Cuisine, creativity, and local culture converge in the heart of AlUla’s Old Town.
On the day the Michelin Guide announced its Saudi Arabia selection, I found myself at Dar Tantora. The heritage hotel sits within AlUla’s Old Town, a honeyed maze of mudbrick passageways that opens onto palms and desert cliffs. The region in northern Saudi Arabia is famed for ancient tombs and petroglyphs. Now, it can add a growing culinary reputation. Joontos, the hotel’s signature restaurant, has been recognised with a Bib Gourmand for offering “exceptional cuisine, creativity, and an authentic expression of local culture.”
The setting does most of the seduction. You dine beneath a desert sky in a courtyard that resembles an outdoor living room. Woven Persian rugs splay across the stone floor, and leather-backed chairs provide adequate comfort after a day of exploration. Lanterns hang low and cast warm light across roughly hewn walls, while an unobtrusive soundtrack of Arabic instrumentals settles the pace. By day, when the heat hits, guests can retreat to intimate private dining rooms with nothing but ceiling fans and shelves lined with culinary trinkets for company. The restaurant is a superb stage for a Saudi feast, a place where history does not need to be narrated because it is present in every texture.
Joontos offers a marvellous entry into Saudi cuisine, modernising classic dishes with a Spanish touch. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there is pleasure in beginning the day with a Dates Waffle slathered in syrup, a bowl of masoub made from spiced bread and creamed banana, or a traditional shakshouka.
Even so, dinner is the draw. At night, the cosy courtyard glows with the light of hundreds of flickering candles. The team lean into Joontos’ convivial brief. An inscription in the menu reads, “At Joontos, ‘together’ is at the heart of everything we do.” That sharing style begins with a straightforward welcome: warm house bread, freshly churned butter and a ramekin of sun-dried tomatoes folded with feta.
The menu travels across the breadth of the Kingdom, then takes the occasional Iberian detour. Tradition reigns supreme with Kabsa, Mandi, and fantastic flatbreads topped with pumpkin, minced beef tenderloin or mozzarella and charred tomatoes. However, Saudi classics like Saleeg and Jareesh are notably absent. The signatures are indicated by a small illustration of Dar Tantora’s sundial. The real sundial at the hotel’s entrance still tracks the seasons as a slender shadow moves across a buried stone. It is a quiet symbol of time and place, echoed by the restaurant’s preference for steady pacing and dishes that reward unhurried eating.
A Tabouleh Quinoa Salad (SAR 50) swaps bulgur for black quinoa without losing the herb-heavy freshness that defines the dish. Cucumber, tomato and radish offer crunch while a dollop of homemade yoghurt pulls it together. The Tahini Caesar (SAR 50) is a neat idea that replaces anchovy-led heft with sesame depth. It arrives with ribbons of zucchini, mixed greens and Arabic croutons.
Batata Harra (SAR 40) brings crisp-edged potatoes glossed in a cilantro emulsion, brightened by local black lemon and a whisper of garlic cream. The heat is measured, and the smoky finish lingers beautifully. Elsewhere, Beef Sambusa (SAR 35) are tight little parcels of paprika-scented tenderloin and red onion, served with a cinnamon-lemon sauce that sounds unusual but makes immediate sense on the palate.
The Date Lamb Rack (SAR 100) is filled with dates and pistachios and finished with a tamarind chilli dressing over mixed greens. Cooked for 72 hours, and sliced carpaccio-thin, the fat is rendered to a buttery richness, resulting in what can only be described as the restaurant’s best dish.
Tradition holds its ground with the Chicken Mandi (SAR 90), where baby chicken is paired with perfumed rice, roasted corn, and crisp onions, embodying the essential smoke, spice, and comfort expected from the Saudi speciality. The Beef Tenderloin (SAR 150) is a 250-gram cut marinated in Arabic spices and white truffle oil, served with roasted potato and a brown butter Tantora sauce. The meat is well handled and prepared to a perfect rosy pink.
Desserts tinker with tradition and are touched by modern technique. A puffed-up Date and Citrus Soufflé (SAR 45) arrives with vanilla ice cream and a deft lightness. Mahalabia (SAR 35) is perfumed with cardamom and local orange blossom and lands with the soft set that makes this Middle Eastern pudding so popular. Mocktails lean local, with the popular Zataar drink blending thyme and ginger for a refreshing herbaceous hit that pairs well with the smokier plates.
Joontos succeeds because it knows what to celebrate. It honours Saudi flavours and lets a Spanish touch add texture rather than take the lead. Prices are fair, portions are sensible, and the kitchen is consistent, making it easy to see why the restaurant has received Bib Gourmand recognition.
Flanked by sandstone cliffs on one side and a sea of green palms on the other, Joontos in AlUla offers a memorable meal, enveloped in the generosity of Saudi hospitality.
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