Selling for nearly 1,000 USD (R17,397.99) a cup, a café in Dubai has officially launched the world’s most expensive coffee, brewed from rare Panamanian beans sold at a record-breaking price.
The emirate, long famous for its luxury and excess—from the world’s tallest building to its indoor ski resort—now adds another extravagant feather to its cap.
“We felt Dubai was the perfect place for our investment,” said Serkan Sagsoz, co-founder of Julith Café, the coffee shop behind the lavish offering.
Situated in an industrial area that has recently become a coffee culture hotspot, Julith plans to serve around 400 cups of the exclusive beverage starting Saturday, Sagsoz told AFP.
The Flavour of Luxury
For 3,600 dirhams (about R17,050) per cup, customers can expect a sensory experience unlike any other.
“There are white floral notes like jasmine, citrus flavours like orange and bergamot, and a hint of apricot and peach,” said Sagsoz, describing the taste profile. “It’s like honey—delicate and sweet.”
The drink, brewed from Nido 7 Geisha beans, is said to have a flavour profile closer to fine tea than traditional coffee.
Setting a New Record
Just a month ago, Dubai set a Guinness World Record when another café, Roasters, sold coffee for 2,500 dirhams a cup. Julith’s new offering surpasses that mark, reinforcing Dubai’s status as the home of luxury experiences.
“It’s shocking, but it’s Dubai,” said local resident Ines. Another customer, Maeva, added, “For wealthy people, it’s just another experience they can boast about.”
The Price of Rarity
Julith Café bought its Panamanian beans at auction after an intense bidding war that lasted several hours. The café said it paid the highest price ever recorded for coffee, shelling out around 2.2 million dirhams (R10.4 million) for just 20 kilograms of beans.
These ultra-premium beans, grown on a plantation near Panama’s Baru volcano, are coveted for their rarity and taste.
Since the purchase, Asian buyers, Emirati coffee enthusiasts, and international collectors have reached out to Julith in hopes of acquiring a portion of the beans.
However, the café has confirmed it will not share its stock, except for a small portion reserved for Dubai’s ruling family.
With this extravagant debut, Julith Café has cemented its name in the global coffee scene—turning a simple cup of coffee into an R18,000 status symbol.
