United Arab Emirates · Gold leaf and dates
Dubai
Dubai took the European afternoon tea and raised it: higher rooms, later hours, gold on the pastry and a date syrup where Europe pours cream. The palace hotels of the Gulf run some of the most lavish salons in the world.
Afternoon tea in Dubai is a competition in altitude and gilt. Sahn Eddar at the foot of the Burj Al Arab atrium pours it under a ceiling higher than most cathedrals, the Shai Salon at the Four Seasons Jumeirah Beach serves it with a view of the Gulf, and the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira brought the Hong Kong cake-shop tradition to the coast. The pastry follows the French school, but the flavours turn east: saffron, rose, pistachio, cardamom, dates from Al Ain.
The city has its own chocolate story. Al Nassma makes chocolate from camel milk, the first house in the world to do so at scale, and sells it in gold-embossed boxes in the malls and at the airport. The French houses have followed the money: Ladurée and Angelina both have tea rooms in the Dubai Mall, and Brix Desserts on the Jumeirah side is the local pastry atelier the city is proud of.
Prices are the highest in the guide, hours are the latest (tea runs until six or seven, dessert until midnight) and the dress code is a mix of abaya and evening wear. Come between November and March, when the terraces are usable, and treat a palace afternoon tea as the meal of the day.
Sweet profile
- Afternoon tea
- €110
- One pastry
- €9
- Box of chocolates
- €40
- Sweet Index
- 73
Elegant and covered in the palace salons; abaya and evening wear sit side by side.
November to March, when terraces and sunsets are part of the day.
Guide prices per person or piece, editorial estimates in euros as of 2026.
A sweet day in Dubai
From the first croissant to the last truffle
November to March
- 09:00Breakfast late
Dubai breakfasts at nine or ten: manakish, dates, labneh and a French croissant on a hotel terrace.
- 12:00The Dubai Mall
Ladurée and Angelina for a macaron or a Mont-Blanc, and Al Nassma for a box of camel milk chocolate.
- 14:00Rest
Heat and jet lag: the afternoon tea is at four and it is long.
- 16:00Palace tea
Sahn Eddar at the Burj Al Arab or the Shai Salon at the Four Seasons: book a window table a week ahead.
- 19:00Sunset
A terrace bar on the Palm or at the Bulgari for the sun going into the Gulf.
- 22:00Dessert
Umm Ali, the Gulf bread pudding, or a plated dessert in a hotel restaurant: Dubai eats sweet late.
Districts
Jumeirah
The Burj Al Arab, the Jumeirah Beach hotels and the Four Seasons: the palace tea rooms by the sea.
Downtown and the Dubai Mall
Ladurée, Angelina, Al Nassma and the international houses under one roof, with the fountain outside.
DIFC
The financial district with the Four Seasons DIFC and the cafés where Dubai eats pastry at a business pace.
Al Wasl and Jumeirah Road
Brix Desserts and the local ateliers: the neighbourhood side of Dubai pastry.
The addresses
8 addresses in Dubai
HotelIconDubai · Jumeirah
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah
Tea in the sail
HotelDubai · Jumeirah Beach Road
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach
The Shai Salon
HotelNewDubai · Jumeira Bay
Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai
The Cake Shop on the coast
Hotel patisserieDubai · Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai
The Cake Shop, Mandarin Oriental Jumeira
Hong Kong habits on the coast
Afternoon teaDubai · Burj Al Arab Jumeirah
Sahn Eddar, Burj Al Arab
Seven courses under the atrium
Afternoon teaDubai · Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach
Shai Salon, Four Seasons Jumeirah Beach
The pastry tea of Dubai
BoutiqueDubai · Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah
Brix Desserts
Dubai’s own pastry atelier
ChocolatierDubai · Dubai Mall and the airport
Al Nassma
Chocolate from camel milk
One dessert, one house
Signature Desserts: Dubai
Good to know
Tips for Dubai
- Afternoon tea at the Burj Al Arab requires a reservation for entry to the hotel; the booking is the ticket.
- Ask for the Arabic tea menu: karak, saffron and mint teas are usually available beside the Darjeeling.
- Al Nassma camel milk chocolate is sweeter and lighter than cow milk chocolate; the 70 percent bar is the one for dark chocolate people.
- Prices are quoted in dirhams and usually include 10 percent service and 5 percent VAT; check the small print.
- Friday brunch has replaced afternoon tea for many locals; the tea salons are calmer on Friday afternoons.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best afternoon tea in Dubai?
Sahn Eddar at the Burj Al Arab for the spectacle, the Shai Salon at the Four Seasons Jumeirah Beach for the pastry and the view.
What is camel milk chocolate?
Chocolate made with camel milk powder instead of cow milk, pioneered by Al Nassma in Dubai. Slightly saltier and lighter than classic milk chocolate.
Is Dubai expensive for pastry?
Yes. Afternoon tea in a palace starts around 100 euros per person; a single pastry in the international boutiques costs eight to twelve euros.
