Bon Appetit

Faisaliah Food Court A decent place for a quick snack that also provides the priceless delight of observing lots of Bluetooth-enabled furtive flirting between the genders. Faisaliah Tower, King Fahad Highway, Olaya Shaabiyah Don’t be put off by the theme-park appearance (the building is designed to look like an old Saudi residence), this is the place to come for quality Lebanese and Saudi eats. 404 Olaya Main Road, +966 1 465 8581 Spazio 77 Knock-out high-altitude dining 77 floors up. World-class French and Italian cuisine (plus a sushi bar) competes with the vertiginous views for the attention of diners. Kingdom Centre, King Fahad Highway, Olaya, +966 1 211 1888, www.kingdomcentre.com.sa

Suitcase Fillers

Batha district A hive of sub-continent traders offering an amazing array of cheap clothes and electronics. Riyadh is one of the cheapest places in the world to find computer and electronic equipment – try the “computer souk” off Olaya Street near the Holiday Inn hotel. Faisaliya and Kingdom Malls Two near-neighbouring malls occupying the ground floors of Riyadh’s two landmark towers. Between them they are home to designer stores including Harvey Nichols, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Calvin Klein. Text_Andrew Hammond