The Fumbally cafe on Fumbally Lane in Dublin 8, Aisling Rogerson's open-plan day cafe inside a fermentation hub, the kitchen the Liberties learned on for years.
Must order: The Fumbally toast with cultured butter and house ferment; a filter coffee from the roastery board.
Tip: Communal tables; walk-in only and bag check at the door. Open 08:00 Tuesday to Saturday; Sunday 10:00 to 15:00.
Address: Fumbally Lane, Dublin 8, D08 HFF2
Two Pups Coffee on Francis Street in Dublin 8, a Liberties counter and brunch room, the southside's strongest cortado and one of the city's brunch references.
Signature drink: Cortado
Order: Cortado on the house roast; the eggs Florentine with house hollandaise at brunch.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive 09:30 Saturday before the queue. Two long tables share with strangers; the window stools turn fast.
Kaph on Drury Street in Dublin 2, an upstairs flat-white room over a Drury Street boutique, the southside's go-to specialty espresso bar with quiet booths.
Signature drink: Flat white
Order: Flat white on the seasonal espresso blend; a Bewley's-style toasted-cheese sandwich.
Tip: Two floors of stools; the upstairs window seat has the best Drury Street people-watching. Closes 17:30 weekdays.
Queen of Tarts on Cork Hill in Dublin 2, the Fallon sisters' 1998 patisserie steps from City Hall, now under Il Valentino owners and the city's reference for a Sunday tart.
Signature drink: Loose-leaf tea
Order: The savoury chicken tart with a side salad; chocolate raspberry tart and tea to finish.
Tip: Two locations on Dame Street; the Cork Hill original sits twenty. Saturday brunch fills before 10:30.
3fe Grand Canal in Dublin 2, the flagship of Colin Harmon's roastery, the city's most polished filter coffee on the south side of Pearse Street's tech corridor.
Signature drink: Filter coffee
Order: A V60 filter with the rotating Ethiopian single-origin and a sourdough cardamom bun.
Tip: Eight 3fe cafes across Dublin; the Grand Canal flagship has the most seating and serves food until 15:00.
3fe on Sussex Terrace in Dublin 4, the small Forest Avenue neighbour, four-seat counter, the morning 3fe espresso for the southside before work commute.
Signature drink: Espresso
Order: Double espresso with a cardamom bun, on the move.
Tip: Counter only; arrive 09:00 to 10:00 weekdays. The bun pastry case empties by 11:00 on Saturdays.
Brother Hubbard North on Capel Street in Dublin 1, Garrett FitzGerald and James Boland's original Middle Eastern brunch room, the Capel Street weekend anchor.
Signature drink: Flat white
Order: Shakshuka with house bread; a cardamom French toast and a flat white to follow.
Tip: Walk-in only Saturday and Sunday from 09:30; the queue starts before doors. Wednesday breakfast is the calm window.
Two Pups Coffee on Francis Street in Dublin 8, a Liberties counter and brunch room, the southside's strongest cortado and one of the city's brunch references.
Signature drink: Cortado
Order: Cortado on the house roast; the eggs Florentine with house hollandaise at brunch.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive 09:30 Saturday before the queue. Two long tables share with strangers; the window stools turn fast.
