Jeddah is the second biggest Saudi city, and yet it is also the one that I stayed in for the shortest duration. This means that my understanding of the dining scene in Jeddah is really quite limited. It is limited as I could only try a few eateries in my short time there. Worse yet, these mostly happened to be spots that are found around the old city center, since I neglected many other parts of the city and the dining options in them in favour of eating around our hotel and the most crucial tourist destinations. I understand that this is not ideal, alas, it would be weird not to do a traditional “my dining experience in this one particular city” article for Jeddah, where I did enjoy some exceptional food, so, allow me to share my experiences below.
Holidays Restaurant – https://maps.app.goo.gl/2mL7oNg9zy5AmMzM9
Jeddah is a port city, so one can find some decent seafood restaurants in it. Unfortunately, my mother and uncle did not have a great time in one of those more popular seafood spots, paying a small fortune for a fish that they did not like in the slightest. I was not there with them at the time, since I was enjoying a nearby Indian restaurant instead, and I am glad that this was the case. Holidays Restaurant served me an exceptional squid curry, alongside with some freshly baked naan that worked as the perfect vessel for the curry. Their was truly something special, and if I had the time, I would go back to try some of their other seafood options as well, of which there were plenty. I cannot recommend this spot enough!
Falafel Al Nada – https://maps.app.goo.gl/VH8SYksLH81eWJux7
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend Falafel Al Nada this enthusiastically. This is not to say that the food here was bad, but it is just that none of the other meals I had in Jeddah could compare to the one that I had in Holidays Restaurant. Nevertheless, Falafel Al Nada does serve some decent falafels, though these could have been crispier in my humble opinion. The spice mix they use needs to be punchier as well. Their fries, on the other hand, deserve nothing but praise. I wish they gave us some salt to sprinkle on them, but somehow, you do not even need any salt to enjoy these fries. They really taste that good. Last but not least, while the pickles were crunchy just as I like them, they were a bit bland for my taste buds. Each to their own. Nothing we had here tasted off or was otherwise poorly prepared, this eatery seemed to be quite popular as well. In other words, different people prefer their falafel meals to be prepared differently, and thus you just might love this spot more than me.
Casapasta – https://www.casapasta.com/en
What I loved for sure was my first time dining at Casapasta back in Mecca. They had this Saudi style macaroni which tasted exactly like how my mother makes pasta back at home. It had the same tomato paste heavy flavour, a near identical style of pasta shape that we are accustomed to, and even some similar spices that we use in our own kitchen. I enjoyed it when I was quite sick, and this familiar flavour profile outright cured me. That is why I gave Casapasta another go in Jeddah, though this time I ordered one of their more popular and creamier pasta. To be blunt, for the price, this was an underwhelming plate of pasta. It only had a few shrimps in it, a far cry from the shrimp full pot of pasta we ordered from them in Mecca. The sauce was decent enough, as it was quite creamy and peppery, but I can make a much better one at home, and that is never a good look for a restaurant, especially for one that specializes in pasta. I still think that for a casual meal you can visit a Casapasta branch, but I will be sticking to their more Saudi style options myself in the future.
Al Baik – https://www.albaik.com
I know, I know. I keep praising Al Baik in almost all of my dining guides on Arab cities. I just cannot help it, especially in this case. This Saudi fast-food giant was founded in Jeddah in 1974, becoming a regional craze in less than half a century. I just had to try one of their branches here as well, but I wish I had not… The service in the branch that I visited was just abysmal. I had to wait for half an hour for my order, despite all my items already being ready since even before I step foot in the restaurant. The result was a truly cold shrimp wrap and an even colder fish burger. They still somehow tasted fine, but that is just Al Baik doing its magic. If the servers did not simply go with their gut feelings, and used some strategy to serve their starving customers, this could have been a far more enjoyable experience. In fact, the second time I visited the same branch I more or less had to fight with the servers to be served, despite there being few others waiting for their food. My wraps were there, in clear sight of everyone, and even then, two servers said that my order was not ready yet. A third worker had to intervene after many other customers shouted in support of my case, giving me my wraps promptly. This time they were somewhat fresh, and they did taste amazing as a result. I really love Al Baik, but I just hope that someday we can all find the perfect Al Baik branch that manages to provide fresh food to all their patrons as promptly as possible.
Shrimp Sandwich – https://maps.app.goo.gl/TJrsrJtxxdRi4Wr47
In between my two Al Baik orders, I could not help but try a nearby mom-and-pop shop that seemed to offer a similar type of grub. That was the best impromptu decision I made in a long time. The friendly gentleman who owns this little joint makes a mean shrimp roll at a fraction of the cost compared to Al Baik, despite Al Baik already offering these delicacies at a very affordable price. The spicy sauce and even the fries that this gentleman put in his wraps were superior to the one we can find in Al Baik as well, but the shrimps themselves were not as plump or juicy as the ones you can enjoy in Al Baik. For its price point, this is fair in my book. Moreover, you do not have to fight with anyone or wait for more than a few minutes to receive your extremely fresh shrimp roll, which is yet another reason to give Shrimp Sandwich a go. Who knows, maybe one day he will make it like the founders of Al Baik did some decades ago as well.
Bosalim – https://maps.app.goo.gl/nEW9ub3EN27XjNak9
Speaking of local entrepreneurs, there are plenty of those in Jeddah. In fact, to my eyes, it seemed to be on par with Riyadh when it comes to hard working locals trying something new at every corner. One such local establishment focused on perfecting Karak tea, which just happens to be my favourite drink. While you can enjoy a really decent brew of hot Karak tea in Bosalim, their most innovative product is the cold version of this delicacy. If you do not want to take my word for it, you should be happy to know that you can try it before committing to buy it. I did end up buying a bottle of their cold Karak tea for the taxi ride to Medina the next day, and it turned an otherwise uneventful and boring ride into an enjoyable event on its own. I most certainly recommend supporting entrepreneurs such as these, hardworking folks that do all that they can to help further the gastronomical revolution in their own towns.
Tiger Sugar – https://maps.app.goo.gl/Sp71FkiVP27hmE9j9
Of course, if you are interested in something more time-tested, you may want to opt for a black sugar bubble tea from Tiger Sugar instead. I try to get one of these whenever I find this brand, or any other similar brand that I can trust. However, let me be very clear, these are overpriced sugar bombs that work fine as a rare treat, and are not really fit for daily consumption in my humble opinion. They taste good, but they are not actually good for any one of us, and they are definitely not great for our bank accounts. With that being said, if you live in a place without easy access to such treats, they are worth the occasional investment.
I really wish that I had more time to spend in Jeddah. The optimist in me says that it is for the best, as I have more reasons to visit this city again soon, but the realist in me knows that it may take years until I am actually back in Jeddah. As it stands now, I must admit that I really only scratched the surface of the dining scene in this lovely town. While I am quite certain that there are plenty of other spots that will leave me shocked with their high-quality food and drinks in this rapidly-developing port city, I simply did not have the time to find and try them all out. So please treat this guide as a taster at most, and know that it is not representative of the culinary scene of Jeddah. I intend to update this article in due time.