International Coffee Day in Dubai: New brews, free tastings and caffeine-fuelled deals across the city

Just in case you needed a reason to celebrate your much-loved caffeine shot of the day, we’ve gone and found you one. It’s International Coffee Day on October 1 and Dubai is celebrating. This means, well, new offers to try, new brews to sip, and new decoctions to discover.

You are welcome.

Feels like it’s too hot for your normal bevvie but need to caffeinate? Try a coffee gelato at Souk Madinat Jumeirah for a rich, smooth and cool sip.

Around the Block

If you love coffee, and we mean LOVE coffee, you may want to scan this menu at Al Khawaneej Walk where the V60 brews feature Colombia Raspberry, Indonesian Cacao and Colombia Passionfruit flavour profiles.

If you want a new favourite to sip on, try the V60 coffees that join the menu on Oct 1. There’s Cuttaron from Colombia (Dh30), grown at 1,700–1,800m, anaerobic washed, alongside Burundi (Dh50), grown at 1,600–1,800m, and anaerobic natural processed.

Where: Al Quoz

For autumn in a cup try one of the seasonal somethings at Costa Coffee – the menu now includes things like Salted Nut Fudge Latte, Ruby Espresso and Tiramisu Cloud. Now that’s sweet.

Where: Across Costa Coffee outlets in the UAE

Some days, the need for coffee can’t be quelled – need multiples but don’t want to end up with a suffering bank account? This is where you go. The deal is you get all the brewed coffee you need (and want) and still water for Dh25 between 8am and 3am.

Where: Coterie Kitchen, Ibn Battuta Mall

Do you like scavenger hunts? Keep an eye on Coffee Planet’s social media channels for clues about the location of its master roaster, Ross. If you find him, you can take a trivia challenge once you’ve proven that you’ve been looking for him. The quiz winner with the highest score gets a year’s supply of Coffee Planet specialty coffee. Missed Ross? Follow the brand on Instagram, head to Stories and use the ‘Add Yours’ sticker to share a Coffee Planet sighting or their own coffee moment for another chance to win.

There’s everyday coffee and then there’s that coffee. Give yourself a taste of the latter with a trip to Hillhouse Brasserie, The Duck Hook, The Bolt Hole, Trattoria or The Noodle House between Oct 1 and Oct 7 and look up a menu that includes mix-ups like Terry’s Orange Chocolate Martini, JD & Coffee, Gingerbread Martini, The Coffee-Nut, Popcorn Coffee and Classic Espresso Martini. You can ask for one of them – or all, if you want to taste test. Dh35 (for one); Dh95 (for two); Dh150 (for five).

It’s free and it’s fancy at this hot spot, which is marking the day with V60 pourover tastings. The method has been concocted by head barista ‘Groove’ and sees each cup poured with practise and precision. The water is poured by hand through a paper filter, in circles. On Oct 1, you’ll get three variants to choose from. There's Colombia, grown high in Huila at 1,750 metres, left alone in a natural anaerobic ferment until the cup turns dark. There's Ethiopia, from Guji Hambela, grown past 1,950m. And there's Kenya, from Miiri, naturally left out in the sun for a while to mature.

Dying to travel but flights not on your to-do list yet? Head to this spot at Ibn Battuta Mall for your fix of Turkish coffee – and a way to feel like you are standing in Grand Bazaar. Sample pistachio chocolates between gentle sips.

Coffee and cake is a classic, and this International Coffee Day is bringing you an update on the old favourite. The Coffee Caramel Brownie has a dense delivery but makes up for it with a coffee caramel layer between chocolate sheets. Pair with a Cortado or Americano - a single-origin, 100% Arabica coffee from the Guji region of southern Ethiopia is served here - for that little afternoon pick me up.  

Available every day from 3pm to 7pm (Dh64).

Where: DIFC

The first step is always tough, and so it may be with this drink. The Tahini Latte at this JBR store pairs sesame-rich tahini with coffee. Good or bad… you need to have a slosh before you really know.

Whether you need an IV-style stream of filter coffee (constant) or just an extra cup to keep those eyes open, try this Aussie café on Oct 1. You get coffee roasted in Dubai by its partners at Specialty Batch here and there’s everything from house blends to single origin here. It’s a good day for a beverage.

Where: Jumeirah 1

When more is more… relax with a cup of joe and enjoy your time-out at this café, where when you buy a brew on Oct 1, you get one free. Pair up with a pastry  (they do these well) and you might want to go for a third and fourth cuppa.

Where: Dubai Hills Mall  

This spot doesn’t really have an offer going, but it is the newest café in Jumeirah. If you have a penchant for discovery, this may be just what you need. There’s fresh coffee on the table, an expresso menu and pourovers, and an in-house bakery to supply the sweet somethings that make meetings so much nicer.

If one cuppa just won’t do, what about two? This is how you get your morning sorted – with a trip to Uptown social where on Oct 1 you can buy one coffee and get a second for free before noon.

Where: Uptown Tower The Atrium, JLT