Jon & Vinny's Al-Dabab — Restaurant in Municipality of Olaya

We went to Jon and Vinny’s in Riyadh for a late lunch, and overall, it was a mixed experience. The place has a chill, casual, laid-back vibe—great for a relaxed meal. Service was friendly, and the staff were quick to help out with recommendations.

We started with the Mozzarella sticks and the lettuce salad. The Mozzarella sticks were crispy and gooey, but the coating or crust was good, yet completely under-seasoned. If it wasn’t for the marinara sauce, which completely saved it, they would have been a letdown. The lettuce salad was fresh, the dressing was nice with a slight kick to it and it was finished off with breadcrumbs.

For mains, we had the spicy fusilli, lemon spaghetti, and buffalo wings. The spicy fusilli was incredible—bold and flavorful. The lemon spaghetti was good but didn’t really stand out. The buffalo wings were a highlight of the meal. They were perfectly crispy on the outside, with tender, juicy meat inside. The buffalo sauce was fantastic—spicy, tangy, and perfectly balanced. They were served with a side of cool ranch dressing that complemented the heat of the sauce wonderfully.

For pizza, we got the Margherita, which was nice but nothing special. The server recommended El Chaparrito pizza, but I didn’t like it at all—the chicken chorizo flavor was overpowering, and I couldn’t finish my slice.

We ended with dessert: the strawberry cheesecake and the soft serve. The strawberry cheesecake was amazing—perfectly sweet with a crispy crust. Unfortunately, the soft serve was a letdown—mediocre and really overpriced.

If I were to come back to Jon and Vinny’s, I’d definitely order the buffalo wings, the spicy fusilli, and the lettuce salad. I’d skip the El...

One of the best new Italian restaurants in Riyadh! Jon & Vinnys truly made my birthday dinner extra special ♥️

The servers are warm and welcoming, they even sorted out a booking issue and accommodated our large group on a busy night. Friendly faces and great customer service

Moving on to the food; it's not your average over-complicated, over priced, pretentious Italian restaurant with an enormous menu, which is fairly common in Riyadh. The food is Delicious. A Humble and well crafted menu with a good choice for everyone at the table ; the simplicity of the dishes really bring out the best of the fresh and high quality ingredients used. I have never tasted better tomatoes on a bruschetta in the whole city than I have at Jon & Vinnys.

The pizzas are perfectly charred and have just the right amount of toppings, the pizza dough is the star. Meatballs were moist and perfectly seasoned, I really wish I had ordered more! The lemon pasta was another group favourite. We tried an array of items and they were all a hit.

The desserts however leave some room for improvement as their tiramisu can be way way better, however it did have a good balance of coffee and sweetness. The chocolate fudge cake was extremely decadent and super chocolatey and went down really well with some green tea at the end.

Needless to say we will definitely be going back soon and work our way through the...

Finally, I decided to visit Jon & Vinny’s to see what all the hype is about. Let’s start with the service and ambiance before talking about the food. The ambiance is decent, though the lighting is quite low. The staff is welcoming and cooperative 😊. They have seating areas both inside and outside, but make sure to book a table in advance if you want to sit indoors. We visited the branch on Sulaimaniyah Road 📍.

Here’s what we ordered:

🍝 Spicy Fusilli Pasta: The pasta was undercooked and served raw,according to them this is how it is served. Even after requesting a redo, it wasn’t cooked properly. Portion size is small for the price. The taste was good, but it could use some protein or veggies .

🍕 Bronx Bomber Pizza: The pizza was dry. Flavor was okay, but nothing extraordinary.

🍗 Chicken Milanese: Served with chicory salad and lemon on the side. The chicken tasted good but was a bit dry and chewy. Luckily, the salad helped, otherwise it would have been hard to swallow. Definitely an overpriced dish.

🥤 Shirley Temple Drink: Refreshing and satisfying—a highlight of the meal ✨.

Overall: For me, Jon & Vinny’s didn’t live up to the expectations . It felt overhyped and overpriced. If you enjoy fancy Italian food and don’t mind spending, you can give...