The Caffè Cova is one of Milan, Italy’s oldest pasticcerie, or delicatessens and coffeehouses which turned 200 this year. Controlled by French luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, this iconic coffee house will open its first café in Dubai. Debuting in January, the brand’s first coffee house in the city will be located inside the Dubai Mall shopping destination. “I think it’s an amazing location and we’ve been waiting for this,” says Cova CEO Paola Faccioli, whose family has owned the brand since the early 1980s. “There can’t be a nicer location at the moment.”
Replicating signature decorative elements of the historic unit on Milan’s Via Montenapoleone, the café will feature mosaic flooring, golden mirrors, velvet sofas, crystal chandeliers and a mahogany and marble counter. In addition, the venue will include a wide terrace overlooking The Dubai Fountain, the city’s Opera House and the Burj Khalifa tower.
The café will also feature a delicious mix of sweets and savouries that are available at Cova internationally. Faccioli recommends the signature cappuccino, Sacher, a decadent dark chocolate cake, creamy risotto that she says is a “Milanese masterpiece,” pralines, and, of course, the famous panettone. Staff at all Cova franchises undergoes rigorous training in Italy, followed by a detailed check on SOPs and recipes, which will also be the case for Dubai.
As part of its 200 year celebrations, the café in Milan underwent three months of renovation and was expanded by 323 square feet. Another key change involved the use of the building’s courtyard designed at the end of the 17th century by Giuseppe Piermarini.