About Us | The Espresso Lab

The Espresso Lab is a Dubai-born specialty coffee company and multi-award-winning roastery, crafting exceptional coffee from seed to cup across the UAE.

Exceptional Coffee Is Our Journey. Perfection Is Our Destination.

The Espresso Lab is a Dubai-born specialty coffee company built on one simple belief: coffee, done properly, is a craft worth obsessing over. From sourcing rare microlots at origin to roasting, brewing, and serving every cup with intention, we treat coffee the way master artisans treat their trade — with dedication, precision, and genuine care. What began as one café in Dubai Design District has grown into a full specialty coffee ecosystem spanning roasteries, cafés, a coffee farm, and a national champion-winning team across the UAE.

Our Story

The Espresso Lab was founded by Emirati entrepreneur Ibrahim Al Mallouhi, whose love of coffee began in childhood, watching his grandmother roast Arabic coffee with careful precision. That early fascination stayed with him into adulthood, and a chance visit to a small specialty coffee shop in New York in 2010 changed the course of his life. Unsatisfied by the coffee chains popping up around Dubai at the time, he set out on a five-year journey across the world’s coffee capitals, immersing himself in the craft.

His pursuit took him to formal training at Bellissimo Coffee Advisors in Oregon, where he earned his coffee diploma and became a certified barista, and to origin countries like Vietnam and Ethiopia, where he worked directly with farmers to understand coffee from the ground up. After completing an executive MBA at Cass Business School in London, he brought together his technical knowledge, business acumen, and personal passion to found The Espresso Lab — a brand dedicated to pushing the boundaries of specialty coffee in Dubai and beyond.

What We Believe

Our values are rooted in craftsmanship, innovation, and community. We honor the full journey of coffee, from farm to cup, with meticulous attention to detail, constantly exploring new techniques and seasonal releases to keep the experience fresh and exciting. At the same time, we believe great coffee should never feel exclusive — our cafés are built to welcome both lifelong coffee enthusiasts and complete newcomers into the same conversation, sharing our knowledge and passion generously, one cup at a time.

An Award-Winning Team

Behind every cup is a team of genuine champions. The Espresso Lab has represented the UAE on the world stage of specialty coffee, bringing home:

• 4x UAE National Barista Championship titles (2016, 2017, 2018, 2025)
• 5x UAE National Brewers Cup Championship titles (2016, 2017, 2021, 2023, 2026)
• 1x UAE National Roasting Championship title (2026)

These titles reflect the same discipline, consistency, and artistry our baristas bring to every drink served across our cafés.

From Farm to Cup

Our commitment to quality starts long before the bean reaches Dubai. We work hand-in-hand with celebrated producers around the world, from the highlands of Ethiopia to the misty mountains of Panama, sourcing meticulously selected microlots that reflect their unique origin. We’re also proud to be directly involved at the source through Finca Rasha, our own coffee farm at 1,600 meters in Chiriquí, Panama — a living project where we continue to learn about cultivation and processing hands-on. Every lot we source is roasted with precision at our own roastery in Al Quoz Logistics Park, Dubai, and tailored to how it will ultimately be enjoyed, whether as espresso, drip, or cold brew.

Experience Us In Person

Every Espresso Lab location is designed with intention, pairing refined architecture and thoughtful atmosphere with exceptional coffee, so each visit feels like a moment of calm in the middle of the day. You can find us at:

• The Espresso Lab – D3, Dubai Design District, Dubai
• The Espresso Lab – QAH, Qasr Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi
• The Espresso Lab – NAS, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai
• The Espresso Lab – The Arcades, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi
• The Espresso Lab – Thara, Al Ruqa Al Hamra, Sharjah
• The Espresso Lab Roastery, Al Quoz Logistics Park, Dubai

Join Our Journey

We’re always looking for passionate, detail-oriented people who want to turn a love of coffee and hospitality into a real career. Explore our current openings on our Careers page, or get in touch at webmaster@theespressolab.com.