A good specialty-coffee stop gives you something concrete to follow from bean to cup: a named farm, a careful roast, a brew method you can choose, or a barista happy to explain what is in the grinder. Dubai has rooms for all of those moods. The prices here do different jobs too: some are for drinks, others for retail beans or a workshop. We label each one so you know what you are paying for.
Choose your coffee mood
| Shop | Go for | A published price and what it buys |
|---|---|---|
| The Espresso Lab | Rare lots and detailed coffee sourcing | Beans AED80–490.48; retail, not cup |
| Alchemy | V60, Kalita Wave, AeroPress or Chemex | AED40 per listed filter brew |
| RAW Coffee Company | A roastery visit or a scheduled tasting | AED265 for a two-hour cupping |
| Cafe Rider | A measured V60 or shared Chemex in a roastery-workshop cafe | V60 AED28/240ml; Chemex AED28 solo |
| The Coffee Merchant | Arabic coffee, pour-over and origin-led beans | Beans AED60–169; size unclear |
| Mokha 1450 | Rare origins and guided preparation | Beans AED171–400; size unclear |
| Nightjar Coffee Roasters | Cold coffee, inventive drinks and a late visit | Beans from AED45; no cup price published |
| ROAST Specialty Coffee × Cha Cha Chai | An accessible espresso, karak and snack in one stop | Espresso AED12; flat white AED20 |
Prices checked 2 October 2026. A bag of beans, a cup and a tasting class are different purchases; where a venue publishes only retail prices, the article says so. Prices and branches can change.
1. The Espresso Lab — For rare origins and competition-level brewing
At D3, coffee is treated with the patience of a tasting menu. The Espresso Lab publishes coffees by origin and lot, alongside UAE Brewers Cup results across several years and a 2026 national roasting title. If you like asking what is in the grinder and why it tastes that way, this is a strong place to start. Its current shop lists Ethiopia Bombe Washed at AED80 and Panama Geisha Lot 153 at AED490.48. Those are retail listings for coffee beans, not café drink prices; the product page does not make a like-for-like cup comparison.
Visit: The D3 café is at Unit 8, Building 7. Official branch hours: Monday to Thursday 7am–11pm; Friday to Sunday 7am–midnight.
Price: Retail beans: examples AED80 and AED490.48; not cup prices. Pack unit should be checked on the chosen product.
Sources: D3 roastery and café · Current coffee listings · Awards and coffee craft
2. Alchemy — For a pour-over you can choose by method
Alchemy makes the brew method part of the order. Its current menu lists V60, Kalita Wave, AeroPress and Chemex, each at AED40; espresso and milk-based coffees are AED20–25. That is useful if you want the same kind of filter ritual every visit, or want to ask the barista which method brings out a particular coffee. The cafe is on B Street off Al Wasl Road. The operator does not publish current opening hours on the page checked, so confirm before making a special trip.
Visit: 37–39 B Street, off Al Wasl Road, opposite Dar Wasl Mall. Current hours are not published on the operator page checked.
Price: AED40 for each listed filter method; AED20–25 for espresso and milk coffees.
Sources: Alchemy café · Current menu PDF
3. RAW Coffee Company — For a working roastery and a hands-on cupping
RAW’s Al Quoz café sits inside the business it is explaining: the operator calls it a showroom beside its working roastery and SCA training campus. A two-hour Art of Cupping workshop is listed at AED265, so this stop can stretch beyond a quick flat white into a guided comparison of aromas and coffees. The café opens at 7:30am daily; its kitchen starts at 8am. If breakfast is part of your morning, you can arrive for coffee before the food menu begins.
Visit: Next to RTA Carpark WH10, corner of 7A and 4A Street, Al Manara Road, Al Quoz 1. Café daily 7:30am–6pm; kitchen from 8am.
Price: AED265 for a two-hour cupping workshop. A 250g Working Blend is listed at AED60; neither is a drink price.
Sources: Café and opening hours · Address and contact · Art of Cupping workshop
4. Cafe Rider — For V60 beside a custom-motorcycle workshop
Cafe Rider puts two working crafts under one roof: its roastery, opened on the premises in 2016, and a custom-motorcycle workshop. The current coffee menu makes the specialist side easy to order: a V60 pour-over is AED28 for 240ml, Aeropress AED28 for 200–220ml, while a Chemex is AED28 solo or AED38 to share. If you stay for a meal, the published kitchen menu runs from breakfast to dinner; the cafe says you may see sparks from the bike workshop behind a glass partition.
Visit: Warehouse 7, 14B Street, Al Quoz Industrial Area 3. The July 2026 menu lists both coffee-bar and kitchen service 8am–6pm. The contact page labels the same hours “Ramadan timings,” so confirm they apply on your visit date.
Price: Prepared drinks: V60 AED28/240ml; Aeropress AED28/200–220ml; Chemex AED28 solo or AED38 sharing. Menu prices include 5% VAT.
Sources: Cafe and address · On-site roastery · Current July 2026 cafe menu PDF
5. The Coffee Merchant — For specialty coffee alongside Emirati gahwa
The Coffee Merchant connects the technical side of specialty coffee with the Gulf welcome of gahwa. Its operator says every lot is cupped above 90 by certified Q-graders, and the Business Bay roastery serves pour-overs, seasonal espresso and traditional gahwa. That combination gives the visit a local ritual as well as origin detail. The store is in AG Tower and opens weekdays 9am–5pm, with a short Saturday window. Current beans include Puma Estate at AED60 and Belen Pink Bourbon at AED120; the collection does not clearly state each pack size, and café drink prices are not published there.
Visit: Ground floor, AG Tower, Marasi Drive, Business Bay. Monday–Friday 9am–5pm; Saturday 10am–1pm; closed Sunday.
Price: Retail beans listed at AED60–169, with pack size unclear; café cup prices are not published on the source checked.
Sources: Roastery, gahwa and visiting details · Coffee collection
6. Mokha 1450 — For premium origins and a guided coffee experience
Mokha 1450 leans into provenance and rarity. Its current collection lists Yemeni Sabree, Cuban Turquino and Colombian Geisha, while its Coffee Priorists venue at Emirates Towers is described as an interactive café where guests can prepare coffee with a barista’s guidance. The brand also lists locations at Al Wasl, Palm Jumeirah, DIFC and Umm Suqeim, so choose the branch that fits your day. Retail coffee listings range from AED171 to AED400, but sizes are not stated on the collection view and these are not prices for a prepared cup. Opening hours are not published on the page checked.
Visit: Five Dubai locations are listed, including Al Wasl, Golden Mile Galleria, Andaz Dubai The Palm, Emirates Towers Boulevard and Umm Suqeim. Hours are not published on the locations page checked.
Price: Retail coffees listed at AED171–400; pack size and café cup prices are not stated on the collection view.
Sources: Current locations and coffee collection · Interactive Coffee Priorists experience
7. Nightjar Coffee Roasters — For cold coffee on tap and a late-running coffee stop
Nightjar’s Alserkal eatery roasts and brews coffee on site, then takes it in a playful direction: cold brew coffees and teas on tap, nitro drinks and zero-proof cocktails sit beside the regular coffee offer. It is a good fit when you want the roastery behind the cup but your group is not in the mood for a quiet tasting counter. The Alserkal venue lists hours from 9am to 10pm. Nightjar’s current online coffee selection shows seasonal beans from AED45 and Rwanda Shyira at AED120; these are retail products, not café drink prices.
Visit: Alserkal Avenue. Published venue hours 9am–10pm.
Price: Retail beans from AED45; no café drink price was verified on the current sources checked.
Sources: Alserkal location and hours · Eatery and drinks on tap · Current coffee range
8. ROAST Specialty Coffee × Cha Cha Chai — For everyday single-origin espresso with karak and street food nearby
ROAST is the everyday stop on this list: the operator says its espresso uses single-origin beans roasted fresh, then places it beside Cha Cha Chai’s karak and Mumbai-style snacks. A current dine-in menu lists espresso at AED12, flat white at AED20 and cold brew at AED24. The iced Dubai Chocolate Latte, with pistachio cream and kataifi, is AED30 for a more dessert-like coffee. The group lists nine points of sale, including Dubai Marina, Business Village, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai Science Park; menus and hours vary by outlet, and the street-food menu is not served at every branch.
Visit: Multiple Dubai branches, including Dubai Marina, Business Village, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai Science Park. Check branch-specific hours and menu availability.
Price: Dine-in menu: espresso AED12; flat white AED20; cold brew AED24; iced Dubai Chocolate Latte AED30. Delivery prices may differ.
Sources: Locations and branch details · Current dine-in menu
How we chose these eight
We kept cafes and roasteries with a current Dubai visitor location and operator-published evidence of what makes their coffee different: traceable or rare lots, a stated roast/brew practice, a specific coffee menu or a tasting experience. Prices stay attached to their product type. We did not compare a retail bean bag with a café drink, and we have not invented cup prices where a current menu was not available. This is a curated set of useful coffee stops, not a measured taste-test ranking.
Frequently asked questions
Which Dubai cafe is strongest for pour-over?
Alchemy publishes four filter methods—V60, Kalita Wave, AeroPress and Chemex—at AED40 each. The Espresso Lab is another choice when the origin and lot are part of what you want to explore.
Where can I learn more about coffee rather than just order it?
RAW lists a two-hour cupping workshop at its Al Quoz roastery for AED265.
Where can I try specialty coffee with Emirati gahwa?
The Coffee Merchant in Business Bay lists pour-over and seasonal espresso alongside traditional gahwa. Check the short Saturday hours before visiting.
Are all the prices in this guide cup prices?
No. Alchemy, Cafe Rider and ROAST publish prepared-drink prices. Other entries show retail coffee or workshop prices because the sources checked do not publish a current prepared-drink price. The product type is labeled at each venue.
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