café ELLE — Restaurant in Shmeisi Municipality

I recently tried their Afternoon Tea, and it was a delightful experience. The Afternoon Tea starts with a pink welcome drink flavored with a unique flavor of rosemary and basil, which was very tasty. We then had the opportunity to choose from six different types of tea, with the help of our waiter Natasha in making our selection.

After that, they brought out two types of scones – one plain and one with dates – along with two kinds of jam, honey, and butter. Following this, they presented a three-tiered tray. The first tier featured five varieties of mini desserts and small cakes, all of which were delicious. The second tier contained three types of savory snacks, each with two pieces. The third tier contained four sandwiches (tuna, chicken, egg salad, labneh with cucumber and mint), the sandwiches were okay, with the chicken being the standout. Finally, they brought really yummy and wonderfully flavorful mini choux pastries with various fillings (dates, coffee, berries, pistachio), the best ones were the coffee and dates. The mini choux were light and not too sweet.

Before leaving, they kindly provided us with cookies shaped like colorful dresses. I must commend the service, which I rate 10/10. A big shoutout to Natasha, our waitress. She was so friendly and made our experience truly outstanding! Additionally, the chef herself, Walaa Sonbul, came to inquire about our experience and gather feedback, which was a nice touch, it showed she really cared (indicating it was made with love)

We encountered an issue with our reservation, and was canceled the same day of our reservation. They contacted us the apologized for this issue. However, the staff promptly apologized and offered us a discount during our next visit, which we appreciated.

The restaurant itself is quite small and ordinary, but the overall experience was lovely. I hope to return for another enjoyable visit soon.

The Afternoon Tea is available daily from 4 pm to 8 pm. It would be better if they started serving it earlier to avoid the traffic. The price per person for Afternoon Tea is 250 riyals, and you leave feeling pleasantly satisfied after indulging in the offerings.

I highly recommend it whenever you want to...

I had high expectations when taking my parents to Café Elle, especially given that Via Riyadh is positioned as a premium destination. Unfortunately, our experience was far from what one would expect from a place that claims to offer top-tier service.

Upon arrival, we noticed two empty tables—one marked as reserved and the other completely vacant. Naturally, we sat at the available table and started reviewing the menu. After nearly 10 minutes, a staff member (lady) approached us lacking any sense of hospitality, and abruptly informed us that we had to vacate the table because it was reserved. My father understandably frustrated pointed out that we had already been sitting for a while, yet she remained firm, insisting that we leave immediately. When he expressed his dismay by asking, “Are you actually kicking us out?” she simply replied, “Sorry, but I have a reservation.”

This was an incredibly disrespectful and embarrassing situation, especially as I had taken my parents, who were visiting me, for what was supposed to be an enjoyable outing instead it actually ruined my day. When I raised my concern with the café manager, hoping for a reasonable resolution, all I received was a generic apology (sorry if it was said in a rude way) with no real attempt to address the poor handling of the situation.

For a café in Via Riyadh, a place marketed as an upscale destination, this level of unprofessionalism and disregard for customer experience is unacceptable. Hospitality is not just about serving food but creating an environment where guests feel welcomed and valued, unfortunately they failed miserably in this regard.

Would I recommend this place? Absolutely not. There are plenty of other cafés in Riyadh where customers are treated with the respect...

I have always visited Coffee Elle and considered it one of my favorite places. Today, for the first time, I brought my mother with me, but unfortunately, the experience was disappointing due to the unprofessional behavior of one of the staff members. Just as I was about to sit at my table, she asked me to go to the reception to provide my information, and she was unclear in her communication. Later, I noticed her collecting information from other customers while they remained seated, showing clear inconsistency in how she treated guests.

When I raised my concern, she didn’t bother to explain or clarify and instead acted in a very disrespectful and provoking manner. I reported the issue to the manager, who was very kind and understanding. She informed me that the employee would not be continuing after Ramadan. However, I believe that keeping her until then will not be in the café’s best interest, as her attitude could lead to a negative customer experience and harm the reputation of a place that is supposed to offer a premium experience.

I felt so uncomfortable that I couldn’t even stay and sit down, so I left and went to another café instead. It was an unpleasant visit, and I hope this issue is addressed promptly to maintain the...