Food · Jeddah · Saudi Arabia
What to eat in Jeddah
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Jeddah, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Start with Saleeg, Mutabbaq and Ful and tameez. Choose your fish at the central fish market and take it to one of the neighbouring restaurants to be grilled, fried or cooked as sayadiyah. Alcohol is not served; fresh juice, Saudi coffee and specialty coffee are the norm.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Saleeg
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 5
- Tipping
- Tipping is not obligatory; about 10% in restaurants where no service charge is added…
- Food experiences
- 3
10 foods to try
Dish
1.Saleeg
A creamy Hijazi rice dish cooked slowly in chicken or meat broth and milk, served with roast chicken or lamb on top and a dab of ghee. It is comfort food from Taif and the Hijaz.
Where: Hijazi restaurants across the city; ask for it at traditional places rather than international ones.
Street food
2.Mutabbaq
Thin dough folded around minced meat, egg and leek and fried on a griddle until crisp. Jeddah's version is a classic street snack, with sweet banana and cheese versions for dessert.
Where: Street griddles in Al-Balad and long-established snack shops in the older districts, busiest in the evening.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
3.Ful and tameez (Ful medames)
Slow-cooked fava beans mashed with cumin, olive oil, lemon and chilli, eaten with tameez, a large, puffy flatbread baked in a clay oven that came to the Hijaz with Central Asian pilgrims.
Where: Breakfast ful shops and tameez bakeries in Al-Balad and older neighbourhoods, early in the morning.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
4.Masoub
A Hijazi breakfast of mashed flatbread and ripe banana, topped with cream, honey and sometimes cheese. It is rich, sweet and very filling.
Where: Breakfast cafés and masoub shops across the city, particularly on weekend mornings.
Dish
5.Sayadiyah
Fish cooked with rice in a broth darkened by deeply caramelised onions and spiced with cumin, a dish of the Red Sea coast.
Where: Seafood restaurants near the central fish market and along the Corniche.
Dish
6.Grilled Red Sea fish
Hamour (grouper), red snapper and kingfish are grilled with spices or fried whole, served with rice, salad and tahini sauce. Shrimp and crab are also widely available.
Where: Restaurants by the central fish market, where you can choose the fish yourself, and seafood houses along the Corniche.
Street food · Vegetarian
7.Balila
Warm boiled chickpeas seasoned with cumin, salt, lemon and pickles, sold from carts as a quick, inexpensive snack, especially in the evening and during Ramadan.
Where: Street carts in Al-Balad and around the souqs.
Drink · Vegetarian
8.Sobia
A sweet, lightly fermented drink made from barley or bread soaked in water with sugar and spices, often coloured pink or orange. It is especially popular at iftar during Ramadan.
Where: Juice shops and street stalls in Al-Balad, most common during Ramadan.
Dish
9.Broasted chicken
Pressure-fried chicken with garlic sauce and fries is a Jeddah institution; the Saudi chain Al Baik, founded in Jeddah in 1974, has a following across the kingdom.
Where: Al Baik branches across the city, which are busy at almost any hour.
Dessert · Vegetarian
10.Hijazi sweets
Traditional sweets include harissa (semolina cake), luqaimat (fried dough balls with date syrup) and dibyaza, a thick apricot and dried-fruit compote made for Eid.
Where: Sweet shops in Al-Balad and family bakeries, with dibyaza most common around Eid.
Food experiences
Fish market lunch
Choose your fish at the central fish market and take it to one of the neighbouring restaurants to be grilled, fried or cooked as sayadiyah.
Hijazi breakfast
Start the day with ful, warm tameez, masoub and sweet tea at a traditional breakfast shop, where locals queue early, especially on weekends.
Al-Balad evening food walk
After sunset the souqs of Al-Balad fill with balila carts, mutabbaq griddles and sweet stalls; during Ramadan nights the old town becomes one of the city's main food destinations.
Quick bites and street food
- Mutabbaq — Street griddles in Al-Balad and long-established snack shops in the older districts, busiest in the evening.
- Ful and tameez — Breakfast ful shops and tameez bakeries in Al-Balad and older neighbourhoods, early in the morning.
- Masoub — Breakfast cafés and masoub shops across the city, particularly on weekend mornings.
- Balila — Street carts in Al-Balad and around the souqs.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: Ful and tameez, Masoub, Balila, Sobia and Hijazi sweets. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Alcohol is not served; fresh juice, Saudi coffee and specialty coffee are the norm.
- Dinner starts late, and many restaurants are busiest after 9pm.
- During Ramadan, restaurants generally serve after sunset (iftar) and through the night; avoid eating or drinking in public during daylight hours.
- Seafood is the local strength; ask what came in fresh that day.
- Many restaurants have family sections with partitioned seating alongside open seating.
Tipping
Tipping is not obligatory; about 10% in restaurants where no service charge is added, and small tips for porters and drivers, are appreciated.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| As-salamu alaykum | Hello (peace be upon you) |
| Shukran | Thank you |
| Kam? | How much? |
| Ma'a salama | Goodbye |
| Afwan | You're welcome / excuse me |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Jeddah famous for?
Saleeg, Mutabbaq, Ful and tameez and Masoub. A creamy Hijazi rice dish cooked slowly in chicken or meat broth and milk, served with roast chicken or lamb on top and a dab of ghee.
+Is Jeddah good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Ful and tameez, Masoub and Balila.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Jeddah?
Tipping is not obligatory; about 10% in restaurants where no service charge is added, and small tips for porters and drivers, are appreciated.