What We Are Eating Today: Circolo Pizza: An authentic Italian in the heart of ancient AlUla

Short Url
Updated 08 October 2022
Follow

What We Are Eating Today: Circolo Pizza: An authentic Italian in the heart of ancient AlUla

In the middle of the beautiful landscape of Alula, you can enjoy a delightful rich meal  at Circolo Pizza. 

Circolo Pizza is located in the beautiful Al-Jadidah district that is bustles with art and activities. 

Open for lunch and dinner, Circolo Pizza serves a delicious menu. 

The restaurant specializes in artisan pizzas, baked in wood-fired ovens, like buffalo margarita, pesto burrata, artichoke and spinach, Bresaola, among others. 

The menu also features citrus risotto, citrus, and fried goat cheese salad with a blood orange dressing, both made with regional ingredients.

You can see your pizza being baked in front of you with a beautiful view of AlUla, and you can enjoy the beautiful and serene view of the valley with the mountains in the distance while nestled on the edge of the Oasis. 

With a relaxed, rustic atmosphere and only the best ingredients, Circolo's authentic Italian dishes will keep you coming back for more. 

The portions are small, so I wouldn't recommend sharing. However, the taste is unforgettable, and every dish is different and delicious.

The restaurant also offers fresh pastas such as linguini with mushroom and truffle, AlUla citrus risotto, ravioli with butter and sage, and black pasta with lobster, which is a personal favorite. 

Their main courses contain veal Milanese, roasted baby chicken, and grilled salmon, but their baked seabass is a must-try. 

The dough of the pizza is light, and the fresh pasta is light, leaving your stomach happy and satiated. 

Make sure to save room for the delectable selection of gelato and traditional Italian sweets.

Circolo Pizza offers a complete experience: Good food, service, and view, making it one of the best restaurants to try in AlUla. 


 


Where We Are Going Today: Forn Wa Saj in Riyadh and Jeddah

Updated 12 December 2025
Follow

Where We Are Going Today: Forn Wa Saj in Riyadh and Jeddah

If you live in this part of the world, then you know exactly what it feels like to wake up on a Friday morning with your friends or your family yearning for a good manoosha and a cup of hot karak tea. Choosing the right place, however, can be quite the task.

With so many manaeesh restaurant options on the market, it gets difficult to differentiate between the good and the bad, the classic traditional and the “modern twist” that is just trying too hard.

Forn Wa Saj, in both Riyadh and Jeddah, is somewhat in between.

They have your classic akkawi, zaater, lahmah bel ajeen and others, but they also include some wildcard house specials such as a pesto halloumi, pepperoni and even a pumpkin spread.

Their lahmah bel ajeen is a great option; it is flavorful and contains just the right amount of tanginess.

For zaatar fans, its flavor is good — perhaps the zaatar labneh would have been a better option.

For the house specials, there were some hits and misses. Esh albulbul (mixed cheese with labneh and honey) is for sure a success. The balance of sweet, creamy and slightly salty is excellent.

Both the musakhan and falafel manaeesh are pretty good but could use some minor adjustments — the musakhan is great quality chicken but you might wish for a bit less tanginess, and the falafel just need more falafel.

Overall, Forn Wa Saj is a good choice for your weekend breakfast. It may not blow you away but will leave you satisfied.

The portion sizes are pretty generous, and although the prices are a bit high, they are average among the more “modern” manaeesh restaurants.