The Best Family Breakfast Spots in Dubai

We don’t think there are many better ways to start the day than by treating the family to a morning feast. After all, you’ve been up since sunrise, so why not make the most of the city’s eateries when they are at their quietest? So grab your brood mama and head to one of the best family breakfast spots in Dubai!

Baker & Spice at Marina Promenade
Start your day watching yachts glide past your table as the kids tuck into their breakfast (it’s good to dream about how the other half live, right?). The food is organic, with flavorsome egg dishes and crispy pastries making up the breakfast menu. If you are feeling adventurous, order the Shakshouka (eggs cooked in tangy tomato salsa spiked with garlic, paprika, and chili), but keep it away from the little ones unless they have a taste for spice!

Open from 8am.

Baker and Spice, Marina Promenade, Dubai Marina, Dubai, (+971) (0)4 362 4686, www.bakerandspiceme.com

BookMunch Café
Looking for a chilled out spot to enjoy an early bite to eat with your brood? Book Munch Café on Al Wasl Square boasts comfortable sofas and walls lined with books to get stuck into as you sip cappuccinos and tuck into a large choice of all-day breakfast. Kids will love it too, with a reading corner to sprawl out on with a good book, complete with floor seating and a tent!

Open from 7.30am (Sun-Wed) and 8am (Thurs-Sat).

Want to meet the fab mama behind this amazing establishment? Meet Dareen Cherafeddine in her The Sassiest Mama interview here!

BookMunch Café, Al Wasl Square, Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah, Dubai, (+971) (0)4 388 4006, www.bookmunchcafe.com

Café Bateel at Marina Walk
If you and the kids like your scrambled eggs accompanied by the view of boats bobbing in the marina, it doesn’t get much better than Café Bateel on Marina Walk. Let the kids splash around in the fountains (bring a spare change of clothes as they’re going to get wet!) before moving onto the café for breakfast to refuel for the day ahead. Want to get something healthy into the kids? We recommend the fruit platter that is big enough for the whole family!

Open from 8am.

Cafe Bateel, Below Al Mesk Tower, Marina Walk, Dubai Marina, Dubai, (+971)(0)4 368 4696, www.bateel.com

IKEA
OK, we know it’s not the most glamorous place to start your day, but it’s certainly the cheapest, with most options setting you back less than 10 dirhams (and saving money feels great in a city like Dubai, right?). Better still, there’s a free supervised play area downstairs to drop kids before or after you dine. Breakfast without the kids? It’s tempting!

Open from 9am.

IKEA, Dubai Festival City, Dubai, (+971)(0)4 203 7555

Jones the Grocer
This popular eatery is buzzing at the weekend, so be prepared to queue – but it’s worth the wait, as the breakfast dishes are delicious. Kids will be handed crayons to scrawl over their menu, so parents can give their full attention to the dishes placed in front of them. After you’ve finished, browse the tempting selection of food and drink on sale to restock the fridge for the weekend (saving that stressful trip to the supermarket with the kids!)

Open from 8am.

Jones the Grocer, Indigo Central 8, (off Sheikh Zayed Road opposite Times Square Mall), (+971) (0)4 346 6886, www.jonesthegrocer.com

Leopold’s of London
JBR’s new mall complex The Beach boasts a breakfast venue with enviable views of the beach and Palm Jumeirah. Leopold’s of London is proving popular, so head there early to make sure you get a table – after all, 8am should be a breeze when you’ve been up since the crack of dawn? And once you have cleared your plates, walk the kids down to the beach for some old fashioned fun (sandcastle competition, anyone?)

Open from 8am.

Leopold’s of London, The Beach at JBR (next to the Hilton), Dubai Marina, Dubai, (+971) (0)4 430 6841, www.leopoldsoflondon.com

M’s, Emirates Golf Club
Feeling extra hungry, mama? Head to M’s at Emirates Golf Club for the Breakfast Buffet every Friday and Saturday morning. For just 75 AED for adults and 30 AED for kids, you can fill your plates from a buffet including a live egg cooking station and pork bacon and sausages. And did we mention the views of the immaculate manicured golf courses? The kids might not appreciate it, but you certainly will – and they’ll be so busy exploring the buffet stations, they probably wont even notice you zoning out!

Open from 7am.

M’s, Emirates Golf Club, Dubai. Emirates Hills 2, Dubai, (+971)(0)4 380 1919 www.dubaigolf.com

MORE Café at Gold and Diamond Park
Want to avoid the crowds? Head to MORE Café at Gold and Diamond Park and you may well have the place to yourself! Open at 7am (early morning, mama?), the restaurant has a breakfast menu with lots of choice, including healthy Fresh Fruit Salad and Yoghurt, and more filling options including English Breakfast and Eggs Benedict.

Open from 7am.

MORE Cafe, Gold and Diamond Park, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, (+971)(0)4 323 4350, http://www.morecafe.co

Mo’s
Kick off your weekend at this Manhattan-inspired eatery at Jumeirah’s CITYWALK development. With slick décor, a warm ambience, and a great kids menu, it will please the whole family! You wont be able to resist pinching a bite or two of the kids-size buttermilk pancakes – and if you are suffering from sleep deprivation (3am feeding session, anyone?), the generous pots of coffee will fuel you for the day ahead.

Open from 8am.

Mo’s, Citywalk, corner of Al Wasl Rd. and Al Safa St, Jumeirah 1, Dubai, (+971)(0)4 344 3305, www.caramelgroup.com

Nofara Café
Nofara is roomy, modern, and stylish, with a small kids play area to keep tots entertained (happy kids = happy mama). The café promises to blend influences of Arabic culture and traditions with modern flavours – so why embrace this by ordering the Shakshouka with Two Eggs or Organic Oatmeal with nuts, dates, and maple syrup?

Open from 8am

Nofara Cafe, JLT Cluster Y, Dubai, (+971)(0)4 432 2023, www.nofaracafe.com

Pantry Café
Just a stone’s throw from Safa Park, Pantry Café has a slick, urban vibe that will transport you straight to New York (without the long-haul flight with kids, which has to be a bonus!) The interior has cool canteen-style furniture and giant chalkboard menus (plus lots of room to park sleeping babies in strollers), whilst the courtyard offers an alfresco alternative for milder mornings. The breakfast menu is huge.

Open from 9am.

Pantry Cafe, Al Wasl Square, Al Hadeeqa Street, Jumeirah, Dubai, (+971)(0)4 388 3869, www.pantrycafe.me

PAUL at Dubai Mall
Many Dubai dwellers will tell you that it’s hard to beat the breakfast served at PAUL (once you taste the pain au chocolate, you’ll understand) and we don’t think you can beat the Dubai Mall location, with views over the Burj Khalifa and the fountains! Stick to what they do best by ordering from the delicious selection of pastries and breads.

Open from 9am.

PAUL, Ground Floor, Dubai Mall, Dubai, (+971) (0)4 339 8036, www.paul-international.com

Reform at The Lakes Club
We advise sitting outside at Reform, so head over early before it gets too hot (it opens at 7am, so it’s the perfect spot for early risers). While you tuck into your egg dishes, pastries, and frothy cappuccinos, little ones can let off steam in the kids play area or kick around a ball on the grass (bring sun cream and hats!) And if you’re craving a bacon butty after a late night and painfully early morning (sore head, mama?), you’re in luck as Reform has a pork license!

Open from 7am.

Reform, The Lakes, Emirates Hills, Dubai, (+971)(0)4 454 2638, http://www.reformsocialgrill.ae

Shakespeare And Co at Safa Centre
We dare you to try and resist the page of pancakes and crepes on the menu at Shakespeare And Co – and if you manage it, there is plenty else to satisfy big and little appetites. Better still, the Safa Centre branch on Al Wasl Road has a great kids play area with DVDs on a loop (get ready for some adult conversation!)

Open from 7am.

Shakespeare And Co, Al Wasl Road, (next to Jumeirah College), Jumeirah, Dubai, (+971) (0)4 394 1121, www.shakespeare-and-co.com

Starbucks on Al Mehemal Street
Not many people know about the Starbucks on Al Mehemal Street in Jumeriah, but it boasts a brilliant enclosed children’s play area in the garden so you can enjoy a coffee and bite to eat while your brood plays – and believe us, it’s definitely worth keeping a secret (shh!). The perfect venue for a caffeine fix when energy levels are lagging!

Open from 10am.

Starbucks, Al Mehemal Street, Jumeirah 2, Dubai

The Archive
Fancy starting your day surrounded by sprawling lawns and the sound of birdsong? Of course you do! So head to The Archive in Safa Park and settle down at one of the tables to enjoy breakfast al fresco on cooler mornings. Or spread out a blanket and enjoy your breakfast picnic-style while the kids play on the grass. Just make sure you pack the sun cream and hats!

Open from 8am.

The Archive, Gate 5, Safa Park, Jumeirah/Al Safa, Dubai, (+971)(0)4 349 4033

The Change Initiative
After a browse in this packed store of environmentally friendly products (eco conscious mamas, get ready to shop), make your way to The Taste Initiative café where the whole family can enjoy a feast of tasty, wholesome dishes! No chance of boredom here, as kids over five can wander over to the store’s free play area, whilst youngsters can choose a few toys to bring into the café with them (after all, quiet babies and toddlers make for happy breakfasts!)

Open from 8am.

The Change Initiative, Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Barsha 1, Dubai, (+971) (0)4 376 9213

The Farm
As much as we love this city, it’s nice to escape it every now and again – and The Farm at Al Barari is the perfect place to do it! Let the kids tuck into plates full of waffles, pancakes and muffins surrounded by lush greenery and calming water features (don’t forget the camera!). Just make sure you book, as it’s popular.

Open from 7.30am.

The Farm, Al Barari, (0pposite Falcon City), Dubai, (+971) (0)4 392 5660, www.thefarmdubai.com

The Lime Tree Café and Kitchen, Jumeirah
Lime Tree Café is a Dubai institution and we love the original Jumeirah branch the best, with its choice of indoor or outdoor seating and a packed deli counter to satisfy little tummies. With a warm ambience and wholesome, nutritious food, the whole family will enjoy a morning pit-stop. And with a 7.30am opening time, it’s great for the mornings when the brood have already been awake for hours (yawn!)

Open from 7.30am.

The Lime Tree Café and Kitchen, Jumeirah 1 (next to Grand Jumeirah Mosque), Dubai, (+971)(0)4 325 6325, www.thelimetreecafe.com

TOM & SERG
Have you heard the buzz about Al Quoz-located eatery Tom & Serg? Find out what the fuss is all about by ordering a portion of homemade muesli, toasted sourdough with jam, or Zucchini and Ricotta Fritters. And why not order a mug of Magic to go with it; a drink with a magic ratio of 1:4 espresso to milk (the perfect antidote to early mornings with the kids). And while you are sipping, order the kids a pitcher of fresh juice, complete with stripey straw!

Open from 8am.

TOM & Serg, Al-Joud Center, Al Quoz (round the corner from ACE hardware store), (+971) (0)4 338 8934, www.tomandserg.com