A Coffee Connoisseur's Guide To Dubai
Dubai is a bit of a dream if you¡¯re into coffee. And we aren¡¯t just saying it. In the last couple of years a bunch of really exciting new coffee shops have sprung up which are passionately building over the traditional Emirati practice of gathering over a cup of coffee with friends.
Dubai is a bit of a dream if you¡¯re into coffee. And we aren¡¯t just saying it. In the last couple of years a bunch of really exciting new coffee shops have sprung up which are passionately building over the traditional Emirati practice of gathering over a cup of coffee with friends.
While on the one end there are global chains which are getting a run for their money thanks to home-grown coffee chains like Arabica, there¡¯s a bunch of new premium coffee places which cater to the evolved coffee drinker. The beans are sourced from across the world and roasted both at home and make their way into everything from Nitro coffees to Piccolos or a personal favourite, a V60!
But no visit to Dubai is complete if you haven¡¯t tried at least one cup of Turkish coffee, which is produced with finely ground beans, and Arabic coffee, which is made by adding cardamom to deeply roasted beans.
To sample authentic Arabic coffee, visit the charming Arabian Tea House. The traditional Dallah pot and Fenjan cups are used to serve the coffee and it comes with a side of dates. The tea and coffee house can be found in the ancient Al Fahidi neighbourhood, and is decorated with fresh flowers and soothing colours. The building was once the home to pearl traders and wears its Emirati heritage with a broad smile on its face. It is decorated with works of art by regional artisans, embroidered cushions, seashells ornamented in the regional style, and white stone on the floor.
The new wave of coffee in Dubai is led by RAW Coffee Company, and Nightjar Coffee, which are both run by award-winning baristas. Both take glorious pride in their beans. RAW Coffee in particular is more than happy to give you coffee recommendations for home brewing as well as giving you a quick fix of some great coffee.
For the new age drinkers, there¡¯s a mind-boggling variety of cold brews on offer, while cafes like Boston Lane and Forever Rose Cafe offer a good cup of coffee with a great Instagram story!
Our favourites, though, are cafes like Alchemy Dubai, which offer Chemex, Piccolo, and Cold Drips, and give back to the farmers who grew the beans.
The coffee scene in Dubai is exploding with possibilities and it¡¯s impossible to cover all the best cafes in a single trip! So, do something else next time you head to Dubai, just look for a coffee shop that the locals are heading to and order a cup of coffee, you just can¡¯t go wrong!
Kabeer is the Editor of Indiatimes. He is two parts writer, five parts bum; perpetually tuned out; born sarcastic, addicted to black humour & club sandwiches. In his spare time he cribs and writes (in that order).
