Canal views
The outdoor and indoor seating both offer Dubai Canal views, with the Burj Khalifa visible from the cafe.
TARA Cafe
Business Bay
TARA Cafe is a coffee shop in Business Bay with canal and Burj Khalifa views. Customers come for Arabic and Western food, breakfast platters, shisha, and drinks such as Syrian coffee, with outdoor seating that suits cooler weather.
Reputation Score
4.1
★★★★☆
442 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Levantine food
Reviews mention well-liked Levantine dishes including kibbe, salads, lentil soup, batata hara and zaatar manakish.
Breakfast platter
The breakfast platter is repeatedly recommended, and breakfast offers include cold appetisers plus zaatar and cheese pastries.
Good shisha
Shisha is a strong draw, with reviewers calling it good and reasonably priced for a creek-view location.
Outdoor seating
The outdoor area is described as breezy and especially enjoyable in cooler weather, while the indoor space is smaller.
Friendly staff
Several reviews describe the staff as welcoming, accommodating and attentive, adding to the relaxed cafe atmosphere.
Tips for a Better Visit
Avoid rushes. Visit outside peak periods if possible: reviews describe overloaded staff, forgotten orders and waits of up to 40 minutes.
Choose seating. Ask for the non-smoking section if cigarette smoke bothers you; reviewers say the cafe has separate smoking and non-smoking seating.
Confirm parking. Ask exactly where to park in the tower and whether your bill needs stamping before leaving.
Try outdoors. For the breeziest canal setting, choose the outdoor area during cooler weather; one reviewer found it especially suitable for winter.
Check breakfast timing. If ordering a breakfast offer during a busy visit, confirm the kitchen has accepted it before the offer cutoff.
Plan the visit
Practical details
57J9+8MC
Business Bay, Dubai
Popular Mentions
Syrian coffee
Syrian coffee is specifically praised as a satisfying drink option.
Chicken Cesar salad
The Chicken Cesar salad was described as great in taste during a breakfast visit.
desserts
Desserts are specifically praised in a review focused on the cafe's coffee and atmosphere.
Common Concerns
Slow service
Busy periods have brought serious delays, including a reported 40-minute wait before staff would take an order.
Parking confusion
Parking instructions have caused problems, including one report of a 20-dirham charge despite the reviewer saying parking was free.
Cigarette smoke
A reviewer who does not smoke said the cafe was full of cigarette smoke, making it difficult to enjoy the visit.
Outdoor flies
One daytime visit was badly affected by flies covering the food and drinks, so outdoor conditions may vary.
Construction noise
Construction around the cafe has occasionally created enough noise to disrupt the dining experience.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
TARA Cafe is a Business Bay coffee shop and casual restaurant built around its setting: diners can look across the Dubai Canal towards the Burj Khalifa, with outdoor seating that reviewers particularly enjoy in cooler weather. It works for breakfast, coffee, a meal or shisha rather than just a quick takeaway stop. Breakfast is a recurring highlight.
The breakfast platter is recommended, while one offer included cold appetisers and two slices each of zaatar and cheese pastries. Other specific mentions include Syrian coffee, Chicken Cesar salad, batata hara, kibbe, lentil soup and desserts. Shisha is also regularly praised, including one review that reported 62 dirhams.
The main caution is service during busy periods. Reviews describe forgotten orders, understaffing and waits ranging from 15 minutes after the Adhan for iftar starters to 40 minutes before an order was taken. Ask for smoking or non-smoking seating, since one nonsmoker found the indoor air too smoky.
Parking also deserves clarification: one customer reported a 20-dirham charge despite saying parking was free, while another advised parking in the tower and having the bill stamped. Construction noise and daytime flies have affected some visits, so timing and seating matter.