The capital of UAE sits at an interesting crossroads of coffee cultures. Traditional Arabic coffee (gahwa) has been part of local hospitality for centuries – cardamom-spiced and served in tiny cups. Now this tradition lives alongside modern coffee approaches, with Abu Dhabi embracing both its heritage and new coffee trends.
Across Abu Dhabi, specialty cafés are rethinking what coffee can be – weighing, grinding, calibrating, and fine-tuning each cup. The best coffee places in Abu Dhabi now pay attention to these details that would have seemed ridiculous just a few decades back.
Here's where to find a genuinely good cup in the city.
Specialty Coffee Champions
%Arabica
The %Arabica at Al Bateen Marina might be the prettiest place in Abu Dhabi to drink coffee. Glass walls look straight out onto the water and yachts, making even a quick espresso feel a bit special.
They keep things simple here. No crazy syrup concoctions – just coffee done properly. Beans come from their own farms and partners they've worked with for years, so the quality stays consistent.
The flat white is exceptional – the milk is so perfectly textured that the little leaf design stays visible until the last sip. For people who take their coffee black, the pour-overs are worth the extra wait.
The space feels calm – concrete, wood and glass with nothing unnecessary. Baristas know their stuff without being snobby about it.
Slash
One could easily walk past Slash without noticing it was there. This tiny shop near Qasr Al Hosn doesn't bother with fancy decor. They just make seriously good coffee.
The beans change all the time, featuring roasters from places like Ukraine, New Zealand and South Korea. It's like a world tour of coffee without leaving Abu Dhabi.
Coffee-making here is treated like a science experiment by the owner. There's a real obsession with water quality, temperature, and getting the extraction just right. Even their standard filter coffee gets the kind of attention most places only give to their premium hand-brewed options.
The tiny space barely fits ten people, which turns waiting for coffee into an impromptu lesson about beans and brewing. The baristas take pride in what they're making, but they never make customers feel uneasy if they just want something that tastes good.
Bee Café
Bee sits on the ground floor of an apartment building in Al Khalidiyah, started by a local coffee fanatic who turned a hobby into a business. That passion shows in everything they do.
They have a house blend for milk drinks but also single-origin espressos that change regularly. What really sets them apart is how seriously they take alternative brewing methods. The AeroPress, siphon, and cold drip aren't just for show – they're everyday options made by people who know exactly what they're doing.
While most specialty shops talk endlessly about Ethiopian or Colombian beans, Bee makes a point of showcasing coffee from closer to home. Customers will find beans from Yemen, Oman, and Saudi Arabia alongside the usual suspects.
Their date cake with hints of cardamom pairs perfectly with a filter coffee, bringing together local flavours with modern coffee culture.
Middle Eastern Coffee Experiences
Al Mrzab
Al Mrzab in Al Bateen keeps old Arabic coffee traditions going while adding some clever modern touches.
They specialise in gahwa, made in traditional copper pots and served in those small cups without handles. The whole process starts with roasting green beans over flames, often right at the table. They grind the medium-roasted beans with cardamom and sometimes other spices like saffron.
The difference here is they actually care about the coffee itself. This careful sourcing of the beans from Yemen and Ethiopia create a beautiful balance between the coffee's naturalness and the aromatic spices, resulting in a more complex and satisfying cup.
The space honours tradition with authenticity and warmth. Guests can sit on floor cushions majlis-style, and there's a small display explaining coffee's history in Gulf culture for those who are curious.
Café Bateel
Bateel started selling fancy dates before they got into cafés, and that heritage shows in their approach to coffee. Their main café at The Galleria mixes traditional Gulf coffee culture with all the modern touches one would expect.
Their signature date coffee is genuinely interesting. They make traditional Arabic coffee but add a subtle sweetness with date syrup instead of sugar. The result tastes familiar but with complex caramel notes that connect to the region's farming history.
They do excellent regular espresso drinks too, using a blend of Ethiopian, Colombian and Indian beans. It's smooth enough to work well both as straight espresso and in milk drinks.
The date cookies that come with the coffee are worth the visit alone, and the same can be said about the more substantial dishes they serve, like the date-marinated chicken for those staying longer.
Unique Coffee Concepts
Library Café
Library Café in Al Raha isn't your typical bookshop coffee space. They care as much about what's in your cup as what's on their shelves.
The coffee comes from different international roasters that change regularly. The skilled team works with quality machines to get the best from their beans. Customers can get standard lattes and cappuccinos, but they also offer more interesting options like single-origin pour-overs.
The setup is perfect – comfortable chairs between bookshelves create natural reading spots, while bigger tables work for study groups or meetings. Someone clearly thought about the sound levels too – busy enough to have an atmosphere but not so loud that people can't concentrate.
The book selection is smart rather than massive, with well-chosen titles across different genres and languages. They regularly host book events and clubs, creating a community beyond just selling novels.
Sanderson's
Sanderson's at The Mall at World Trade Center takes a completely different approach to coffee. While most places focus on tradition, they're exploring how coffee fits into healthy living without becoming overwhelming or joyless.
Their menu includes coffees with functional additions like collagen, medicinal mushrooms, and adaptogens – ingredients popular in wellness circles for supporting skin, stress and immunity – alongside properly made espresso. It could be mistaken for a marketing ploy, but they understand how these elements work together without ruining the coffee itself.
The beans come from ethical sources with clear supply chains, roasted to bring out natural sweetness without harsh bitterness. They consider alternative milks – their house-made almond and oat milks are designed specifically to work with coffee rather than just being milk substitutes.
Their avocado toast with zaatar seeds has become well-known locally, and unlike many trendy dishes, it's as good as people say.
Abu Dhabi's Coffee Scene
After spending time in Abu Dhabi's coffee shops, it becomes clear how this simple drink brings people together – connecting old traditions with new trends, global influences with local tastes, and most importantly, creating spaces where people can talk to each other. In a fast-changing city where so much feels temporary, these coffee moments offer a chance to slow down, connect, and enjoy something made with genuine care.
