Cafe crawl: The most gorgeous cafes to check out in Al Khawaneej

Al Khawaneej’s cafes call

Cafe culture in the United Arab Emirates is massive, and for sure, you’ve been touched by it in some capacity. We have the classic areas – Jumeirah and Al Wasl, with lanes of beautiful cafes ready to welcome you in, but Al Khawaneej is coming up quick as a hotspot for some stunning locations serving specialty coffee, artisanal dessert and great food. For your consideration, these are our Al Khawaneej cafe crawl picks.

Kneaded

This is the picture of a cosy neighbourhood bakery, splashed out in sunshine-savvy, whimsical orange, serving freshly baked pastries and specialty coffee. It’s a community-centric spot, perfect for those coffee dates, slow mornings and sweet treat runs, and the best part is, it’s homegrown. Support your own, people.

Times: Daily, 6am to 9pm

Offer: Pastries start at Dhs28

Contact: (0) 4 557 1205

@alwayskneaded

Beurre

More than just bread, this serene French-inspired bakery offers a whole host of artisanal desserts, from madeleines to cheesecake and mille feuille, along with the gorgeous flaky croissants rolls, and buns. Looking for aesthetics too? This is the one – slow, quiet, green, with pastels, wood and  gentle sunlight to bask in.

Times: Daily, 8am to 6pm

Offer: Pastries start at Dhs31, boxes at Dhs110

Contact: (0) 55 252 1936

@beurrebakery.ae

Backyard

Slow, green and serene, Backyard is known and loved widely for a great cuppa-joe. A coffee club, it’s expanded rapidly recently, having opened locations in Nadd Al Hamar, DSO, Jumeirah and beyond as well. It’s a very community-centric space, and if coffee is what you’re looking for, this is the place to be.

Times: Monday to Thursday, 6am to 12am, Friday to Sunday, 6am to 1am

Offer: Coffee starts at Dhs24

Contact: (0) 4 297 3227

@bckyrd.ae

Seezn Specialty Coffee

The vibes at Seezn are raw, rugged and earthy – wood panels everywhere, a giant tree smack in the middle of the outlet, woven lamps and chairs, earthern pottery, plants, tile and pebble floors. Like Backyard, the focus here is really great coffee, and a really great menu to go with. Plus, it’ll make the a great backdrop for your ‘gram.

Times: Daily, 9am to 11.30pm

Contact: (0) 4 252 3442

@seezn.ae

Wanderlust

Smooth lines, pools of sunlight and earthern tones – Wanderlust will help you get away from the crowd, slow down and get some quiet time. This spot is not just about great coffee; you get incredible artisanal desserts to pair with for the perfect coffee date/yap session with your girls. Or even if you’re looking for a co-working space.

Times: Daily, 8am to 1am

Contact: (0) 50 873 6703

@wanderlust__uae

The Matcha Tokyo

The Matcha Tokyo has it in the name – this spot is all about the good green stuff, and the best part is that it’s less trend-hopping and more 100% premium, authentic matcha straight from Japan. The brand is committed to preserving the clean, green process of growing and producing matcha and it’s all organic.

Times: Daily

Contact: (0) 4 271 2422

@thematchatokyo.uae

Orto

Coffee lounge, community space and a healthy living home, Orto is housed in an adorable villa-esque structure and offers not only an incredible array of colourful drinks and coffee, but nourishing bowls of healthy food that you can indulge in, and of course, artisanal confectionary because that is essential.

Times: Daily, 6am to 10pm

Contact: (0) 4 265 6787

@ortodubai

Images: Socials