My top favourite coffee spots in Dubai

We all have our favourite coffee shops – be it for the coffee, the accessibility or simply for the view. And sometimes for all the above three reasons. The great thing about being in Dubai is that there is no shortage of coffee shops – from chain cafes LIKE Starbucks, Costa or Tim Hortons – to Tchibo (tucked inside Brands For Less in DFC) and gourmet coffee and single origins served in Al Quoz’s alleyways – there is so much coffee to drink!

I am a coffee-lover, although I do tend to stick with the daily regulars like Starbucks, Costa or Caribou, I also enjoy a cuppa of gourmet coffee for which Dubai is famous. It is really hard to make a list of my favourites, but I am going to give it a try –

So here goes.

Coterra Coffee Roasters

This one is my current top favourite, not just for the comforting familiarity of 100% Arabica coffee, but the single origins, dark roasts and the chance to always learn a trick or two of coffee roasting from its knowledgeable staff. I particularly love the speciality coffee from Costa Rica and Rwanda.

Coterra has over twenty speciality coffee types, so you cant go wrong with your choice.

RAW Coffee, Al Quoz 

Located in an unassuming warehouse in Al Quoz, Dubai, enjoying a cuppa here is an experience in itself. RAW Coffee prides itself as being a local and fair trade company and offering a variety of single origins and blends. It is also the first, original roastery in the Middle East and is favoured by coffee lovers.

The coffee options are vast and you get everything from espresso based coffee (like cappuccino and americano) to brewed coffee like chemex and cold brew! I have had pretty much everything from my numerous visits there which was amazing. Next time I am all for trying the Turkish coffee!

The Climbing Goat Roastery

I am, of course partial to this one for many reasons. This happens to be my ‘spot’ – for this is where I spend much of my free time writing. Okay, so I have no explanation why this is so, but it is so.

Be it French Press, Pour overs, Chemex or Cold Brew, they have it all – whats more, if you ask nicely, they’ll even explain how it is done. 

In Dubai, there are to be found in two locations – At Nakheel Mall, The Palm and in Dubai Festival City.

Segafredo Zanetti Espresso

They call themselves the “Ambassador of Italian Coffee” – and guess what? They are absolutely right. Experience the quintessential Italian cafe experience right here at Segafredo Zanetti Dubai. Authentic Italian coffee

BONUS INFO: Dubai Coffee Museum

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!

Interestingly, this museum showcases not only history of regional coffee but brings global coffee history to you. On display are artifacts related to coffee making and drinking. Apparently, the owner procured these artifacts 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.

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.