Souk Al-Mubarakiya is the oldest market in Kuwait City, a covered labyrinth of narrow lanes where spice merchants, gold dealers, perfumers, fishmongers, and fabric sellers operate much as they have for generations. It is the most atmospheric place in the city for a morning walk — the smells of cardamom and frankincense competing with fresh fish, the gold shops glittering under fluorescent lights, the tea houses full of old men nursing small cups of sweet tea.
The gold souk section is one of the best in the Gulf: prices are competitive, the selection is enormous, and while bargaining is less common than it once was, it is still expected and rewarded. The spice section sells everything from Persian saffron to locally blended incense. The fish section, busiest in the early morning, shows the Gulf catch — hammour, kingfish, prawns — at prices far below what you'd pay in a restaurant.
The souk has been renovated in recent years, with heritage-style streetlighting and better organisation, without losing its essential character. It is surrounded by traditional coffee houses and small restaurants where you can eat machboos (the Kuwaiti national dish of spiced rice and meat) for a few dinars.