Specialty coffee in Riyadh.
The specialty coffee scene in Riyadh is small but growing: 27 cafés and roasters on Roasters, curated by the people who actually drink them.
How Riyadh compares
Zoom out to the Middle East and Riyadh is still in the top ten: #7 out of 54 cities.
Out of 5 cities in Saudi Arabia on Roasters, Riyadh comes first with 27 cafés, roughly 82% of the country total.
Globally, Riyadh has more specialty cafés on Roasters than 96% of the 3,601 cities in the app.
Themed guides (espresso, filter, brunch and more) open at 30 cafés. Riyadh is 3 cafés short of that line.
Best coffee in Riyadh
The best coffee in Riyadh isn't a chain. It's the independent café where the barista dials in espresso every morning, the roastery that names the farm on the bag, the brew bar that takes filter as seriously as espresso. Roasters maps 27 of them.
A quick test for any café in Riyadh: ask what is on filter today. A specialty bar will name the origin, the process and often the producer, and brew it to order.
- Beans for sale to brew at home
- Origin and process on the bag
- Pour-over and espresso both on the menu
- Single-origin or light-roasted blends
Find every specialty café
in Riyadh.
Open the map, filter by what is open now or nearest, save spots to lists, and log every cup. Free on iOS and Android.
Questions about coffee in Riyadh
How many specialty coffee shops are there in Riyadh?
Roasters currently lists 27 cafés and roasters in Riyadh, added and reviewed by the community. That is 82% of all specialty listings in Saudi Arabia.
Which city in Saudi Arabia has the most specialty coffee?
Riyadh does, with 27 cafés on Roasters, ahead of Dammam with 3 cafés.
Which cities in the Middle East have a similar-sized coffee scene?
By café count on Roasters, the closest matches outside Saudi Arabia are Ankara, Turkey (30), Doha, Qatar (27) and Kuwait City, Kuwait (24).
Is Roasters free to use in Riyadh?
Yes. Roasters is free to download and use everywhere, including Riyadh. A Pro tier adds advanced filters, unlimited lists and Forums access.
What makes a café “specialty”?
Traceable, high-grade beans (80+ on the SCA scale), careful roasting and precise brewing. A specialty café can usually tell you the origin, variety and process of every coffee it serves.
Can I claim my café in Riyadh on Roasters?
Yes. Owners, managers and staff in Riyadh can claim their listing to manage hours, photos, menu and equipment, reply to reviews and post events or jobs.
