Kabsa, Najdi breakfast, and the coffee ritual

Kabsa, spiced rice with lamb or chicken, is the national dish and often eaten from a shared platter. Arabic coffee is pale, cardamom-spiced, and served in tiny cups with dates; a host keeps pouring until you gently shake the cup. In Riyadh's old Diriyah district and Jeddah's historic Al-Balad, traditional restaurants serve Najdi and Hejazi dishes you won't find elsewhere; Jeddah's seafood is excellent. Tea and coffee shops are the social spaces in the evening.