Romero
A.Maqsud Khuja St
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Tel: 02 2630263
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If you’re a big fan of Mediterranean food then you should be pleased to hear about Romero Restaurant in Jeddah. Like an Andalusian palace, Romero is decorated lavishly; private ‘chambers’ allow diners to share intimate moments with friends, while ripe red roses are grace each and every table, it seems like no expense is spared.
The restaurant itself is set over two floors and even the staircase is befitting of a palace, glass lanterns hang beautifully from the ceiling, accentuating the Andalusian décor, and as if that wasn’t romantic enough, we were even serenaded by the sounds of opera playing in the background on our visit.
The waiters at Romero are all dressed like traditional butlers and each had extensive knowledge of the food on the menu, which is primarily Mediterranean, and offer further details on the country it originated from.
To start, we were served some complimentary crevettes (that’s French for prawns) in Mango sauce, an interesting mesh of sweet and savoury flavours. From a choice of Pina Colada, Mojito and numerous other cocktails on the menu, I played it safe and ordered an Ice Tea (20 SAR) and a Soda (5 SAR).
Soon after, a selection of fresh bread buns and light, extra virgin olive oil from Tunisia were served. So good were these, they didn’t last long on the table. Our chosen Appetizers then appeared, My dish of ‘Grilled prawns with Grilled Watermelon’ (55 SAR) was beautifully presented. It did not disappoint, although for the price the portion was a little on the small side.
For mains, the menu was rich in Mediterranean delights, from Italian risottos, pastas, raviolis, and steaks, to Spanish Seafood & Paellas. Not long ago I tried the best paella ever (to me and a few friends at least) in Georgetown, Washington DC. So I wanted to see how the paella at Romero played out in comparison. This paella (190 SAR) serves two, and like all paellas it took a while to prepare (although time flies when you’re receiving royal treatment).
Once our feast finally arrived, we dug right in, one moment I was choosing a giant scallop, the next, a juicy prawn, with a few spoonfuls of rice with calamari (and the odd mussel here and there) I was in Paella Paradise. So satisfying, and definitely up there with the greatest paellas I’ve ever tried, but nothing will ever top that DC paella.
I had a look at the dessert menu but by this point I was far too full to eat anything else. The waiter noticed that I hadn’t ordered anything so
he kindly decided to serve me macaroons on the house! What did I think of them? They were so soft, filled with cream, and hit the spot perfectly. Will I be back? I think so, Romero is definitely one for the books, two thumbs up!
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I googled “Romantic Restaurant in Jeddah”, and the first thing I found there was Romero. I read the reviews and it seemed great to me at that time, knowing that it will be hard to find a good romantic restaurant in Jeddah. So I made a reservation (not needed by the way) and took my dining mate for a 7 pm dinner. The building and entrance from outside looked impressive, and a doorkeeper was waiting at the door to open the door for us. As soon as we entered, it sure looked fantastic with very nice decorations. The restaurant is a two story building, but the second floor was closed at that time for renovation. At the reception, we were asked if we want a private room or just sit with everyone else in the “family section”. We looked at both, and the private rooms seemed too small and uncomfortable. So we asked to be seated in the general area. We sat right next to a water fountain decorated with Mosaic, and the atmosphere was really good and romantic as I wanted. Butlers were standing by waiting for us to call them for service. So far so good.
I ordered a drink (Pina Colada SR33) and it was so good with a Pineapple slice on the edge of the glass. My dining mate ordered Sangria (SR33), but she didn’t like it at all. I tasted it and didn’t like it either.
We then ordered our first course, I asked for a Mushroom soup (SR45) which was OK, and Ravioli Di Ricot (SR45) which was very very good. For starters, she ordered Gratinee Lyonnai soup (SR45) which she liked a lot, and Foie Gras Poele (SR85) , which she didn’t like at all. I felt bad for her, it didn’t seem like she was having good luck with what she was ordering. I asked the waiter to get us the menu so she can order a different starter. When he came, he was nice enough to offer her a replacement since she didn’t like it. After a while, he came back saying that the manager will decide whether to replace her order or charge us for it. I found it kind of rude if the waiter offered a replacement just to come back and say that the manager will look into it later. I asked him to get her what she wants and not worry about the charge, but she refused to order or replace her starter dish.
As for the main course, I ordered Supreme d Poele (SR60), and it was very disappointing to taste the grilled chicken breast, which was rubbery and tasted below average compared to regular restaurants. The potatoes were good, so I just ate them. She ordered Saumon Gri Au Ep (SR95), and she had the same problem with the Salmon non-fresh and tasted below average, although she asked him ahead of time if it is fresh, and his answer was yes.
To fill out the wide space that is left in our stomach, we ordered a desert. I ordered a fruit salad (SR45) which I really liked. She ordered Creme Brullee (SR40) which she also liked and the only dish she completed. Total bill was SR550, and I added SR50 tip. The idea of dinner was not for eating, it was only for having a nice atmosphere, which we did. So the food disappointment was ok considering the nice time we spent in that lavish setting.
I would give the restaurant 5 stars for the facility and atmosphere, and a 2 star rating for the food quality and manager’s disappointing decision to insult us using the waiter. The waiter, by the way, was very kind and courteous, and that’s why I didn’t hesitate to tip him. I hope this review gives the reader a good idea about this facility.
Being used to fine dining in the US, I find this restaurant below average for the food quality. I myself wouldn’t go there again to eat a main meal, maybe just for snacking.