Coffee is a pretty big deal in the Middle East, with the region enjoying somewhat of a love affair with the bean in the past few years which has lead to the rise of some seriously fantastic coffee houses.
Whether you just like to appreciate a good cup, or you’re a full-on connoisseur, there are some greats places dotted around Dubai for everyone to enjoy, and no, we are not talking about your usual high street coffee chains – we’re talking real, proper coffee people.
Here’s our run down of the top 10 best coffee houses in Dubai:
Roseleaf Cafe
Started by a bunch of ‘coffee-loving kiwis’, this cosy oasis in the Dubai Garden Centre offers up home-cooked food including soups, salads, sandwiches and all at affordable prices. Their coffee is seasonal, single-origin and batch roasted by a certified Roastmaster and then crafted by trained baristas.
Roseleaf Cafe, Dubai Garden Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road. Monday to Sunday, 8am to 7pm. Tel: (056) 6449886. facebook.com/theroseleafcafe.
Frioul
While not technically a coffee house, Frioul’s lounge is a perfect place to grab a coffee and chill out. The lounge comes kitted out with a bookshelf stocked with newspapers and magazines, and offers up great views of the Madinat Jumeirah’s canals. Grab yourselves a cafetiere for two, a snack, and kick back.
Frioul, Souk Madinat Jumeirah. frioul.ae. Sunday to Thursday, 8am to 1am, Friday and Saturday, 8am to 3am. Tel: (04) 5670011. frioul.ae.
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Lime Tree Cafe
The team behind Lime Tree have been around for a while now, maintaining the image of ‘that friendly neighbourhood store’. They’ve got great fresh food on offer, and their coffee is fair-trade, organic and locally roasted.
Lime Tree Cafe, Jumeirah Beach Road, next to Jumeirah Mosque. Daily, 7.30am to 6pm. Tel: (04) 3498498;Lime Tree Cafe, next to the Courtyard Gallery, Al Quoz. Daily, 8am to 6pm. Tel: (04) 3256325;Lime Tree Cafe, Al Safa, opposite Gold and Diamond Park, Sheikh Zayed Road. Daily, 7am to 10pm. Tel: (04) 3387267. thelimetreecafe.com.
Spill the Bean
Located in Sunset Mall on Jumeirah Road, this independent specialty coffee shop is focused on single origin coffees and supreme quality blends as well as healthy bites for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Oh, and all of their coffee is 100 per cent organic and 100 per cent fair trade.
Spill the Bean, 1st floor, Sunset Mall, Jumeirah Road, Jumeirah 3. Sunday to Thursday, 8am to 10pm, Friday and Saturday, 9am to 10pm. Tel: (04) 3388559. spillthebean.ae.
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Tom & Serg
The duo behind this cafe are serious about their coffee. This Al Quoz warehouse comes equipped with an open kitchen and coffee bars, offering up fresh, nutritious food and great coffee to the masses. Their head barista has been perfecting the art of coffee-making for over 15 years, and they even make sure their coffee is served at a certain temperature – just don’t for any fancy milk other than normal or almond.
Tom & Serg, Al Joud Center, Al Quoz. Sunday to Thursday, 8am to 4pm, Friday and Saturday, 8am to 6pm. Tel: (056) 4746812. tomandserg.com.
Sum of Us
From the minds behind Tom & Serg comes The Sum of Us. A sourdough bakery, gourmet cafe and coffee roastery rolled into one. Everything is made from scratch – their bread is baked fresh, and they roast their own coffee, with their baristas mixing it up with new techniques, exotic beans and using roasting equipment hand-built in Greece.
The Sum of Us, ground floor, Burj Al Salam Residence Tower, Trade Centre Area. Sunday to Thursday, 7am to 10pm, Friday and Saturday, 8am to 10.30pm. Tel: (04) 2753052. thesumofusdubai.com.
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Mokha 1450
Dubbing their cafe as ‘the heart of coffee’, Mokha 1450 are committed to serving rare and superior specialty coffees in an attempt to ‘echo the sincere traditions of early coffee culture’.
Mokha 1450, Al Wasl Road. Sunday to Wednesday, 8am to 10pm, Thursday to Saturday, 8am to 11pm. Tel: (04) 3216455. mokha1450.com.
RAW Coffee Company
A brand new boutique roastery in Al Quoz, supplying other coffee shops with 100 per cent locally roasted, 100 per cent organic and 100 per cent ethically traded fresh Arabica coffee. They’ve got their own coffee shop set up as well, complete with espresso bar, brew bar, as well as comfy sofas, a great sound system and wifi.
RAW Coffee Company, Warehouse 10, Al Quoz 1. Sunday to Thursday 8am to 4pm. Tel: (04) 3395474. rawcoffeecompany.com.
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Stomping Grounds
A brand new haunt for coffee-lovers situated in a villa in Jumeirah 1. Stomping Grounds offers up fresh food and treats, with an elaborate selections of coffees to choose from, all of which are fair trade and organic.
Stomping Grounds, Villa 98, 12D Street, Jumeirah 1. Daily, 8am to 11pm. Tel: (04) 3444451. facebook.com/stmpggrounds.
Leopold’s of London
With a great view of JBR Walk and beach, Leopold’s of London is a cafe dedicated to the use of fresh ingredients as well as advanced coffee brewing methods. They’ve got cold brew machines that take ages to make a single cup of coffee (but it’s worth the wait), manual espresso extractors with the same mechanics as those inside the most expensive coffee machines, lab-level syphon machines that use emersion and high temperature to create interesting coffees, and chemex – a brewing method that will see single origin coffee served bubbling in some kind of glass contraption. It’s a little bit more expensive, with coffees costing between Dhs30 and Dhs50, but the techniques behind the coffee are a little bit more elaborate.
Leopold’s of London, The Beach, JBR. Sunday to Wednesday, 8am to 11pm, Thursday to Saturday, 8am to 12.30am. Tel: (04) 4306841. leopoldsoflondon.com.
Images: Facebook/Company websites.
