The hipster café redefining Dubai’s coffee culture and serving up some ingenious dishes along with it.
We had our first experience with Nightjar in Al-Serkal Avenue and the brunch scene at a café with serious roasting chops was positively lit and the DJ was the perfect touch to really drive home the point that this is not your father’s coffee shop.
Nightjar is extremely and undeniably cool, as is witnessed by their authentic and no-frills approach to becoming your default cup of coffee. They seem to exude the kind of mysterious confidence that will draw you in without needing to scream from the rooftops about how great their products are or the uniqueness of their vibe.
After starting out as a coffee roastery and specialising in cold brew and craft beverage production, Nightjar set up a café in Alserkal Avenue in 2018 and has become known for its super brews since.
What do you get if you take one Kiwi coffee connoisseur, an industrial roastery, beans sourced from farms in Burundi, Rwanda and Colombia, and a food menu brimming with influences from the Middle East, and plonk it all in the heart of Al-serkal Avenue? The answer is Nightjar Coffee.
The homegrown concept that’s been three years in the making, has thrown open the doors to its “showroom” in Alserkal Avenue, unveiling a labour of love by managing director Leon Surynt.
The couches are wrapped in camel skins sourced near Saudi Arabia. The wraparound bar is low, allowing customers to see over the counter where their coffee and food is being prepared. There’s a communal wash-up area. And there’s a giant blue curtain
The quirky menu was dreamt up with the help of Mumbai-born Ved Navghare, the former head chef at famed modern Indian restaurant Tonka in Melbourne. The result? Dishes that feature Khawaneej goats curd, oysters from Dibba Bay, paratha, and Arabic fig and walnut jam. The price point is supposed to fit the surroundings, too; two organic eggs on toast will only set you back AED 26.
Opinion: The key aspect that will set Nightjar apart from any other cafes/coffee shops is that they have something for absolutely everyone and the diverse crowd made up of working professionals, creatives and families shows that what they truly want to create is a community with an appreciation for high quality caffeine drinks and simple, down to earth food.
Nightjar Coffee Roasters
Address: Alserkal Avenue Arts & Cultural District, Warehouse G62, Al Quoz, Al Quoz Industrial Area 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Time: 9am — 10pm daily
Contact: +971 50 365 1120
