Whether you’re spending 2 days in Dublin, a week, or even longer, you’ll want to explore the city’s coffee culture.
Gone are the days when black gold stretched only to the classic Irish coffee. Today, tourists and locals can indulge in a foamy cup of cappuccino, delight in the tasteful punch of a hearty ristretto, or snap away at a mild flavoured flat white. We might not do fika like the Scandinavians, but we sure know the way into your heart with a comforting, hot drink!
Round off your Irish journey by treating yourself — or your loved ones back home — to a delicious blend from the best coffee shops in Dublin.
Coffee culture in Ireland
Ireland might be best known as a tea country, but that doesn’t mean the country doesn’t hold a strong coffee culture. In fact, bean juice is present in our culture in so many forms and varieties: from Arabica with notes of dark chocolate to a Caturra with a rich red apple and tea aroma.
Irish coffee roasters pride in offering ethically-sourced produce that nurtures both the soul and the community, and it is usually accompanied by a sweet treat. These bites can adopt many shapes and flavours and include flapjacks, fifteens (mostly in Northern Ireland), or scones.
When in Ireland, visitors will find a prevalence of smaller coffees in comparison to those served state-side. Yet, it is not uncommon to find cups of coffee far larger than those found in French or Italian cafés.
Locals seem to have a preference for a flat white, but with so many coffee bars and shops available nationwide, it’s quite difficult to pick between espresso, filter, macchiato, or cortado. This list might help you with that.
Our 7 (+1) signature coffee shops in Dublin
Bewley’s
We could simply not start our guide to your best coffee shops in Dublin without mentioning a local tour de force: Bewley’s.
Conveniently placed in the city thoroughfare, Grafton Street, Bewley’s packs the best know-how and tradition. With almost 100 years of serving tea and coffee, its picturesque Harry Clarke stained-glass windows make it a must-stop after a long day of sightseeing.
Our advice: besides the world-famous Irish coffee, you will find a rich variety of blends and teas, whose rich and smooth flavour can be perfectly paired with their scones or a portion of Opera Cake.
Legit Coffee
To say Legit Coffee is a mecca for brain juice lovers is an understatement. This wooden corner in the heart of the Irish capital is home to quite a few variants of coffee, whose beans come from the nearby Boabab Coffee Roaster.
If you won’t settle for espresso-sized happiness, their Belgian dark chocolate mocha won’t disappoint. Feeling rather peckish? Legit’s hearty portions of Mediterranean-infused dishes, like their grilled eggplant sandwich, are the perfect pairing to your latte.
Cake Café
As far as hidden gems go, Cake Café is hard to beat. Its covert courtyard blossoms with plants and they serve your barista’s delight in cute, mismatched cups and saucers.
What’s more, their cute selection of treats, including fluffy pancakes and lemon and elderflower cake slices, will make you feel like you’re part of an Alice in Wonderland reenactment.
If you’re on the lookout for an unmatched hideout in Fair City, you just found it.
The Morning Bakery
A retreat where you can pair your morning call with a focaccia? Say no more. Located offside the busy Camden Street, The Morning Bakery packs multi-roaster coffee to sit, to go or to buy, and a lovely (and pretty inventive) selection of sweets.
Don’t leave without trying their flat white with a cruffin (muffin and croissant, or the best of both worlds)
Kaph
Welcome to Kaph, your on-the-go haven in Dublin’s Temple Bar. Crafted espresso drinks, pour-over coffees, and seasonal brews from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, or El Salvador define this small café that offers both a friendly, attentive service and a passion for the community: its engagement translates into art exhibitions, workshops, and pop-up markets.
Póg
Everyone deserves a treat, especially when it’s made sustainably and packs only a few calories. Póg, or the ultimate healthy café in Dublin’s downtown, is a top-notch spot for coffee and traybake lovers. Pair your cappuccino with some avocado toast or a hearty fruit bowl, and you’re all set for the day.
Cocobrew
A coffee shop in Dublin like no other, Cocobrew is the bridge that unites Australian and Irish coffee styles, and hones in on unique blends made out of specialty coffee beans, cacao butter, and medium-chain triglycerides.
When it comes to healthy coffee, this is your corner.
The result is delicious-tasting coffee with added benefits like energy stimulation, mental focus, and fat burning. Mens sana in corpore sano.
Bonus: The Tram Café
Now, The Tram Café is the typical place one would have to invent if it didn’t exist. Following its owner incidentally finding an abandoned tram in County Cavan and transforming it into a cool café, this instagrammable spot is known for its iced brews and sandwiches.
If you’re looking for a café outside the city center’s hustle and bustle, this quirky tram in the north of Dublin will grab your attention.
Where to order coffee to go in Dublin
When it comes to best coffee shops Dublin, we can’t skip over the best places to buy bulk coffee and make it in the comfort of your kitchen (or bring it home in your bundle of Irish souvenirs!).
- 3fe Coffee: this is coffee galore with an environmental focus. All their options stem from ethically sourced beans and fair trade farmers, and you’ll find notes as diverse as sultana, yellow plum, and toffee on their brews!
- Conveniently located right next to the Guinness Storehouse, Groundstate is a household name. Its sustainable La Joya blend hails from the rugged Colombian plantation of Chachagui, whose beans’ nuanced, tropical aromas will linger on your palate and mind evermore.
- Dublin is home to the world’s second coolest neighbourhood in the world, and it’s right in the heart of Smithfield where Proper Order (7 Haymarket, Smithfield) is placed.
More than a shop, this multi-awarded bar doesn’t beat around the bush: they believe in roast perfection. So much so that they ensure consistency in their coffee by timing clean cycles and taste checks throughout the day. Pass by and get your special order of Sudan Rume or Sidra.
Coffee, set, go! So you’ve got your caffeine fix and are ready to take Dublin by storm, but you are not sure where to go? Our Dublin walking tours might inspire you on your merry way through the Fair City.
_______________________
Curious about Irish Coffee? Join us on our Pubs, Pints, and History: Beer & Whiskey Tasting in Dublin’s Historic Pubs tour to immerse yourself in Irish culture as you explore Dublin’s favourite family-run pubs, trying a varity of locally loved beverages and learning to make your own Irish Cofee at one of Dublin’s trendy venues.