About Us

The history of the FiLLi name goes back to when Rafih Filli was in school. An energetic, fun-loving person, his friends endearingly gave him the nickname Filli – although little did they all know that the FiLLi name would become beloved to tea lovers across the world.

Rafih Filli learned diligently from helping in his father’s merchandising business in the early 90’s and started the FiLLi café when he was 21 years old. He started selling tea to customers and promoted the new business by offering samples to passersby. Soon, the Emirati community warmed to Filli’s energizing recipe, and as word spread, visitors to the Mamzar Corniche – where the little café was located – would relax by the beach and procure a fresh cup of his signature saffron tea. The signature blend became famous, and patrons flocked to the café day and night.

The success of his initial venture encouraged Filli to expand, with 23 bustling cafés in the United Arab Emirates alone. Now, FIlli has his eyes set on bringing his beloved Tea n’ Talk experience to café goers around the world.