RAW Coffee Company

Before the Rest of Them

3.5 of 5

RAW started in 2007, when specialty coffee in Dubai was a rumor. Kim Thompson saw the gap, Matt Toogood joined, and the two of them have run it as partners ever since. That is a long time to keep roasting in a warehouse in Al Quoz without a lot of noise, and it is why people who care about coffee here start the story with this name.

The pitch is simple. Ethical, directly sourced Arabica, roasted locally, with beans from Ethiopia, Mexico, Uganda, Yemen and El Salvador on the shelf, plus house blends called Working Blend and Black Tie Blend. The cafe sits next to the roastery, runs a rotating art gallery on the walls, and doubles as a co-working space. They also teach coffee, SCA courses included, which tells you the owners think of this as a craft and not a brand.

Do not come for a performance. Come because the coffee is honest and the people have been at it longer than anyone nearby. Open at 7:30 every day and closed by 6, so plan on mornings or early afternoons. The old guard has earned its seat at the counter. Buy a bag on the way out and you will understand why the regulars stay.

Order this: A single origin as filter, Anything on the Working Blend, A seat with the art on the walls
The damage: $$
Go: Morning, any day, when it opens at 7:30
Find it: Next to RTA Carpark WH10, Cnr 7A & 4A Street, Al Manara Rd, Al Quoz 1, Dubai