A scavenger hunt for a golden key has come to Diriyah Season: Parkers Farmhouse, a unique themed restaurant co-owned by Deem Al-Bassam and Amal Al-Marri, has arrived at the festival.
The key to getting in is to find the golden key. Hidden in various parts in Riyadh, the restaurateurs offer a fun exclusive take on eating out in the open air — you have to follow Parkers’ Snapchat and Instagram stories for clues to locate the key, and gain access to the spacious outdoor dining area.
After the long hunt is over, scavangers may find themselves in a long queue to be served. But when the wait is over, customers are welcomed into the beautifully lit outdoor restaurant area and served Arabic coffee near the bonfire before being seated.
This is the second Parkers pop-up restaurant to open in Saudi Arabia. However, the concept was first implemented in Dubai and after its initial success, more restaurants followed.
“Before we opened this Parkers Farmhouse, we had Parkers Lighthouse in Al-Rae’da for six months,” Sayed Hassan, the operations manager, said.
“We believe in quality ambiance. There is no compromise when it comes to the quality of food. It’s a combination of a beautiful concept with unmatchable food and top-quality service.”
The food served at the restaurant is as unique as its concept. An interesting menu serves up a feast of choices, with the signature dish for Diriyah corn on the cob drizzled with sauce. Their famous spicy toffee shrimp, truffle burger and the oozing mac and cheese with spicy cheetos on top are also worth trying.
Their famous street fries are smothered with sauce and served steaming hot. Chicken and beef sliders are also beloved by customers, as is the Madeline chocolate cake, a three-layered masterpiece drizzled with sauce and flakes. The slices served are deliberately large, too, because, as Sayed says: “You can eat and take the rest home, so Parkers is always with you.”
