With new coffee bars opening up every month, the coffee craze in Dubai has spread all across the city, so you are never short of options, however finding a good cup of vegan coffee can still be a challenge. So I’ve done some research for you and picked some of my favorite places in Dubai for a great vegan cup of coffee. Run mostly by expats from America, Europe and Australia, some of these places take their coffee-making skills very seriously, paying attention to detail to every process right from sourcing the finest and freshest beans to serving them with finesse.
It’s time to put pause on your Starbucks addiction and explore some great coffee shops in Dubai that serve artisan coffee crafted from the finest (and even organic) ingredients making them perfect for your daily caffeine fix.
d3 Dubai Design District
In-store coffee shop concept is still quite new to Dubai and there’s a new cookie that just entered this space. Both parts coffee and shop, The Light House in the Design District offers reach beans and a carefully curated home goods selection focusing on chic gifting – from brass vases and candle holders from Sweden to clean minimalist cubical resin vases in whites, luxury candles to nature inspired one-of-a-kind furniture pieces from Italian brand alcarol (natural materials are suspended in resin maintaining their original form; loved their pieces), lots and lots of coffee table books and more. I happen to meet Hany, one of the co-founders, and had a long chat over coffee discussing their journey and I must say his energy and passion was infectious. Next time you’re looking for some chic gifting and a nice vegan latte, this is the place to try. Did I mention about their chic white washed clean minimalist interiors?
Dairy-free options: Almond and soy milk
What I like: Amazing coffee, clean minimalist white interiors, expansive space, coffee cum shop with loads of coffee table books and great service.
Totally Instagram Worthy: Nothing beats perfect white backdrop when it comes to taking pictures and the natural light flowing-in makes this cafe totally Instagram worthy.
Timing: 7am-9.30pm
Address: R01, Building 6 d3Dubai Design District, Dubai. Tel. 044226024.
Decor inspired by nature featuring a large faux grass wall-piece that reads ‘life’, wooden tables and rustic iron chairs, One Life Cafe is a pleasant lively space and a caffeine heaven serving the perfect brews. If you are spending a long time at the cafe and need another round, try the cold-pressed juices from their refrigerator distributed by my favorite Wild and the Moon. They also stock and serve vegan, gluten-free and even sugar-free items. What else could you ask for? Hmm.. maybe an outdoor seating for the lovely Dubai winters? Oh yes, they’ve got that too.
What I like: Pleasant interiors that seem eco-friendly, great selection of vegan coffee and cold-pressed juices and options for quick vegan bites!Totally Instagram Worthy: Earthy inspired and a combination of natural lights will get you kick-ass Instagram shots of your coffee and mealsTiming: 8am-6pmAddress: Building 5 d3Dubai Design District, Ras Al Khor Road, Dubai. Tel. 045134727.I’d also recommend the Craft Cafe at the Dubai Design District, great coffee and lovely place. The staff is quite friendly and attentive too.
Jumeirah Beach Road
This plush boutique café, inspired by the peninsula getaway in New York State where the rich and the famous spend their summers, is always washed with daylight, thanks to it’s large windows and the glass clad rooftop with open windows and lots of greenery. The place is fancy with iPad menus and well-dressed prompt staff yet has a cozy feel since it resides in a three-floored villa and looks more like a stylish American holiday home than a cafe. Menu-wise, the almond milk cappuccino is excellent and is served in style {you will definitely get Instagram worthy clicks}.
Dairy-free options: Soy and Almond Milk (extra)
What I like: Great ambiance and amazing views of both Burj Al Arab on one side and Burj Khalifa on the other from their roof top floor.
Totally Instagram Worthy: A picture speaks a thousand words and if my coffee shot isn’t loud enough let me put it this way “every inch of this place deserves an Instagram shot”.
Timings: 8am-11pm
Address: Behind Kite Beach, Jumeirah Road, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai. Tel. 043315118
Spill The Bean
Sustainable City
This specialty coffee shop with bright and soothing blue interiors is undoubtedly one of the best cafes in town for a delicious brew and healthy bites. It’s the perfect place to grab your cup of vegan coffee and engage in meaningful conversations with healthy vegan bites. If you feel peckish you’ll be in luck, as the place offers over 12 healthy and delicious vegan options right from raspberry tart to avocado pudding.
P.S. If you like a strong coffee, make sure to try their Turkish coffee, my friends always love it.
Dairy-free options: Soy and Almond Milk (extra)
What I like: 100% organic and fair trade coffee in Dubai. They also have healthy vegan bites.
Timings: 8am-10pm
Address: Sustainable city, Block B, Shop 7, Dubai
Friend’s Avenue Cafe
JLT
Dairy-free options: Soy and Almond Milk (extra)
What I like: Industrial urban interiors with brick walls, green plants, vintage bicycle as art piece on the wall and polished concrete give this cafe a very New Yorkish feel. The vibe is lively but not loud and while the staff do not understand the specifics of a vegan diet, they’ll fix what you need. With almond and soy milk options, you can get pretty much every coffee type to satiate your coffee need. The frappe is our favorite and it’s a savior during summer!
The one thing I dislike about this place is that they charge a lot for soy or almond milk 0 for an AED18 cold latte they take AED4.5 that’s 25% extra for dairy-free option.
Timings: 8am-10pm
Address: Ground Floor, Fortune Executive Tower, Cluster T, JLT – Dubai. Tel. 045545813
What I like: 3 dairy-free milk options is a rarity in Dubai plus the cafe offers healthy smoothies and vegan bites including almond milk chia seed pudding.
Al Quoz
One of the first cafes to kick-start the specialty coffee culture, Tom & Serg is undoubtedly one of the best places in Dubai for the perfect brew. The Australian duo who started this place created a Melbourn-ish vibe at this place and take their coffee very seriously. They roast their own coffee in small batches at their other popular cafe Sum of Us and supply it to all of their three cafes including Common Grounds in MOE (yes they have expanded to three different outlets, each with it’s own unique character, although I prefer Tom & Serg and The Sum of Us better).
The urban industrial decor of this two-floored cafe located in a warehouse in Al Quoz is edgy yet inviting – open kitchen, airy floor-to-ceiling glass front, chalkboard wall and lots of lots of room for everyone. There’s also plenty of vegan options on the menu should you decide you can’t subsist on coffee alone. (only wish their service was a whole lot better)
Dairy-free options: Almond milk
Le Pain Quotidien
Dubai Marina Mall, Dubai Mall & JBR
Serving a wide range of organic coffess, the Brussels based coffee chain LPQ is undoubedtly one of the best vegan-friendly chain of restaurants serving healthy organic meals and beverages. One of my most-visited places to satiate my vegan coffee craving. Their Dubai Marina Mall cafe is my favorite with it’s excellent views of the Dubai Marina and a great service. The cosy homey feeling at this cafe and their almond milk option makes it a great place to get you out of your depresso (that feeling you get when you need a caffeine kick).
While I’ve never eaten at LPQ (since it is not a pure veg kitchen), my friends love their food. They have a nice selection of freshly prepared healthy dishes, taking its influences from European cafes.
WILD AND THE MOON
Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz & Downtown
Nestled inside an expansive warehouse in Dubai’s most buzzing area – Alserkal Aveue, Wild and The Moon is a healthy vegan cafe and cold pressed juicery and the only all-vegan place in town (of course after Bestro).
Wild and the Moon isn’t on the top of my list when it comes to picking the best place for a coffee in Dubai as I was disappointed with their brew. It was too raw and strong for my taste and it lacked flavor. However, why this place is on this list is because even though the latte or the cappuccino may not be the finest, they have plenty of almond milk based cold-pressed drinks that can easily be a healthier and yummier replacement of a coffee. Matcha latte is my all-time favorites (it’s by far the best in town), the Golden Mylk latte is a must-try and if the body is craving caffeine I’d say go with the cold Ethiopian brew with cacao beans, sea salt and vanilla. Good thing is, you can also get healthy food fix from their small selection of pre-cooked salads, health bars and raw desserts that you pick from the refrigerator and pay for at the counter. Everything in the cafe is 100% vegan and organic, gluten-free and while cold they are super delicious and full of flavors.
Dairy-free options: Everything is dairy-free, organic and fair trade and contains no soy or refined sugar. They offer almond milk
What I like: It’s all vegan and vibrant happy place with minimal white and wood interiors that’s livened up with lots of fresh potted plants that you can find all over the cafe. They also have an upper deck with plants hanging over from the ceiling that gives you a complete view of the cafe from top.
Timings: 8am-7pm
Address: Unit H 77, Al Serkal Avenue, Street 8, Al Quoz, Dubai. Tel. 043433392 and outside the Palace Downtown Hotel
