It’s hardly a secret that Arabs love a good cup of tea and coffee. Karak tea, karak chai or chai karak – however you describe it, the drink is quintessentially Arabic. Nothing brings people together like spilling the proverbial tea over a piping hot cup (or glass) of karak.
This delicious beverage is a soulful reminder of getting back to basics and comfort drinks that bring you joy. Karak (meaning “strong”) is made with black tea and mixed spices that include cardamom, ginger and cloves. Depending on how you want your tea to taste, you could add a small pinch of saffron (zaffran) or cinnamon to the concoction and boil it all up. Chai karak is quite similar to the masala chai, a beloved hot tea in India that’s made with tea, milk and warm spices. It is thought to help with inflammation and ease out a bad cold as the tea and spices work their magic.
“Karak tea is a hot favourite for drinking outdoors – when groups of friends and family gather around a campfire. In recent years, drinking karak has become a trend,” says Saudi native Abdul Latif Alrashoudi, pâtissier and owner of LÂM, an artisanal bakery in Paris.
“It is a very homey and wintery drink. Stroll through Riyadh and you will see vendors setting up tables on street corners; those are the greatest spots to try traditional karak,” he adds.
Lately, a handful of lovely cafes – and even restaurants – in Riyadh seem to be busy brewing good aromatic karak and adding to its legions of fans. These are some of our absolute favourites.
1. Karak Gholam
Feel like you need a cup of karak to kick off a long day? Then this café has to be at the top of your list. It is a fitting and original choice for many in Riyadh and is serious about its karak. Settle in with scrumptious breakfast options or grab-and-go wrap versions. Karak Gholam offers cheese puffs, butter chicken jebbati, gooey egg porridge wraps, sambosa – all designed to keep you coming back for more.
Khalifah Ibn Badi, Al Mohammadiyyah, Riyadh 24353
2. Mamma Bunz Café
Delicious bread and special drinks come together for the ultimate cosy afternoon at Mamma Bunz. Caramel and mini bunz, Belgian chocolate drizzled over these hot, freshly-baked fluffy bunz, aromatic Saudi coffee and, of course, karak are among the tasty delights that await you at every branch and at a very reasonable price.5. Golden Karak
This breakfast and brunch restaurant offers freshly brewed karak that tastes delicious when paired with their signature Turkish breakfast, or a less elaborate brioche sandwich, tuna hamsa, or oat soup with chicken. A medley of desserts follows to appease your sweet tooth – sink your spoon into the delicious saffron cake.
Several locations in Riyadh; mammabunzcafe.com
3. Tea Time
It’s always worth making time for tea and fast food restaurant Tea Time has you covered when you’re thirsty on the go. Sip hot spice-infused karak chai with a side of burgers, tikka chapati, keema chapati, and nuggets chapati. If you are feeling particularly peckish, take a box of club sandwiches back home for later.
Several locations in Riyadh; @teatime_saudi
4. Chapati & Karak
The season is changing, the weather is cooling...the perfect time for a comforting sip of karak. And what better treat to accompany it than a light and fluffy chapati. They've perfected the combination at Chapati & Karak and that's why we love it. Choose from a classic cup of karak or spice the experience up with saffron, cardamom or ginger.
If you're feeling peckish, the menu has a wide range of warm chapatis packed with delicious sweet and savoury fillings – we're partial to the butter chicken but the halloumi wrap is pretty delicious too. This beloved Middle Eastern brand shows no signs of slowing down – it's open 24 hours a day and you can grab your order to go if you're in a rush.
Laban, Riyadh 13781
5. KMR
This karak hotspot in Diriyah has a stylish interior – think warm beige tones, stone walls and dark wooden furniture. Relax into some plump pillows and wrap your hands around a delicious cup of karak as you feel the stress leave your body. As well as our favourite winter beverage, KMR also serves a variety of teas, coffees and chilled drinks (oreo milkshake, anyone?). Feeling peckish? No problem. Choose from the ample menu of flatbreads smothered in delicious toppings and sauces that are cooked before your eyes in the huge open oven.
Diriyah 13731; @kmr.ksa
6. Seventies Cafe
Retro fans, your time is now and your place is the Seventies Cafe. Enjoy a side order of nostalgia alongside your cup of karak in a cafe stuffed with pop culture and stylings from the 1970s. Everything is vintage and you'll spot something new every time you drop by. But it's not just good looks and retro features that have made this a hotspot in An Nakheel – the delicious drinks and sweet treats regularly result in a queue out the door. Grab a date cake as the perfect accompaniment to your thermos of karak.
An Nakheel, Riyadh 11564; @70scafesa
