Cafeography
دبي

Cafés in Dubai karak by the glass

Karak at Karama's cafeterias, Arabic coffee with dates in Al Fahidi, warehouse roasters around Alserkal Avenue and beach cafés along Jumeira Street.

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614Cafés listed
9Open by 6am
50Open past 10pm
29Specialty & roasters

Dubai had about 3.9 million residents in 2025, roughly 92% of them from abroad.1 The oldest is gahwa (Arabic coffee): very lightly roasted beans brewed with cardamom, often colored yellow with saffron, poured from a dallah (brass coffee pot) into small handleless cups called finjan.2 UNESCO lists Arabic coffee as a symbol of generosity in the intangible heritage of the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.3

The everyday drink, though, is karak, a sweet spiced milk tea popularized in the Gulf by South Asian communities and sold by the glass at small cafeterias.4 In May 2025 a karak cost AED 1–2.50 at Al Hara Cafeteria in Karama and AED 30 at the Arabian Tea House in Bur Dubai, the extremes of one Gulf News list.5

Specialty roasting has a local history too. RAW Coffee Company began roasting in Al Quoz in 2007, and in January 2027 World of Coffee, the specialty trade fair, returns to the Dubai World Trade Centre.67 Coffee's longer history has its own address: Khalid Al Mulla opened the Coffee Museum in the Al Fahidi quarter in 2014.8

Start on either bank of the creek

Dubai by area

The old city sits on both banks of Dubai Creek. The first bridge, built in 1963, linked Deira with the Dubai side, and abras (wooden water taxis) still cross for AED 1–2 as of 2024.113 The newer city runs southwest from there along Sheikh Zayed Road, through Downtown and Al Quoz to Dubai Marina.

Al Fahidi, Al Seef & Meena Bazaar

Wind-tower lanes of the old Bastakiya, the Coffee Museum, the Al Seef creekfront and Meena Bazaar.

16 cafés

Deira

The north bank of the creek: gold and spice souks, cafeterias, and Ethiopian coffee houses in Al Murar.

130 cafés

Bur Dubai & Karama

Karama's chai counters on 9A Street, late cafés on Umm Hurair Road and early coffee by Zabeel Park.

71 cafés

Downtown, DIFC & Business Bay

Burj Khalifa and the Boulevard, late terraces on Marasi Drive, office coffee in DIFC and One Central, and d3's design studios.

110 cafés

Al Quoz & Alserkal Avenue

Warehouse roasteries between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road, with Alserkal Avenue's galleries and coffee bars.

43 cafés

Jumeirah, Satwa & City Walk

Villa cafés on Jumeira Street and Al Wasl Road, Boxpark and City Walk, and Satwa's 24-hour counters.

115 cafés

Umm Suqeim & Al Sufouh

Beach cafés on Jumeira Street in Umm Suqeim 2, Kite Beach kiosks and villa cafés on Al Wasl Road, below the Burj Al Arab.

55 cafés

Dubai Marina, JBR & JLT

Tower cafés around the Marina canal, The Walk at JBR on the beach, and lakeside clusters in JLT, with roasters open from 06:00.

40 cafés
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قهوة مختصة

Specialty coffee

Warehouse roasters in Al Quoz, espresso bars in DIFC and d3, and specialty counters along Jumeira Street.

29 cafés

Open late

Late karak, 24-hour cafés on Sheikh Zayed Road and Jumeira Street, and Business Bay tables until 04:00.

50 cafés

Outdoor seating

Beach tables near Kite Beach, villa gardens on Al Wasl Road and lake-level terraces in JLT, best from late October.

39 cafés

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi cafés from DIFC to Karama, work-friendly roasteries in Al Quoz, and the rules on internet calls.

40 cafés

Bakery cafés

Laminated pastry at Alserkal Avenue, cake shops in Karama and the Marina, and bakery cafés open past midnight.

14 cafés

Al Fahidi, Al Seef & Meena Bazaar 16 cafés

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Deira 130 cafés

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Bur Dubai & Karama 71 cafés

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Downtown, DIFC & Business Bay 110 cafés

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All the Perks

  • Sheikh Zayed Road
  • Open 24 hours
  • +97143867676
  • Air-con
  • Indoor seating
  • Card payment
  • Vegetarian options
  • Partial wheelchair access
  • Toilets
  • Smoke-free indoors
  • 24 hours
  • Open by 6am
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Al Quoz & Alserkal Avenue 43 cafés

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Jumeirah, Satwa & City Walk 115 cafés

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Umm Suqeim & Al Sufouh 55 cafés

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Palm Jumeirah 6 cafés

Al Barsha & Barsha Heights 28 cafés

Unwind Speciality Boardgame Cafe

  • 3 Hessa Street
  • Mon–Thu 14:30–00:00 · Fri 14:30–01:00 · Sat–Sun 12:30–01:00
  • +971564040019
  • Air-con
  • Indoor seating
  • Card payment
  • Vegetarian options
  • Partial wheelchair access
  • Toilets
  • Smoke-free indoors
  • Open late
  • Specialty
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Dubai Marina, JBR & JLT 40 cafés

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Coffee chains in Dubai

Branches by area

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Caffè Nero

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% Arabica

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Seattle's Best Coffee

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PappaRoti

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Before you sit down

How coffee and karak work in Dubai

In an Emirati home or majlis (sitting room), dates and gahwa are offered as guests arrive and kept coming for the length of the visit.9 Elders and guests are served first, and the cup is taken and handed back with the right hand.32 Each pour is only a few sips, so expect several refills; three cups is the usual habit. When you have had enough, shake the cup gently before handing it back.23

Karak is a cafeteria drink, made in quantity and drunk fast. At Al Hara Cafeteria in Karama, open around the clock, the samovar never leaves the burner, early morning is the rush, and a team of 16 servers takes orders in the car park outside.10 Elsewhere, Project Chaiwala's karak cost AED 5–7 in May 2025, and Raju Omlet on Sheikh Zayed Road charged AED 4.25–6.50.5

Espresso drinks cost far more than tea. In Numbeo's Dubai figures for October 2026, a regular cappuccino averaged AED 22.16, with most prices between AED 14 and 30.11 At The Grey on Al Wasl Road the list runs to V60 pour-overs with single-origin beans from Yemen and Ethiopia, and Forever Rose at Boxpark pours Arabic coffee from traditional dallahs.12

Plan coffee around the heat. August is the hottest month, with average highs near 40 °C and nights around 30 °C, while January averages about 24 °C by day.1 Save the beach terraces on Jumeira Street for the winter months.

What coffee costs in Dubai

DrinkTypical price
Karak
Spiced milk tea at a Karama cafeteria		AED 1–2.50
Al Hara Cafeteria, May 2025
Karak
Spiced milk tea at a karak shop		AED 4.25–7
Project Chaiwala and Raju Omlet, May 2025
Karak
Spiced milk tea at a heritage café		AED 30
Arabian Tea House, Bur Dubai, May 2025
Cappuccino
Regular cappuccino at a café or restaurant		AED 14–30
Dubai average AED 22.16, October 2026

Prices per glass or cup. The karak prices are from Gulf News's guide to Dubai karak spots, last updated in May 2025.5 The cappuccino range and average are Numbeo's crowd-sourced Dubai figures, updated on 24 October 2026.11

Sources

  1. Dubai, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Arabic coffee, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. Arabic coffee, a symbol of generosity, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (2024 inscription), accessed October 2026
  4. Masala chai, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  5. Explore the best spots in Dubai to enjoy a classic cup of Karak Chai, Gulf News (updated May 21, 2025), accessed October 2026
  6. RAW Coffee Company, RAW Coffee Company, accessed October 2026
  7. World of Coffee Dubai, World of Coffee Dubai, accessed October 2026
  8. Wake up and smell the Coffee Museum's rich history, Aletihad (May 25, 2026), accessed October 2026
  9. Emirati cuisine, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  10. The biryani chai of Al Karama in Dubai: the perfect recipe to cure a tiring day, Gulf News (updated June 5, 2021), accessed October 2026
  11. Cost of Living in Dubai, Numbeo (updated October 24, 2026), accessed October 2026
  12. Jumeirah's Best Cafés for Coffee, Community, and Design, Sotheby's International Realty UAE (July 3, 2025), accessed October 2026
  13. Explore Dubai's Creek by abra: Deira Old Souq station reopens, Gulf News (updated February 21, 2024), accessed October 2026
FAQ

Cafés in Dubai: common questions

How much does a coffee cost in Dubai?

Tea is the cheap drink. In May 2025 a karak cost AED 1–2.50 at Al Hara Cafeteria in Karama, AED 5–7 at Project Chaiwala and AED 30 at the Arabian Tea House in Bur Dubai. A regular cappuccino averaged AED 22.16 in Numbeo's October 2026 Dubai figures, with most prices between AED 14 and 30.

Which neighborhood of Dubai has the most cafés?

Deira and Jumeirah, Satwa & City Walk have the most cafés, followed by Downtown, DIFC & Business Bay. About a third of Deira's are small coffee houses and cafeterias on the numbered streets of Al Murar. For specialty roasters, Al Quoz has the most, around Alserkal Avenue and in the industrial blocks.

What is gahwa, the Arabic coffee served in Dubai?

Gahwa is Arabic coffee made from very lightly roasted beans brewed with cardamom, often with saffron, which turns it yellow. It is poured from a dallah, a coffee pot, into small handleless cups called finjan, and served with dates. UNESCO lists Arabic coffee as intangible heritage of the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

How do you drink Arabic coffee politely in Dubai?

Elders and guests are served first. Take and return the cup with your right hand. Each pour is only a few sips and the host keeps refilling; three cups is the usual habit. When you have had enough, shake the cup gently before you hand it back.

What is karak chai and where do you drink it in Dubai?

Karak is a sweet, spiced milk tea popularized in the Gulf by South Asian communities and sold by the glass at cafeterias. Al Hara Cafeteria in Karama is open around the clock and takes orders in its car park; a karak there cost AED 1–2.50 in May 2025. Project Chaiwala charged AED 5–7.

When is the best time of year for café terraces in Dubai?

Winter. January averages about 24 °C by day, while August, the hottest month, has average highs near 40 °C and nights around 30 °C. The beach cafés on Jumeira Street are best in the winter months; in summer, sit indoors or go early in the morning.

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