Food & Drink

Top Karak Chai Dubai spots to visit

Thu, April 8, 2021

We asked, you voted. Here's your pick of the Dubai's best tea.

Chai and Co

Because breakfast, lunch and dinner taste better with a creamy cup of karak. Chai and Co, which you'll find on the ground floor of Warqa Mall, has a well-crafted menu offering local specialities as well as hearty Indian, Italian and Continental dishes.

Project Chaiwala

Project Chaiwala needs zero introduction. It’s a homegrown Dubai concept, with four branches spread across the city from Ibn Battuta Mall to Silicon Oasis, and the very vocal 'chaiwalahs' (meaning roadside tea vendors) are always ready and waiting to serve up a fresh brew in traditional pop-art decorated eateries that also plate up wraps and 'smashosas' – their take on traditional street food.

PappaRoti

PappaRoti is an international chain of coffee shops renowned for its signature bun, and they also do a great cup of karak. Do your tastebuds a favour and visit PappaRoti on your next tea excursion to malls such as The Dubai Mall, Deira City Center, Al Ghurair Mall and Dragon Mart.

FiLLi Cafe

FiLLi Cafe matches great taste with an exceptional experience. Famous around town for its signature zafran tea, FiLLi also serves up its own unique blend of chai. Spoiler alert: it's incredible. Grab a cup at any of their stores, which are scattered around Dubai, including in Knowledge Villa, Kite Beach, Burjuman, and Uptown Mirdif.

Arabian Tea House

Arabian Tea House was the first authentic Emirati restaurant to open its doors in Dubai, in the city's historic Al Fahidi neighbourhood, and has been a trailblazer for karak chai in the city ever since. Since opening in 1997, the tea house has become somewhat of an institution, and no visit here is complete without sampling the famous karak.

Uncle Tea

Relax and unwind at this tea lounge in the heart of Al Barsha. Whether you're looking for delicious karak or even other blends like matcha, bubble and iced tea, you'll find it here, as well as mouth-watering Indian snacks such as samosas and paratha wraps.

Al Hara Cafeteria

Al Hara Cafeteria is a little-known Al Karama spot that packs a cup of chai full of flavour. Go there for tea and leave with a smile – their menu boasts over 100 different flavours of chai, so you're sure to be spoilt for choice, or keep going back to work your way through the list.

Zankar's DESi-TEA-NATION

This Discovery Gardens cafe is the destination to be if you're looking for a tasty cup of tea. It's famous for its fresh milk Karak Zaffrani Chai, which is always boiled to perfection, and it also serves up a yummy frothy vegan coffee.

Raju Omlet

Raju Omlet serves up fantastic Indian street food based on farm-fresh egg dishes, and what’s a better combo than breakfast staples and tea? With five branches all over Dubai, including Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Al Quoz and Al Karama, you're sure to have a cracking good time.

Real Karak Cafe

Lovers of karak are sure to already have the Real Karak Cafeteria on their radar. The menu at this Nad Al Hamar eatery is packed with everything from burgers and wraps to milkshakes and freshly-squeezed juices, but it's the chai that keeps people coming back over and over again