We love cafés. Especially pretty cafés. Not a flippant sort of love like you might have for a distant relative or a long-forgotten song. But actual love. The cosiness of the décor, the relaxed ambience, the casual setting and great vibes.
Then there are the cakes. A visit to a café usually means a slice of cake is in the offing. And who doesn’t love cake? Not just cake, though. Teas, coffees, finger sandwiches, breakfasts, desserts – there is a lot to love about cafés which is why we’ve been on the hunt for the best new cafés in Abu Dhabi.
Ready for a coffee break? Check out the best new cafés in Abu Dhabi to try now.
Alkalime
You just know that a wellness café with a focus on healthy minds on bodies next to Soul Beach is going to score well on the serenity factor, and that’s why it’s one of the best cafés in Abu Dhabi. The menu is divided into sections such as Sinless Desserts, Happy Meals, Blooming Bowls and All Wrapped Up in Goodness and tends to be of the healthy and feel-good food variety. As well as the holistic café there are low-key workspaces and a retail corner flogging organic and handmade cosmetics and snacks.
Click here for best healthy restaurants in Abu Dhabi.
Mon-Fri, 8am-10pm; Sat-Sun, 9am-10pm. Jacques Chirac Street, Soul Beach, Saadiyat Island, wearealkalime.com (054 449 1547).
Caliber
It might seem a strange combination – a specialty coffee shop combined with a premium watch showroom, but never let it be said that we doesn’t have time for good coffee. Timepieces and precision-made coffee are both taken seriously here. Coffee-lovers will appreciate the variety of blend, bean and different types of cup available and the curated cake selection to serve alongside.Click here for the best coffee shops in Abu Dhabi.
Daily, 7.30am-11.30pm. 58 Alquffal Street, Marsa Al Bateen Marina, instagram.com/caliber (02 666 6301).
Coffee Architecture
Consider this a warning: they take coffee very seriously at this Saadiyat Island café. Launched and owned by true coffee-lovers it has a stated mission of catering to fans of the drink and converting everybody else into admirers as well. There are items on the menu we don’t even understand, but thankfully there are baristas and even tasting note cards to explain the different flavours, aromas and notes of each different drink. Consider it your coffee university.
Click here for more things to do on Saadiyat Island.
Sat-Wed, 8am-10pm; Thu-Fri, 8am-midnight. Turqoise Building no. 9, Soul Beach, Saadiyat Island, thecoffeearchitecture.com.
Drop
As freshly brewed as can be, this extension of a Dubai-based brand only, er, dropped in March of 2022 and is already making headlines in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Bay waterfront. Food is offered by Time Out award-winning Reif Othman (arguably the hardest working and most high-profile chef in the UAE right now). Needless to say, the Yas Bay setting is stunning and this is a well-designed homegrown brand worthy of attention.
Click here for more restaurants to visit in Yas Bay.
Mon-Fri, 8-2am; Sat-Sun, 8am-11pm. Yas Bay Waterfront, Yas Island, instagram.com/wearedropcoffee.
Ethr
So stylish and, er, ethereal that you might not want to mess up the carefully curated design and layout with an out of place spoon or coffee cup. It is located in premier heritage attraction Qasr Al Hosn and brings Arabian hospitality a touch of interior design magazine chic. Natural lighting, minimalist interiors and a few well-placed plants are all that it needs to be a memorable and laid-back coffee spot.
Click here for more places to visit near the Qasr Al Hosn.
Daily, 4-11pm. Ethr, Qasr Al Hosn, ethr.ae.
Joud Café
The Joud family of cafés gets bigger following the recent opening of a fourth branch at the Forsan Central Mall. That means there are now more places to get locally roasted coffee in the city. It’s another spot for people who know their beans and want to support a UAE brand.
Click here for the top coffee shops in Abu Dhabi.
Daily, 8am-11pm. Forsan Central Mall, Khalifa City, joudcafe.com (050 660 1096).
Local Mamsha
A trendy hair salon and a cool café might not seem like obvious partners, but on the Venn diagram of popular hangouts you will find this Saadiyat joint right in the middle. In fact, the boutique fashion store that also shares the same space makes this an intersection of three different places. All of them cool. Get rare coffees and accessories to take away or stop in for an artisanal drink and fancy cakes. All while looking out over Soul Beach and thinking how cool you would look on an Instagram filter.
Click here for our ultimate guide on Saadiyat Island.
Daily, 8am-11pm. Lilac 6, Mamsha Saadiyat, localco.ae (02 555 3339).
Meow Café
The first time we heard about cat cafés we thought they were a place cats would go to sip milk, read the mewspaper and idly chat after a hard day of sleeping and being petted. Some part of us still wants that to be true. Until those venues open up, however, we’re happy with the real thing – a café where humans can visit to see, pet and be near to cats and kittens. Pay the entry fee, order something from the limited menu and just enjoy being near the resident cats. Purrfect.
Click here for more cat cafés to visit in the UAE.
Open daily, 10am-10pm. Al Muneera, meowcafe.ae (02 681 4088).
Secret Garden
Obviously, there is nothing secret and there isn’t a garden inside this boutique mall, but that doesn’t stop it from being a cutesy hangout with genuinely pretty décor and a welcoming vibe. Faux flowers and greenery hang from the ceilings, gorgeous desserts are piled up and there is an overall feeling of being in a fantasy wonderland. One with plenty of creamy cakes and fruity puddings.
Click here to find more desserts under Dhs30 in Abu Dhabi.
Sun-Thu, 10am-10pm; Fri-Sat 10am-midnight. The Galleria, Al Maryah Island, instagram.com/lovesecretgarden.ae (02 493 7400).
Society Café
There’s no shortage of cool cafés and casual restaurants alongside Abu Dhabi’s Soul Beach. Even among all the competition, however, you would be advised to take a look at this minimalist joint. The menu suggests easy afternoons after a paddle in the Arabian Gulf and comprises small plates like nachos with a guacamole dip or fish tacos with a mango salsa as well as a selection of loaded and imaginative salads. Stumbling off the beach in search of sandwiches will reveal wagyu beef or karaage chicken sliders as well as a pesto grilled cheese on a rosemary sourdough.
Click here to discover new restaurants in Abu Dhabi.
Mon-Fri, 8am-11pm; Sat-Sun 8am-midnight. Mamsha Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island, societyuae.com (02 886 7735).
Looking for more fantastic new things? Click here for the best new restaurants in Abu Dhabi.
