Dubai Coffee Museum, the first ever in the country is a relatively new entrant on Dubai’s traditional scene, bringing to life the centuries old brew – and for the coffee lover in me, this was the paradise I dreamed of!
This coffee shrine, set amidst the sand-blasted and sun-baked Bastakiya alongside the Dubai Creek might easily be mistaken for a traditional villa, but once you get through the low door you are in another world of rich aroma. Of COFFEE. That should be reason enough for a coffee lover get moving!
I have no clue how I came to be there, but I vaguely remember that I was looking for a calligraphy artist and somehow stumbled upon this gem!
Interestingly, this museum showcases not only history of regional coffee but brings global coffee history to you. On display are artefacts related to coffee making and drinking. Apparently, the owner procured these artefacts from a coffee museum in Hamburg when it shut, so what you get to see is a wealth of European exhibits – which would explain the odd piece of vintage coffee advertising on the walls, written in German.
Among the hundreds of antiques on display, are 300 year old examples of the distinctive jug-shaped clay coffee pots historically used by the Ethiopians known as ‘jebena’ and the Yemeni equivalent, known as ‘jamena’. These obvious cousins reflect the very earliest beginning of coffee drinking, and the birth of coffee roasting.
While here, do not miss sampling a cup of Ethiopian coffee on the ground floor where an Ethiopian lady stirs a pan of green coffee beans, sending up a wonderful aroma. The museum also includes an Emirati-style majlis, where local Bedouin coffee traditions are observed.
Villa 44, Al Fahidi Heritage Museum, Bur Dubai (04 380 6777). Nearest Metro: Al Fahidi: Entry free.
