Breakfast Standouts
Breakfast gets the most convincing praise, with Turkish eggs, French toast and the Pulled Beef Benedict repeatedly impressing diners.
One Life Kitchen and Café (d3)
Dubai Design District
One Life Kitchen and Café is a breakfast café, lunch restaurant, bar and coffee roastery in Dubai Design District. Reviews make breakfast the strongest draw, especially dishes such as Turkish eggs and Pulled Beef Benedict, while the spacious setting also suits casual meet-ups and some laptop time.
Reputation Score
4.5
★★★★★
1,340 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Work Space
The upstairs area has ample seating, fast Wi-Fi and a large wooden desk that remote workers can use.
Easy Parking
Weekend visitors report easy, spacious parking close to the café, removing one of the usual D3 hassles.
Outdoor Seating
The outdoor area is a strong choice in cooler weather, with several reviews noting its relaxed atmosphere and winter usefulness.
Helpful Service
Many guests describe the team as friendly and attentive, including staff who handled customised orders successfully.
Creative Atmosphere
The bright, retro-boho interior, live music and upstairs event space give it more character than a standard café.
Tips for a Better Visit
Choose Breakfast. For the safest first order, stick with breakfast: one group found breakfast and coffee good but lunch average after a long wait.
Visit Off-Peak. For laptop work, avoid busy or noisy periods and check seating first; a reviewer could not find a table and heard kitchen shouting.
Use Parking. If you are driving on a weekend, use the nearby parking; reviewers found it easy and plentiful close to the café.
Try Outdoors. Choose an outdoor table during Dubai’s cooler winter weather for the calmer setting highlighted by several diners.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Building 5
Zaa'beel Second - Dubai Design District, Dubai
| Mon | 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Tue | 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Wed | 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Thu | 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Fri | 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Sat | 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Sun | 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
Common Concerns
Food Inconsistency
Some visits have produced dry tacos, burnt French toast, stale dessert or poorly prepared lunch dishes.
Long Lunch Wait
A group reported waiting 45 minutes for lunch, after which the brisket and chicken skewers were disappointing.
Changing Portions
One regular felt portions had shrunk and prices had risen, while repeated changes to the fries undermined menu consistency.
Work Noise
The café can be too loud for focused work; one reviewer specifically mentioned kitchen staff shouting orders.
Accessibility
The upstairs popup area was challenging to reach for a visitor with mobility issues.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
100 AED
2 Breakfast Dishes + 2 Coffees
“Went for their Breakfast Offer of 2 Breakfast Dishes + 2 Coffees for 100 AED”Google review · June 2023
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
One Life Kitchen and Café is a roomy breakfast-and-lunch spot in Dubai Design District with a bright, retro-boho feel, indoor and outdoor seating, and an upstairs area used for working and events. Breakfast is the clearest reason to come: reviewers specifically praise the Turkish eggs, Pulled Beef Benedict, Feta Shakshuka and chocolate croissant. The café also roasts coffee, and one reviewer was especially impressed by its Laksa.
The setting works well for a relaxed breakfast, casual date, meeting friends or an after-work drink. Parking is repeatedly described as easy and close by, while the outdoor seating is especially appealing in winter. Fast Wi-Fi and generous seating can make it useful for laptop time, though this is not guaranteed to be quiet: one visitor heard kitchen staff shouting and found no table on arrival.
The upstairs area may also be difficult to access for people with mobility issues. Food quality is not perfectly even. Alongside glowing breakfast reports, guests have received burnt French toast, dry chicken tacos, stale apple crumble and lunch dishes that felt average after a 45-minute wait.
A breakfast deal of two dishes and two coffees was reported at 100 AED, so checking current offers and favouring breakfast may be wise.