Khalil Roastery

Khalil Roastery sits in Irqah, on the western edge of Riyadh, and it works at roastery pace. Every coffee is cupped before it is roasted, then roasted to order in limited weekly batches, so nothing on the shelf is far from the roaster. The range is short and single origin: Brazil Mogiana with cacao, nut and brown sugar notes, Colombia Huila, Uganda, Indonesia and Ethiopia Chelchelle, each traceable to the past harvest. Bags come in 250 g, and the team publishes its own brew recipes for home. The heart of the shop is the Slow Bar, four seats at a marble counter under a bright yellow sign. Pick three origins and the baristas brew them side by side, so you can taste how a Ugandan differs from a Huila without leaving your stool. The cupping table is open to guests too, which is rare for a roastery this size. The rest of the room is light and calm, with green shelves of retail bags, armchairs and fresh flowers. Grab a seat at the slow bar if one is free, and leave with a bag of whatever surprised you most.