Address: Bastakiya Opposite Musalla Post Office – Al Fahidi St – Bur Dubai – Al Fahidi – Dubai – United Arab Emirates; Other locations: Mercato Mall, Jumeirah Archaeological, Souq Al Shansiyah in Sharjah, Jumeirah Beach
Opening Hours: Daily 7:00am – 11:00pm
Official Website: arabianteahouse.com
Arabian Tea House Restaurant and Cafe Menu
Instagram: arabianteahouse
There are two ways to discover Dubai: the old Dubai and the modern Dubai. In between is the Dubai Frame that acts like a portal between the two worlds. I find myself at odds on which I prefer the most. Old Dubai is where you can discover the Middle Eastern architecture your imagination can conjure… and where the reality of the commoners is very much visible. Modern Dubai shines on the wealth of the Emirates, the middle class and the poor obscured, where gold and black lines slither between Balmains and Diors.
But there is one place that fuses the two realms together. Right in the heart of Bastakiya village in the Al Fahidi Historical District of Old Dubai lies the Arabian Tea House Restaurant and Cafe.
For at this cafe immortalized in Instagram hashtags and reels as the most picturesque in Dubai, you are greeted with the pot of Qahwa or Arabian coffee. For the caffeine hungry, it is not the Arabic coffee you have in mind. Qahwa is the standard for greeting guests, the very pot engraved on a 1 Dirham coin. The whole point of Qahwa is to welcome you, welcome all guests to the Emirates. Qahwa is often served with dates and tahini.
At Arabian Tea House you can grab a chicken sandwich wrap, a slice of dates cake, and some coffee ice cream — whose coffee notes was unlike I have ever tasted.
The food is nothing spectacular, and keep this in mind for Instagrammable spots, whose sole purpose is to entertain your social media addictions. Arabian Tea House exists for such intent.
Indeed, right in the center of Bastakiya Old Village, between merchants, willowy scarves and dusty pavements, you’ll forget reality for now and get sucked into the sands of Arabia.
P.S. Don’t forget to take a photo op at this lovely Instagram spot.
