Smooth coffee
Coffee is a consistent draw, including the Nala Blend and a smooth pistachio cake pairing.
NALA
Al Quoz
NALA is a canteen-style café and restaurant in Al Quoz, with dine-in and takeaway food, coffee, matcha and refreshing drinks. Reviews make it especially appealing for relaxed breakfasts, casual brunches and small treats such as the ube cookie, with a colourful interior and generally warm service.
Reputation Score
4.7
★★★★★
277 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Matcha drinks
The matcha latte and matcha pistachio receive particularly strong praise, though flavour intensity varies by drink.
Great cookies
The ube cookie and purple cookie are standout sweet treats, with the latter described as chewy and addictive.
Calm setting
The small, colourful space works for reading, working or a relaxed coffee, with calm music and a trendy interior.
Group handling
A group of 20 received café-style food and fast, smooth service despite the size of the order.
What to Eat at NALA How we choose these items We use AI to find praise and criticism of specific foods and drinks in a selection of Google reviews. For NALA, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. The score is positive reviews minus negative reviews. For example, two positive reviews and one negative review give +1. Each review counts once per item; neutral comments do not change the score. A zero score is not a positive recommendation. “Only neutral feedback” means there are no positive or negative votes. “Mixed feedback” means equal numbers of positive and negative votes. The quotes are examples of what people said, not every comment we counted. We use different reviews where we can. We normally show up to 10 foods and 5 drinks with non-negative scores. Items with the same score stay together. If a tied group would go past the limit, that group and the lower non-negative scores go into Honorable mentions. If an overflowing positive top tie would leave the list empty, we show up to 10 items from that tie and keep the rest in Honorable mentions. Foods and drinks with a negative score are under What to Avoid. Use this as a guide to what reviewers liked, not a guarantee that you will like it too.
Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of NALA, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.
Food 1
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Sunburst Net +2
“Delicious refreshing juices! Loved the sunburst, with fresh passion fruit.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Delicious refreshing juices! Loved the sunburst, with fresh passion fruit.”September 2025
“Such a wonderful spot! I’ve already been here twice in the past few days and absolutely love their Sunburst juice—it’s so refreshing.”January 2025
Honorable mentions (17)
-
Chicken mushroom melt Net +1
“CHICKEN MUSHROOM MELT Perfect balance of chicken and mushroom, not dry at all, and the sauce brought it all together.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“CHICKEN MUSHROOM MELT Perfect balance of chicken and mushroom, not dry at all, and the sauce brought it all together.”April 2025
-
Chicken sandwich Net +1
“Service was great, had the Spanish latte and a chicken sandwich. Everything came out in a timely manner, and was really good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Service was great, had the Spanish latte and a chicken sandwich. Everything came out in a timely manner, and was really good.”June 2026
-
Chocolate one with white chocolate on top Net +1
“I also picked up a couple of cookies — the chocolate one with white chocolate on top was especially delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I also picked up a couple of cookies — the chocolate one with white chocolate on top was especially delicious.”July 2025
-
Chopped egg parm toast Net +1
“Tastes amazing , I got the chopped egg parm toast and the matcha, white choc macadamia cookie was SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD , also the 50% off for the soft opening was a +1 .”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Tastes amazing , I got the chopped egg parm toast and the matcha, white choc macadamia cookie was SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD , also the 50% off for the soft opening was a +1 .”January 2025
-
Creamy corn Net +1
“CREAMY CORN Surprisingly filling and really flavorful. Everything worked so well together.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“CREAMY CORN Surprisingly filling and really flavorful. Everything worked so well together.”April 2025
-
Egg & bacon toast Net +1
“We stopped by for breakfast, and we loved Egg & Bacon Toast—it was perfectly cooked and just melted in the mouth.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We stopped by for breakfast, and we loved Egg & Bacon Toast—it was perfectly cooked and just melted in the mouth.”May 2025
-
Frappe Net +1
“Apart from my favorite Frappe, the staff are always so sweet and welcoming.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Apart from my favorite Frappe, the staff are always so sweet and welcoming.”January 2026
-
Hazelnut hot chocolate Net +1
“• Hazelnut Hot Chocolate – Comforting and indulgent, with a perfect balance of richness and nuttiness.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“• Hazelnut Hot Chocolate – Comforting and indulgent, with a perfect balance of richness and nuttiness.”March 2025
-
Lentil & beetroot salad Net +1
“• LENTIL & BEETROOT Salad – A fresh and flavorful combination of lentils, beetroot, gem lettuce, fresh and pickled tomatoes, green beans, and red onion julienne, topped with cottage cheese. The olive oil, white balsamic, and chopped herbs dressing tied everything together beautifully.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“• LENTIL & BEETROOT Salad – A fresh and flavorful combination of lentils, beetroot, gem lettuce, fresh and pickled tomatoes, green beans, and red onion julienne, topped with cottage cheese. The olive oil, white balsamic, and chopped herbs dressing tied everything together beautifully.”March 2025
-
Mochi pudding Net +1
“Tried the mochi pudding and the Ube cookie and both did not disappoint, thank you Josephine for your lovely service and your recommendations! you made my visit ten times better.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Tried the mochi pudding and the Ube cookie and both did not disappoint, thank you Josephine for your lovely service and your recommendations! you made my visit ten times better.”January 2026
-
Oasis Net +1
“The juice selection is great too; we tried the Oasis and pineapple juices—both super fresh and refreshing.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The juice selection is great too; we tried the Oasis and pineapple juices—both super fresh and refreshing.”May 2025
-
Pesto orecchiette pasta Net +1
“• Pesto Orecchiette Pasta – Perfectly cooked pasta tossed in a vibrant, aromatic pesto. Light but satisfying.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“• Pesto Orecchiette Pasta – Perfectly cooked pasta tossed in a vibrant, aromatic pesto. Light but satisfying.”March 2025
-
Pineapple juices Net +1
“The juice selection is great too; we tried the Oasis and pineapple juices—both super fresh and refreshing.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The juice selection is great too; we tried the Oasis and pineapple juices—both super fresh and refreshing.”May 2025
-
Pistachio cake Net +1
“Such a lovely spot. The coffee was so smooth and pistachio cake was soft and fresh. Most definitely a place to visit. I was served by Hiruka who also provided an excellent service!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Such a lovely spot. The coffee was so smooth and pistachio cake was soft and fresh. Most definitely a place to visit. I was served by Hiruka who also provided an excellent service!”January 2026
-
Purple cookie Net +1
“Highly recommend trying the purple cookie!! it’s super chewy and totally addictive!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Highly recommend trying the purple cookie!! it’s super chewy and totally addictive!”June 2025
-
Red sauce pasta Net +1
“Quite place, loved the red sauce pasta, they also offer chili crisp oil :p 🌶️”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Quite place, loved the red sauce pasta, they also offer chili crisp oil :p 🌶️”June 2026
-
White choc macadamia cookie Net +1
“Tastes amazing , I got the chopped egg parm toast and the matcha, white choc macadamia cookie was SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD , also the 50% off for the soft opening was a +1 .”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Tastes amazing , I got the chopped egg parm toast and the matcha, white choc macadamia cookie was SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD , also the 50% off for the soft opening was a +1 .”January 2025
Drinks 5
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Dark smoothie Net +1
“• DARK Smoothie – A powerful, nutrient-rich blend of almond milk, hazelnut butter, banana, date, cacao, coconut, charcoal, and camu camu. It was creamy, naturally sweet, and energizing—definitely a standout.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“• DARK Smoothie – A powerful, nutrient-rich blend of almond milk, hazelnut butter, banana, date, cacao, coconut, charcoal, and camu camu. It was creamy, naturally sweet, and energizing—definitely a standout.”March 2025
-
Ice coffee Net +1
“Shared with me how much she loves dogs, played with Sahab, and offered me a great ice coffee.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Shared with me how much she loves dogs, played with Sahab, and offered me a great ice coffee.”June 2026
-
Matcha latte Net +1
“I tried the matcha latte and it was absolutely top-notch—smooth, rich, and perfectly balanced.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I tried the matcha latte and it was absolutely top-notch—smooth, rich, and perfectly balanced.”June 2025
-
Mocha latte Net +1
“I had the avocado toast with eggs, banana bread, and of course, the mocha latte, which was smooth, rich, and perfectly balanced.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I had the avocado toast with eggs, banana bread, and of course, the mocha latte, which was smooth, rich, and perfectly balanced.”July 2025
-
Spanish latte Net +1
“Service was great, had the Spanish latte and a chicken sandwich. Everything came out in a timely manner, and was really good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Service was great, had the Spanish latte and a chicken sandwich. Everything came out in a timely manner, and was really good.”June 2026
Honorable mentions (1)
-
Matcha pistachio Net 0
Mixed feedback
“But the matcha pistachio? Out of this world. Incredible, it’s hard to explain. I’ll definitely be going back to have it!”
Positive 1Negative 1
Review excerpts
“But the matcha pistachio? Out of this world. Incredible, it’s hard to explain. I’ll definitely be going back to have it!”December 2025
What to Avoid (2)
Food 2
-
Green Net −1
“GREEN (matcha drink) Creative take with basil and agave, but the matcha got a bit overpowered and left me thirstier. Still, worth a try for something different!”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“GREEN (matcha drink) Creative take with basil and agave, but the matcha got a bit overpowered and left me thirstier. Still, worth a try for something different!”April 2025
-
Ube brûlée cookies Net −1
“I liked the interior of the place and the purple branding however the pistachio matcha tasted very nutty without a strong matcha flavor, and the ube brûlée cookies were very sweet and muted although they had a nice texture.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I liked the interior of the place and the purple branding however the pistachio matcha tasted very nutty without a strong matcha flavor, and the ube brûlée cookies were very sweet and muted although they had a nice texture.”October 2025
Tips for a Better Visit
Try cookies. Save room for the ube cookie or purple cookie; both are repeatedly singled out, especially as a takeaway treat.
Ask about ordering. Check the current ordering process when you arrive, as one review says dine-in guests had to order everything from their phones.
Choose evenings. For outdoor seating with a dog, evenings may be more comfortable than hot mornings.
Add herb salt. If you like condiments, try the herb salt; the chilli crisp is flavourful but deliberately mild rather than very spicy.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Al Serkal Avenue - Warehouse 47
Al Qouz Ind.first - Al Quoz, Dubai
| Mon | 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Tue | 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Wed | 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Thu | 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Fri | 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Sat | 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Sun | 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
Common Concerns
Phone ordering
One reviewer disliked having to order and pay by phone while staff at the counter handled deliveries.
Limited menu
The menu is easy to understand but some guests find the selection narrow, including for breakfast.
Chipped tableware
A pop-up café visit included a dessert bowl with cracks and chips, which weakened the otherwise polished presentation.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
NALA is a small café-restaurant in Al Quoz suited to breakfast, casual brunch, takeaway coffee or a quiet work session. You can order dishes such as avocado toast with eggs, chicken mushroom melt, salads and pasta, then finish with an ube cookie or purple cookie. Drinks include coffee, matcha, smoothies and fresh juices such as Sunburst.
The strongest pattern in the reviews is the service. Guests describe the team as welcoming and attentive, and one large group of 20 reported smooth, quick service. The colourful, lilac-toned interior is cosy rather than spacious, while the calm music and outdoor seating make it useful for reading, working or an evening stop.
There are a few things to know before going. The menu is intentionally limited, and one reviewer was frustrated by phone-only ordering for dine-in; check the current process when you arrive. Breakfast options may feel narrow, too.
Coffee feedback is mostly positive but not completely consistent, so matcha fans may prefer the matcha latte or matcha pistachio. The chilli crisp adds flavour without much heat, while the herb salt received a stronger recommendation. Outdoor seating can be uncomfortable in hot weather.