Café
Arabian Tea House
A courtyard café in the Al Fahidi heritage quarter serving Emirati breakfasts, karak tea and traditional sweets under a large central tree.
The Espresso Lab
A Dubai-founded speciality coffee company whose d3 flagship serves rare single-origin coffees, backed by a string of UAE barista and brewing championship titles.
At a glance
- Type
- Speciality coffee bar and roaster
- Area
- Dubai Design District, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Price
- $$ · Mid-range
- Official site
- theespressolab.com
Good to know
- Single-origin coffees
- Retail beans and equipment
- Own roastery
Why we recommend it
The Espresso Lab is one of the most decorated speciality coffee companies in the UAE, and its flagship café is on the ground floor of Building 7 in Dubai Design District. Its baristas have won the UAE National Barista Championship four times, in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2025, and the UAE National Brewers Cup five times, most recently in 2026, the same year the company won the national roasting championship. Those titles give a sense of how seriously it takes every stage of the process, from sourcing to the cup.
The company roasts its own coffee at a warehouse roastery in Al Quoz and focuses on high-quality single origins, often from small farms and specific lots. The range has included coffees from Panama, including Geisha lots, Ethiopia, Colombia and Brazil, alongside house espresso blends. At the d3 café you can order espresso drinks, or ask the baristas to brew a single origin as a pour-over to taste the differences between farms and processes. The staff are knowledgeable and happy to explain what you are drinking without being preachy.
The café is a calm place to sit with a coffee and work or talk. It attracts coffee professionals, designers from the surrounding studios and enthusiasts who come specifically for the rarer lots. Beans, capsules, drip bags and brewing equipment are sold to take home, including the Meraki espresso machine and the award-winning Jasmine Cup, which makes it a useful stop for gifts.
Opening hours are not published on the company's website, so check its social channels or call before making a special trip. Mornings and early afternoons on weekdays are usually the calmest times. Prices for the standard menu are in line with other speciality cafés, while rare single origins cost more. A second café operates in Nad Al Sheba.
It suits anyone who cares about coffee, from the curious to the obsessive. Dubai Design District sits beside Dubai Creek, just across the water from Business Bay and a short drive from Downtown Dubai; a taxi is the simplest way to get there, and there is parking in the district. Bageri Form's Scandinavian bakery is nearby in Building 4 for something to eat alongside your coffee.
The Espresso Lab FAQs
Where is the flagship café?
On the ground floor of Building 7 in Dubai Design District (d3).
What awards has it won?
UAE National Barista Championship titles in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2025, five UAE Brewers Cup titles and the 2026 UAE roasting championship.
Does it roast its own coffee?
Yes, at its roastery in Al Quoz Logistics Park.
What coffees are served?
Single origins from countries such as Panama, Ethiopia, Colombia and Brazil, plus espresso blends.
Can I buy beans and equipment?
Yes, beans, capsules, drip bags and brewing equipment are sold.
What are the opening hours?
They are not published on the website, so check its social channels or call before visiting.
Is there another branch?
Yes, in Nad Al Sheba.
What is nearby?
Bageri Form bakery and the d3 waterfront.