The 18 Best Cafés in the United Arab Emirates
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The best cafés in the United Arab Emirates, according to the experts: Eater and the World Coffee Map have both weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Nightjar Coffee Roasters comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Dubai.
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The Grey Al Wasl - Coffee Lounge & Bar and heaf Souq Badr hold the next two places. The World Coffee Map shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Eater next.
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A DJ booth in a coffee shop is either a flex or a cry for help, and at Nightjar it reads as the former. This specialty cafe and roaster inside Alserkal Avenue's warehouse district does serious, geeky coffee alongside food that has no interest in playing it safe: lamb kheema toasties, house-cured salt beef sandwiches, rotisserie chicken. Black tiles, communal tables, and stickers on every surface set the tone before the flat white arrives.
The awards
- Eater Eater: The 27 Best Restaurants in Dubai
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Best cafes for reading in Dubai
- Eater The 27 Best Restaurants in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Best cafes for reading in Dubai
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The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Dubai Coffee Map for First-Time Visitors
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Essential Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Dubai Coffee Map for First-Time Visitors
- World Coffee Map Essential Coffee Shops in Dubai
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Rank 3. heaf Souq Badr
Coffee
The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Essential Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Best cafes for reading in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Essential Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Best cafes for reading in Dubai
A Tie
Two places have the exact same Score, so they share #3. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #3 heaf Souq Badr (this place) 67.810
- #3 The Espresso Lab - Roastery 67.810
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The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Dubai Coffee Map for First-Time Visitors
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Best cafes for reading in Dubai
- World Coffee Map 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Dubai Coffee Map for First-Time Visitors
- World Coffee Map Best cafes for reading in Dubai
A Tie
Two places have the exact same Score, so they share #3. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #3 heaf Souq Badr 67.810
- #3 The Espresso Lab - Roastery (this place) 67.810
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The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Your Guide to Coffee in Dubai
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Your Guide to Coffee in Dubai
- World Coffee Map 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
A Tie
Four places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Boon Coffee Roasters Jumeirah Park Pavilion (this place) 66.765
- #5 Common Grounds - Dubai Hills Mall 66.765
- #5 THE BARN Coffee Roasters Dubai 66.765
- #5 The Coffee Lab - One Zabeel 66.765
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The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Your Guide to Coffee in Dubai
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Your Guide to Coffee in Dubai
- World Coffee Map 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
A Tie
Four places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Boon Coffee Roasters Jumeirah Park Pavilion 66.765
- #5 Common Grounds - Dubai Hills Mall (this place) 66.765
- #5 THE BARN Coffee Roasters Dubai 66.765
- #5 The Coffee Lab - One Zabeel 66.765
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The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Dubai Coffee Guide for Travelers
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Dubai Coffee Guide for Travelers
- World Coffee Map 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
A Tie
Four places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Boon Coffee Roasters Jumeirah Park Pavilion 66.765
- #5 Common Grounds - Dubai Hills Mall 66.765
- #5 THE BARN Coffee Roasters Dubai (this place) 66.765
- #5 The Coffee Lab - One Zabeel 66.765
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Twenty-four floors up inside One Za'abeel, this specialty coffee shop trades Dubai's street-level bustle for a calm room with a skyline framing every table. The pour-over program gets the most attention, and the cold brew is serious enough to slow you down. It draws a mix of remote workers and people who simply wanted an excuse to be this high up with a good cup.
The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Essential Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Essential Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
A Tie
Four places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Boon Coffee Roasters Jumeirah Park Pavilion 66.765
- #5 Common Grounds - Dubai Hills Mall 66.765
- #5 THE BARN Coffee Roasters Dubai 66.765
- #5 The Coffee Lab - One Zabeel (this place) 66.765
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A specialty coffee shop on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, close enough to the Burj Khalifa that tourists drift in looking slightly overwhelmed by Dubai and leave looking slightly more caffeinated. The room is modern and calm, the kind of place where laptops outnumber conversations. Pour-overs and lattes are taken seriously here, and fresh pastries round things out for anyone settling in for the afternoon.
The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Dubai Coffee Map for First-Time Visitors
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Best cafes for reading in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Dubai Coffee Map for First-Time Visitors
- World Coffee Map Best cafes for reading in Dubai
Why #9, not #5
Both places show 67. This one's exact Score is 66.5 and the one above is 66.8, so it ranks second. We round what you see, but we rank on the exact number.
- #5 The Coffee Lab - One Zabeel 66.8
- #9 Roasters Specialty Coffee House Boulevard Downtown (this place) 66.5
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The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
A Tie
Three places have the exact same Score, so they share #10. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #10 % Arabica Dubai Mall Fountains (this place) 65.408
- #10 ABC Coffee Roasters 65.408
- #10 Seven Fortunes Coffee Roasters 65.408
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The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
A Tie
Three places have the exact same Score, so they share #10. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #10 % Arabica Dubai Mall Fountains 65.408
- #10 ABC Coffee Roasters (this place) 65.408
- #10 Seven Fortunes Coffee Roasters 65.408
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The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
- World Coffee Map 10 Best Specialty Cafes & Coffee Shops in Dubai
A Tie
Three places have the exact same Score, so they share #10. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #10 % Arabica Dubai Mall Fountains 65.408
- #10 ABC Coffee Roasters 65.408
- #10 Seven Fortunes Coffee Roasters (this place) 65.408
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Rank 13. Cafe Rider Custom
Coffee
The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Best cafes for reading in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Best cafes for reading in Dubai
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #13. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #13 Cafe Rider Custom (this place) 61.728
- #13 Cypher Urban Roastery 61.728
- #13 Nomad Day Bar 61.728
- #13 Rx Coffee Apothecary - Dubai Mall 61.728
- #13 Rx Coffee Apothecary - Jumeirah 61.728
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A specialty coffee roastery tucked into an Al Quoz warehouse, where the industrial bones of the space, exposed ducts and raw concrete, do most of the decorating. The team roasts in-house, so the room smells like the product before you order it. Quiet enough that people bring laptops and actual books, which is rarer than it sounds in Dubai. Pour-overs and cold brew are the moves here.
The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Best cafes for reading in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Best cafes for reading in Dubai
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #13. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #13 Cafe Rider Custom 61.728
- #13 Cypher Urban Roastery (this place) 61.728
- #13 Nomad Day Bar 61.728
- #13 Rx Coffee Apothecary - Dubai Mall 61.728
- #13 Rx Coffee Apothecary - Jumeirah 61.728
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Rank 13. Nomad Day Bar
Coffee
The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Best cafes for reading in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Best cafes for reading in Dubai
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #13. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #13 Cafe Rider Custom 61.728
- #13 Cypher Urban Roastery 61.728
- #13 Nomad Day Bar (this place) 61.728
- #13 Rx Coffee Apothecary - Dubai Mall 61.728
- #13 Rx Coffee Apothecary - Jumeirah 61.728
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The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Best cafes for reading in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Best cafes for reading in Dubai
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #13. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #13 Cypher Urban Roastery 61.728
- #13 Nomad Day Bar 61.728
- #13 Rx Coffee Apothecary - Dubai Mall (this place) 61.728
- #13 Rx Coffee Apothecary - Jumeirah 61.728
- #13 Rx Coffee Apothecary - Mirdif 61.728
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The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Best cafes for reading in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Best cafes for reading in Dubai
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #13. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #13 Cypher Urban Roastery 61.728
- #13 Nomad Day Bar 61.728
- #13 Rx Coffee Apothecary - Dubai Mall 61.728
- #13 Rx Coffee Apothecary - Jumeirah (this place) 61.728
- #13 Rx Coffee Apothecary - Mirdif 61.728
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The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Best cafes for reading in Dubai
- World Coffee Map Best cafes for reading in Dubai
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #13. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #13 Cypher Urban Roastery 61.728
- #13 Nomad Day Bar 61.728
- #13 Rx Coffee Apothecary - Dubai Mall 61.728
- #13 Rx Coffee Apothecary - Jumeirah 61.728
- #13 Rx Coffee Apothecary - Mirdif (this place) 61.728