Cafe On First

Perched on the first floor of the Ajman Hotel on the corniche, Cafe On First is the property's all-purpose lounge, operating by turns as coffee house, casual restaurant, sheesha terrace, and evening bar. The interior is cosy and low-lit with deep seating, and the outdoor terrace opens onto pool and sea views that come into their own once the weather cools. It draws hotel guests and a loyal Ajman regular crowd in equal measure, and most of the floor staff remember returning faces by name. The menu is deliberately wide, covering a solid coffee programme with a well-made Turkish coffee and a popular Cafe Banana, alongside pastries, salads, pizzas, pasta, and a short list of Arabic dishes. The falafel is notably good, the prawn starter with twin soya and sweet chilli dips is a consistent winner, and the chicken shish taouk works as a light main. Afternoon tea is a minor speciality, with freshly baked pastries, house-made butter and jam, and warm falafel among the savouries. Cakes from the pastry kitchen can be ordered a day ahead, with the vanilla fresh fruit cake a long-standing favourite. Sheesha is a core part of the offer, with a wide flavour list and attentive coal service, and the terrace is the preferred seat for smokers. The indoor room can carry some smoke on busy evenings, so non-smokers are better placed on the outdoor side. Service is warm and unhurried, pricing is fair for a hotel lounge of this standing, and pints are kept unusually affordable for the category. Cafe On First suits long, unhurried visits rather than quick meals: a morning coffee on the terrace, an afternoon tea, or late drinks and sheesha after dinner. The furniture is showing its age in places, but the atmosphere, the view, and the steady professionalism of the team keep it one of the more pleasant rooms on the Ajman corniche.