Many a weekend, we find ourselves aimlessly driving around Dubai rediscovering favorite nooks and crannies, and often ending up eating an elaborate meal at a brand new joint.

My husband and I have a special ritual for ending these star-studded, feast-filled nights. Being avid tea drinkers, we look up late-night tea stalls. These are the tiny little shops lining major highways, or tucked inside residential pockets. The tea is ever flowing, often spiced up with cardamom, and costs a mere 1 dirham per cup. It’s the perfect, soul-warming sip for ending a gastronomic outing.

During the Christmas weekend, we found ourselves lost in the urban jungle of Karama and the kitsch twinkling of multi-coloured tealights at a roadside vendor caught our attention.