“Our Community is Vibrant, Fashionable, and Really Tasteful”: Inside The Curated World of IYKYK Dubai
Established in 2021 by Villa Aumédan founder Ahmad AlMuhassin, the Jumeriah café is providing us with our daily dose of caffeine and escapism – thanks to its expertly curated Instagram feed
At first glance you wouldn’t think it’s a coffee shop’s Instagram. IYKYK Dubai’s feed is filled with posts that highlight luxe travel destinations, Hermès accessories and coveted timepieces – with the occasional shot of a branded coffee cup here and there, discretely placed amongst the expertly curated content. It’s a lesson in branding, painting a picture of a world that feels exclusive while, ultimately, being incredibly attainable. IYKYK, located within the walls of Villa Aumédan – the multifaceted creative space, floral shop and home of Emirati siblings-turned-business partners Ahmad and Noura AlMuhassin – is part café, part hangout for the city’s creative jet set and tastemakers alike.
Ahead of the winter social season, Bazaar Arabia sits down with Ahmad to ask him a few questions about IYKYK’s community and what’s in-store for the café in the coming months.
Harper’s Bazaar Arabia (HBA): What’s the story behind IYKYK?
Ahmad AlMuhassin (AIM): If You Know You Know cafe (a.k.a. IYKYK) started when I actually told one of my friends (who’s my partner now), that I wanted a specialty coffee corner in the Villa I just got to move into – Villa Aumédan. I lived in it for a while until I opened it to the public, and people found out about the flower studio and café.
The coffee shop concept was literally… if you know this specialty coffee then you would know where it is located. The power of community and word of mouth have not kept it a secret. I had to open my villa to the public and welcome everyone, and created a community.
IYKYK is a community club and a café – we do get in touch with our clients and we do share with them some of the fun stuff we do, such as the brands we collaborate with and when we do host events in the villa and outside of it. We recently had a really successful collaboration with Bvlgari for Emirati Women’s Day in The Galleria Mall Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi and we invited our VIP clients.
We are not like other cafés. We tend to engage more with what our clients like and please them in town, and abroad as well during the holidays, in the fun destinations such as ski locations or during the summer in London.
HBA: Tell us more about the community you’ve built. Who are the people that come to IYKYK Dubai?
AIM: I would describe our community as the movers and shakers of the UAE. At the end of the day they are who made us and without them we’re just a basic café, to be honest.
My clients are vibrant, fashionable, top notch stylish and they are really tasteful – and, most importantly, kind and humble. I think we all have one shared aspect with our clients, which is creativity, and that’s where we all find our common grounds at IYKYK Cafe.
HBA: Who handles Instagram? The feed has a unique look and energy. about it
AIM: I handle instagram myself and I do get to capture every image on the page. Our aim on Instagram is to share spaces, products, and travel destinations that benefit our followers and our community. With that we are able to know what they like and what they need; we always tag or put the location of where we go.
We do share the menu and what we serve, but I’m sure our audience does not want to see just coffee and cake. They want more than that! They want things that relate to their day-to-day life and whatever is trending – you will always find it on IYKYK. (Sometimes we share our secret places too –we do not like to gate-keep.)
HBA: How many cups of coffee do you drink each day? And if you’re not a coffee fan, what’s your go to beverage?
AIM: Personally, I can only drink one; matcha is a good alternative, which is trending now. You can also get your hands on Coconut Water Iced Matcha or the Strawberry Foam Matcha at IYKYK. If you are not a coffee lover, we are famous for our glittery Hibiscus Tea, Vert Fizz Elderflower Slush and Sakura Peach Slush which is refreshing during summer and all year round.
HBA: What are the must-try dishes and drinks?
AIM: I would say our Matcha with Coconut Milk is one of our most popular drinks; second place goes our Iced V-60, and our famous IYKYK Kinder Cookies come in third.
HBA: Matcha has been on the rise in the UAE for years now. Are you doing anything to put a unique IYKYK twist on it?
AIM: We just launched our Matchagato, which is French Vanilla Soft Serve Ice Cream topped with hot matcha. I would say honestly I have never seen it anywhere in the UAE. Also we do have a really cool Blue Clouds Vanilla foam Iced Matcha.
HBA: Anything exciting in store for the coming season?
AIM: Well, a whole new space is upcoming in Dubai! And we are so excited to share the details so soon with everyone as we won’t be a cafés anymore.
HBA: Anything we can look forward to for the winter season? Any exciting events in the works?
AIM: During the winter season we have a lot of activations and events happening. One of the most major events every winter is Qasr Al Hosn in Abu Dhabi. We also have upcoming collaboration with Versace, Sephora, Molton Brown and The Hidden Hills Society which is one of the latest emerging brands in Dubai who we like working with.
Check back soon for more details.
Where is IYKYK Dubai located?
IYKYK is located at Villa Aumédan in Jumeirah 1 (Full address: Villa 9, 61B St, Jumeirah, Jumeirah 1, Dubai). For more information visit
