In March, a study from the UK Biobank — thought to be the largest of its kind — declared that drinking two or three cups of coffee a day may reduce heart disease and death from other causes.
It’s uplifting news for connoisseurs of the drink, who are well served in the UAE and can now seek their caffeine fix guilt-free.
Here, we look at some of the fanciest cups of Joe in town, based on myriad factors — from beans and brewing to taste and presentation.
Gahwa latte
Where: O Cafe, The Dubai Mall
What: A signature cup at the stylish O Cafe, this decadent Arabic coffee comes with a home-made milk base, and is topped with whipped cream, pistachio powder and saffron.
How much: Dh48
Cold Brew Spritz
Where: Drop Coffee, Yas Bay, Abu Dhabi
What: This spritz blends layered cranberry and lemon juice, sparkling water and an in-house 21-hour-immersed cold-drip coffee, and comes with a touch of fresh mint.
How much: Dh35
Kenya Swara AA
Where: Black Coffee by Cafe Younes, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
What: An 18th-century Belgian invention, the royal siphon works by gravitational energy, vacuum and vapour pressure. With this speciality-grade Kenya Swara AA, it delivers a flavourful, clean and aromatic coffee with notes of apple, lime, milk chocolate, pear and nuts.
How much: Dh64
Magic Mylk Latte
Where: Tania’s Teahouse, Umm Suqeim 2, Dubai
What: This shot of fair trade, female-harvested Rwandan coffee comes with chaga, Nut Mylk, dates and coconut oil, which is known to improve brain function and energy. Powdered chaga mushrooms help with memory, concentration, cellular regeneration and serotonin levels, and fight inflammation.
How much: Dh30
Lavender latte
Where: Harvest & Co, Dubai Garden Centre
What: A drink that smells as delicious as it tastes, this luscious latte contains frothy milk, a syrup made from dried lavender buds and a shot of Encounter Roastery’s signature coffee. It also comes garnished with lavender, which has calming and stress-relieving properties.
How much: Dh24
Authentic Italian espresso
Where: Caffe Vergnano, The Dubai Mall
What: This drink is made from Nicaragua’s famed Maragogype beans, also known as elephant beans, which stand out for their large and long shape. The red cherries are picked one by one, then dried under the sun and packed into jute bags directly at the plantation. The result is a delicate and aromatic blend with subtle acidity.
How much: from Dh16
Panama Geisha
Where: Intellect Coffee, Al Quoz, Dubai
What: This smooth and fruity coffee concentrate is made from hand-picked cherries harvested from Volcan Baru, the tallest mountain in Panama. It's brewed using the finest Arabica beans and has a very distinctive flavour profile: tasting notes include pineapple, lemon peel, grapefruit and cacao nibs.
How much: Dh155
Home brew recipe to try at home
If you’re a fan of Panamanian beans and an at-home brewer, consider picking up the 90+ Panama – Pache (Dh120) from Coffee Planet, so named because the beans are roasted to a quality that scores 90+ on the SCA speciality coffee grading scale. Pache variety hails from the highlands of Panama, and is full-bodied yet well-balanced thanks to notes of dates, raisins, plums, cocoa, tea rose, hazel nuts, strawberry, orange and honey.
