Ditch the Office and Check Out These 7 Creative Hangouts
It’s time to escape that same old office desk and find a creative work space that’ll help you achieve those deadlines. We’re found some of the best coffee shops in Dubai that serve great coffee and offer you a sanctuary to escape and hideaway from the world while you work.
1. Intersect by Lexus
Via Facebook | @intersectbylexus
Calling itself ‘a comfortable destination between work and home’, Intersect by Lexus fills that home-office gap with the utmost charm. A comfortable lounge stocked fusing together design, art, fashion, culture and music, there’s plenty of inspiration to tap into in this creative work space. Intersect aims to provide its visitors with networking opportunities at its three spaces: the gourmet eatery, the library and the unique garage.
Price: AED 35 for a Hazelnut Cake and AED 20 for a small V60-brewed coffee.
Location: Building 7 in Gate Village in DIFC
insydo tip: Intersect by Lexus Dubai is closed on Saturdays!
2. Make Art Café
An ideal work space for creating new ideas or working on existing ones, Make Art Cafe is located in the heart of Dubai’s historic Al Fahidi District. Expect a peaceful space with plenty of coffee and stimulation to fuel your work. The multipurpose space is decked out with art galleries and meeting rooms, alongside a a small art store if you’re looking to stock up for an impromptu painting session.
Price: We paid AED 25 for a ginger tea, AED 25 for a brownie and AED 550 for a poster from an exhibiting artist.
Location: Alserkal Cultural Foundation – Heritage House in Bur Dubai
insydo tip: Be warned, this cafe is not easy to locate if you’re unfamiliar with the area. Oh, and don’t even get us started on parking.
3. Café Rider Dubai
Via Facebook | @caferider
According to James Grose, a Dubai-based architect, the best work spaces allow a Mad Max kind of environment. And there’s none better than one of our favourite coffee shops in Dubai: Cafe Rider in Al Quoz. Brimming with badass bikes, barbers and baristas, this coffee shop in Dubai will make you feel as if you are working from a decked-out bachelor pad garage. One of the best cafes in dubai, this place has funky flair and amaaaazing coffee.
Price: An espresso costs AED 17; flat white is AED 22; a crêpe with banana and Nutella is approx. AED 20.
Location: Warehouse 7 in Al Quoz Industrial Area 3
insydo tip: Café Rider closes at 5pm on Fridays!
4. 1762 Stripped
The JLT branch of 1762 is one of the best cafes in Dubai. It’s made up of a deli and boulangerie on the ground floor, and the top floor is a mezzanine level which doubles up as a creative work space (no kids allowed). Whether you’re looking for a place to kick back with friends or need to shift into work mode, the coffee plus the appetising displays of desserts, toasties, salads and sandwiches will keep you company all day long.
Price: Soups start at AED 20, Quiches are AED 30 and sandwiches range from AED 22 to AED 38. A breakfast muffin and coffee combo is AED 20.
Location: One JLT Building in JLT
insydo tip: Some coffee shops in Dubai should be providing us with loyalty cards at this stage and this is one of them!
5. A4 Space
A4 Space is a savior for those abandoning desks in search of more creative workspaces. The space features The Loft, a collaborative open workspace with open plan desks, couches, bean bags, books, magazines and free wifi. For a truly solitary experience, try working from their alcove – a cosy isolated nook that oversees the entire space from above.
Price: The Loft is free of charge. Cinema Room and Project Space can be booked for an hourly rate of AED 1000. But it strictly depends on the event.
Location: Warehouse 4 along Alserkal Avenue in Al Quoz Industrial Area
insydo tip: There aren’t any dedicated services provided to creative freelancers or startups, and parking is a big problem in the area.
6. Avec
Did you know that the color yellow can help boost your levels of creativity? That’s just one reason why Avec, with its sunny Bob Marley-adorned walls, is favored as a creative work space by university students and Media City professionals. Featuring a vibrant communal workspace, wifi, shelves stacked with books, and an all-day eatery, Avec Dubai is a great place for getting stuck into a solo or group project. Get the lowdown here:
Price: We paid AED 50 for Avec’s Morning dish and AED 32 for the Big Mama’s Cake.
Location: Media City
insydo tip: Expect Avec to get very busy on weekdays at lunchtime.
7. Flow Dubai
Via Facebook | @flowdubai
Serving up healthy food and coffee from Dubai’s very own The Espresso Lab, Flow Dubai is one of the best cafes in Dubai for those looking for chilled work space and a caffeine kick. As far as coffee shops in Dubai go, this one is a little gem in a lovely location.
Price: Coffee and tea starts from AED 16; fresh juices from AED 18.
Location: The Boulevard at Jumeirah Emirates Tower
insydo tip: On weekdays, Flow opens from 7am to 8pm, so you can hideaway and work all day.
