RAW Coffee Company

RAW began roasting specialty coffee in Dubai in 2007, years before the city's coffee scene caught up, and it still works from a custom built 13,500 square foot warehouse in Al Quoz that holds the roastery and an all day cafe. Owners Kim Thompson and Matt Toogood run it day to day, and both hold the first SCA Diploma in the region.

The beans are bought direct and roasted in small batches in the same building, with single origins such as Ethiopian Limu and Brazilian Serra dos Ciganos alongside the Black Tie blend, and the cafe pours them as espresso drinks and V60 filter coffee. Long breakfasts and leisurely lunches have made it a local institution, and the same space doubles as a training campus for coffee professionals and home enthusiasts.