Where to sit, sip and slow down in Abu Dhabi.
Coffee shops, bakeries with seats and the places Abu Dhabi lingers in over a cortado.
Joud Coffee runs a cafe at Al Raha Gardens Plaza in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, serving specialty coffee with breakfast, sandwiches and light meals daily.
DrinkSpecialty coffee
TipJoud roasts its beans in small batches at its own facility in Abu Dhabi, and the Gardens Plaza menu runs from breakfast to light meals.
Mysk is a cafe and flower shop near NYU Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with a cabinet of viennoiserie and cardamom buns.
DrinkOat flat white
TipThe treats cabinet holds classic viennoiserie, pains suisse and cardamom buns, and the flower counter shares the room.
DRVN Coffee on Saif Ghubash Street in Abu Dhabi serves in-house roasted coffee and Neapolitan pizza beside a display of rare classic cars every day.
DrinkIn-house roasted espresso
TipDRVN roasts its own beans, and each branch keeps an exhibition of classic cars on view.
Art House Cafe in Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, is furnished with recycled pieces, and guests can paint a plate for AED 20 or a miniature brick for AED 10.
DrinkSpecialty coffee
TipThe shakshuka is What's On's pick of the brunch menu, and mask painting costs AED 30 if you want a longer sit.
Parallel Cafe on Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street in Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, serves specialty coffee, brunch plates and an ice-cream bun from 07:00 every day.
DrinkSpanish cortado
TipThe ice-cream bun, a warm bun stuffed with melting ice cream, is the dish What's On singles out, with a Spanish cortado alongside.
Society serves pan-European comfort food with a focus on breakfast and brunch at Soul Beach on Mamsha Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi, open every day of the week.
DrinkMatcha latte
TipBreakfast runs from sweet to savoury, with pancakes, French toast and acai bowls on one side and eggs benedict and Turkish eggs on the other.
La Petite Coffee at Al Maqta Fort in Sas Al Nakhl, Abu Dhabi, serves espresso, flat whites and Spanish lattes, with doors open from 07:00 every day.
DrinkSpanish latte
TipThe cafe stays open until 01:00 on Friday and Saturday, an hour later than the rest of the week.
Coffee Architecture is an Emirati-owned specialty cafe on Mamsha Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, brewing espresso, V60 and Chemex; its founder has run it since 2018.
DrinkManual iced Chemex
TipFounder Nooran Albannay serves gahwa to anyone who walks in, as a symbol of welcome, and recommends the manual iced Chemex.
No. FiftySeven Boutique Cafe at Al Marasy in Al Bateen Harbour, Abu Dhabi, grew from a supper club into a breakfast, brunch and coffee cafe open daily.
DrinkSpanish latte
TipWhat's On names the hash-brown eggs benedict and the warm vanilla French toast with creme anglaise as the standout breakfasts.
Beverly Cafe in Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi, pairs V60 specialty coffee with plated desserts such as Tulip Cheesecake and Istanbul Tiramisu, open daily from 08:30.
DrinkV60 pour-over
TipFACT lists the Melted Cookie, Strawberry with Chocolate and Coco Mango among the signature desserts, and the V60 uses single-origin beans.
Aptitude Cafe sits in the park at Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island, serving breakfast, salads, sandwiches and mains daily from 09:00 to 22:00.
DrinkSpecialty coffee
TipWhat's On says the cafe hosts Picnic in the Park, workshops, dinner events and themed nights alongside its daily menu.
Space Cafe at Al Qana in Abu Dhabi serves specialty coffee, homemade desserts, breakfast and brunch, open until midnight on weekdays and 01:00 at weekends.
DrinkSpecialty coffee
TipWhat's On describes large slanted windows, palm-leaf plants and woven decorations on lime-washed walls inside this Al Qana cafe.
Things Specialty Coffee and Concept Store in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, is run by Emirati barista Sulaiman Khamis Alalawi, with beans roasted on site.
DrinkPiccolo
TipThe National's reporter orders the piccolo here, and the shop doubles as a boutique with vinyl records and jazz on the speakers.
Blacksmith Coffee Company serves espresso and filter coffee from its in-house roasting at its NYU Abu Dhabi shop on Saadiyat Island, open 07:00 to 22:00.
DrinkFilter coffee
TipThe company began at NYU Abu Dhabi and set up its first roastery at Mina Zayed; its Souq Al Mina shop is the other Abu Dhabi site.
% Arabica Marina Mall is a concept store on the ground floor of Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi, serving coffee and pastries beside % merchandise and gear.
DrinkSpecialty coffee
TipWhat's On describes an expandable pod for brewing pots of coffee and a retail wall of % backpacks, beans and brewing gadgets.
Tashas Al Bateen is the South African cafe concept at Marsa Al Bateen in Abu Dhabi, serving breakfast, long lunches and coffee until midnight most days.
DrinkSpecialty coffee
TipYalla says outdoor tables at Tashas come with views; the cafe stays open to midnight Monday to Saturday and to 23:00 on Sundays.
Otaku at Al Qana in Abu Dhabi pairs ceremonial matcha and specialty coffee with a Japanese-fusion menu that runs from breakfast pastries to wagyu steaks.
DrinkCeremonial matcha
TipThe Al Qana listing says otaku means home in Japanese, and the cafe opens at 07:00 every day of the week.
TEN11 Beach on Mamsha Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi serves acai bowls, breakfast dishes, pizzas and sandwiches with a focus on coffee, open to 01:00 from Friday.
DrinkRose and saffron latte blends to take home
TipVisit Abu Dhabi lists beans from Ethiopia to Brazil and pre-packed rose or saffron latte blends to take away from this promenade cafe.
Cafe des Artistes sits inside the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, serving V60 coffee, matcha and cakes every day.
DrinkV60 coffee
TipThe cafe is open to foundation visitors and walk-ins alike; Yalla points to the mango matcha and the pistachio latte.
Cafe Bateel at Reem Mall on Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi, serves coffee with organic Sumatra beans and a chilled organic rhutab date on the side.
DrinkFlat white with organic Sumatra beans
TipThe National's pick here is the flat white, AED 27, served with a chilled organic rhutab date alongside.
Alkalime is a healthy restocafe on Mamsha Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi serving organic, mainly vegan and vegetarian dishes, with a workspace and Wi-Fi on site.
DrinkHouse-made nut milk
TipYalla says everything from the nut milks to the vegan cheese is made in-house from scratch, and the boho-chic room has hammocks and trailing vines.
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