Bread 41 on Pearse Street in Dublin 2, Eoin Cluskey's organic sourdough bakery and cafe since 2018, the city's most polished cardamom bun and laminated pastry.
Must order: A cardamom bun and a slice of country sourdough loaf to take home.
Tip: Cardamom buns sell out by 12:00 on Saturdays; arrive 09:00 to be first. The cafe sits twenty in the back room.
Address: 41 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, D02 H308
Scéal Cafe on South Circular Road in Dublin 8, Shane Palmer and Charlotte Leonard-Kane's Dublin counter near Leonard's Corner, the bakery's return to the southside where it started.
Order: Brown butter kouign-amann and a sourdough loaf to take home.
Tip: Pastries sell out by midday on weekends. Counter sits eighteen plus a small outdoor terrace.
Worth the queue: Brown butter kouign-amann
Una on Ranelagh in Dublin 6, John and Sandy Wyer's bakery sister to Forest Avenue with Tom and Finn Gleeson of Bunsen, the southside's polished pastry and country bread programme.
Order: Pain au chocolat warm out of the oven and a country sourdough loaf to take home.
Tip: Pastries sell out before 12:00 weekends. Pre-order whole loaves the Friday before.
Worth the queue: Pain au chocolat
The Bakehouse on Bachelors Walk in Dublin 1, a quayside bakery and cafe serving classic Irish brown bread, soda farls and an all-day fry-up on the river.
Order: A slab of brown soda bread with butter and an all-day full Irish.
Tip: Window stools face the Liffey; the back room sits forty. Open seven days, breakfast served all day.
Worth the queue: Brown bread loaf
The Bretzel on Lennox Street in Portobello, Dublin's only Jewish-tradition bagel and rye bakery since 1870, kosher-style classics and a working sourdough.
Order: A poppy-seed bagel toasted with cream cheese and smoked Irish salmon.
Tip: Six bagel varieties baked twice daily; the second bake at 14:00 is the quietest collection window.
Worth the queue: Bagel
The Green Door Bakery on Manor Street in Stoneybatter, the village's go-to morning bakery for freshly baked croissants, cinnamon buns and bread, the Northside's local reference.
Order: Cinnamon bun warm with a flat white; a croissant or daily loaf to take home.
Tip: Sells out by midday on Saturdays; arrive before 10:30 if you want the morning bun warm.
Worth the queue: Cinnamon bun
The Cake Cafe at Pleasants Place in Dublin 8, Michelle Darmody's south-side bakery tucked into the Daintree Building, the city's go-to brunch tart and scone room.
Order: Buttermilk scone with raspberry jam and clotted cream; a slice of Victoria sponge.
Tip: Walk through Daintree shop to reach the courtyard cafe. Twenty seats only; book Saturday brunch a week ahead.
Worth the queue: Buttermilk scone
