Dubai’s topography and perenially sunny climate (bar the summer months) are perfectly primed for languid al fresco breakfasts. From pastel-coloured lattes with views of the Arabian Sea to French patisserie on a manicured golf course, here are the best spots to enjoy outdoor breakfast in Dubai, as winter slowly creeps back in.
The best outdoor breakfast in Dubai in 2024
Riviera By Jean Imbert
Breakfast served: 7am to 11:30pm
To get a peak into Dubai’s most beautiful new hotel opening, book a table at Riviera by Jean Imbert – the French chef’s Mediterranean restaurant on the 4th floor of The Lana, Dubai. While dinner is a showstopper, with twinkling skyline views and French classics, breakfast could just be the most delightful of setting at this beautiful new restaurant. Bringing is the high-energy culinary spirit to the city, the light-filled space captures the spirit of summers in the South of France, with botanical-inspired interiors, floral-inspired hues and a beautiful outdoor terrace offering views of the Dubai Creek. Open from 7am daily, the venue has both indoor and outdoor dining and serves three set breakfast menus along with an a la carte offering – an exquisite sun-dappled affair. There are three set menus, including continental with cooked add-ons (European or Middle Eastern), while a la carte offers all the French and continental classics plus interesting serves like Plaza avocado, quail eggs & breadcrumbs (AED75) and Jean’s French toast with Britanny caramel sauce (AED85).
The Lana, Dubai; Business Bay; dorchestercollection.com, @rivierabyjeanimbert
riina
Breakfast served: 7am to 12pm
A partnership behind serial entrepreneur and former Real Housewives of Dubai star Nina Ali and the founders of perennial hotspots Casette and Nette comes riina – a chic new all-day restaurant in Dubai’s leafy Tilal Al Ghaf community. The new spot sits in the heart of the stylish new Majid Al Futtaim development and is set to become its beating heart for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Diners can enjoy organic design touches like textured walls, natural stone, wood, glass and curves, along with colourful marble and pops of coral and aquamarine, alongside a menu of wholesome Mediterranean-inspired dishes which are additive and preservative-free (the restaurant’s name means ‘purity’.) Breakfast highlights include smoked salmon flatbread with whipped cream cheese, cherry tomatoes, paprika almonds and chilli flakes, while beverages include freshly blended smoothies, fresh juices, health shots, mocktails, teas, and soft drinks. Grab a seat on the terrace to gaze over the park and blue lagoons beyond.
Distrikt, Tilal Al Ghaf; open 7am-11pm Monday – Sunday; @riina.cafe
Nette
Breakfast served: all day
The preened and polished sister to much-loved Casette, Nette is a trendy cafe nestled inside the beautiful grounds of the Matcha Club in Al Quoz. Sitting between yoga studios and padel courts, the serene space is an urban sanctuary with minimalist interiors (white, exposed wood, ) and a lovely outdoor courtyard centred around a large mango tree where yogis in Lululemon converge post-class and families occupy the booths. Food is Japanese inspired and breakfast dishes include a Japanese breakfast skillet with miso dressing, strawberry matcha acai bowl and Japanese avo toast, with a yuzu and roasted sesame twist.
Matcha Club Al Quoz; @nettedxb
Carine
Chef Izu Ani’s charming French-Mediterranean restaurant, Carine is one of the most peaceful and elegant spots to enjoy an outdoor breakfast in Dubai. Occupying a tented wing of the main clubhouse, Carine’s restaurants and terrace is the perfect spot for a long and leisurely breakfast, overlooking the manicured golf course, palm-strewn grounds and the Marina towers in the haze. Breakfast is only served on weekends and is a classically French affair with French toast, truffled scrambled eggs, freshly baked pastries and lighter dishes like avocado toast and beetroot tartine with homemade jam,
Emirates Golf Club; dubaigolf.com
Byron Bathers Club
Those looking for a relaxed, family-friendly breakfast spot on Palm Jumeirah should head to Byron Bathers Club, an Aussie-style beach club and restaurant with a private pool, shaded terrace and beautiful views of the ocean, the Palm fronds and Burj Al Arab. Byron Bathers emulates the feeling of laid-back Australian bathers or leisure club with a boho-vibe and a killer menu of classics and creative dishes (operators Eatx are behind Dubai’s most famous breakfast spots like Tom&Serg and Common Grounds). Breakfast includes acai bowls, crème brûlée French toast, banana and ricotta pancakes, Turkish eggs and the decadent Byron Benedict. Unlike spots on adjacent West Beach, there’s no need to dress up, which is part of the charm.
Shoreline 4, Palm Jumeirah; @byronbathersclub; eatx.com
Splendour Fields
From Eatx – the masterminds behind cult breakfast hotspots like Tom&Serg, The Guild, Byron Bathers Club, Hawkerboi and Common Grounds – comes Splendour Fields. Located in the shiny new The Park development in JLT, the all-day cafe and coffee shop, deli, grocer, florist and ‘urban garden’ captures the essence of Australia’s laid-back, beachy coffee culture. The design-led dining space is bright and breezy with picture windows, colourful artwork and a soothing colour palette, while outdoor seating overlooks a stretch of parkland with plenty of trees. There’s also a children’s play area to keep the little ones entertained. Splendour Fields is open seven days a week and offers Eatx’s signature coffee and freshly baked bread from the group’s in-house bakery Rise&Dawn, alongside classics like ricotta hot cakes, almond granola, apple and cinnamon porridge and mushroom and truffle Benedict.
JLT; @splendourfields, eatx.com
Brunch & Cake
Arguably one of the most Instagram-worthy breakfast spots in the city, Brunch & Cake is a boho-chic, restaurant located at Al Wasl, Jumeirah Islands, Al Bateen and on the seafront at Palm Jumeirah’s The Pointe. The cafe originally hails from Barcelona and brings a touch of the laid-back Spanish lifestyle to the shores of the UAE to create one of the best outdoor breakfast spots in Dubai. Diners can expect pastel-coloured lattes, rose petal French Toast, fluffy halloumi pancakes and healthy acai bowls. Get there early, as you might have to queue for some time, but it’s worth the wait.
Various locations; brunchandcake.com
The Farm
Located in the sought-after Dubai suburb of Al Barari, The Farm, Al Barari is a picturesque cafe surrounded by leafy greenery overlooking landscapes lakes and waterways. This botanical backdrop and the trendy modern feel of the restaurant itself has made it a favourite with affluent residents since it opened in 2012, who flock to escape the heat and reconnect with nature. An extensive breakfast menu features healthy bowls, egg dishes, Benedicts, sweet treats from the griddle, sharing platters, wraps and much more, plus a children’s menu and inventive and delicious dishes for vegans. Check the events schedule and coincide your visit with one of its many events, like talks, readings, kids’ arts and cooking classes or pop-ups on the lawn.
Al Barari; thefarmdubai.ae
Hillhouse Brasserie
Overlooking the perfectly kept greens and Downtown Dubai skyline, Hillhouse Brasserie gives a French countryside boulangerie-meet-Hamptons vibe with its rustic, hearty menu, charming interiors and elegant setting. The sweeping terrace has some of the most relaxed views in the city and the breakfast menu features dishes like rhubarb-filled doughnuts, freshly baked bread and pastries, pancakes, waffles and classic French omelettes.
Dubai Hills Golf Club; jumeirah.com
Bounty Beets
Brilliant colourful Bounty Beets, located in Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Waterpark, is the perfect injection of life and colour to start the day. The pink-hued indoor cafe boasts a pink phone booth and quirky artwork, and while it’s the ultra-feminine interiors that are splashed all over social media, the greenery-filled outdoor terrace is the spot to dine. The menu is just as fun, with dishes having tongue-in-cheek names like ‘son of a chick’, ‘bae goal’, ‘feeling so waffle’ and ‘brekki pizza’. There are healthy options, naughty options, breakfast twists on all-day items and plenty of plant-based juices, smoothies, tonics, nectars and speciality teas and coffee (served in a mug for extra comfort). Plus, it’s dog-friendly.
Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Waterpark; bountybeets.com
Jones The Grocer
With outlets across the UAE, Jones The Grocer is a safe bet for a fantastic breakfast in Dubai. But the most stylish outdoor breakfast spot it its Palm West Beach location, which sits on golden sands overlooking Dubai Marina and Bluewaters Island and has shaded seating on its expansive terrace. This is the spot to embrace Australia’s breakfast culture, from healthy bowls, stacks of pancakes and fluffy scrambled eggs to freshly squeezed juices and perfect flat whites. There are plenty of hot dishes (try the Jones traditional English breakfast), veggie dishes (think pesto and avocado poached eggs), warming bowls (porridge, granola and acai) and plenty of freshly baked goods and killer side dishes offer. The West Beach location is licensed, too (think breakfast mimosas) and has a deli to purchase treats for the day ahead.
Palm West Beach; jonesthegrocer.com
Paus
‘A nice happy place’ reads the sign outside Paus, a stylish coffee shop-cum-wellness centre housed in a residential villa on Al Wasl Road. Paus is one of the most relaxed and unpretentious spots to enjoy an outdoor breakfast in Jumeirah, comprising a leafy garden, stylish indoor space and upstairs holistic health and wellness centre with treatments focusing on the mind, body and soul. The sun-filled courtyards is peppered with comfy seating and plenty of shade from trees and umbrellas and reasonably priced all-day breakfast items include a fluffy truffled egg croissant, a hearty vegan fry-up and Umma’s chai French toast – plus there’s an impressive amount of vegan and gluten-free options. After breakfast head upstairs for treatments like reflexology, reiki, massages and facial ‘maderotherapy’ (a technique to improve lymphatic drainage).
Al Wasl Road; pausdxb.com/cafe, @pausdxb
Comptoir 102, Jumeirah 1
Designed as a chic villa and home to an outdoor garden, health shop and organic cafe, concept store-turned-coffee shop Comptoir 102 is a lifestyle destination in itself. The boho-chic haven in Jumeirah 1 is a hub for healthy living and there’s a strong focus on sustainable, wholesome food – ingredients sourced from local organic farms, and plenty of vegan and sugar, gluten,- and dairy-free choices. Breakfast is nourishing and indulgent, and stand-out dishes include almond butter porridge, chia seed pudding, smoothies and homemade cakes – which are best enjoyed in the shaded boho garden. After breakfast, check out the in-house store displaying fashion, jewellery and home goods – you might just bag a unique find.
Jumeirah 1; comptoir102.com
The Hamptons Cafe
This popular chain is an ode to the chic lifestyle of New York’s famous Hamptons, growing from a stand-alone concept in a whitewashed Jumeirah villa to two further locations in Arabian Ranches and Jumeirah Islands. The coffee is great, the vibes are elevated, the terraces are spacious and breezy and the menu features all-day classics like big breakfasts, Greek eggs and traditional Middle Eastern spreads.
Various locations; thehamptonsdubai.com
Maison Mathis
A much-loved local spot for outdoor breakfast in Dubai is Maison Mathis, located right on the golf course and a popular spot with well-heeled residents. The cafe brings the taste of home-cooked European cuisine to Dubai and has breezy interiors, an impressive terrace overlooking the course and serves classics like colourful benedicts, waffles and French toast along with an extensive menu of vegan and vegetarian dishes.
Arabian Ranches; mm-argc.com
Eggspectation
Come weekends and you’ll likely see a queue forming outside Eggspectation. The restaurant has become somewhat of an institution for Dubai Marina residents and visitors thanks to its all-day breakfast menu of hearty and indulgent American classics, and beachy laid-back setting. Portions are generous, vibes are upbeat and relaxed and there are calming views of the golden sands and waves. Highlights include stacks of pancakes drenched in syrup, acai bowls and eggs in more than a dozen ways. This is arguably one of the most crowd-pleasing spots for outdoor breakfast in Dubai.
JBR; @eggspectationuae
