Myazu
In Residence
Barry Andrews
Executive Chef
- 01CuisineContemporary Japanese Fusion
- 02CityRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
- 03Recognition50 Best Restaurants
A Neighbourhood That Has Learned to Expect More
As Sulimaniyah is one of Riyadh's more cosmopolitan addresses, a district where international restaurants have taken root alongside local institutions, and where a dining audience that travels frequently has developed precise expectations. The area sits within the city's commercial and social core, and the concentration of serious kitchens here is not accidental. Riyadh's restaurant scene has accelerated sharply since 2021, driven by Vision 2030's liberalisation of the hospitality sector, and As Sulimaniyah absorbed much of that momentum. Myazu, on Musad Bin Jalawi Street, is placed squarely within that current.
For context on how that neighbourhood fits into the wider city, our full Riyadh restaurants guide maps the key districts and what distinguishes each. As Sulimaniyah trends international and design-conscious, which makes it a logical home for a restaurant that operates in the pan-Asian register rather than the Saudi culinary tradition. That said, the city's appetite for local cooking is strong: places like Aseeb and تكية - TAKYA are doing serious work with Saudi ingredients and technique, and the two currents, international and rooted local, are both defining Riyadh's current dining moment.
The Sunday email
Read about the people behind restaurants like Myazu in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.
Where Myazu Sits in the Regional Ranking
In 2026, Myazu was ranked 45 on MENA's 50 Best Restaurants. That placement is a meaningful data point. The MENA 50 Best list covers a geographically and culinarily diverse region, and a ranking inside the top 50 puts a restaurant in direct comparison with frequently discussed kitchens in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Cairo, and beyond. It signals that Myazu is not operating as a regional novelty but as a restaurant that holds up against peer scrutiny from a well-travelled jury of industry professionals.
To put the ranking in a global frame: the World's 50 Best parent list includes kitchens like Le Bernardin in New York City, Atomix in New York City, and Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen in Paris. The MENA edition operates by the same methodology and with comparable rigour. Earning a place on it from a Saudi address, where the restaurant sector has only recently opened to international programming at scale, is a different kind of achievement than maintaining a ranking in a market with decades of competitive dining infrastructure.
Regionally, the comparison point extends to the Gulf's growing pan-Asian tier. Kuuru in Jeddah is another Saudi entry in this broad category, and the two restaurants together suggest that demand for serious Asian cooking is no longer concentrated exclusively in Dubai. Saudi diners have spent years travelling to eat at 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong and comparable addresses abroad; Myazu represents the moment that calibre of restaurant begins appearing at home.
The Cooking Framework
Myazu is a contemporary Japanese fusion restaurant in Riyadh. That biographical arc, a Western-trained cook who absorbed technique across the continent rather than in a single national tradition, is increasingly common among the chefs running pan-Asian kitchens in the Gulf. It produces a specific kind of menu logic: dishes anchored in technique from multiple Asian culinary lineages, assembled with a Western chef's structural instincts around balance and presentation.
That orientation tends to produce cooking that rewards attention, where the sequence of a dish matters and individual components are chosen for what they add structurally, not just for seasoning. In regional markets where diners have become increasingly sophisticated through travel, that kind of cooking finds an audience willing to pay and return for it.
At that volume, a rating is no longer a reflection of a self-selected enthusiast audience. It represents a broad cross-section of visitors, including those who did not seek out the restaurant specifically for a special-occasion meal. Sustaining 4.4 at that scale suggests consistent execution across service, not just occasional high points.
How Myazu Compares Within Riyadh's Upper Tier
Riyadh's high-end restaurant market has several distinct clusters. There is a Saudi culinary tier, anchored by places doing serious work with local ingredients and traditional techniques. There is a European fine-dining tier, occupying hotel dining rooms and some standalone addresses. And there is the international cuisine tier, which includes the pan-Asian category where Myazu operates. Within that third cluster, Myazu sits at the recognition-backed end: a 50 Best MENA ranking separates it from the broader group of well-regarded international restaurants in the city.
For comparison within Riyadh's wider scene, Marble and Lunch Room represent different points on the city's dining spectrum, useful reference points for understanding where Myazu's positioning sits relative to more casual or differently-oriented kitchens. The contrast is instructive: Riyadh's dining ecosystem has developed enough range that a single restaurant type no longer defines the city's ambition.
Questions
Frequently asked
What recognition does Myazu hold?
Myazu holds a place on a 50 Best list.
Who works at Myazu?
Made By profiles Barry Andrews (Executive Head Chef), Ian Pengelley (Culinary Director / chef-patron) and Roy de Castro (Sushi Chef) at Myazu.
How expensive is Myazu?
Myazu is listed at a price level of $$$$.
Where is Myazu and what does it serve?
Myazu is in Al Sulaimaniyah, Riyadh, serving Contemporary Japanese Fusion.
The field
How it compares
| Place | Awards | Cuisine | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myazu | 50 Best | Contemporary Japanese Fusion | Al Sulaimaniyah, $$$$ |
| 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana (Hong Kong) | Michelin 3 Stars, 50 Best | 3 Michelin-Star Italian Fine Dining | Hong Kong |
| Frantzén | Michelin 3 Stars, 50 Best | Modern Nordic Fusion with Japanese Influences | Stockholm |
| Les Amis | Michelin 3 Stars, 50 Best | Classic French Haute Cuisine | Singapore |
| Marble | 50 Best | American Steakhouse | Riyadh |
| Pierre Gagnaire | Michelin 3 Stars, 50 Best | Avant-Garde French Fine Dining | Paris |
| Singlethread | · | Kaiseki-inspired modern Californian tasting menu | Healdsburg |
Similar places
3 Michelin-Star Italian Fine Dining
8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
★★★ · 50 Best
Modern Nordic Fusion with Japanese Influences
Frantzén
Stockholm, Sweden
★★★ · 50 Best
Classic French Haute Cuisine
Les Amis
Singapore, Singapore
★★★ · 50 Best
American Steakhouse
Marble
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
50 Best
Avant-Garde French Fine Dining
Pierre Gagnaire
Paris, France
★★★ · 50 Best
Kaiseki-inspired modern Californian tasting menu
Singlethread
Healdsburg, United States
The Sunday email
Read about the people behind restaurants like Myazu in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.