Middle East comes to Soho with new ‘coffee culture’ concept

An international business specialising in Middle Eastern coffee and desserts has launched its first UK cafe today in London’s Soho district.

Bafarat has officially opened its doors on Warwick Street in Soho, hoping to offer Londoners a taste of Arabic ‘coffee culture’.

First established in 1952 by its founder, the late Omar Ahmed Bafarat, the export company specialised in sourcing herbs, spices and coffee from around the world.

Omar Bafarat, grandson of the company’s founder, has led the London project, after opening the family’s first café in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia in 2016.

The cafe, which occupies a unit parallel to Regent Street and adjacent to Beak and Brewer Streets, will feature a dessert counter and an open bar to show the ornate patisserie being created.

As well as offering traditional Middle Eastern coffees and teas, the cafe will also specialise in custom-made desserts and pastries designed by French chef Thomas Alphonsine to evoke Arabic heritage and culture.

The Soho cafe will be the family’s second global site, with more London openings planned in the future.