The Best Bakeries in the Middle East

Amman

Foranji Bakery sells breads, cakes, pastries, sweets and ice cream, and it runs a restaurant and catering for outside parties. Its wholegrain and bran loaves and its Shrak bread with potatoes are noted, along with bread that still tastes fresh after freezing. Foron Rex, also in Amman, bakes sourdough loaves and French-style viennoiserie, and it has an outdoor patio for breakfast.

Riyadh

DIA Bakery has several branches across Riyadh and sells breads, pastries, sandwiches and salads. Its fresh sourdough, honeycomb bread and croissants are baked daily, and nut butter is ground in front of buyers. Makhbaz An Wai uses natural yeast and no refined sugar, bakes its bread on site, and has indoor seating and a coffee counter.

Cairo, Dammam, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi

Latif Wassily, founded in 1897 in downtown Cairo, sells breads, pastries and Eid sweets, and its Vienna sesame bread and anise kahk are made to the same recipes over time. Alyahya Bakeries has branches in Dammam and sells breads, pastries, cakes and Arabic sweets, including cakes made from a photo sent by WhatsApp. Emad Bakeries in Jeddah is known for its Syrian bread and other Levantine loaves, sold beside a refrigerated cheese section. Al Khabbaz Bakeries in Abu Dhabi is a Levantine bakery, mostly for takeaway, where the ka'ak and manakish are made fresh to order.