From world-renowned restaurants and favourite local haunts in Riyadh to lesser-known hidden gems in Jeddah, three tastemakers share their most-loved spots in Saudi Arabia. The beach! Kuuru is my favourite place in Jeddah, it’s a blend of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine. The nigiris and ceviche are my favourite thing on the menu, and the sliders too! Moon Shell is a lovely place to go for a coffee and enjoy one of their vegan bowls, my favourite is the açaí.
I love tea, and in Jeddah tea is done right. For me it’s my grandma Salma’s place – she makes the best tea. It’s prepared with lemon leaves that she grows in her garden or when it’s rose season in Taif which is about two hours away from Jeddah, you can add that with mint tea.
That would be Jeddah’s old town, Al Balad. Just walk around and visit the local cafeterias, the old town of Jeddah has so much heritage and stories, for example, my great-grandfather’s house is over 100 years old now. Thankfully the new vision of Saudi is to restore all the buildings in the old town and give it a contemporary take while keeping all of its old homes.
It’s magical and you feel it the second you arrive, you can buy local produce, local perfumes, and some traditional kaftans, also the “mistaka bukhour” is found there, we burn it with charcoal, it is believed in our culture to purify the space from bad energy and you can buy it in the old town souk. It has a beautiful scent. A treasured hidden gem that only locals k.