Dubai

Bottom Line

Qatar airlines had a 2 for 1 deal so my wife and I headed over to Dubai to visit my brother. We only had a short time, a week and a half.

Coffee? Bad...
Starbucks is everywhere. Some malls have four of them. Most run a Linea with the La Marzocco badge pulled off. Some of the Starbucks stores don't even have an espresso machine!
The other big chain is Costa Beans. The beans they use are way over roasted and taste foul.
GJs even has a few stores, running a Linea with the badge one.
Some other non franchised places did grind on demand but the coffee tasted old and bad. All shops over heated the milk or poorly textured.

Had a few Turkish/Greek/Lebanese coffees at restaurants. These were, on the most part, good.

Anywhere good?
We found one place - Raw Coffee. It is located in the Dubai Garden centre (Sheikh Zayed Rd, about 1km south west of Hasa rd) http://www.desertgroup.ae/en/section/desert-group-landscaping-services-dubai-uae/dubai-garden-centre/dubai-garden-centre-overview. They are running a 3grp Wega nova and Eureka grinder. Raw coffee roast in house with a Probat. Also are selling Giottos, other Eureka grinders and other coffee paraphernalia.
The coffee, very good but not great. Maybe because they are roasting only fairtrade? The shot was also long. The latte (soy) I had was textured very well, though it came in a 280ml cup.



Cheers

borat123

Hmmm,  I'll have to check it out.   I'll be there for a few days in two weeks time. If I move there, think I'll have to open a roastery.....    At the least the KKTO and my stash would be coming with me. 

Lacehim

I had the same experience when I visited there last year on the way back from the UK.  I just found Costa, Starbucks and GJ (a bit like the UK outside of London really), overheated milk was my pet hate and I didn't have a lot of time to explore, Didn't really enjoy Dubai much, only there for the day as a stopover but everything was shopping, shopping and more shopping and this is bigger than that, and this is even bigger than this etc.  Spent most of the day on the worst ever bus tour, which took us from one shopping centre to the next and by the time we realised we were half way to the middle of nowhere and had to endure the return trip.  Wow what fun! Pretty warm at this time of year too.  Reminded me of living in Mount Isa!

beanflying

on 1307851670:

Didn't really enjoy Dubai much, only there for the day as a stopover but everything was shopping, shopping and more shopping and this is bigger than that, and this is even bigger than this etc.  Spent most of the day on the worst ever bus tour, which took us from one shopping centre to the next and by the time we realised we were half way to the middle of nowhere and had to endure the return trip.  Wow what fun! Pretty warm at this time of year too.  Reminded me of living in Mount Isa!

Had a 12 hour stopover there some years ago and we pre arranged a car and local driver before we got there $40/hr and spent 4 hours cruising around in air conditioned luxury  Amazing place but i wouldn't want to live in that climate.

Bottom Line

on 1307851670:

Didn't really enjoy Dubai much, only there for the day as a stopover but everything was shopping, shopping and more shopping and this is bigger than that, and this is even bigger than this etc.  Spent most of the day on the worst ever bus tour, which took us from one shopping centre to the next and by the time we realised we were half way to the middle of nowhere and had to endure the return trip.  Wow what fun! Pretty warm at this time of year too.  Reminded me of living in Mount Isa!

My wife and I had a great time. But there is a huge difference in hoping on a tour bus and hanging out with your brother who has lived there for 18 months and he drives you around to the spots the locals know about. You are right about the shopping centres, it sounds interesting that one has a ski slope, another a ice skating rink, another with a massive aquarium that you can "swim with the sharks but these things look quiet normal once you see them. Just another shopping centre! Warm? HOT!!! The over night low was around 28 and the days 38-41. It ain't even summer yet. It gets to 46-48 every day.

Bottom Line

on 1307843273:

If I move there, think I'll have to open a roastery.....

A girl I met there has been living there for a while. In the USA she had worked for Ultimo coffee and Intelligentsia coffee. She said that the culture there didn't really get/understand/want the "3rd wave" coffee. But you might just be the one to start it!

Lacehim

on 1307866092:

Warm? HOT!!! The over night low was around 28 and the days 38-41. It ain't even summer yet. It gets to 46-48 every day.

Mount Isa gets that warm during summer.  Pretty harsh climate for a poor old pom like me. I think we got there in August, it was about 42 degrees.  Hotel was really nice though, massive suite and it was just a normal room. A tour might be a better idea next time like BF.  driven to all the right places rather than tour buses and the like.