Across the globe, spies gather in inconspicuous dens to meet contacts and hold discreet conversations. This week, Intelligence Online explores the Dubai iteration of the Baku Cafe, a vector of influence for Azerbaijan's presidential family.
Tucked away in the heart of Dubai's City Walk district with its bohemian-chic setting designed by Ukrainian studio Belenko, the plush yet cosy Baku Cafe Dubai caters mostly to a 'post-Soviet' international clientele, and you are greeted in Russian.
The restaurant has a reputation in the emirate for importing all its produce, from vegetables to meat, from Azerbaijan, and uses its very active Instagram account to showcase the country.
Baku Cafe Dubai tells its 168,000 followers about major dates in the
