UAE Coffee Club visits the Farm

I’m a member of UAE Coffee Club which meets once a fortnight at different locations across Dubai either to learn and be educated about coffee in some shape or form, or to socialise at a different venue often over a late breakfast or brunch and always over a coffee or two.  The venue for the most recent trip was The Farm.

I hadn’t really heard too much about the Farm and have to admit that the website left a lot to the imagination as the information posted is minimal, however, having seen a few photos of the venue, I knew this was somewhere I wanted to visit.

The Farm is located at Al Barari which is on the opposite side of the Emirates Road from Global Village. And although it’s a bit of a drive, in my opinion it’s worth the trip.  When you leave the Emirates Road, it feels like you’ve left Dubai and found a hidden lush oasis.  From the moment you leave the six lane highway you are tempted down a quiet road which is lush and green with local trees and plants and I have to admit to immediately feeling more calm and relaxed, it’s amazing what a lot of lush greenery can do to you when you get used to our mainly sandy views.

Arriving at The Farm, I was immediately drawn to the lovely setting and spent a while before breakfast wandering around the location taking photos of some of the plants, sculptures and water features which surround The Farm Building.  It’s really quite a tranquil haven.  Comprising of a herb garden and grassy lawn area plus a water feature and a large outdoor decked terrace its a great location to relax in.

Inside the building the restaurant is bright and airy with a mixture of tables and sofas all looking quite inviting.  Outside there is a decking area overlooking the pond which had oversize beanbags and some individual hammock swing chairs which looked incredibly inviting, albeit, the temperature was just a little too hot to enjoy them fully – so yes, I’ll need to revisit as I’m sure one of those hammocks had my name on it

The menu comes in the form of an iPad which was easy to use and had some great pictures and descriptions of the meals, a touch which I appreciated and was a fun way to choose what to order.

I had arrived just in time to order from the breakfast menu, so ordered a waffle which was served with chocolate sauce, maple syrup and strawberries in balsamic vinegar.  The waffle was great, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and the maple syrup and chocolate sauce went well, personally I wasn’t so keen on the strawberries in balsamic vinegar as it didn’t sit well with the other rich ingredients, I would have preferred some yogurt.

Other diners on my table were munching their way through cooked breakfasts (sadly no pork licence) or scrambled eggs.  From the empty plates I an only assume that their food was good.  Of particular interest to me was the fruit platter which was presented beautifully and I’ll be sure to think about ordering this on my next visit as it looked great.

Over the course of a few hours I sampled a skinny cappuccino which I wasn’t keen on, for me the coffee just didn’t taste at it’s best and judging from the amount of coffee left on our table I wasn’t the only one who thought that (having said that we are hard critics as we are all avid coffee fans).  I also sampled a mint lemon which was made fresh to order and was tasty, others on the table ordered juices and various cold chilled drinks which were received well.

Around the restaurant there are plenty of mainly items to purchase, some organic products, fruit and vegetables and fresh bread along with a selection of cakes, bottled water and drinks.  There are also some unusual tea and coffee sets.

Overall the menu at The Farm has lots of variety from Breakfast through to dinner and there are plenty of dining options to suit most tastes which includes raw, vegan, vegetarian and diabetes-friendly items.  I only sampled the breakfast menu so will visit again to sample from one of their main menus.

What stood out for me most about The Farm is the location and the sense of tranquility that you get when you visit.  It’s s superb place to while away a few hours for an ‘out of Dubai’ feeling.  It’s also a great place to take visitors and when it’s cooler it will be a great venue to enjoy some outdoor dining in a great setting.

And as for the UAE Coffee Club meeting,  well as always, it was great to meet and catch up to share news and information on the latest coffee gadgets, Barista competitions, upcoming coffee events and coffee finds as always enjoyed over a cup or two of coffee.  Come join us sometime.

You can find out more about The Farm on their website, their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter.

UAE Coffee Club  is an on-line community of coffee lovers who meet up every two weeks to visit venues across  serving up some of the best coffee.   You don’t need to be a barista to join; just enjoy discovering new places, meeting interesting people and getting your caffeine fix. If you’re a tea-drinker, we won’t judge

You can find out more about UAE Coffee Club on their Facebook Page or follow them on twitter or by using the #CoffeeClubDubai 0r #UAECoffeeClub hashtags on twitter.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.