Qahwa, Tea and the Afternoon: Riyadh’s Café Life

Riyadh’s café life, from qahwa and dates poured in the majlis to the city’s speciality roasters and afternoon tea in the grand hotel lounges, with where we go for each.

Riyadh runs on coffee. Not the quick cup of other capitals, but a ritual of welcome: a small measure poured from a long-spouted dallah, a plate of dates, a second cup offered before you have finished the first.

Around that old ritual the city has built a new café life, from speciality roasters to some of the most elegant afternoon teas in the Gulf. Here is how to spend a day at Riyadh’s tables.

Qahwa and dates

Saudi coffee, qahwa, is lightly roasted and spiced with cardamom, and served in small handleless cups with dates. Arabic coffee is on UNESCO’s list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a symbol of generosity, and you will be offered it in hotel lobbies, majlis lounges and Saudi restaurants alike.

Take the cup with your right hand, and when you have had enough, give it a gentle shake as you hand it back. In Diriyah, Samhan Lounge at Bab Samhan pours Arabic coffee indoors and out, a short walk from the mud-brick lanes of At-Turaif.

The roasters

The city’s younger coffee scene belongs to its roasters. Elixir Bunn, based in Al Nakheel, has branches across Riyadh; Camel Step and Brew92 roast their own beans too, and each lists its cafés on its own site.

Hotels have joined in: Beni, at W Riyadh in KAFD, pairs craft coffee with artisanal ice cream from 7am to 11pm, and The Coffee Table, at the Marriott in the Diplomatic Quarter, keeps the same hours for speciality coffee after a walk on the quarter’s trails.

In Riyadh, a cup of coffee is a welcome before it is a drink.

Afternoon tea

Afternoon tea is where Riyadh’s hotels compete. At the JW Marriott on King Fahad Road, The Capital Lounge wheels out a chocolate trolley beside its high tea; at The Ritz-Carlton in Al Hada, the Chorisia Lounge serves breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea with the gardens beyond.

In Olaya, Alain Ducasse Chocolat at Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah is a Parisian café and chocolate boutique of bean-to-bar chocolates and pastries. Fairmont Riyadh serves high tea in its Plaza Lounge, and the Sofitel on Al Urubah Road brings a French accent to La Matinée Lounge.

Did you know? Arabic coffee’s place on UNESCO’s list is shared by five countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Jordan.

Our advice

Our advice: accept the first cup of qahwa wherever it is offered, try a roaster’s single origin in the morning, and book afternoon tea a day or two ahead, especially at weekends. Check each hotel’s own page for the day’s hours.