Riyadh Guide
What you'll find in this guide:
- Vegan options in restaurants and cafes
- Healthy markets and grocery stores
- Farmer's market
- Yoga classes
- Fitness studios
- Sustainable Homegoods
- Local events
- Things to do
- Ethical fashion
- Animal welfare
Vegan Options:
🇺🇸
- Circle cafe: A whole vegan section. 🌱
- Urth Cafe: Plant milk, vegan chocolate cake, and salads.
- Greenish
🇮🇹
- Rosteka : Pizza dough is vegan
- Piatto : pizza, salads, fries, and veggies plate
- Eataly
- Serafina
🇱🇧 🇦🇲 🇹🇷
Many vegan options .. ASK about the bread 🥖 some aren’t vegan.
- Mayrig - Armenian cuisine. Staff is very accommodating in my experience.
- AlMayass Beirut: The chef accommodated us with an entirely vegan menu and it was so good. I believe the bread isn't vegan.
- Topkapi - Turkish Restaurant: Their bread is vegan and is so good with toasted sesame seeds on top. AAH + their hummus is vegan.
- Lusin: The hummus contains yogurt.
- Kosebasi restaurant “Turkish”
- Burj Alhamam
- Lavash
- Cilicia - Armenian cuisine “Vegan bread “🌱
- Operation falafel 🥙
- Off-white restaurant
- Alreef al Lubnani
- Karam Beirut
- Leila min Lebnen
🇯🇵
- The Sushi Counter - vegan options labeled
- Sushi Art
- Sushi Yoshi
- Nozomi
Coffee Shops
- Nabt Fenjan: Specialty coffee, plant milk option, and vegan dessert. (female only)
- Kanakah: Specialty coffee, plant milk and vegan options on the menu. (female only)
- White Foam: Plant milk and vegan dessert.
- The Roasting House: high-quality coffee beans.
Vegan junk food + burgers 🍔
- Burger Fuel
- Johnny Rockets
- Nandos: Vegetarian wraps ask without cheese to make it vegan
Fine Dining
- The Ritz Carlton: vegan chef on site I believe
*Thanks to my dear friend Deema, for helping me make this list as I rarely dine out lol.
Health Stores + Grocery stores
- Biotic: many vegan options and alternatives, vegan cheese, superfoods, supplements, gluten-free options, protein powders, and more
- Alsuwaidi Mills and Roasters: a bulk section for nuts, seeds, and spices (not organic but affordable and for those who want to keep it minimal waste)
- Flourish Bakery: Sourdough bread. Bread made with natural yeast.
- Lulu hypermarkets: organic selection of fruits and veggies sometimes found there and many imported goods.
- Watania: Local organic store.
- Danube Supermarkets: an organic and gluten-free section.
- Tamimi Supermarkets: Health section that includes: organic, vegan, and gluten-free options.
Organic Local Produce:
- Local farms that deliver your produce to you:
Farmers' Market:
- Almurouj Farmer's Day: Every Saturday starting after Fajer prayer (around 5 AM depends on the time of the year) until 6 PM - Organic and local vegetables, organic products, and imported fruits (usually not organic).
Yoga
- Kore Studios: a gym with yoga classes (I teach some classes there) Females only
- Bab Alnour: Kundalini yoga classes and other yoga classes offered - Females only
- Sarah - Prana Shakti Siva
- OZ Yoga
- Nora Alwaily- Yoga teacher @Yogaksa on Instagram
- Ghalia Almadani - Yoga teacher @gee_kh on Instagram
Fitness Studios
Females:
- Kore: 2 branches - amazing energy in the gym and a kind community + a climbing wall +crossfit.
- Move: Dance classes, fitness classes, a running club, and more!
- Pheonix Fitness - amazing spinning classes with Nouf.
Home Goods
- Horiat el Sharq for Pottery Goods
- BoConcept: Danish Design - Learn more about their sustainable and ethical practice here
- West Elm: Not the most ethical and sustainable but they're taking the right steps toward a more sustainable approach. They have FSC certified furniture.
- Marina Home Furniture: Offer FSC certified furniture and unique pieces.
Events
- Janadriyah Cultural and Heritage Festival
- The Gathering
- International Book Fair
Things To Do
- Edge of Riyadh
- Edge of the World (2 hour drive)
- Albujari - Historical venue with shops and restaurants.
- Old Dir'aiyah
- Camping in the dessert
- Kingdom Center - Sky Bridge
- Break Out - Escape Room
- Diplomatic Quarter Trail
- INTO - a female space for workshops and networking
- Masmak Fort: historical area of Riyadh and old shops around the area
- Wadi Hanifa - a valley for a day in nature or rock climbing
- King Fahad National Library
- Blend - Culinary classes
- Tahlia Street - A walk with shops, cafes, and restaurants
- Dirab: a day in nature, hiking trails, and a golf club
Animal welfare
- Open Paws - Adopt a cat - ask if you can volunteer
- Riyadh Shelter - Volunteer. Currently closed for renovations
- Riyadh Cats
Hope you find this list helpful! Let me know if there's anything I can add to this list and keep in mind that this list will always be updated.
Love,
Raoum