Abdulrahman Alsowailem is a pilot. He used to fly as his occupation. But for a considerable period of time, he used to eat in the manner a pilot in Riyadh had to – by compromising on whatever was available in the city, since he had such specific standards about cooking meat and its taste.
At one point in time, he could no longer compromise on anything. So he started a pop-up business that operated four days a week, having four dishes on its menu. This is Marble.
From Four Items to MENA’s 50 Best
The pop-up thrived because the quality of food was unparalleled by any other in that class in the city. As described by Marble’s website, the mission of the establishment is to cultivate the tradition of family-owned smoking and flame-grilled food for the meat lovers of Riyadh in the best possible manner. Vision: Farm-to-table service based on premium cuts and mastery of the craft to understand the true desires of the diner in Riyadh.
Currently, Marble has two outlets: the flagship one at Turki Square in Makkah Al Mukarramah Branch Road in Riyadh and the second outlet at Ithra in Dhahran. The restaurant can seat fifty people inside the intimate art deco-styled dining hall that, according to a 2024 LIST magazine review, is no ordinary steakhouse with wooden paneling and deep red upholstery. The atmosphere is cozy and simple. The kitchen’s focus precedes the menu’s listing.
Marble has appeared on the MENA 50 Best Restaurants list in 2022, 2023, 2025, and 2026. In 2026, it ranks No. 12. The World’s 50 Best has described Alsowailem as a chef whose “love for top cuts, connoisseur knowledge of butchery and meat craftsmanship, paired with in-depth insight into the locale’s palate, has allowed him to create a restaurant that excites and comforts, always staying a step ahead in its offerings.”
The Chef Who Speaks Through His Food
As the World’s 50 Best calls Alsowailem, he is elusive. He gives a few interviews. He does not offer explanations of himself to reporters. He cooks, and he lets the plate speak for him.
He is a self-made man. He learned through his travels as a pilot, taking every opportunity in every country he landed in to eat and learn about other ways of cooking, meat, and flavors. His discoveries on his journeys find their place on his plate in Riyadh. He offers his customers his signature steak dishes, along with seasonal dishes, to share what he learned most recently.
This method of self-education, in which Alsowailem learned on his journeys as a pilot what he could do himself, gave Marble the originality that no conventionally educated chef could.
What to Order
The food experience at Marble starts with sourdough and caramelized onion butter. This is, without question, an extremely simple yet convincing way to start.
Among the many recommended dishes at Marble is the signature burger, which is seared over an open fire with caramelized onions, cheese, and the house sauce. It may be had as a double or triple burger. Prime rib is a 400-gram open-flame rib eye cooked over oak wood, served with mashed potatoes, kale chips, and the house-made mushroom sauce. This is the most renowned steak from the kitchen. The other mainstays of the menu include the smoked ribs for eight hours and the melting brisket. The entire menu is created on the principle that there cannot be anything wrong with doing some things very well.
Among the seasonal specialties at Marble are prime rib dinners and the Saudi lamb specialty rice plate, available for a limited time only.
Marble is open from lunch to dinner from Monday through Saturday.
The Larger Significance
Marble belongs to an evolving dining culture in Saudi Arabia, where even Riyadh is home to international restaurants such as LPM, Zuma, and Hakkasan. But according to a review published in LIST, Marble, a local product by a local businessman, is now competing with all these big brands because he did not believe he could have the restaurant he wished for in his city.
The very idea of Alsowailem’s defiance drives everything here. There were just four dishes available during the pop-up because those were the only dishes that Alsowailem was sure enough to serve. Even the restaurant operates on the same idea today. There isn’t anything at all that is not required to be served.
