We've spent years finding the UAE's finest. Now you can find them in seconds.
We've spent years finding the UAE's finest. Now you can find them in seconds.
1990 Matcha: Emirati-inspired specialty tea in Jumeirah
A dome-shaped kiosk clad in cream textured tiles and vertical green ceramic panels – 1990 Matcha quickly became a visual landmark for motorists passing through Jumeirah 3 this year.
This Emirati-owned concept combines architectural flair with specialty tea expertise, serving matcha drinks infused with local flavour influences. Inside this carefully crafted space, a focused menu of just three matcha variations showcases the verdant Japanese tea reimagined through an Emirati lens, each drink a layered work of art in a branded cup.
Binge: Emirati dessert brand redefining luxury pastry in Dubai
Binge is back. This year the homegrown Emirati dessert brand relaunched with a fresh concept centred on build-your-own dessert sets – premium components you assemble at home rather than finished creations.
Think the satisfaction of preparing a bowl of cereal, but with exquisite ingredients and elegant flavours you'd never find in a breakfast aisle. Each set includes micro choux or mini financiers alongside refrigerated elements and toppings, all in thoughtfully designed packaging that feels both premium and playful. You build your bowl yourself, which means one set becomes several moments of pleasure rather than a single committed sitting.
DOPA Dubai: Fantastic organic matcha and cookies in Alserkal Avenue
Parked inside Alserkal Avenue, DOPA is a food truck built entirely around organic matcha. The menu reimagines Japan's most revered tea through drinks that veer between traditional and playfully experimental – matcha meets purple yam, lavender, salted caramel, and strawberry across hot and iced options.
Standouts include the Coconut Matcha Foam (38 AED), clean and hydrating with a cloud of matcha on top, and the vibrant Lemonade Matcha (38 AED) with its fizzy, citrus-sharp edge. Coffee appears for those who want it, but this is fundamentally a matcha house, with chunky matcha cookies (from 20 AED) rounding out the offering. Open daily 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., with limited outdoor seating near Nightjar Coffee Roasters.
Organic Sano Dubai: Organic, seed oil-free food delivered to your door in Dubai
Organic Sano is a cloud kitchen born from half-Emirati, half-Italian heritage that's built its reputation on 100% organic, seed oil-free cooking. Every dish emerges from a kitchen where inflammatory oils and processed ingredients don't exist – yet flavour flourishes.
It takes a certain conviction to build a food concept around clean eating when convenience often wins, but this delivery-only operation proves that eating the way nature intended doesn't mean sacrificing taste.
Ourdough: Wood-fired flatbreads and karak in Umm Suqeim
The scent of charred dough and wood smoke drifts across the terrace at Ourdough, a pop-up from the family behind Heal Cafe. Set just outside its sister concept in Umm Suqeim, this cheerful open-air spot focuses on one thing and does it well: organic sourdough flatbreads fired in an imported Esposito Forni oven from Italy.
The menu is deliberately brief – starters, flatbreads, sweets, drinks – and the vibe is casual in the best way. Come for the musakhan chicken pizza drizzled with hot pink labneh, stay for the karak served with a crispy bread dipper balanced on top.
Rationed Cafe: Drive-thru specialty coffee in Nad Al Sheba
Operating from a residential villa in Nad Al Sheba 2, Rationed Cafe transforms the everyday coffee run into something more charming. This Emirati-owned drive-thru features striking vertical timber cladding and sage-green Arabic signage that creates an architectural moment in the suburban landscape.
The baristas combine real warmth with coffee expertise, greeting each car with enthusiasm typically reserved for old friends. Beyond espresso, the menu ventures into hibiscus tea and matcha territory, plus coveted, potted dessert creations.
Shalwa: Homegrown Khaleeji eatery at the Museum of the Future
A falcon greets you at the lift doors – not a living one, but a striking graphic announcing your arrival at Shalwa's terrace outpost within the Museum of the Future. Following the success of their original location at The Dubai Mall District, Independent brings their Khaleeji eatery to one of Dubai's most architecturally significant buildings, where guests can dine beneath the museum's sweeping silver curves without purchasing an entry ticket.
The homegrown concept serves all-day Emirati and Khaleeji dishes alongside specialty coffee, traditional gahwa, and regional desserts – from balaleet and regag for breakfast to a Dates Cloud Matcha with peacocks wandering past.
SOIL Kite Beach: Health-focused café pop-up on the sand in Jumeirah
Sand beneath your feet, palm trees overhead, and a protein-packed froyo in hand – SOIL's beachside outpost delivers feel-good food in a setting that makes eating well feel effortless.
This Abu Dhabi import has planted its second Dubai location directly on Kite Beach, trading the mall environment of its Al Barsha sibling for an entirely outdoor setup on one of the city's most active stretches of coastline. Runners, swimmers, and beachgoers all converge here for wholesome, satisfying food that sidesteps the preachy messaging often attached to health-conscious eating.
A secret villa in Nad Al Sheba offering delicious matcha and hot chocolate creations: Meet Toto
Operating from a family villa in Nad Al Sheba, Toto is an Emirati-owned home business specialising in hand-whisked Japanese matcha and comforting hot chocolate. Order via WhatsApp 15 minutes ahead, pull up to the villa, and drinks arrive on a tray straight to your car window.
The signature Hot Chocolate (35 AED) comes topped with chocolate pearls for playful crunch, while the Matcha Latte (30 AED) shines with an optional Salty Vanilla Foam (+5 AED) that brings out the ceremonial-grade tea's depth. Card payments and drive-by pickup only, open daily from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
ARC: An open-air pavilion serving pizza and specialty coffee at the Louvre in Abu Dhabi
From the team behind Aptitude comes this open-air pavilion tucked within the Louvre Abu Dhabi grounds on Saadiyat Island. The rectangular concrete structure frames the sky, with warm lighting that transforms the scene come dusk and seating that spills across the surrounding terrace.
The menu stays deliberately compact: pizza with both Middle Eastern and international influences – from a classic Margherita with burrata and basil to the Saadiyat Special loaded with beef, bacon jam, jalapeño and cowboy fries – plus the ARC Bite, eight-hour slow-cooked ribs on pillowy Hokkaido bread. Coffee arrives via QC Roastery alongside ceremonial-grade matcha and mocktails.
Bamo's Bakehouse Abu Dhabi: Matcha drive-thru in Al Mushrif Villa
Order through the Beanz app, drive up to a villa garden in Al Mushrif, and collect matcha drinks prepared with proper technique – Bamo's Bakehouse has turned the home business model into something worth seeking out.
This Emirati-owned operation works with refreshing simplicity, the residential setting creating an experience that feels more like visiting talented neighbours than a conventional drive-through. Handpainted signs and abundant greenery provide a warm backdrop to what could easily feel impersonal.
Slice 45: Drive-thru Italian-style pizza in Al Qana
Slice 45 is a sleek drive-thru food truck serving Italian-style pizza by the slice at Al Qana's Drive Thru development. This Emirati-owned concept – from the team behind Aptitude at Louvre Abu Dhabi – keeps things simple: six pizza varieties, generous portions, and a no-fuss ordering system that lets you grab quality slices without leaving your car.
The truck's bold pink exterior matches the punchy flavours inside, particularly the signature spicy honey that's earned them a devoted following. Open from noon until 1 a.m. daily, with slices around 35–38 AED.
Sesame Al Ain: Specialty coffee and seasonal bites at the Al Ain Museum
An Emirati-owned café operating within Al Ain Museum grounds during winter months could easily lean too precious or too functional, but Sesame sidesteps both traps. From the team behind Jumeirah's Dips, this outdoor-only concept brings specialty coffee, matcha, and a deliberately compact food menu to one of Al Ain's most significant cultural landmarks.
Plush seating clusters scatter across landscaped grounds with views of heritage architecture, whilst the menu stays tight – a handful of starters and mains, plus an impressive dessert selection anchored by a standout burnt burrata cheesecake. It works equally well for couples, small groups, and families exploring Al Ain's heritage sites during the cooler months.
No One's: Waterfront pizza and specialty coffee at Dubai's Marsa Boulevard
Dubai Festival City's Marsa Boulevard has a knack for attracting homegrown concepts with personality, and No One's fits right in. This Emirati-owned kiosk serves sourdough pizza by the slice alongside specialty coffee and inventive signature drinks – all with unobstructed views across the creek towards the Mohammed bin Rashid Library.
The pizzas skip the wood-fired romance but deliver proper texture and flavour without the grease slick that plagues many slice joints, while the coffee programme runs serious beans through a Rancilio machine. Creative menu names turn ordering into its own entertainment, and prices are pitched for weeknight spontaneity rather than special occasions. Good pizza, good coffee, good views, no fuss.
the HUNTR
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