Dubai has two coffee cultures: Arabic qahwa, poured free as a welcome, and specialty cafes in Al Quoz, where roasters such as RAW Coffee Company and Nightjar at Alserkal Avenue serve espresso and filter. Karak tea costs about AED 1-3 at a cafeteria counter. This guide explains the difference, names the Al Quoz and Alserkal places we checked with their hours, and shows how to fit both traditions into one day.
By SB Excursions · Published 3 November 2026 · Updated 3 November 2026
Tour on this route: Old Dubai Walking Tour — From $35 per person, 3-4 hours.
How much does coffee cost in Dubai?
Karak tea costs about AED 1-3 at a cafeteria counter, and Arabic coffee is free as a welcome in a host's majlis. Specialty cafes price each cup themselves, and we did not verify a figure. RAW Coffee Company's web shop lists blends of beans from AED 60.
This guide also answers:
- Where can I find specialty coffee in Dubai?
- How do I get to Alserkal Avenue?
- Is Arabic coffee served on your tours?
Four places for a coffee in Dubai
#1
Qahwa in the Al Fahidi lanes
Arabic coffee, called qahwa or gahwa, is pale, thin and scented with cardamom, and it comes in tiny handleless cups with dates. The restored houses of Al Fahidi are the easiest place to be served it in a proper setting, and the Coffee Museum nearby shows the pots and cups behind the ritual.
#2
Nightjar Coffee Roasters, Alserkal Avenue
Visit Dubai describes Nightjar as a haven for coffee lovers at Alserkal Avenue and gives it a mid-range to upper price band (two to three dollar signs). We could not confirm its own opening hours or menu, and Alserkal says each business sets its own hours, so check before you go. Lila Molino + Cafe is another cafe on the same Avenue.
#3
RAW Coffee Company, Al Quoz
RAW says it roasts specialty coffee in its Al Quoz warehouse and sells single origins, blends, brewing equipment and training courses. Its cafe opens daily from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm, but the site does not give the cafe's address, so check it on a map. The web shop lists blends from AED 60; check the bag size on the product page.
#4
Karak at a cafeteria counter
Karak is strong black tea simmered with milk, sugar and cardamom, and it is the cup most residents actually drink. Our karak guide puts it at about AED 1-3 at a cafeteria counter, with the price on the board. It is not coffee, but it is the cheapest way to take a hot drink the way the city does.
Specialty coffee in Dubai: the short answer
Dubai has two coffee cultures, and you can try both in a day: Arabic qahwa, which is poured free as a welcome, and specialty coffee in Al Quoz, where roasters and cafes at Alserkal Avenue and in warehouses serve espresso and filter. Karak, the milk tea of the cafeterias, costs about AED 1-3, or roughly $0.30-0.80. A cup at a specialty cafe is priced by the cafe, and we did not verify a figure, so check the menu.
Qahwa is lightly roasted, cardamom-scented and served in small cups, and it is a gesture of hospitality, not a menu item. Specialty cafes follow the international style: single-origin beans, espresso drinks, filter coffee and milk alternatives. Our guide to karak and Arabic coffee explains the traditional cups in detail. This page adds the Al Quoz side.
Qahwa, karak and specialty coffee compared
The three cups are different drinks with different prices. Use the table to choose.
| Cup | What it is | Where | What you pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic coffee (qahwa) | Pale, thin coffee with cardamom, served with dates | Heritage cafes, majlis, hotel lobbies, our tours | Free as a welcome; a cafe charges for it |
| Karak chai | Strong tea simmered with milk, sugar and cardamom | Cafeterias in Old Dubai, Karama and Satwa | About AED 1-3 at a cafeteria counter |
| Specialty coffee | Espresso, filter and milk drinks from single-origin or blended beans | Roasters and cafes in Al Quoz and Alserkal Avenue | Set by each cafe; check the menu board |
Qahwa and karak figures come from our karak guide. We did not verify a price per cup for specialty cafes, so check the menu.
For everyday prices of coffee, water, taxis and meals in one place, see prices in Dubai.
Alserkal Avenue: coffee between galleries
Alserkal Avenue is a creative district in the Al Quoz industrial area, with galleries, an arts foundation and food and drink businesses. Its website gives general hours of 10 am to 7 pm every day, and notes that individual businesses have their own hours. It lists three entrances: 17th Street, 6A Street and First Al Khail Street in Al Quoz 1. Nightjar Coffee Roasters and Lila Molino + Cafe are two of the cafes on it. Our Alserkal Avenue guide covers the galleries and what is on.
To get there, Alserkal's website says the closest Metro station is Onpassive, previously called Al Safa. From there it lists a taxi ride of about 5 minutes, a 10-minute ride on bus 110, which runs every 12 minutes from Al Safa Bus Terminus next to the station, or a 30-minute walk. If you drive, Alserkal says parking inside the Avenue is limited and that more than 500 paid RTA spaces are nearby. A taxi app is the simplest way to cover the last leg.
Al Quoz roasters: RAW Coffee Company
Al Quoz is an industrial area where specialty roasters work. RAW Coffee Company says on its website that it roasts specialty coffee at its warehouse in Al Quoz. The roastery and office are open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm, and its cafe is open daily from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm. The site does not give the cafe's address, so check it on a map before you go.
RAW sells single-origin coffees and blends, a non-dairy milk, brewing equipment and subscriptions, and it runs training courses including an SCA overview. Its web shop lists a blend at AED 60 and a Brazilian single origin at AED 78, and the pages we read did not show the bag size, so check it before you compare prices. Free delivery in Dubai applies to orders over AED 300, and same-day delivery applies to orders placed before 11 am, except on Saturdays and Sundays. Prices and offers may change.
Where to taste qahwa properly
Qahwa belongs to a host, not a menu. The easiest places to be served it are the heritage cafes of Al Fahidi, where our Al Fahidi guide has a walking route; the Coffee Museum, which shows the pots and cups behind the ritual; and the cultural meals at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre, which serve Arabic coffee and dates with a host, as described in our SMCCU guide.
Our tours include it too. The Old Dubai walking tour, from $35, includes Arabic coffee or tea and dates. The full-day desert safari, from $45, includes tea and Arabic coffee at the camp. These are the traditional cups served by hosts, not specialty coffee, and they are included in the tour price.
A day with both traditions
Start in Old Dubai: breakfast in Al Fahidi (see our Arabic breakfast guide), a cup of qahwa with dates, and a karak at a counter. Then take a taxi or the Metro plus a taxi to Al Quoz for the afternoon. Alserkal Avenue closes at 7 pm, so arrive with enough daylight to walk between the warehouses; some of the walking is outdoors, and in summer the heat is strong.
Al Quoz is not near the Old Dubai sights, and the ride across the city takes time, so treat it as a half-day plan, not a quick stop. If you only have a short trip, do the Old Dubai side first, because qahwa and karak are the cups you cannot find at home.
Buying beans, cardamom and gifts
For specialty beans, buy from a roaster such as RAW, check the roast date and ask whether they will grind for your brewer. For the Gulf flavour, ground qahwa with cardamom is sold in the Spice Souk and in supermarkets; our Spice Souk guide says what to pay, and dates are the usual gift to go with it. In Ramadan, many cafes close or serve discreetly by day; see Ramadan in Dubai for tourists.
FAQ
How much does coffee cost in Dubai?
Karak tea costs about AED 1-3 at a cafeteria counter, and Arabic coffee is free as a welcome in a host's majlis. Specialty cafes price each cup themselves, and we did not verify a figure. RAW Coffee Company's web shop lists blends of beans from AED 60.
What is the difference between Arabic coffee and specialty coffee?
Arabic coffee, qahwa, is lightly roasted, scented with cardamom and served pale in small cups with dates. Specialty coffee uses carefully roasted single-origin or blended beans for espresso, filter and milk drinks. They are different traditions, and Dubai has both.
Where can I find specialty coffee in Dubai?
In Al Quoz. Nightjar Coffee Roasters and Lila Molino + Cafe are at Alserkal Avenue, which is open daily from 10 am to 7 pm, and RAW Coffee Company roasts in an Al Quoz warehouse with a cafe open daily from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm. Check each business's own hours.
How do I get to Alserkal Avenue?
The closest Metro station is Onpassive, previously Al Safa. From there Alserkal lists about 5 minutes by taxi, 10 minutes by bus 110, which runs every 12 minutes, or a 30-minute walk. More than 500 paid RTA parking spaces are nearby.
Is Arabic coffee served on your tours?
Yes. The Old Dubai walking tour, from $35, includes Arabic coffee or tea and dates. The full-day desert safari, from $45, includes tea and Arabic coffee at the camp. These are traditional cups, not specialty coffee.
Can I buy coffee beans in Dubai to take home?
Yes. RAW Coffee Company sells single origins and blends from its Al Quoz roastery and web shop, with free delivery in Dubai on orders over AED 300. Ground qahwa with cardamom is sold in the Spice Souk and supermarkets.
Is coffee served during Ramadan?
Many cafes close or serve discreetly in the daytime during Ramadan, and the busiest hour is after sunset. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February, subject to the moon sighting.
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Photos: Brass dallah coffee pots, small cups, a roasting pan and a wooden tray on a red carpet in the Coffee Museum's majlis room — Clemens Schmillen, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).