The search for great specialty coffee in Riyadh continues to grow as the city’s café culture evolves. Many of the best coffee shops in Riyadh now focus on high-quality beans, thoughtful brewing and interiors designed for slow mornings or quick refuelling. Whether you’re into pour-overs, milky drinks or local roasteries, this Riyadh coffee guide highlights cafés known for consistent quality and good ambience. The scene has expanded rapidly over the past few years, with new venues bringing in skilled baristas, curated bean selections and increasingly refined roasting styles that appeal to beginners and enthusiasts alike. Each of these destinations contributes to the expanding world of third wave coffee in Riyadh, offering reliable options for anyone exploring single origin coffee in Riyadh, remote-work spaces or casual tasting sessions.

Ulica is a well-known stop for specialty coffee in Riyadh, particularly for those who appreciate late-night service. Open 24 hours a day except on Fridays, when it closes from 5 am to noon, it sits conveniently off Northern Ring Road and offers both walk-in orders and a drive-through. Alongside espresso drinks, customers often pick up desserts to go, making Ulica a practical pick in the wider list of best coffee shops in Riyadh.

Y97 offers a warm, contemporary setting with subtle traditional touches that distinguish it among aesthetic cafes in Riyadh. The menu focuses on well-prepared specialty coffee, and the calm interior makes it suitable for daytime visits or longer laptop sessions, placing it comfortably within the best cafes in Riyadh for studying or remote work. With its balance of style and consistency, it appeals to anyone exploring refined cafés within the city.

Minimalist and polished, Unsorso fits neatly into the category of minimal coffee shops in Riyadh. Its location along Olaya Street makes it easy to reach, and regulars often highlight the pecan cheesecake alongside its specialty brews. Unsorso maintains a clear focus on espresso quality, making it a strong addition to the wider Riyadh cafes specialty coffee landscape. It’s also a solid pick for anyone curious about exploring subtle flavour differences found in single origin coffee Riyadh offerings.

Crops stands out as both a café and a local roastery, sourcing high-quality green beans from different regions and roasting them on site. This makes it one of the clearest examples of third wave coffee in Riyadh, with a transparent approach to origin, roast profile and flavour. Customers can explore beans from various “crops,” giving the café a natural edge for those looking for guided experiences or informal coffee tasting in Riyadh. Its wide range of origins makes it a great stop for anyone learning more about specialty coffee.

3Bean Coffee Roastery combines a straightforward café experience with fresh, locally roasted beans. It has anything from espresso drinks to drip coffee, which many customers purchase for home use. As part of the city’s growing specialty scene, 3Bean offers roasting transparency and approachable flavour profiles, securing its place in guides to specialty coffee in Riyadh and among the most practical choices for exploring roastery-level craft.

These cafés highlight what makes Riyadh’s specialty scene so dynamic:

Together, they capture the range of styles that now define third wave coffee in Riyadh, from minimalist spaces to full roasteries. As Riyadh continues to grow, its coffee culture is becoming an important part of how residents and travellers experience the city. These venues show how specialty cafés can balance craft, comfort and design, offering something for every kind of coffee drinker — from someone who wants a quiet corner to someone exploring new origins for the first time.

For those putting together their own Riyadh coffee guide, this selection offers a strong starting point. The cafés mix character with quality, making them consistent, enjoyable stops. Peaceful space for remote work, a roastery with detailed flavour notes or a quick specialty drink on the go — Riyadh’s scene meets every preference.