Saudi cuisine makes its mark on London’s dining scene

From the fragrant rice dishes of the Hijaz to the rituals of Saudi coffee, the flavours of Saudi Arabia are beginning to find a new audience in London. While the capital has long embraced the cuisines of the Middle East, from Lebanese mezze to Turkish grills, Saudi food has remained relatively underrepresented. That is starting to change, with a new generation of Saudi restaurateurs and food entrepreneurs introducing Londoners to a culinary culture shaped by family traditions, regional influences and centuries-old hospitality.

Here are three places offering a taste of Saudi and contemporary Gulf food culture in the capital.

Al Hijazi Corner – Traditional Saudi Cooking

Widely recognised as London's first Saudi restaurant, Al Hijazi Corner was founded by Ayman Al-Zubaidi and takes its name from the Hijaz, the historic region running along Saudi Arabia's western Red Sea coast.

The restaurant focuses on traditional, home-style cooking, with recipes and dishes rooted in the region rather than adapted specifically for an international audience.

On the menu are Saudi favourites including mutabbaq, a filled and folded savoury pancake; kabsa, the aromatic rice dish synonymous with the Arabian Peninsula; and mandi, traditionally prepared with spiced rice and slow-cooked meat. Hijazi food tells its own story about this part of Saudi Arabia. Centuries of trade and pilgrimage brought influences from across the Red Sea, Africa and South Asia, creating a cuisine that is notably diverse while retaining its own distinctive identity.

Ayn – The Ritual of Saudi Coffee

Coffee in Saudi Arabia is about considerably more than caffeine. Traditionally served to guests alongside dates, it is closely connected with hospitality, generosity and conversation. Ayn gives those traditions a contemporary London setting, combining Saudi coffee and carefully sourced beans with the aesthetics of the country's emerging modern café culture.

It also offers an interesting glimpse into how a younger generation of Saudi entrepreneurs is taking longstanding rituals and presenting them in new ways without losing the traditions behind them.

Somewhere Café – Contemporary Gulf Dining at Harrods

For a more polished interpretation of Gulf flavours, Somewhere Café at Harrods brings the region's increasingly sophisticated contemporary dining scene to Knightsbridge. Already known in the Gulf, Somewhere Cafe takes familiar regional flavours and ingredients and reinterprets them with a modern approach to both the dishes and their presentation.

Its arrival at Harrods is perhaps indicative of how perceptions of Middle Eastern food in London are evolving. Rather than grouping the food of a vast region under the catch-all description of "Arabic cuisine", diners are increasingly able to explore the very different culinary identities within it.

Saudi Arabia alone has considerable regional variation, with the cooking of the Hijaz differing from that of Najd and the country's coastal and southern regions.

And there is still much for London to discover. As Saudi Arabia becomes increasingly accessible to international visitors, food is inevitably becoming another way of understanding the country and its culture. For London, a city whose dining scene has always been shaped by communities and cuisines from around the world, the emergence of Saudi food feels like a natural next chapter.

For more information, visit:

Al Hijazi Corner: hijazicorner.com

Ayn: aynritual.co

Somewhere Café at Harrods: Harrods – Somewhere Café

Written by Claire Bloom

Photography courtesy of Somewhere Café at Harrods