When you hear the words “buffet” in Riyadh, the first thing that goes along with that thought is “hotels”. Hotels are known for their extravagant buffet offerings and one of the most prominent in town is found at the Four Season’s in-house restaurant called Elements.
It’s not our first time here and seasoned diners in the city already know this place by heart. Located at the ground floor of the five-star hotel, Elements is somewhere you’d go to for special ocassions. Buffet rates are at 345SR per person, so it’s unlikely we’d shell out that every evening even though their food is really, really good.
The restaurant banks on its elegant aesthetics with purposeful lighting, giving its patrons a conducive environment for private dining. A tower of fresh flowers welcome you on the foyer along with a teardrop chandelier that gave me all the nostalgic feels just by looking at it.
As you walk towards the main dining space, you’ll find spacious tables and seating to choose from. There’s an open area, a secluded area and a private room for reserved gatherings of up to 24 people. The total seating capacity of the restaurant is over 150!
Open area seating.
Not necessarily a booth, but there are decorative walls that can give a slight privacy.
The food, of course, is the main star of the place. It’s quite dim within the overall pathways to the food stations so it was hard to take a wide picture that would include all of them in one shot so we just took them one by one. They have food from the distinct cuisines of India, China, Japan and Middle East, all with sous chefs preparing the items as we pass by. There’s a staff preparing sushi over at the Japanese station, another staff cooking custom pasta on the other and another staff preparing an ice cream dessert on a cold slab. Not only are we about to get full with food while walking around, we’re also being entertained!
The sushi disappears fast, so the sous chef works right away to refill.
We thrive on sushi when we’re at buffets. 🙂
Sushi ice cream?
We were so fascinated with these tiny cones of salmon and tuna appetizers. They were so cute and fancy and gone in one big bite! Yum!
Round 1. Sushi/Sashimi
We also passed by to give our respects to the salad bar.
And pay homage to the smoked salmon, as always.
We tried a little bit of everything and as always, paced ourselves during the night. There were many staple buffet items but we wanted to try out some of the things that we don’t normally find in other buffets. Here are some of them:
Siomai/Dumplings from the Chinese station.
Duck rolls…because we’re Asian that way.
Colorful cracklings!
Papadums from India.
Karela Chips (deep fried bitter gourd).
Duo pizza from Rosso
I personally enjoyed the Indian food station for their mouth-watering masalas and the Japanese station for the unlimited sushi and sashimi. The waiter offered us the two-kind pizza from their neighboring restaurant, Rosso and we loved how light and flavorful each slice was.
For dessert, they also have an interactive set-up of a chocolate fondant fountain and the custom-made ice cream station. There are also an alignment of decandent pastries vis-a-vis a selection of freshly sliced fruits. Pick your happy ending.
Ice cream prepped on a cold slab and an array of toppings to choose from!
Fresh seasonal fruits.
Ooh la la, chocolate fountain!
A verrine of blueberry, cream and choco crispies.
Macarons dipped in chocolate!!! YASSS.
We ended up picking a little bit of both for our happy ending. A taste of the custom made ice cream and some sliced fruits to balance it out. After all, anything in moderation is always a good choice.
A balanced dessert. 🙂
We had a lovely evening out with our friends at the Elements. Knowing that we’re in a deluxe hotel restaurant helped us in feeling more relaxed and secure in our surroundings. The service was on point and we didn’t encounter any problems with how the staff conducted themselves. The only caveat I have for you to consider would be the cost. It’s probably the most expensive buffet rate that I know of in Riyadh and even more so during their seafood night, which is at 375SR per person. However, if you’ve got money to spare and spend then by all means, enter the Elements and enjoy a lavish dinner buffet.
Elements
Ground Floor, Four Seasons Hotel
Kingdom Tower
For reservations, call: 011-211-5500
Website: http://www.fourseasons.com/riyadh/dining/restaurants/elements/
