The best specialty coffee in Riyadh

Riyadh takes its coffee seriously — roasters with single-origin menus, baristas who will happily explain your beans' life story, and V60s poured with lab precision. The specialty list, ranked by the people who queue for it.

28 results

  1. Chérie — Al Olaya · Specialty coffee & pastries
    A concrete-and-light room in Olaya with outdoor seating facing Faisaliah Tower. The menu centers on Spanish lattes, a za'atar-feta croissant, crème brûlée and tiramisu; doors open in the afternoon.
  2. Alf — Al Wadi · Specialty coffee & desserts
    Aegean-style white arches around a central water feature, with a dessert-led menu — date cake, honeycomb French toast, chocolate chip melts — plus iced lattes.
  3. BTW — An Nafal · Specialty coffee
    By The Way — an Olaya specialty roaster running since 2019, serving Ethiopian and Ugandan V60s, an iced Spanish shaken and tarts, with outdoor seating.
  4. Belong — Nuzha · Specialty coffee
    A neighborhood cafe open from six in the morning till two at night — lattes, light bites, and a baklava cheesecake on the dessert side. Noise stays low enough for studying most hours.
  5. Crops — An Narjis · Specialty coffee
    A roastery-cafe serving single-origin coffee roasted on site, in a minimalist room with fast wifi and working plugs. Set up for both work sessions and slow tastings.
  6. Truth — Alquds · Specialty Coffee
    A specialty roastery with an espresso-centered menu and a cheesecake on the side. Busy at peak times — nearby parking takes a few minutes.
  7. ORIGIN — Hittin · Specialty Coffee
    A quality-focused roastery pouring El Salvador espresso and Ethiopian filter from six in the morning. The room is simple with limited seating — built as a quick stop more than a long sit.
  8. The Sift — Hittin · Specialty Coffee
    A Hittin bakery-cafe mixing Saudi and Western flavors — saffron cake, cinnamon crème brûlée, creamy cheese pecan — with batches that often sell out before noon. Morning visits get the full case.
  9. Basementers — Al Malqa · Roastery & specialty coffee
    An Al Yasmin roastery-cafe with natural light and flowers on the counter, running Ethiopian and Colombian espressos. The space is small, the wifi holds, and personal cups are welcome.
  10. Never Enough — An Narjis · Bakehouse & specialty coffee
    A bakehouse on an evening schedule — four in the afternoon until one at night — with croissants, tarts and signature cookie-dough scoops, in a white wicker-and-greenery room.
  11. Kultúra — Al Ghadir · Specialty coffee
    The cafe that launched the cloud coffee — a cap of sweet cream over iced coffee or matcha — alongside a burrata-pesto sandwich and crispy French toast. Stone counter, desert palette, and managed entry at peak times.
  12. VEO — Hittin · Specialty coffee
    Specialty coffee on Suwayd Ibn Harithah Street with an all-Saudi barista team. Cinnamon buns and cheesecake round out the menu.
  13. Black Wolf — Ghirnatah · Roastery & specialty coffee
    A roastery in Al Shuhada serving espresso drinks alongside tiramisu and the house "wolf cake".
  14. Camel Step — At Taawun · Roastery & specialty coffee
    Roasting since 2013, Camel Step is one of the founding names of Saudi specialty coffee — a coffee-first setup selling beans, brewing gear and classes. One branch won an international architecture award in 2025.
  15. Dopamine — Dhahrat Laban · Specialty coffee
    A "third place" cafe running since 2018 — adults-oriented with a no-under-7s policy, espresso classics, dark-chocolate mocha and gourmet pastries.
  16. Markab — King Fahd · Specialty coffee
    A new design-led coffee spot a short walk from the metro — varied seating, a no-music policy, and a compact espresso menu.
  17. Jadeel — Al Malqa · Specialty coffee & desserts
    A multi-branch specialty spot where cakes share top billing with the coffee — New York cheesecake, Matilda cake, cinnamon buns — plus flat whites and V60s.
  18. Jazel — Ad Diriyah · Specialty coffee
    A specialty cafe with branches in Diriyah and near Al Quds, pouring around sixteen coffee crops at the counter — among the widest selections in the city — plus a lamington cake.
  19. Mkth — Ghirnatah · Specialty coffee
    A design-led cafe whose name comes from "lingering" — marble-wrapped columns, warm wood, and a layout built for long stays.
  20. GLIM — Ar Rahmaniyah · Specialty coffee
    A recent opening in Ar Rahmaniyah with a second spot on Takhassusi Street — a compact specialty menu while the brand settles in.
  21. CAF LAB — Qurtubah · Specialty coffee
    A lab-themed specialty concept with periodic-table branding, serving until two in the morning across its branches, including Qurtubah on the east side.
  22. SHOTS — Hittin · Specialty coffee & sweets
    Specialty coffee and artisanal sweets on Hittin's cafe strip, with hand-drawn cup art and small gifts included with orders.
  23. Shml — Al Qirawan · Specialty coffee
    A Qirawan neighborhood cafe combining wood, plants and Saudi patterns, with an Ethiopian V60 and a Dolce tart on the menu. Weekends run busier than weekdays.
  24. FOR Coffee Roasters — Al Qirawan · Roastery & specialty coffee
    A Qirawan roastery with a counter sculpted after Tuwaiq mountain under a modernized Najdi ceiling, open early morning to one at night. The Signature FOR is the house drink.
  25. Over Under — VIA Riyadh · Specialty coffee & brunch
    Specialty coffee and brunch by day; at night "The Flip" turns the room into a mocktail bar. A London-via-New-York concept at Via Riyadh.
  26. ORIGIN JAX — JAX District · Specialty Coffee
    ORIGIN's flagship in a converted JAX warehouse — cafe, working roastery and workspace in one industrial hall. Opens evenings only.
  27. Caffeination — Laysen Valley · Specialty Coffee
    An indoor-outdoor cafe built like a shared living room, with filter coffee and substantial sandwiches.
  28. Opinion — Hittin · Specialty Coffee
    A 24-hour specialty coffee bar in Hittin — one of two Riyadh branches, the other in Al Mathar Ash Shamali. Most visits land in the SAR 20–40 range.

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