For some, the phrase coffee at Burj Al Arab will conjure up a single image: a creamy cappuccino cloaked in 24-karat gold. Served in a seven-star hotel with panoramic sea views, this gold-dusted brew has become one of Dubai’s most photographed drinks – a statement piece that matches the calibre of its setting. But, there’s more to Burj Al Arab than its famed gilded cup. Whether you’re after an espresso martini on the overwater platform or traditional afternoon tea beneath the soaring atriums, this landmark hotel delivers with precision. Here are four venues to sip your way through.
Sahn Eddar
To start with the headline act: you’ll find the gold coffee in Burj Al Arab’s Sahn Eddar. Set beneath the hotel’s spectacular 180-metre atrium, this restaurant is palatial in scale, with golden pillars, ornate furnishings, and a live harpist lending a baroque, almost Belle Époque atmosphere. The 24K Gold Cappuccino is exactly what the name suggests – a classic cappuccino topped with edible gold leaf, served on fine china with dates and a rose-flavoured marshmallow. It’s the kind of place that tempts even the most Instagram-averse to capture the pour.
Sahn Eddar has long reigned as one of Dubai’s most polished destinations for traditional afternoon tea. Served daily, the experience includes artfully arranged tiers of finger sandwiches, pastries by Michelin-trained chef Tom Coll, and your choice of tea or coffee – gold cappuccino included. Evenings bring an à la carte menu, but it’s the mid-afternoon ritual that draws most guests, offering some of the best sea views in the hotel. Reservations are essential, and a smart dress code applies.
UMA Lounge
For a more relaxed coffee in Burj Al Arab, head to UMA Lounge – a cosmopolitan open-air terrace on the hotel’s overwater platform. It’s a quieter, more contemporary setting than the atrium, with cushioned daybeds, low-slung tables and uninterrupted views of the sea. While the gold cappuccino isn’t typically offered à la carte, it is served as part of the Inside Burj Al Arab experience – Jumeirah’s official guided tour of the hotel. The journey includes a walk through the Royal Suite and a traditional Arabic coffee ceremony, ending on the terrace with the gold-dusted cappuccino.
Beyond coffee, UMA is an idyllic spot to enjoy a classic cocktail, clink glasses of champagne, or sample a menu of light Mediterranean dishes. This is the more low-key, minimalist face of Burj Al Arab, best savoured at sunset.
Al Muntaha
If you prefer your espresso dark and with an extraordinary skyline view, Al Muntaha offers just that, 27 floors up. Meaning “The Ultimate” in Arabic, this Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurant sits at the very top of Burj Al Arab, where curved glass walls pull the sea and skyline into every moment. Known primarily for its French-Italian tasting menus, Al Muntaha isn’t exactly your typical coffee stop – but if you’re dining here, rounding off your meal with a well-pulled espresso and award-winning dessert feels entirely fitting. 200 metres above the sea in the world’s only seven-star hotel, it’s a coffee you’ll remember long after.
Skyview Bar & Lounge
Just opposite Al Muntaha on the 27th floor, Skyview Bar & Lounge brings a more relaxed, speakeasy energy to Burj Al Arab, with equally cinematic views. This retro-glam lounge is best known for its cocktails and champagne, but it’s equally suited to a mid-afternoon pause or an elevated coffee catch-up above the city. Afternoon tea is taken seriously here, served on sail-shaped silverware with an extensive tea library and pastry selection. While sea views are always a draw, the lounge truly comes into its own at night, when the skyline glows beneath. For polished service without the formalities of its neighbouring Michelin-starred eatery, this is the place to linger.
The Final Pour
Coffee at Burj Al Arab is never just coffee. Whether you’re sipping gold-dusted foam beneath the atrium, lingering over an espresso at 200 metres, or watching the sun sink into the horizon from UMA’s sea-facing terrace, each setting brings its own rhythm and ritual. Some come for the spectacle, others for the quiet. Either way, this is a hotel that knows how to make even a simple cup feel like an occasion.
