I’ll be very candid. I am NOT a Nescafe Girl. I prefer my coffee fresh from ground beans and even better yet if I smell the aroma of those freshly ground beans as the coffee is perking. Fortunately coffee shops do indeed abound throughout the Kingdom. As a result, there is no shortage of places where one can go to enjoy a nice cuppa as well as buy either coffee beans to grind yourself at home or fresh coffee which has already been ground.
The usual places are here: Starbucks (although personally I find their coffee to have a somewhat bitter taste); Doctor Kaffe (which is among my favorites and has a wide variety of differing coffees); Coffee Time (also not bad); SBC (Seattle’s Best Coffee and rated excellent in my book); Java Café (not only great coffee but excellent pastries and snacks too). There are also many other coffee bars and cafes too but the ones I mentioned are very prominent and popular.
At the hotels good coffee can be hit and miss. A hotel may be able to prepare excellent cappachino or latte but miss the boat on simple brewed coffee. Or, a hotel may serve again the ever so popular Nescafe!
However based on the emergence of more and more coffee cafes throughout the Kingdom to include even little drive through coffee shops along the highways the popularity of coffee (vice Arabic kawa) as a drink continues to increase in the Kingdom.
Filed under: Entertainment, Food, Just for fun, Saudi Arabia
I’d vote for SBC anytime! (though I’m actually a tea person)..
My first brush with SBC was 12 years ago, in downtown Seattle. Spent every morning for 7 straight days at the SBC’s cafe overlooking the Westlake Centre..
Any plans of coming to Malaysia and have a cup of brilliant local coffee (or kopi in Malay speak) with me soon?
Hi Carol, Hope all is well with you and your family. I have just recently discovered that ‘Second Cup’ has 2 coffee shops here in Ryiadh. Its a Canadian based coffee shop from Ontario and does not have the bitter taste that Starbucks has. I have found one at the Specialist Hospital near KFSHRC and apparently there is a large one on Tahila street. They were happy to even grind the coffee beans for me. I must also add that it is a real bargain at only 65 sar per kilo. Now if i could only find my Miricle Whip. I have been to every Tammimi in Riyadh and still havent found any. Just cant seem to enjoy a tuna, salmon or egg salad sandwith without it. (Long Sigh……….)
Roasters on Olaya street is a favorite place of mine that I always visit whenever I’m in Riyadh. Yes, it’s a fast food place but they have also incorporated a cafe to it. The coffee is fair, but the real draw to me is their hot chocolate! I have yet to taste a better hot choco and I miss it terribly here in Jeddah.
I also do like tea. I noticed yesterday I was at a Starbucks and the menu on the wall said Tazo tea..which I love. I told the guy I’d like some. He looked at me blankly like ‘what is she talking about?’ I pointed to the menu and his response was ‘oh, we don’t have that but we’re told to put the Starbuck items up on the menu.’ arghhhhh…..
SBC is good and fortunately they are indeed in multiple locations in Riyadh!
karimah – thanks for reminding me of Second Cup…they do indeed deserve a mention too! Have you tried the Fal Tamimi or the Tamimi by KSU? I think I have seen Miracle Whip and both of these Tamimi’s are good at taking -and filling- special orders too.
Saudi Jawa – given that it is now pretty cold in Riyadh, good hot chocolate recommendations are also very much appreciated. Next time you and the family plan to come to Riyadh let me know in advance!
[...] December 24, 2008 at 9:54 am (Uncategorized) Tags: coffe in the middle east http://americanbedu.com/2008/12/24/good-coffee-places-in-saudi-arabia/ [...]
As to me, I liked the pic. It’s tantalizing. Wish it were in my hand this morning.
Glad you liked the pic Mohamed Ali… I have a great individual who always helps pick out the perfect pictures!
Thats something Ive never been able to tolerate…coffee..Im the rare American that does not drink coffee…and really dont like the smell either. Apparently its unusual as just about every non american I meet that discovers this little fact about me just stand back and look amazed…”An American that doesnt drink coffee”…lol.
coolred38, what about a Dutch who doesn’t like coffee???
It can take people years to finally realise and accept that I reaal, really don’t like coffee!
Saudi Jawa: now we’re talking! Hot chocolate!
Glad to see the Second Cup getting due credit. I only drink the tea myself (only tea-drinker in the family–nuclear or extended).
Ahh… Coffee…
Since this topic is about coffee, I have a strong dislike for various coffee chains here in Singapore since they don’t serve the kind of coffee I want to drink. I prefer tea, be it the plain English Breakfast or fruit flavoured tea is still the best.
Black coffee made by my grandma and Turkish coffee served in a teeny weeny cup still works for me as compared to the coffees made in Starbucks etc. Only if the Turkish coffee could be served in jugs instead and that I wished I had the patience to make my own Turkish coffee!
Turkish coffee also has its appeal but ideally I still like to start my morning with a freshly brewed cup of American coffee…black….no milk, no cream, no sugar! (smile)
“I have a great individual who always helps pick out the perfect pictures!”
I guess it’s your husband, isn’t he? But for a woman who “traveled to more than 75 countries and worked in the private sector in the area of strategic communications and public relations” I don’t think she really needs someone to help her pic wonderful things. The mere fact that you accepted to adorn this post with that pic proves your taste is fine.
As for the coffee you mentioned I couldn’t judge it because I simply haven’t tasted it yet.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/foulla/61360303/
glad you enjoy the various pics. Some I select and some I defer to others!
I’m truly addicted to my Starbucks double shot of expresso. None of that watered down stuff (which isn’t bad). I like to tell people, I like my caffeine straight to the vein. I get at least one a day, if I’m feeling really dragged down by the gray days in Seattle, I splurge on 2.
I did the math once, and I spend close to $800 a year at Starbucks!! Maybe I need to go to rehab.
Coffee’s my doc. (Drug of choice, not doctor!) : )
But good coffee is hard to find. And good is defined by you and no one else. What works for you won’t work for others, like all things in life! Now you’ll find this strange. I LOVE coffee but I don’t drink it frequently, once a month or once in 2 months perhaps? It’s one of those drinks I cherish, maybe I cherish it because I drink so infrequently.
Now tea’s my daily companion, due to its low caffeine content and antioxidant quality.
It’s a relief to know Saudi has some of the big chain coffee places, not because they’re good but because they’re a sign of a small world. We can’t be all that different if we’re ingesting the same poisons!
Ok, bad day pour moi!
xoxox
BCIS – I hear you….I should probably invest in Baskins & Robbins…that’s my weakness!
Tee – maybe tea is your drink in honor of your name…(grin)
I sure am tee for that!
xoxo
I agree. When I was in Amman, I became addicted to Nescafe and it was everywhere! I had just began drinking coffee. Then I came back to the states and started drinking coffee from other places, and I lost my taste for Nescafe… Not sure why!
Starbucks is too strong. Does KSA have Caribou Coffee? It’s all over Dubai.
I’m trying to remember now Jammy if I saw Caribou Coffee in KSA or if it was when we were in Bahrain…but it is quite nice indeed! Off the top of my head I can not think of a Caribou Coffee in Riyadh.
I just checked their website… Yep, there’s one or so in Bahrain but none in KSA! Hey – maybe if someone started one, it might become popular
It’s similar to Starbucks!
Actually Jammy, I think Caribou is better than Starbucks!!
Well not to keep this thread going forever, but then it’s good news for you : ) A friend sent this to me… http://www.mysaudiguides.com/yummy/news.php?newsNo=5 I don’t know how accurate it is, but then I guess it means Carbiou will be in Riyadh soon!
Thank you Jammy – that is GREAT to know!!!
I agree that Starbucks has a bitter taste. I do not like Dr cafe though. I used to love the tea and coffee pot in Grananda, they had the best American coffee but after going there twice they closed and now Sonys opening up there. Caffee is good to, those drive thrus.
Actually I have found many of those small innocuous drive thrus having excellent coffee…and not instant either!