15 editor picks in Dublin.
15 cafe places in Dublin we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Dublin | Cafe across every city.
Dublin takes its coffee seriously, and the cafe has become as much a workroom as a refreshment stop across the city. The Fumbally in the Liberties and 3fe, with rooms at Grand Canal in the Docklands and Sussex Terrace in Ranelagh, helped define the modern specialty wave. In the south city centre, Kaph and the long-standing Bewley's Cafe on Grafton Street show the range from new to historic.
The Fumbally on Fumbally Lane in Dublin 8, Aisling Rogerson and Luca D'Alfonso's open-plan day cafe and fermentation lab, the Liberties' working kitchen.
OrderThe daily soup with house sourdough at lunch; Friday Dinner if you can grab the booking window.
TipCommunal seating; arrive before 12:30 to get the long table to your group. No reservations except Friday Dinner.
Soup Dragon on Capel Street in Dublin 1, a fifteen-seat Northside cafe running ten daily soups, the city's most balanced sub-€10 lunch you can find.
OrderTwo-soup combo with house bread and a smoothie; Thai chicken soup if it's on the board.
TipWalk-in only and counter seating only; arrive before 12:30 or after 14:00 to find a stool. Takeaway runs all day.
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.
OrderA V60 filter with the rotating Ethiopian single-origin and a sourdough cardamom bun.
TipEight 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.
OrderDouble espresso with a cardamom bun, on the move.
TipCounter only; arrive 09:00-10:00 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.
OrderShakshuka with house bread; a cardamom French toast and a flat white to follow.
TipWalk-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.
OrderCortado on the house roast; the eggs Florentine with house hollandaise at brunch.
TipWalk-in only; arrive 09:30 Saturday before the queue. Two long tables share with strangers; the window stools turn fast.
Vice Coffee Inc on Middle Abbey Street in Dublin 1, inside the Wigwam bar and venue, the small-batch specialty roaster pouring espresso and filter.
OrderEspresso tonic in summer, the seasonal filter in winter.
TipCounter inside Wigwam; the bar's coffee bar runs daytime hours. Closes 17:00 weekdays.
The Bald Barista on Aungier Street in Dublin 2, a two-floor specialty espresso bar with sweet treats and upstairs seating, the south-city centre's reliable.
OrderFlat white on the house espresso blend; a slice from the bakery counter.
TipCounter on the ground floor; the seating and toilet are upstairs. Outdoor tables at the front. Closed on Saturday and Sunday in most weeks.
Bewley's Cafe on Grafton Street in Dublin, the Ernest Bewley grand cafe since 1927, restored across three floors, the city's heritage tea-room and lunch room.
OrderThe Bewley's house blend coffee and a sticky bun; an afternoon cream tea upstairs.
TipThree floors; the first floor is the historic Harry Clarke window room. The basement Theatre cafe runs lunchtime plays.
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.
OrderThe Fumbally toast with cultured butter and house ferment; a filter coffee from the roastery board.
TipCommunal tables; walk-in only and bag check at the door. Open 08:00 Tuesday to Saturday; Sunday 10:00-15:00.
Kaph on Drury Street in Dublin 2, an upstairs flat-white room over a Drury Street boutique, the southside's regular specialty espresso bar with quiet booths.
OrderFlat white on the seasonal espresso blend; a Bewley's-style toasted-cheese sandwich.
TipTwo floors of stools; the upstairs window seat has the best Drury Street people-watching. Closes 17:30 weekdays.
Twist Bakery on Bedford Row in Temple Bar is a Dublin 2 artisan bakery and cafe with slow-fermented sourdough, croissants and morning specialty coffee.
OrderAlmond croissant or a slice of sourdough with a flat white; afternoon a hand-decorated seasonal cake.
TipCounter is busy from 07:00 weekdays; weekends open at 08:00. Walk-in only and limited seating, so plan for takeaway.
The Fumbally (The Liberties): Hidden down a Liberties lane behind The Coombe, no Google Maps queue tells you it's the Liberties' weekend ritual.
TipFriday Dinner is the secret-handshake booking; the daily cafe is walk-in only. Closed Sunday afternoon.
The Cake Cafe (Cafe) in Dublin: Walk through the Daintree shop to reach the courtyard cafe. Twenty seats only; book Saturday brunch a week ahead online.
TipWalk through the Daintree shop to reach the courtyard cafe. Twenty seats only; book Saturday brunch a week ahead online.
Soup Dragon on Capel Street in Dublin 1, ten daily soups, the city's most balanced sub-€10 lunch counter, the Northside's working budget lunch since 1996.
OrderTwo-soup combo with bread
TipCounter-only seating; the two-soup combo with bread and a smoothie runs €12. Best after 14:00.
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