To celebrate International Coffee Day on October 1, a number of cafes and restaurants in Dubai are offering deals and discounts on all things caffeine to connoisseurs. From freebies and raffles, to a Willy Wonka-style treasure hunt involving a golden bean, here are a few places to seek out your fix this Saturday.
Carrefour Bio
The first 200 customers to enter Carrefour Bio in City Centre Me’aisem on International Coffee Day can savour a complimentary cup of organic coffee, whether or not they make a purchase in-store. Choose from heirloom varieties and delicious blends from Ethiopia — all graded “excellent” by the Specialty Coffee Association — spanning floral, fruity, woody and sweet notes, and served with an option of five plant-based milks.
Carrefour’s first Bio store, which opened in March, has a hydroponic farm and refilling station onsite, and offers a range of healthy and organic food and drink options, beauty and home products.
8am-midnight; City Centre Me’aisem
Sultan’s Lounge
Gold-encrusted food and drink are almost par for the course in the UAE, with a number of restaurants offering edible iterations of the precious metal. If you’re in the mood to indulge your palate, head over to the luxe Ottoman-inspired Sultan’s Lounge, which is offering patrons a complimentary upgrade from a regular (Dh38) to gold cappuccino (usually priced at Dh50), paired with Turkish delight.
8am-2pm; Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm Jumeirah; 04 453 0444
Kaffe Bloom
The in-house cafe at Asian specialty store 1004 Gourmet will offer 50 per cent discount on its entire coffee menu, which includes Vietnamese coffee, peanut butter oat latte and affogato (espresso with gelato). The venue serves specialty brands Fritz Coffee and The Barn Coffee Roasters, and will also offer a limited-time coffee jelly float on October 1.
9am-10pm; Onyx Tower, The Greens; 04 399 1705
Bounty Beets
Given its ethos for sustainability, Bounty Beets will offer a free cup of fresh coffee to anyone who swings by with a reusable cup at any time of day. Head here between 10.30am and noon for complimentary Coffee Nitro or buy breakfast at either of its two branches between 8am and noon for free unlimited coffee.
8am-10pm; Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina and Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre; www.bountybeets.com
Intellect Coffee x Mondoux
While you can avail yourself of a complimentary coffee upon the purchase of a dessert between 3pm and 6pm at Mondoux’s Dubai Creek Harbour and JBR outposts, why not sign up for a free masterclass instead? The workshop, led by Peruvian Rosario Laulate, Intellect’s head barista, will discuss the basics of brewing at home, showcasing various preparation methods and equipment options. Participants can also learn about the fundamentals of beans and speciality coffee, sample the brews being made and take home a bag of Intellect’s premium beans.
10am-11am, Mondoux, Dubai Creek Harbour; 050 118 9401
Around The Block
The Emirati-owned cafe is hosting a treasure hunt at its wasl 51 outpost for International Coffee Day. Guests who find the golden coffee bean hidden within the venue can win free coffee for a whole year. Around The Block is known for its speciality coffee: Aeropress espressos and iced Chemex to Kalita brews.
Visitors can also sign up for a raffle to win a masterclass that will teach barista-standard methods of brewing.
7am-midnight; Al Wasl Road; 04 342 8000
Tania’s Teahouse
The chic and charming cafe may be best known for its curated tea menu, but there is also plenty of choice for coffee drinkers — from cinnamon and pumpkin spice lattes to iced vanilla frappes. The cafe is celebrating World Coffee Day with a buy-one, get-one free offer on all its coffees until Wednesday. Conscientious connoisseurs will also be glad to learn the beans are ethically sourced and exclusively harvested by women in Rwanda.
8am-6pm; Jumeirah Beach Road; www.taniasteahouse.com
Hampstead Bakery and Cafe
Free coffee with Burj Khalifa views are on the menu at this West London-inspired eatery. Choose from the full range of hot and cold serves, with no other purchase necessary. Options include classic cappuccino, caramel lattes and iced mocha.
9am-10:30pm; Downtown Dubai; www.thehampsteadbakery.com
Jones the Grocer
Buy one, get as many others free. That's the deal at Jones the Grocer's DIFC outpost this year. Guests who buy any regular-sized cup can avail themselves of unlimited complimentary refills, with options such as Spanish latte, macchiato and piccolo on the menu.
8am-10pm; Level 2, Gate Building 5, DIFC; jonesthegrocer.com
One Life Kitchen & Cafe
A rare spot that roasts its coffee on-site, One Life is known for its artisanal brews and high-grade beans. On International Coffee Day, both its outposts will offer a complimentary cup to all patrons who order breakfast (with dishes from Bircher oats to pulled beef Benedict). The team will even throw in any non-dairy milks for free.
8am-9pm (Dubai Design District branch); 8am-10pm (Hive JVC branch); onelifedxb.com
Revo Cafe
The cosy cafe with waterfront views will offer everyone a complimentary hot coffee and mini muffin or cookie on Saturday. The cappuccino comes highly recommended, and it can be paired with freshly baked buttery croissants or a healthy salad bowl — but all guests who visit Revo can indulge in only the free coffee-cookie combo, too.
Noon-10pm; Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort, Palm Jumeirah; 04 567 8304
The Climbing Goat
The roastery and cafe located within Depachika food hall has a short but scrumptious menu, comprising cheesecakes (of the Japanese and Turkish delight iterations), milk cakes, all manner of croissants and a sinful blueberry and almond muffin. The first 100 guests to pick up any of these, or a cup of coffee on October 1, and take home a free Climbing Goat-branded drip bag to brew their own specialty cup when the mood strikes.
10am-midnight; Nakheel Mall, Palm Jumeirah; www.depachika.ae
M&S
Early birds get the Fairtrade-certified coffee at all M&S outposts across Dubai this International Coffee Day. The store will offer free cups of coffee on a first-come, first-serve basis to the first 50 shoppers in Dubai Festival City Mall and the first 25 shoppers at Ibn Battuta, The Dubai Mall, Springs Souq, and Dubai Hills.
Various store timings; www.marksandspencer.com
Scroll through the gallery below to check out some of the UAE’s finest coffees
