Guests at Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh have several important decisions to make when they sit down to Afternoon Tea in the Lobby Lounge.

Four different styles are offered – Traditional English style, complete with cucumber sandwiches, scones and clotted cream; Asiatic, featuring sashimi salmon and spiced scones; Mediterranean, with focaccia and Venetian pastries; or Regional, which has a distinctly Arabic twist. Included are Arabic-style finger sandwiches, almond and candied orange scones with kashta (heavy cream), and Arabic Opera for dessert – delicious layers of almond sponge, buttercream infused with Moroccan tea, saffron and other spices, and dark chocolate spiced with Arabic coffee, all topped with a gold leaf.

Once you’ve made your choice, the next decision is even harder: shall it be a pot of tea, or tiny cups of Arabic coffee served from the traditional dallah?