It’s Tuesday, you’re typing away on your laptop, glancing at your notes now and then. You feel your eyelids growing heavier with each passing second and automatically reach for the iced vanilla latte in front of you. It’s your fifth cup of coffee of the week, second of the day, and God, are you tired of consuming the same coffee from the same shop every single damn day.

If this sounds too familiar, then fear not — you’ve come to the right place! Here is a list of cafés in Abu Dhabi as recommended by locals that you can drop by and have a cup of coffee at, along with a couple of sweets.

Home Bakery (@home_bakery)

Ask any local Emirati which café they would recommend to an outsider, especially university students, and you are bound to hear Home Bakery as one of the first five that they mention. A company based in Dubai that has now expanded to Abu Dhabi, Home Bakery is a café that proclaims to sell “desserts that make you feel good.” Some of the food items on their menu include salted caramel peanut butter cake, oatmeal coconut cookies and chocolate hazelnut bites.

Joud Café (@joudcafe)

Want aesthetically pleasing coffee and food that will up your Instagram game? Then Joud Café is the place to go. Located on Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street, near Mubarak Bin Mohammed School, the café serves not only delicious food but also locally-roasted coffee that is rich in flavor. If you want a relaxing afternoon at a beautifully decorated coffee shop, this café should appear on your bucket list of places to visit.

Art House Café (@arthousecafead)

Any avid café hopper would have heard of Art House Café, if not have visited the place already. What makes this café unique is the perfect synthesis of coffee and art that they offer to their customers — not only is the shop filled with colorful furniture, but their walls are also decorated with a myriad of paintings. And if you’re amazed by their interior design, you’ll be even more pleased to find out that they offer delicious food at reasonable prices.

Dose Café (@dosecafe_uae)

If you’ve never felt the strong urge to visit a café, seeing Dose Café’s pictures on their Instagram page might just change your mind. Dose Café is located in Al Wahda, opposite of Zayed University, and sells a variety of coffee and tea. It is mostly known for its cozy atmosphere and delicious sweets (make sure to try their triple chocolate brownies!).

Rain Café (@rainabudhabi)

There’s no place like Rain Café to visit on a rainy day in Abu Dhabi. A coffee shop that opened in the Al Wahda area very recently, Rain Café brings to its customers not only a full menu of specialty coffee but an array of baked goods as well. Open from as early as 7 a.m. with free wifi provided, it is the perfect place for students to study with their friends at. 

Ready for a weekend of visiting different coffee shops and trying out new beverages and sweets? Hope you enjoy your café hunting!