Dubai’s coffee shop scene is thriving. For the last few years, coffee consumption has moved out of malls and into the neighbourhoods.
While you can still order a slow drip, flat white or French press at super-speed - there’s now a new focus that’s drifting away from the fast coffee trends, towards a slower, more of a “walk-in-off-the-street” coffee experience.
Here are 30 spots to try in Dubai
Heal
A little hidden gem inside of a Villa on Al Thania road, you will find heal. A coffee shop that they are calling a 'home away from home'. With light brown earthy tones and a wholesome menu, it's a great spot to escape he bustle of the city. Heal is a cafe and store concept weaved into one.
Location: Al Thania Road, Jumeirah
Villa 515
In 2013, Villa 515 opened in the heart of Jumeira selling high-end fragrances, over the last few months, they launched a gorgeous cafe near their boutique offering breakfast as well as all-day dining. The social spot is perfect to enjoy a lovely breakfast or a coffee surrounded by lush greenery. The interiors spill out into the exterior and onto the grass.
Location: Jumeirah 3
Timigs: Daily from 10am to 10pm
The Grey
Located in the heart of Jumeirah, this coffee shop offers a serene space for adults to meet, catch up and even work. Positioned as an ultimate zen space, The Grey make speciality coffee with wholesome breakfast dishes like truffle scrambled eggs and acail bowls. They also offer all-day dining like salted beef burgers and warm rice bowls. Head there for a quiet morning or afternoon in the heart of Jumeirah.
Location: Al Wasl, next to Al Ferodous buildings
Cost: Dh25 for a latte
Boon Coffee
Boon Coffee is a Dubai-based, Ethiopian-owned speciality coffee roaster showcasing premium farm-sourced beans. Their coffee is perfect for those looking for the proper stuff. Originally started as a small coffee roaster but in the last six years has grown to be one of the leading coffee roasters in the region supplying coffee to high-end restaurants and cafes.
Location: Depachika Nakheel Mall, Food District at the Pointe, Cluster T in JLT, Mall of Emirates in Crate&Barrel
Brew
Speciality coffee, cosy interiors and a spot that brings unique coffee beans from all over the world. Brew is a favourite for those who are picky about their coffee. Located on Jumeirah Beach Road, this spot serves everything from coffee, tea as well as Matcha lattes. Brew also serves a light breakfast including banana on toast and small bites.
Location: Jumeirah Beach Road, Near Al Manara
Cost: Dh23 for a lattee
Timings: Daily from 7.30am to 10.30pm
Daily Dose Coffee
This coffee shop is tucked away in a villa in Jumeirah 1 across the road from Mercato Mall. It’s a peaceful spot, where you can read, work or just watch a TV show. They have a nice selection of high-quality speciality coffee, as well as iced lattes and milkshakes. They also have an extensive food menu, which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their speciality for breakfast is their eggs benedict in croissants. Order the iced Spanish latte if you want to try something refreshing instead of your usual coffee.
Location: Jumeirah 1, across from Mercato Mall
Cost: Dh17 for a latte
Timings: Open daily from 8am to 12am
Neighbors Dubai
Another ‘tucked away’ coffee shop, Neighbors is a gourmet toast and speciality coffee shop. When you’re there, you don’t just order the coffee, you have to specify from which country you want it from, which my coffee-lover friend appreciated. Located at the intersection of Al Thania street and Al Wasl Road, you have to look a little to find it, but it’s the perfect little neighbourhood coffee shop/eatery. The recently opened cafe also offers a killer breakfast menu. Top options include the French toast, avocado on toast and my personal favourite the scrambled eggs in a croissant. Can you tell I love croissants?
Location: Al Thania Street, Jumeirah
Cost: Dh100 for two Timings: Daily from 8am to 9.30pmTheir breakfast is phenomenal, especially thLocation: Al Thania road, behind Sofabulous
Cost: Dh24 for a latte
Timings: Open daily from 7am to 10.15pm
Number Five Cafe
I discovered this cafe by driving by it one day and being able to look right inside through the huge windows. This coffee shop is a new addition to the Dubai cafe scene. They are located on Al Wasl road. Their focus is on speciality coffee and desserts. The interiors are to die for. Really sleek, clean and a lot of marble. Make sure you try their flaky ricotta danish as a side to your coffee. You will notice, it is a little bit more expensive than your usual coffee spot, but might be worth a little bit extra for the ambience.
Location: Al Wasl Road, near Al Manara street
Cost: Dh32 for their signature latte
Timings: Open from 8am to 10pm and until 11pm on weekends
Here are 21 comfortable, picturesque and most importantly high quality coffee spots in Dubai, that all coffee lovers should try.
Mind
Kind of a cool, yet slightly generic coffee shop located in a few places including Jumeirah, Al Warqa and Al Barsha. They serve speciality coffee, of course, colourful frappes and healthy snacks. If you want something different, there’s also a rose or coconut latte on the menu. They really do focus on Aesthetics, so you will come across some beautiful corners at their coffee shop. Order an Acai bowl or some waffles.
Location: On the corner of Um Al Sheif and Jumeirah Beach Road
Cost: Dh23 for a latte
Timings: Daily from 7am until 2am
Air Speciality Coffee
This roadside, minimalistic cafe is located in the heart of Jumeirah. Near the Umm Al Sheif exit on Jumeirah Beach Road, this cafe has a very minimalistic menu, which focuses on just coffee and pudding. Funny combination, but it just works.
Location: Jumeirah Beach Road, near Um Al Sheif Cost: Dh24 for a lattee Timings: Open daily from 7.30am to 11pm
Be Coffee
Finally, a coffee shop that caters somewhere other than Jumeirah. Be Coffee is a speciality coffee and snack bar, that serves coffee, mocktail mojitos and some delish pastries. Make sure you try their freshly baked salted chocolate chip cookies.
Location: Marrakech St, Umm Ramool Timings: Sunday to Thursday from 7am to 10pm, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 10pm
The Coffee Lab
The Coffee Lab is a little bit out of the way. I discovered it, while exploring a recently new area, Marina Cubes in Mina Rashid. This coffee shop is located inside a bright blue shipping container-like building, that looks over the marina (not Dubai Marina, but a ship berthing marina). They serve specialty coffee as well as desserts.
Location: Mina Rashid Timings: Open daily from 6am to 12am
To the Moon and Back
This recently opened hidden Jumeirah gem is a quirky cafe, located near the canal. This quiet spot has a homey feel to it and a rare gem in a city where coffee spots are heavily competing. Their coffee is outstanding and their food selection is top notch.
Location: Al Athar Street, Jumeirah 3
Cost: Dh25 for a lattee
Timings: Open daily from 7am to 11pm
The 100 Cafe
The 100 Café, located within the Hundred Wellness Centre in the heart of Jumeirah, is now open with a daily menu of specialty coffee and comforting healthy dishes available from 9am for pick-up and dine-in. The peaceful cafe is surrounded by lush greenery and floor to ceiling windows, flooding the space with light. With daily offers, you can enjoy dishes from the menu made fresh.
Location: Inside the Hundred Wellness Centre, Villa 21, 53b Street, Jumeirah 1, Dubai, UAE Cost: Starting from Dh28 When: Open Daily from 7am to 5pm
Roseleaf Cafe
Roseleaf is an independent cafe in Dubai serving single origin specialty coffee, wholesome bakes and pastries. This cafe is hidden inside the Dubai Garden Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road. This makes it a very unique spot to enjoy a great cup of coffee.
Location: Inside Dubai Garden Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road Cost: Dh20 for a latte Timings: Daily from 8am to 7pm
Butter Dessert Salon
I discovered this place while driving past a new outdoor mall development in Jumeirah 1. Butter offers mainly desserts, but has a large menu of coffee and lattes. Their desserts are incredible and their cold beverages are delicious. I especially loved their Matche latte, which is a personal fave of mine.
Location Jumeirah 1, on Al Wasl Road Cost Dh27 for a latte Timings Daily from 1pm to 11am
Drop Dubai
Drop is cool and contemporary. It has a hip vibe. Wooden countertops, marble tables and the branding really elevates the place. It is one of those hardcore coffee spots. You wont find any other drinks and their dessert menu is huge and pairs perfectly well with the drink offering. Their Spanish latte is a crowd favourtie. The place gets quite crowded, so head there early, to enjoy sipping your coffee at a nice table.
Location Dar Wasl Mall Cost Dh25 for a latte Timings Daily fom 10am to 11pm
Emirati Coffee Co
The recently opened coffee shop has two locations in Dubai. One in Al Qouz and the other right on Al Wasl Road. They serve specialty coffee as well as coffee beans and machines. The spot is so insanely instagrammable, with Persian carpets and leather couches in an industrial setting. The menu is very simple with its five sections: Black, White, Manual, Cold and Roasted.
Locations Al Qouz 3 and Dar Wasl Mall. Cost Dh25 for a latte Timings Sunday to Wednesday 7am to 11pm, Thursday 7am to 12am, Friday to Saturday 8am to 12am
Alchemy Dubai
Located in a massive and beautiful villa in Jumeirah (there’s even a pool!) Alchemy is a home-grown coffee shop, where the coffee is sourced from ethical single farms. The space itself is the perfect backdrop for your Instagram. It feels like you’re in your (much more) stylish home away from home, with geometric marble counters and sleek light wood furniture and of course, great coffee.
Location Wasl Road, opposite to Dar Wasl Mall, Jumeirah Cost Dh25 for a latte Timings Sunday to Wednesday 8.30am to 9pm, Thursday and Friday 8.30am to 10pm
Pastryology
Located in Dubai’s best-kept secret location, the leisure destination called Marina Cubes, Pastryology is a recently opened coffee and treat shop with unique caffeine beverages and delicious mini cakes. The shop is built within a container and decorated in the most beautiful pastel colours. It has uninterrupted views of the sea and is all-around stunning to look at.
Location Port Rashid Cost Dh24 for a latte Timings Open daily from 10am to 10pm
Surge Coffee
This roaster mainly offers coffee consultation services as well as training sessions, but they have their very own coffee shop, so you know you are getting expert coffee. The venue is industrial chic and has an extensive coffee menu as well as a nice selection of cakes and cafe food.
Location Al Quoz Industrial 4, Warehouse 33 Cost Dh18 for a latte Timings Open Saturday to Thursday from 9am to 6pm
Stomping Grounds
This specialty coffee shop is located in a villa in Jumeirah 1. This cafe is known for premium single origins, locally roasted specialty batch coffee. They also have an extensive Australian food. I personally love to go for breakfast, but the venue is open all day and also serves lunch and dinner.
Location Jumeirah 1 Cost Dh22 for a latte Timings Open Saturday to Wednesday from 7.30am to 11pm and until 12am on Thursday and Friday
Boston Lane
One of Dubai’s hidden café gems, Boston Lane. Owned by Australian expats and inspired by Melbourne's laneway coffee culture, Boston Lane is tucked away in the Courtyard, Al Quoz and boasts great coffee. The venue itself is so instagrammable and a great spot for some breakfast. But make sure you grab yourself a latte.
Location Al Qouz, The courtyard Cost Around Dh20 for a latte Timings Daily from 8am to 7pm
amongst few cafe
This amazing cafe, created by sneaker lovers in Dubai, is one of my favourites in town. They serve great coffee and lattes. The cafe features cement and breeze block walls, counters and floors, as well as a steel and natural wood wrapped interior beneath a raw and exposed ceiling with visual arts. For the coffee and subsequent accoutrements, amongst few cafe features a familiar traditional name in premium organic fair trade coffee sourced directly from Ethiopia’s Kaffa province and locally roasted in the UAE.
Location: Jumeirah 1 Cost: Dh24 for a latte Timings: Daily from 8am to 11pm
Kava and Chai
Kava and Chai is all about going back to the Middle Eastern roots - with the most fragrant ingredients in their coffee, paired with new techniques. Kava & Chai brings traditional family recipes and flavors to your corner coffee house so that you can have the comfort of home on the go. The specialty coffee house recently opened their cafe in Mall of the Emirates, so it may not technically count as a corner coffee shop, but their Al Seef and DIFC locations were the ones we had in mind for this article. The venue is cosy and comfortable. Expect to stay there all day long. If you're feeling peckish, we recommend the acaii bowls.
Location DIFC, Al Seef, Mall of the Emirates and American University of Sharjah Cost Dh18 for a latte Timings various based on location
Spill The Bean
This little coffee shop takes up a nice corner in the Sustainable City. With comfy seats and floor to ceiling windows, Spill the Bean is a great place to work. There’s also lots of plugs, free Wi-Fi and the place is usually very quiet - not to mention the great food and coffee.
Location The Sustainable City - Dubai Timings Open daily from 8 am to 10pm Contact 04 242 8671
Project Chaiwala
Okay we know this hip spot doesn’t exactly serve coffee, but karak is pretty close! After more than 20 pop up events and more than 20,000 cups of chai sold, Project Chaiwala opened its first permanent location in Al Serkal Avenue welcoming chai lovers to its comfy yet very cool spot. They have a full-fledged menu serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and of course karak chai all day long. For those who are looking for coffee, you will find the classic options on the menu.
Location Al Serkal Avenue and Dubai Media City Cost Dh12 for a karak Timings Daily from 12pm - 10 pm
Kuttab Café
Kuttab Publishing has a bookstore cafe, which is very Arabic centric. A lot of the books are Arabic and include a vast range of books from children’s literature to deep Arabic philosophy. There are of course some English books, but this cafe is a perfect place to sit and enjoy a quiet cup of coffee. It has a super cool and modern Arabic design and is a great place to sit to enjoy a coffee and a good book.
Location Uptown Mirdif Cost Dh19 for a lattee Timings Daily from 8am to 1am Contact 04 2565691
Arabian Tea House
Arabian Tea House Restaurant & Café located in the Bastakiya area of old Dubai is a mix of the traditional and the modern. Located in an old wind tower house, right in the heart of Dubai, stepping into the cafe takes you back to the past. Although there has been a rapid development around Batakiya, Basta has remained untouched and is probably one of a few places where you can get a look at the rich cultural heritage of the Emirati people. Yes, it is a tea house, but they also serve great coffee and Karak. Most importantly, if you love a picturesque venue, then you'll fall in love with the vintage outdoor area and a little garden. Located in old Dubai, near the old Dubai Museum in the heart of Bastakiya.
Location Al Fahidi St, Al Souk Al Kabeer, Bur Dubai Cost Dh25 for a lattee Timings Daily from 8am to 11pm
