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Located on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, the city of Jeddah is often described as the ‘Gateway to Mecca’. The millions of Islamic pilgrims passing through Jeddah have transformed Jeddah into a world-class dining destination with a huge variety of international cuisines. Here are the 5 Top Restaurants in Jeddah for 2024.
Today, Jeddah boasts some of the best restaurants in Saudi Arabia. Whether you are spending the weekend in Jeddah, or about to travel from Jeddah to Al Ula, diving into the city’s dining scene is one of the top things to do in Jeddah!
In this article, I’ll be taking you on a culinary adventure through the best restaurants in Jeddah, beginning with Saudi cuisine, before we try some new cuisines – from Indonesia to Egypt!
1. Lazy Masoub
Any Top Restaurants in Jeddah list must start with Saudi cuisine.
One of the best ways to understand a country is through its cuisine. In my opinion, Lazy Masoub is one of the most Western-friendly restaurants to introduce you to Saudi cuisine. American and European travelers will feel comfortable in this trendy (and extremely Instagram-genic) little restaurant.
Lazy Masoub is one of the top restaurants in Jeddah for two Saudi foods you must try: Masoub and Mutabbak.
Masoub is my favourite breakfast dish in Saudi Arabia and a sweet highlight for a trip to Saudi Arabia. Hailing from the southern city of Abha (one of our top 10 beautiful places to visit in Saudi Arabia), Masoub is kind of like a British bread and butter pudding combined with a New York City banana pudding. All topped with a healthy drizzle of Saudi honey.
Mutabbak is a flaky pastry stuffed with pretty much everything you could imagine: meat or chicken, vegetables or egg. I’m always on the look out for good vegetarian options and mutabbak was one of my favourite vegetarian foods in Saudi Arabia.
2. Khayal
With over 31,000 Google reviews, Khayal is a Jeddah food institution. I’m not sure I could even write a top restaurants in Jeddah list without mentioning Khayal.
If you want to act like you are living in Jeddah, take advantage of this 24-hour Lebanese restaurant for a late-night bite. Or like me, come for dinner and order one of everything.
Khayal would stand out even among the best restaurants of Amman or Beirut. Here, you can find the Middle Eastern cuisine that we know and love: smooth hummus, the full array of Lebanese salads and grilled meats.
For those craving alcohol in Jeddah, Khayal offer ‘Saudi cocktails’. This fun range of mocktails help create a ‘drink and dine’ ambience that can sometimes be lacking in Jeddah.
Local tip: You will almost always have to wait for a table at Khayal, so don’t arrive too hungry!
3. Leila Min Lebnen
Felafel, but make it bougie.
Leila min Lebnen offers a high-end Lebanese dining experience, with a lovely terrace to enjoy the sun during Jeddah’s ‘winter’. For ‘when to visit Saudi Arabia’, make sure you read our guide to everything you need to know before visiting Saudi Arabia!
One of my favourite things to eat in Beirut is manouche (or Lebanese pizza). In my opinion, the cheese and zaatar (zaatar wa jibne in Arabic) manouche from Leila min Lebnan hits the spot. After only one bite, you will quickly be transported to the streets of Lebanon. Leila min Lebnen know the perfect balance of cheese, zaatar and olive oil.
4. Koshary Abu Tarek
If you only try one Egyptian dish in your life, it should be koshary. Layers of rice, pasta and lentils with a spiced tomato and garlic sauce, all topped off with a generous helping of fried onions.
Today, over 1.5 million Egyptians are working in Saudi Arabia. And where Egyptians go, Koshary follows.
If you have visited Cairo (or read any of our Cairo guides), you will know that Downtown Cairo‘s Abu Tarek is the best Cairo restaurant for koshary. And the only Abu Tarek outside of Cairo is here, in Jeddah!
Koshary is an entirely vegetarian dish, which makes Abu Tarek one of the best restaurants for vegetarians in Jeddah! Budget travelers will also be excited to know that Koshary Abu Tarek is one of the best cheap eats in Jeddah.
Local tip: At the time of writing, Abu Tarek is open until 2:00 am most days – making a bowl of koshary an ideal late night snack!
If koshary has you questioning everything you knew about Middle Eastern food, don’t miss our other favorite Egyptian dishes you must try!
5. Wong Solo
As the largest Muslim country in the world, millions of Indonesian migrants and pilgrims pass through Jeddah city every year. For those who haven’t yet traveled to Southeast Asia, or who are just craving a spicy plate of noodles – Wong Solo has you covered.
The menu here covers all the Indonesian classics from Nasi Goreng to spicy Rendangs. My personal favorite is the crispy fried tofu, which comes with all your favorite sambals.
Wong Solo is located right in front of Al-Balad, one of the most beautiful places to visit in Saudi Arabia. This makes Wong Solo an ideal lunch spot when exploring Jeddah!
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