The Groves reopens in Al Rafia on 8 November with two new restaurants
Riyadh Season's lakeside garden zone opens its fifth season on Sunday 8 November, adding Greek and Turkish restaurants and a dog park, with entry from SAR 48.
The Groves, the tree-lined lakeside zone of Riyadh Season, opens for its fifth season on Sunday 8 November, according to Al Eqtisadiah, which reported that tickets went on sale on 4 November. The zone sits in Al Rafia district and has become one of the season's calmer evenings out: gardens, a lake, restaurants with a dress-up feel and live shows rather than rides.
This year's line-up adds two restaurants. Opa Kefi brings Greek cooking and Anne Oja is built around Turkish food, and both sit alongside the returning Zama Zulu, which serves African-inspired dishes, and Zodiac Garden, an Italian and Japanese restaurant in a garden by the lake. The Groves' own website lists a minimum spend of 130 riyals at each of these four. Little Krazy, a chocolate-themed restaurant aimed at families, has a minimum spend of 120 riyals, and Al Eqtisadiah describes its new show, Charlie Chunka 2, as a chocolate factory with theatre.
General access covers The Groves Village, a strip of cafés, restaurants and shops with live performances, as well as Catch & Chips, Kooz Karak for karak tea and chapati, The Groves Pizzaria with its wood oven, Al Jalsa (an Arabian Nights style evening seating area by the water) and The Lakefront, a giant screen for football, concerts and shows. New this year is Luca Park, an indoor and outdoor dog park; general access ticket holders get 60% off its separate ticket.
The Groves first opened in 2022 as part of Riyadh Season and has returned every winter since, usually in early November. Last year's edition opened on 5 November.
Tickets cost SAR 48 per adult on weekdays and SAR 58 at weekends, VAT included, and children aged 6 to 11 enter free. Booking is on The Groves website or app, and the restaurants are booked separately with their minimum spend. The site does not yet list this season's opening hours or closing date, so check them before you go. For questions, the venue answers on 920001672 and on WhatsApp. Families with young children and dog owners get the most out of it, and weekday evenings are the cheaper choice.