Whatever your brew, it’s bound to better with a slab of something sweet
There are plenty of perfect pairings – bacon and eggs, peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies.
But there’s one love story that beats even the romance of Shrek and Princess Fiona – coffee and cake.
Is there a better way to spend an afternoon than with coffee and cake in Dubai at one of the city’s best cafés?
Whether you’re working, meeting a pal or just having half an hour of me-time, coffee and cake is bound to bring a smile to your face.
Fuel up with our pick of the best coffee and cake in Dubai below.
Angelina – Dubai Mall
Angelina is a restaurant, patisserie and tearoom combined, with a charming hint of Parisian atmosphere. There are all sorts of soups, salads and savoury dishes if you’re after a bigger bite, but if you’re there for a sweet treat, pick from puffy profiteroles to classic gelato sundaes and an ever-changing choice from the dessert vitrine. Make sure to try the café Viennois, an indulgent black coffee with whipped cream. It’s open late so whatever time you need your sweet treat, Angelina is ready and welcome.
Daily 9am-1am, Fashion Avenue Ground Level, The Dubai Mall. Angelina-paris.fr/en/dubai-mall (04 442 8814)
Boston Lane
Small but mighty just like its piccolo latte, trendy coffee shop Boston Lane has a picture-perfect location in the sun-dappled, greenery bedecked Al Quoz courtyard. The toasties and melts are quite rightly raved about but they do a mean line in the sweet things too. This is particularly true when it comes to the breakfast menu, which boasts both maple-syrup drizzled, coconut chip-topped American-style pancakes sitting in a pool of peanut butter cream and French toast with berries, honeycomb butter and ice cream. (Anywhere that serves ice cream for brekkie is okay by us.)
Daily 8am-7pm, The Courtyard, Al Quoz, bostonlane.ae, [email protected], (054 449 2131).
Brunch & Cake
Born in Barcelona, Dubai’s four Brunch & Cake cafés not only look great – light and airy, accents of cream and beige, plenty of greenery and stylish oversize ornaments – but every single sweet treat on the menu is as gorgeous to look at too. From syrup-drenched, rose-infused baklava cheesecake to cinnamon buns gleaming with caramel sauce, pastel pink, sprinkle topped cereal milk cake and note-worthy stuffed croissants, these babies also taste as good as they look. Enjoy.
Mon-Fri 8.30am-10.30pm, Wasl 51, Al Wasl Rd, Jumeirah and Mon-Fri 9am-11pm, The Pointe, Palm Jumeirah, brunchandcake.ae, [email protected] (800 4726362).
Ladurée – Dubai Mall
Known for its macarons, Ladurée has a spot right in the heart of Dubai Mall’s Fashion Avenue. Popular with tourists and residents alike, slices of cake start from just Dhs19 – go on have two. Or choose from millefeuille, tarts, chocolate éclairs, and many more. It wouldn’t be a trip to Ladurée without its star signature, a melt in the mouth macaron – the Ispahan with rose petal, fresh raspberries and lychees is a winner. The chain has a host of other locations too, just check their website to browse the nearest one to you.
Daily 10am-1am, Fashion Avenue Ground Level, The Dubai Mall. Laduree.ae, [email protected] (04 321 3929).
L’Eto – City Walk
Fancy a pretty pastry with your coffee, or a slice of cheesecake? L’Eto has its very own brand of roasted coffee – you can also pick-up a packet to take home – combined with a wide assortment of sweets to choose from, making it a special spot in City Walk. They even do gluten-free options such as chocolate fudge cake and walnut, dates and caramel pavlova.
Sun-Wed 9am-11pm, Thu-Sat 9am-12am. City Walk, Al Safa. lettocaffe.ae (04 345 2209).
Nightjar
Guaranteed to be packed full of the coolest guys and gals in Dubai, Nightjar is a mainstay for those who love coffee. There’s an on-site roastery and all the beans are sourced sustainably. Fancy a flat-white? Craving a cortado? Or if you’re feeling adventurous, tap up a nitro coffee for a frothy, aroma-filled sensation. You can even get a coffee and dessert combined, with the vanilla gorilla (cold brew coffee and vanilla ice cream), hokey pokey (pecan praline cold brew, vanilla ice cream and caramel), or the cherry bomb (cherry cold brew and dark chocolate ice cream). Cakes change daily and are available at the counter, along with Nightjar classics like lemon meringue muffins, dark chocolate brownies and custard pies.
Daily 10am-9pm, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz. Nightjar.coffee, [email protected] (050 365 1120).
Oh Sugar Cafe
A newbie to Dubai’s ever-growing list of Instagrammable cafés, Oh Sugar Café brings feminine pastel and beige interiors, plush suede chairs and a designated selfie mirror to Cluster X. The coffee is good, the truffles and tray bakes are great and the intricately decorated (and customisable) sugar cookies almost veer into ‘too pretty to eat territory’. Planning a baby shower, girlie get together or sophisticated sweet-treat focused celebration? Look no further.
Daily 9am-7pm, Cluster X, JLT, @ohsugarcafedubai (052 136 0218).
Paus – Umm Suqeim
As the name might suggest, this quaint café in Umm Suqeim is a place to relax and unwind. The central theme of the menu is described as ‘pleasurable nourishment’, so you can enjoy a healthy slice of carrot cake along with your favourite caffeine hit. What sets this place apart is its community vibe, with exercise classes and healing treatments taking place upstairs, along with a co-working space hub for those ‘work from anywhere’ days.
Sun-Thu 7am-1pm, Fri-Sat 8am-10pm, Villa 1202, Al Reef Villas, Al Wasl Road, Umm Suqeim 2. pausdxb.com, [email protected] (04 266 5329).
Raffles Patisserie – Raffles the Palm
Potter over to the Palm for a posh afternoon of decadence. Raffles the Palm Dubai serves up a selection of French and Italian delicacies, brought together under the creative inspiration of chef Gianluca Guinzoni, who has honed his craft working across establishments in Italy, Switzerland, UK, China, and here in the UAE. Expect classic top-notch pastries and confectionary.
Daily 10am-8pm, Raffle the Palm Dubai, Palm Jumeirah. raffles.com/thepalm-dubai (04 248 8888).
RX Coffee Apothecary – Jumeirah
Painstakingly sourced, expertly poured coffee is what this place is known for and with good reason – the speciality brews are best-in-class. The desserts found in the ‘Soul’ section of the menu shouldn’t be skipped over though, not least because of the light and fluffy, fabulously creamy Parklane cheesecake, Ultimate Cookie Therapy option (yes, please) and slices of peanut butter and chocolate slab cake.
Sun-Thu 8am-11pm, Fri-Sat 9am-12am, Al Athar St, Jumeirah 3, rxcoffee.ae, [email protected] (04 348 1567). Various other locations.
Stomping Grounds
With its industrial-chic vibe, buzzing atmosphere, seriously good craft coffee and standout breakfasts (this place previously took home Time Out Dubai’s Best Breakfast award, after all), there’s a whole lot to like about Stomping Grounds. Add some throw-the-diet-out-the-window sweet offerings into the mix in the form of French toast finished with fairy floss, doughnut ice cream sandwiches and warm banana-toffee pudding and things just get better.
Sat-Wed 7.30am-11pm, Thu-Fri 7.30am-12am, Jumeirah 1, stompinggrounds.ae (04 344 4451).
The Hamptons Café – Jumeirah Islands
Overlooking the lakes and waterfalls of Jumeirah Islands, The Hamptons Café brings a slice of Eastern seaboard charm to Dubai. Fortunately for us, that’s not the only slice they have – think baked raspberry cheesecake, hazelnut praline tort and caramel pecan tart. Plus, they have authentic French macarons and homemade truffles for a sweet treat. Of course, there’s a much larger menu of savoury dishes and snacks if you want to make more of a meal of it. Once you’ve tried the Jumeirah Islands branch, there are also sister cafés in Arabian Ranches and Jumeirah Road.
Sat-Wed 8am-11pm, Thu-Fri 8am-1am, Jumeirah Islands. Hamptonsdubai.com, [email protected] (04 564 5770).
The Lime Tree Café – The Springs Souk
If you’ve never tried Lime Tree’s carrot cake, where have you been? Seriously, this homely neighbourhood treasure, now in seven locations in Dubai, has sold more than 20,000 slices of its fluffy, frosted carrot cake this year. There are several reasons why the growing chain has become so popular – really tasty dishes, freshly baked cakes and a cracking brew are a great starting point. At The Springs Souk, the décor is like an urban jungle, with mosaic concrete and low-slung lights, matched with tropical plants and a green vertical garden. It’s a versatile space that feels as at home for a cool business meeting as it does for a lengthy catch-up with friends. Pop in for a rotating menu of cakes in glass stands, along with a cup of the good stuff. But start with the carrot cake, please.
Daily 8am-10pm. The Springs Souk. Thelimetreecafe.com, [email protected] (04 325 6325).
Two At Symphony
This Emirati-born cafe stands beside fashion store Symphony, to offer a stylish experience. The idea behind the venue is inspired by sisters Mouza and Salama Alabbar, with an elegant décor and comfortable seating. The design is definitely one for the girls, while the cuisine echoes flavours and ingredients of authentic Arabian cooking. For a unique take on coffee and cake, try the gers ogaily cake which is a spiced crumble teacake with karak sauce, while the coffees are just as intriguing such as date-spiced and gingerbread lattes. It’s a sweet place for a girly get-together.
Sun-Wed 10am-11pm, Thu-Sat 10am-12pm, Fashion Avenue Level One, The Dubai Mall. Bysymphony.com, [email protected] (04 874 8672).
% Arabica – The Dubai Mall
Whether you’re shopping for the latest technology at the Apple store next door, or just casually perusing world-famous The Dubai Fountain, % Arabica is an ideal stop for coffee lovers. With a range of single origin beans and fashionable drip-based chemex brews, it’s a different kind of experience to your dash-in, dash-out joints. Check out the iced honey latte for a sweet, smooth flavour. There are also exotic coffee beans to purchase, even the names are exciting (I’m looking at you, Ethiopia Guji Wolichu Wachu). Soak it all up with a slice of pistachio cake. Plus if you like The Dubai Mall version, there are other venues across the city including Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Centre, City Walk and – there’s a fountain theme here – The Pointe, where you can check out The Palm Fountain.
Sun-Thu 7am-midnight, Fri-Sat 7am-1am, Fashion Avenue Level One, The Dubai Mall. Arabicacoffee.ae (04 3300 3223). Various other locations.
