An Evening With Spago and Ramelli

Pure Truffle Theater For a City That Expects the Best

Last night Spago welcomed a collaboration with Ramelli for a one night only black truffle dinner at Via Riyadh, and the room felt electric before the first course even touched the table. Lights were ambient, the open windowned kitchen murmured, and the aroma of fresh truffle drifted across the dining room in a way that made conversation soften and smiles appear. Executive Chef Daniel Irvine and Saudi guest chef Mohammed Albasha of The Ritz Carlton led the evening together, a confident duet that gave the menu polish and a local heartbeat.

Spago is an award winning restaurant created by celebrity Chef Wolfgang Puck. Born in Los Angeles and credited with shaping modern California cuisine, the brand blends seasonality, an open kitchen spirit, and relaxed glamour. Its Riyadh home sits in VIA Riyadh, where the service culture matches the kitchen’s precision. Spago in the Kingdom is part of the vision of Cool Inc, a Saudi founded hospitality group that partners with world class chefs and also develops homegrown concepts. The result is an international name expressed with local fluency, which is exactly how the evening felt.

We began with a quartet of amuse bouches that read like small love letters to the mushroom. A forest mushroom and truffle cheesecake arrived first, savory and silky, set over black olive soil with a whisper of onion ash. A crisp chicken katsu followed with daikon and red endive, brightened by a black truffle juice ponzu that balanced richness with lift. The kunafa tuna tartare brought a playful Saudi touch, fine akami dressed with avocado and habbat al barakah, the kunafa adding crunch and memory in the same bite. A final mushroom and truffle chip scattered with local mixed nuts and parmesan gave a gentle, nutty finish. Four small plates, four reasons to settle in and trust the kitchen.

The appetizers pushed the story forward. Musaka and truffled burrata paired roasted vegetables and rustic bread with an Arabian style dressing that made the burrata taste even creamier. Lobster agnolotti came in a truffled lobster bisque that was deep and fragrant, the kind of sauce that quiets a table for a moment. Then a plate of crispy potato and lumi arrived, simple on the surface, clever in texture and seasoning, a bright pause before the mains.

Two main courses carried the center of the night. The pan roasted quail breast was cooked with precision and paired with its confit leg, compressed pear, a truffle remoulade, sautéed Brussels sprouts, an egg yolk jam that gave a golden gloss, and a natural pan sauce that tied everything together. It was elegant and generous at once. The second plate grounded the evening in place. Hasawi rice and short rib came with crisped grains, a smoked tomato essence, pickled shallot and coriander relish, fried shallots, and a light Thai spiced jus. The rice carried the perfume of the pan and the beef fell to the fork, a conversation between global technique and local comfort.

Dessert felt like a soft curtain call. An apple and pecan nut tart tatin arrived warm and glossy with labneh and truffle honey ice cream, a little olive oil and a pinch of sea salt to keep it honest. Then a Spago signature truffle macaroon gift box appeared, the kind of sweet that makes you promise to return.

Spago’s bar played its part beautifully. We sipped a bright Italian Sour built on Lyre’s Italian Spritz with passion fruit, pineapple and lime, which paired well with the seafood. Sunkiss Summer mixed cold brew with orange, orgeat and lime and turned out to be a clever match for the short rib. Other tables leaned into Double Happiness with pineapple, passion fruit, orgeat and coconut, and we watched more than one Moonlight Sunset glide by in a glowing shade of blood orange and lychee. The room seemed to be having fun with the names and the flavors, and so were we.

What made the night special was the way the two chefs shared the stage. Daniel Irvine kept the pacing calm and precise, the Spago style you feel in the timing, the heat, the finish on the sauce. Chef Mohammed Albasha threaded the evening with Saudi notes that felt natural and proud, from the kunafa crunch on the tartare to the Hasawi rice that anchored the short rib. Together they delivered an experience that was luxurious without stiffness, a dinner that moved with rhythm and warmth.

For one evening the truffle did not dominate as a headline, it supported a story about a city that loves food and a team that understands how to host. We left with the taste of apple still lingering and the sense that Spago and Cool Inc had given Riyadh a little piece of theatre that will be remembered by everyone who found a seat.