In a city famous for pushing the limits of luxury, Dubai just brewed up something that takes extravagance to a whole new level with a cup of coffee that costs nearly $1,000.
The Julith Cafe, tucked inside an industrial neighborhood turned hip coffee hub, has introduced what it says is the world’s most expensive cup of coffee, made from ultra-rare Panamanian beans. Each cup sells for 3,600 dirhams, or about $980, and it’s already turning heads for its sky-high price and even higher demand.
“We felt Dubai was the perfect place for our investment,” said Serkan Sagsoz, co-founder of Julith, in an interview with AFP. He and his partners plan to serve “around 400 cups” of the limited-edition brew starting this weekend.
For the steep price, drinkers can expect what Sagsoz describes as a complex and delicate flavor profile — a mix of floral and fruity notes that lean more toward tea than traditional coffee. “There are white floral notes like jasmine, citrus flavours like orange and bergamot and a hint of apricot and peach,” he said. “It’s like honey, delicate and sweet.”
This record-breaking brew dethrones Dubai’s previous titleholder, another cafe that made headlines just last month for serving coffee at 2,500 dirhams ($680) a cup. But for residents of the emirate, where supercars and skyscrapers are part of daily life, the news feels perfectly on brand.
“It’s very shocking but at the same time, it’s Dubai,” said Ines, a local resident who spoke to AFP. Another Dubai resident, Maeva, added, “For wealthy people, it’s just another experience they can boast about.”
Julith Cafe earned the right to serve the pricey coffee after a fierce bidding war at an auction in Panama. The cafe says it paid around 2.2 million dirhams ($600,000) for 20 kilograms of the exclusive “Nido 7 Geisha” beans, grown on a plantation near Panama’s Baru volcano. The batch is considered one of the rarest and most flavorful varieties in the world.
Sagsoz said the competition to secure the beans was intense, with hundreds of bids coming in from around the globe. Buyers from across Asia, the UAE, and even private coffee collectors have reportedly reached out to Julith, hoping to snag some of the beans. But the cafe isn’t selling — except for a small amount reserved for Dubai’s ruling family.
In a city where you can ski indoors, shop in the world’s largest mall, and stay on man-made islands shaped like palm trees, a $1,000 cup of coffee might just be the next status symbol — and Dubai wouldn’t have it any other way.