Cafes

Speciality coffee, Emirati karak, and the places worth sitting in rather than passing through. The UAE has two parallel cafe cultures — the roastery scene in Alserkal, Jumeirah and Al Quoz, and the karak counters that have served the same tea for a dirham or two for decades — and both are here. Entries note whether there is real seating or only a counter, whether laptops are welcome, and what a flat white or a karak actually costs. Opening hours matter more than usual in this category: many roasteries close early and many karak counters do not open until the afternoon.