One Life Cafe & Kitchen

d3 Dubai Design District

Decor inspired by nature featuring a large faux grass wall-piece that reads 'life', wooden tables and rustic iron chairs, One Life Cafe is a pleasant lively space and a caffeine heaven serving the perfect brews. If you are spending a long time at the cafe and need another round, try the cold-pressed juices from their refrigerator distributed by my favorite Wild and the Moon. They also stock and serve vegan, gluten-free and even sugar-free items. What else could you ask for? Hmm.. maybe an outdoor seating for the lovely Dubai winters? Oh yes, they've got that too.

d3 is full of great options for a cup of coffee, or two. In fact, not just One Life but even the Craft Cafe and CC Cafe serves great vegan coffee. 

Dairy-free options: Almond (extra AED 4) and soy milk

What I like: Pleasant interiors that seem eco-friendly, great selection of vegan coffee and cold-pressed juices and options for quick vegan bites!

Totally Instagram Worthy: Earthy inspired and a combination of natural lights will get you kick-ass Instagram shots of your coffee and meals

Timing: 8am-6pm

Address: Building 5 d3 Dubai Design District, Ras Al Khor Road, Dubai. Tel. 045134727.

I'd also recommend the Craft Cafe at the Dubai Design District, great coffee and lovely place. The staff is quite friendly and attentive too.

The Hamptons Cafe
Jumeirah Beach Road



This plush boutique café, inspired by the peninsula getaway in New York State where the rich and the famous spend their summers, is always washed with daylight, thanks to it's large windows and the glass clad rooftop with open windows and lots of greenery. The place is fancy with iPad menus and well-dressed prompt staff yet has a cozy feel since it resides in a three-floored villa and looks more like a stylish American holiday home than a cafe. Menu-wise, the almond milk cappuccino is excellent and is served in style {you will definitely get Instagram worthy clicks}.

Dairy-free options: Soy and Almond Milk (extra)

What I like: Great ambiance and amazing views of both Burj Al Arab on one side and Burj Khalifa on the other from their roof top floor.

Totally Instagram Worthy: A picture speaks a thousand words and if my coffee shot isn't loud enough let me put it this way "every inch of this place deserves an Instagram shot".

Timings: 8am-11pm

Address: Behind Kite Beach, Jumeirah Road, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai. Tel. 043315118


Spill The Bean 
Sustainable City


This specialty coffee shop with bright and soothing blue interiors is undoubtedly one of the best cafes in town for a delicious brew and healthy bites. It's the perfect place to grab your cup of vegan coffee and engage in meaningful conversations with healthy vegan bites. If you feel peckish you'll be in luck, as the place offers over 12 healthy and delicious vegan options right from raspberry tart to avocado pudding.

P.S. If you like a strong coffee, make sure to try their Turkish coffee, my friends always love it.

Dairy-free options: Soy and Almond Milk (extra)

What I like: 100% organic and fair trade coffee in Dubai. They also have healthy vegan bites.
Timings: 8am-10pm

Address: Sustainable city, Block B, Shop 7, Dubai



Spill The Bean's Sunset Mall branch was also quite good, however it is temporarily closed at the moment.


Friend's Avenue Cafe
JLT




Dairy-free options: Soy and Almond Milk (extra)

What I like: Industrial urban interiors with brick walls, green plants, vintage bicycle as art piece on the wall and polished concrete give this cafe a very New Yorkish feel. The vibe is lively but not loud and while the staff do not understand the specifics of a vegan diet, they'll fix what you need. With almond and soy milk options, you can get pretty much every coffee type to satiate your coffee need. The frappe is our favorite and it's a savior during summer!

The one thing I dislike about this place is that they charge a lot for soy or almond milk 0 for an AED18 cold latte they take AED4.5 that's 25% extra for dairy-free option.

Timings: 8am-10pm

Address: Ground Floor, Fortune Executive Tower, Cluster T, JLT - Dubai. Tel. 045545813

The Aubaine
Citywalk II & The Dubai Mall



Not technically a cafe, this French restaurant has become one of my favorites when it comes to coffee. The combination of sophisticated French decor, its location at Citywalk and the perfect brew instantly makes Aubaine one of the best places in Dubai for a cup of coffee and a chat. Perfect place to catch up with your girlfriends.

Here the coffee is strong (I always need extra milk on the side), smooth and rich with a velvety body and is always served in style. One of the few places that reminds me of my London days of coffee (there is no dearth of finding the perfect quality brew). However, the service of this place needs to improve, the staff is always too slow. Only visit the place when you are at leisure!

Dairy-free options: Soy milk

What I like: Chic and sophisticated French interiors with framed grey walls and faux lavender planted on the wall.

Totally Instagram Worthy: Right combination of good lights, wooden table, chic French interiors makes Aubaine absolutely Instagram worthy! Did I miss their expert latte art skills?

Timing: 10am-11pm

Address: 2nd Phase of Citywalk, Al Safa Street. Tel. 045108391 and at the Dubai Mall

Zoga Dubai

Downtown Dubai

The Yoga center that doubles up as a quaint healthy cafe is another great place to get your coffee fix. From classic cappuccino to matcha tea, good 'ol latte to golden milk latte Zoga offers a wide variety ranging from the classics to exotic. The cafe offers an outdoor seating, which makes sense only during sunny winters. There's barely any place to sit-in, can fit in maximum 2 people in a small high stool seating area they provide inside. But great place for a good vegan coffee. They also have an extensive smoothie and juice menu plus options for quick vegan bites.

Dairy-free options: Almond, soy and coconut milk options

What I like: 3 dairy-free milk options is a rarity in Dubai plus the cafe offers healthy smoothies and vegan bites including almond milk chia seed pudding.

Timings: 8am-10pm

Address: Southridge Tower 6, Downtown Dubai, Dubai. Tel. 042767657



Tom & Serg
Al Quoz


One of the first cafes to kick-start the specialty coffee culture, Tom & Serg is undoubtedly one of the best places in Dubai for the perfect brew. The Australian duo who started this place created a Melbourn-ish vibe at this place and take their coffee very seriously. They roast their own coffee in small batches at their other popular cafe Sum of Us and supply it to all of their three cafes including Common Grounds in MOE (yes they have expanded to three different outlets, each with it's own unique character, although I prefer Tom & Serg and The Sum of Us better).

The urban industrial decor of this two-floored cafe located in a warehouse in Al Quoz is edgy yet inviting - open kitchen, airy floor-to-ceiling glass front, chalkboard wall and lots of lots of room for everyone. There's also plenty of vegan options on the menu should you decide you can't subsist on coffee alone. (only wish their service was a whole lot better)
Dairy-free options: Almond milk

Totally Instagram Worthy: The art latte skills of their staff makes this place totally Instagram worthy, and how can I miss the perfect lighting that always gets you the perfect square click! 

Timings: 8am-11pm

Address: Al-Joud Center,15A Street,Sheikh Zayed Rd,Al Qouz, Near ACE Hardware and Burjeel Hospital, Dubai. Tel. 0564746812


Cafe Des Artistes
Box Park

Understated opulence, chic French decor, an air of sophistication and impeccable service come together at the recently opened Cafe Des Artistes at Dubai's hottest dining destination - Box Park. Sometimes you don't want just coffee but also a great place to enjoy your brew, have a great conversation and feel pampered. All this is perfectly achievable at this Parisian inspired urban cafe, with a very creative and wide drinks menu, including great coffee options. The choice for vegans, when it comes to food, is very limited but a great coffee and interesting drink options more than make up for it.



Le Pain Quotidien
Dubai Marina Mall, Dubai Mall & JBR


Serving a wide range of organic coffess, the Brussels based coffee chain LPQ is undoubedtly one of the best vegan-friendly chain of restaurants serving healthy organic meals and beverages. One of my most-visited places to satiate my vegan coffee craving. Their Dubai Marina Mall cafe is my favorite with it's excellent views of the Dubai Marina and a great service. The cosy homey feeling at this cafe and their almond milk option makes it a great place to get you out of your depresso (that feeling you get when you need a caffeine kick).

While I've never eaten at LPQ (since it is not a pure veg kitchen), my friends love their food. They have a nice selection of freshly prepared healthy dishes, taking its influences from European cafes.


WILD AND THE MOON
Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz


Nestled inside an expansive warehouse in Dubai's most buzzing area - Alserkal Aveue, Wild and The Moon is a healthy vegan cafe and cold pressed juicery and the only all-vegan place in town (of course after Bestro).

Wild and the Moon isn't on the top of my list when it comes to picking the best place for a coffee in Dubai as I was disappointed with their brew. It was too raw and strong for my taste and it lacked flavor. However, why this place is on this list is because even though the latte or the cappuccino may not be the finest, they have plenty of almond milk based cold-pressed drinks that can easily be a healthier and yummier replacement of a coffee. Matcha latte is my all-time favorites (it's by far the best in town), the Golden Mylk latte is a must-try and if the body is craving caffeine I'd say go with the cold Ethiopian brew with cacao beans, sea salt and vanilla. Good thing is, you can also get healthy food fix from their small selection of pre-cooked salads, health bars and raw desserts that you pick from the refrigerator and pay for at the counter. Everything in the cafe is 100% vegan and organic, gluten-free and while cold they are super delicious and full of flavors.

Dairy-free options: Everything is dairy-free, organic and fair trade and contains no soy or refined sugar. They offer almond milk

What I like: It's all vegan and vibrant happy place with minimal white and wood interiors that's livened up with lots of fresh potted plants that you can find all over the cafe. They also have an upper deck with plants hanging over from the ceiling that gives you a complete view of the cafe from top.

Timings: 8am-7pm

Address: Unit H 77, Al Serkal Avenue, Street 8, Al Quoz, Dubai. Tel. 043433392