the ultimate luxury experience. In terms of architectural design, the VIA Riyadh was inspired by the Salmani architecture and urban style, and designed to work in perfect harmony with the local identity of the capital, preserving the unique identity of the city.
Exterior and Design
Spago Saudi Arabia is particularly unique in its design. It sits nearby The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh, and features a sleek, modern style interior. The building itself is comprised of large glass windows and rigid structure, which sparkles and glows gold at night. Everything about this exterior is divine and luxurious, which only carries into the interior design.
Lights hang from the ceiling and plants are placed in corners of the interior, producing a highly decorated yet simple and high-end atmosphere. The dining room, with its wide glass windows, invites natural in natural light, with dark wood coloured benches scattered beneath the trees and plants.
The Food
Spago is most notable for its take on ‘California cuisine,’ based on fresh, seasonal and sustainable ingredients. Wolfgang Puck broke the mold with his flagship restaurant with its open kitchen, the first of its kind. Spago was originally an instant sensation and is still voted one of the best restaurants in LA, with food always ‘cooked to perfection’.
Menu items consist of fresh twists on classic items, with in season ingredients. Burrata and fig compote exemplify these fresh seasonal ingredients, along with a prawn spring roll and grilled octopus. Items such as smoked salmon pizza with Siberian caviar and stir fried black pepper prawns are more experimental, pushing the boundaries on the Californian cuisine.
Staple classics include chicken pot pie, grilled rack of lamb and pan roasted half chicken, making this menu home to all kinds of variety. When it comes to desserts, favourites are the Basque Cheesecake with sour cherry and raspberry sauce and the Citrus Pavlova. The desserts at Spago are whimsical and full of color, such as the Kunafa, layered with luscious mango salsa, velvety passion fruit mascarpone, and topped with a scoop of fragrant saffron ice cream.
The Drinks
One of the more unique characteristics of the Spago menu is its wide selection of non-alcohol drinks. This variety goes along with its fresh, natural aesthetic, including a refreshing assortment of mocktails and juices.
For classic non-alcoholic drinks, there are several wines offered, such as Lussory Red or Lyres Sparkling. Mocktails offer a fun twist, with names like “Truth or Dare” and “Without Consequence.”
Meet the Creator
Behind this menu and Spago itself is Wolfgang Puck, renowned celebrity chef. He is and Austrian-American chef and restauranteur, beginning cooking from a young age.
Driven and inquisitive to learn, he started his formal training when he was just fourteen years old. As a young chef he worked in some of France’s greatest restaurants, including Maxim’s in Paris, the Hotel de Paris in Monaco, and the Michelin 2-starred L’Oustau de Baumanière in Provence. At the age of 24, Wolfgang took the advice of a friend and left Europe for the United States. He came to West Hollywood in 1975, and in 1982 Spago was opened.
Spago has since travelled globally, with this Saudi Arabia location exhibiting exceptional style and luxury.
To find out more, visit: wolfgangpuck.com
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All imagery courtesy of Spago Saudi.