Led by Chef Thierry Motsch and built on Daniel Boulud’s vision, Julien offers a ten-seat chef’s table.
Riyadh’s dining scene is expanding fast, but few restaurants have generated as much excitement as Julien. Hidden inside Café Boulud at the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre, Julien feels like a secret chef’s table you’ve been personally invited to discover. You slip in through a discreet passageway — with a bakery on one side and a cellar on the other — and suddenly you’re inside this softly lit, ultra-intimate dining room.
The chef’s table features just 10 seats, wrapped around an open kitchen with a marble counter. It’s a setting that instantly raises your expectations. The interiors lean towards French elegance with pistachio-green panelled walls, a tidy open kitchen, and the marble prep area where the chef quietly works his magic.
At the helm of the table is Chef Thierry Motsch, executing a refined multi-course tasting menu envisioned by Daniel Boulud himself. With only two seatings per week, priced at SAR 1,200 per person, this is as exclusive as dining in Riyadh gets.
FACT flew in especially for this 10-course experience, but the kickoff stumbled a little. The online time said 7pm, the front desk said 7.30pm, and we weren’t seated until 8pm. Waiting an extra hour for late guests undermined the precision a chef’s table requires. Still, once we finally settled in, the atmosphere won us back.
Zero-proof Champagne in hand, the evening began. The music was moody with modern classical strings and a cinematic intensity that paired with the exclusivity of the setting. Our menus, perched on stands with the Julien signature, added a personal touch.
We began with a trio of canapes — a truffle-potato cream on a crisp base, a bright cucumber bite with lemon marmalade, and a smoky mushroom pairing with a creamy finish. The show really began as the Oscietra Caviar course arrived, sitting atop a glowing blue ice bowl. The flavours were subtle yet layered, with the saltiness of the caviar, gentle hints of fennel, the kick of lemon marmalade, and the smokiness of chives.
Then came the freshly made German Pretzel — warm and soft but with a slight firmness that made it satisfying to tear apart. It was served with two butter choices: one blended with chives and capers, savoury, and another with sumac, tangy and surprising.
The Blue Lobster followed, and this one was a quiet showstopper. Cooked to tender perfection, it had a delicate chew and a natural sweetness, complemented by a creamy, foamy hollandaise with hints of dill. The dish was served with avocado piccata, offering creamy, buttery notes that balanced perfectly with the lobster’s richness.
The Pyramid Raviolo was comfort disguised as fine dining. The filling was creamy ricotta, subtly scented with truffle, while bits of chestnut added a crunch. A beautifully plated Black Cod was another highlight. The fish was effortlessly easy to eat with a delicate texture, topped with crisped nori and a decorative fish-scale pattern. The caper sauce added a savoury layer while the pear brought sweetness. But it was the pistachio cream — thick and nutty — that tied everything together and elevated the dish.
The free-range Chicken course began with a small bite of date and foie gras, which was sweet, smoky, rich, and smooth all at once. The chicken itself was glazed and sprinkled with sesame. But the parsnip added a mix of crunchy, sweet, and earthy flavours on the palate. Then came the Wagyu Striploin, which was tender and smoky with a satisfying chew that released more flavour with each bite. The carrot on the plate was crispy and charred, savoury rather than sweet, having been cooked with sage.
Desserts came in twos. First, the Vacherin, which featured thin pineapple slices wrapped around passion fruit meringue. The whole thing was soaked in pineapple extract, so it tasted juicy, tangy, yet sweet. However, the Triple Chocolate finale was the true indulgence. Dark chocolate bitterness met the sweetness of the ice cream, and the cherry marmalade added a tart note to the dessert.
Throughout the night, drinks paired with the courses were clever and unexpected, with flavours like date and pineapple appearing in combinations that sounded unusual on paper but made total sense on the palate.
Overall, Julien is a deeply memorable dining experience, despite the shaky start. It’s intimate, thoughtful, and beautifully executed. And because the menu shifts with the seasons — this being volume one — no two visits will ever be the same. So if you’re seeking a chef’s table in Riyadh that blends artistry, atmosphere, and refined French technique, Julien and Chef Thierry Motsch fully deliver.
GO: Visit fourseasons.com for more information.