Arabic Afternoon Tea at Hotel Indigo Dubai: Where Your Scones Get a Levantine Glow-Up

So you think you’ve done it all – matcha lattes, high teas with too many forks, and that one time you tried to pronounce “scone” correctly in front of a Brit (good luck with that). But hold onto your kaftans, Dubai, because there’s a tea party in town that’s rocking a full Arabic glow-up.

Welcome to Open Sesame at Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown, where the Neighbourhood Arabic Tea Experience is here to spill more than just tea. Think less cucumber-crustless sandwiches and more labneh-cucumber bites. Less Earl Grey and more cardamom-kissed everything. It’s traditional afternoon tea, but if it had a layover in the Levant and came back with better stories.

If you’re building a list of afternoon tea options in Dubai, this one belongs near the top – not because it’s the most expensive or the most photographed, but because it’s genuinely doing something different.

What is the Neighbourhood Arabic Tea Experience?

Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown is the UAE’s first certified boutique hotel, built around local art, neighbourhood character and the kind of personality that most hotel restaurants actively avoid. Open Sesame, its ground-floor restaurant, takes Mediterranean and Levantine food seriously – locally roasted specialty coffee from Café Rider Custom Roastery, an artsy and vibrant interior and a menu that connects to the neighbourhood it’s in.

The Arabic Tea Experience is the afternoon expression of that philosophy. Instead of replicating the British afternoon tea format with a Middle Eastern garnish, the kitchen has genuinely rebuilt it around Arabic flavours and cultural references. The result is something that feels cohesive rather than gimmicky.

“You’re about to experience an afternoon of discovery, indulgence, and connection with the flavours and traditions that make our neighbourhood so special.” – Open Sesame

What’s on the Tea Menu

The menu rotates seasonally but the through-line is consistently Arabic and Levantine – flavours and ingredients you’d find in the region’s home kitchens, elevated into afternoon tea format.

The highlights:

The camel milk rose ganache is the item everyone talks about. It sounds unusual, tastes extraordinary and makes for the kind of food memory that comes up in conversation weeks later.

The Art Tour Add-On: Cultural Enrichment With Your Tea

Here’s where Hotel Indigo separates itself from most afternoon tea offerings in Downtown Dubai. The hotel’s art collection is genuinely notable – bold local installations, intricate Middle Eastern pieces and contemporary works that cover the walls throughout the property.

For AED 350 for two (versus AED 250 for tea only), you add a guided art tour of the collection to your afternoon. So you’re sipping mint tea, eating camel milk ganache and absorbing contemporary Arabic art simultaneously. Which is honestly a better afternoon than most options at the same price point in this neighbourhood.

It’s become a popular option for people who want to do something a bit more considered than just a standard F&B experience – the kind of thing that works for visitors who want to understand Dubai beyond the usual attractions, or for long-term residents who want to see the city slightly differently.

💡 WOW-Emirates Expert Tip: Book the art tour combo. The extra AED 100 for two people is genuinely worth it – the guided element adds context to the hotel’s collection that you’d miss wandering around independently. It also extends the afternoon in the best possible way.

The Full Hotel Indigo Dining Programme

The Arabic afternoon tea is the flagship experience but Hotel Indigo’s restaurant and bar programme is worth knowing in full if you’re in the Business Bay and Downtown area.

Open Sesame restaurant (ground floor):

• Neighbourhood Arabic Tea Experience: Sunday-Friday, 1pm-5pm. AED 250 for two (tea) / AED 350 for two (tea + art tour)
• Friday Seafood Night: Fridays 7pm-10pm. Fresh prawns, crabs, oysters, ceviche and paella. AED 279 (soft drinks) / AED 379 (house beverages) – BOGO available
• Business Lunch: Monday-Friday, 12pm-5pm. 2-course AED 75 / 3-course AED 95 per person including juice and specialty coffee

Orange Feels Bar and Shisha Lounge (second floor, poolside):

• Cheese and Grape Night: Daily from 5pm. Cheese board AED 110 / Charcuterie AED 160. Add a glass of grape for AED 35.
• Thursday Ladies Night: 5pm-11pm, two hours of free-flowing grape with cheese selection
• 25-metre infinity pool: Accessible for hotel guests and those dining at the lounge

Tribal Lounge: The hotel’s speakeasy cocktail bar – signature cocktails infused with local flair, available in the evenings.

Why This Works as an Afternoon Option in Business Bay

Business Bay and Downtown Dubai are not short of places to eat. But genuinely interesting afternoon tea options – something beyond the five-star hotel lobby format that costs AED 200 per person and serves the same scones and finger sandwiches as twelve other venues – are rarer than they should be.

The Arabic Tea Experience at Hotel Indigo sits at a price point (AED 125-175 per person) that makes it accessible without feeling casual, in a setting that’s interesting rather than corporate, and with a menu that’s actually specific to a place and a culture rather than generic luxury signals.

For a post-shopping afternoon in Downtown Dubai, a mid-week catch-up, or a visitor who wants something authentic – it’s an easy recommendation.

Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown: The Details

FAQs About Hotel Indigo Dubai Afternoon Tea

Contact & Location

Phone: 056 422 7120

Planning an afternoon in Downtown Dubai? Read our guide to things to do in Dubai for more ideas, or browse our full Brunch and Dining Guide for more afternoon and weekend dining options across the city.