Cool cafes in Central Dublin

liffeylite

With so many cool cafes springing up around the city, I thought a thread to highlight them would be useful!
so here goes!

café notto: liberties- big space serving good coffee and food
fumbally: liberties-hipster place serving great food and coffee
bibis: Portobello- cool little café with a clothes boutique
wall and Keogh: Portobello- great tea selection and cakes
tiesan: Portobello: small neighbourhood café -great food
café cafe: village quarter- lovely building and fantastic cakes
fixx: Grafton street area - good coffee range and trendy seating
clement and pekoe: Grafton st area - great tea selection
bubblicity: Grafton st area - bubble tea shop
accents: Grafton street area - comfy lounge sofas and good food
Rothar: Grafton st area - Coffee shop in a bike shop
hippetys: Temple bar - café and wine bar with small art gallery
Tamp and stitch: Temple bar - café and clothes boutique
Dux and co: Temple bar - river views with great food and coffee
Foam: north city centre - funky quirky place with a good selection
3fe twisted pepper: north city centre - fantastic coffee and a record shop
bakehouse: north city centre - great bakery and coffee house
brother hubbard: north city centre - lovely food.
wuff: Smithfield = open space serving good cheap eats
seven social: Smithfield - small place with your bill in a mouse trap
tea garden: north city centre - oriental café with cushions and shisha pipes

anybody and other places they like?

Jev/N

liffeylite wrote: »

wuff: Smithfield = open space serving good cheap eats

I wouldn't agree with the 'cheap eats' for Wuff though

Lawrence1895

The Fumbally is great, that's for sure. And the Olive cafe, just round the corner from it, is decent enough as well

EyeSight

i love accents but sometimes i order a drink and there's nowhere to sit because there's a gang of people taking up space for hours while only having one drink.
Part of the reason i love it is that you can lounge about, but it's also its downside

SebBerkovich

Simon's Place in the Georges street arcade is one of my favourite places to go to if i fancy relaxing with a coffee and reading for a while.

(also the cinnamon buns are brilliant)

steve_r

EyeSight wrote: »

i love accents but sometimes i order a drink and there's nowhere to sit because there's a gang of people taking up space for hours while only having one drink.
Part of the reason i love it is that you can lounge about, but it's also its downside

A plus one for accents, I feel your pain though!

Great thread OP

AsianDub

Great list..

I'll add Hatch and Sons, Stephen's Green, under the Little Museum of Dublin and The Little Green, High Street.

Over at the South Docklands, The Art of Coffee, Il Valentino & Bakers are all nice to sit out when the weather is good.

liffeylite

AsianDub wrote: »

Great list..

I'll add Hatch and Sons, Stephen's Green, under the Little Museum of Dublin and The Little Green, High Street.

Over at the South Docklands, The Art of Coffee, Il Valentino & Bakers are all nice to sit out when the weather is good.

is Bakers the new place next door to herbsteet? I had read somewhere that this was going to be a BBs muffin café.

herbstreet is another good café actually!

YumCha

Can't believe Pepperpot and Cake Cafe haven't been mentioned... brilliant sandwiches, soups, salads, cakes, coffee and anything else I haven't mentioned...

Oh wait Pepperpot's scrambled eggs need a mention - available all day every day and the absolute best I've ever had!

Piliger

EyeSight wrote: »

i love accents but sometimes i order a drink and there's nowhere to sit because there's a gang of people taking up space for hours while only having one drink.
Part of the reason i love it is that you can lounge about, but it's also its downside

Always full - camped in by students who spend hours and hours there. Gave it up after a while.

liffeylite

I heard today there I a new place opened in Smithfield called Oscars which is supposed to be excellent.

Apparently it will be a café bar come the end of the month and will be doing plenty of top quality beers. - full pub opening hours.

AsianDub

liffeylite wrote: »

is Bakers the new place next door to herbsteet? I had read somewhere that this was going to be a BBs muffin café.

Yup, had a croque monsieur. Reasonably priced at a fiver.

Cianos

I thought I'd copy your list and indicate which places I know to be good for bringing the laptop to.

= Laptop friendly
= Laptop friendly with plug sockets!

Café notto: liberties- big space serving good coffee and food
fumbally: liberties-hipster place serving great food and coffee
bibis: Portobello- cool little café with a clothes boutique
wall and Keogh: Portobello- great tea selection and cakes
tiesan: Portobello: small neighbourhood café -great food
café cafe: village quarter- lovely building and fantastic cakes
fixx: Grafton street area - good coffee range and trendy seating
clement and pekoe: Grafton st area - great tea selection
bubblicity: Grafton st area - bubble tea shop
accents: Grafton street area - comfy lounge sofas and good food
Rothar: Grafton st area - Coffee shop in a bike shop
hippetys: Temple bar - café and wine bar with small art gallery
Tamp and stitch: Temple bar - café and clothes boutique
Dux and co: Temple bar - river views with great food and coffee
Foam: north city centre - funky quirky place with a good selection
3fe twisted pepper: north city centre - fantastic coffee and a record shop
bakehouse: north city centre - great bakery and coffee house
brother hubbard: north city centre - lovely food.
wuff: Smithfield = open space serving good cheap eats
seven social: Smithfield - small place with your bill in a mouse trap
tea garden: north city centre - oriental café with cushions and shisha pipes
---
3rd Space : Smithfield - nice bright room, busy atmosphere
3fE Pearse St (?) - great coffee, friendly place
Moda, Rathmines - plenty of plug sockets for nerding all day
The Little Green on High Street beside Christ Church is brilliant - lovely staff, nice food and good coffee

SebBerkovich

Cianos wrote: »

I thought I'd copy your list and indicate which places I know to be good for bringing the laptop to.

= Laptop friendly

Out of interest does Laptop friendly indicate the availability of power sockets?

Cianos

SebBerkovich wrote: »

Out of interest does Laptop friendly indicate the availability of power sockets?

Updated!

Dick Turnip

I really like Honest to Goodness in George's Arcade. Great sandwiches & juices if not particularly cheap - good for a hungover Saturday brunch. Downsides are the seating is very limited and it's closed on Sundays which is usually the day I get to into town for a bite to eat.

SebBerkovich

The Little Green on High Street beside Christ Church is brilliant - lovely staff, nice food and good coffee. it's also got a bar, but i've only ever gone there for coffee.

Also, laptop friendly.

Dont be at yourself

Amir's Delights in the Italian Quarter is great too.

Ben D Bus

Cianos wrote: »

I thought I'd copy your list and indicate which places I know to be good for bringing the laptop to.

= Laptop friendly
= Laptop friendly with plug sockets!

café notto: liberties- big space serving good coffee and food

caffé noto has free WiFi and a couple of sockets too. Also their loyalty card only requires 6 coffees before your next one is free.

Chris_5339762

Are any of these places open late? Accents is open until eleven but have a ridiculous "minimum spend" rule for bookings. Turned us off the place immediately.

Lux23

liffeylite wrote: »

I heard today there I a new place opened in Smithfield called Oscars which is supposed to be excellent.

Apparently it will be a café bar come the end of the month and will be doing plenty of top quality beers. - full pub opening hours.

Excellent, if it's only opened how do you know it's excellent?

I have yet to find a cafe in Dublin I really like, personally think the chains are more comfortable.

liffeylite

Lux23 wrote: »

Excellent, if it's only opened how do you know it's excellent?

I have yet to find a cafe in Dublin I really like, personally think the chains are more comfortable.

The café part has been open for a couple of months. its the bar part that is just in the process of opening. The place itself has obviously been very well designed and thought out.

I am sure if you keep looking you will find some you like.:D
Have you tried many from the list?

One of the great things about Dublin is how many independent places there are. most Uk cities just have the generic costa, starbucks, café nero etc and the very odd independent. same goes with the pubs and bars. there is a real variety to Dublin's offerings. its refreshing coming from the UK where you get used to bland chains everywhere. All the cities bar London start to look the same. Dublin always has its own character and its own offerings.:)

seablue

Agree re Simons Place in the Georges St. Arcade. I love the way it never changes - they dont even have a cash register.

Where exactly is the Fumbally?

Dord

Cianos wrote: »

I thought I'd copy your list and indicate which places I know to be good for bringing the laptop to.

= Laptop friendly
= Laptop friendly with plug sockets!

Café notto: liberties- big space serving good coffee and food
fumbally: liberties-hipster place serving great food and coffee
bibis: Portobello- cool little café with a clothes boutique
wall and Keogh: Portobello- great tea selection and cakes
tiesan: Portobello: small neighbourhood café -great food
café cafe: village quarter- lovely building and fantastic cakes
fixx: Grafton street area - good coffee range and trendy seating
clement and pekoe: Grafton st area - great tea selection
bubblicity: Grafton st area - bubble tea shop
accents: Grafton street area - comfy lounge sofas and good food
Rothar: Grafton st area - Coffee shop in a bike shop
hippetys: Temple bar - café and wine bar with small art gallery
Tamp and stitch: Temple bar - café and clothes boutique
Dux and co: Temple bar - river views with great food and coffee
Foam: north city centre - funky quirky place with a good selection
3fe twisted pepper: north city centre - fantastic coffee and a record shop
bakehouse: north city centre - great bakery and coffee house
brother hubbard: north city centre - lovely food.
wuff: Smithfield = open space serving good cheap eats
seven social: Smithfield - small place with your bill in a mouse trap
tea garden: north city centre - oriental café with cushions and shisha pipes
---
3rd Space : Smithfield - nice bright room, busy atmosphere
3fE Pearse St (?) - great coffee, friendly place
Moda, Rathmines - plenty of plug sockets for nerding all day
The Little Green on High Street beside Christ Church is brilliant - lovely staff, nice food and good coffee

Accents turned off the sockets as people were abusing it. They said they either had to put up the price of drinks which is unfair, or turn off the sockets as the bill was too high. Makes sense in fairness. I'd rather have cheaper coffee.

liffeylite

seablue wrote: »

Agree re Simons Place in the Georges St. Arcade. I love the way it never changes - they dont even have a cash register.

Where exactly is the Fumbally?

its on fumbally lane in the liberties. at the junction with New street and fumbally lane. very handy if youre going to one of the markets in the co op at Newmarket square.

liffeylite

Another new place worth checking out.

the black magic café in Smithfield. good food, free wifi and sells beers and wines

its part of the voodoo lounge gig venue that recently reopened on Arran quay.

emilyjmc

Surprised no mention of the Metro yet, my favourite coffee spot in Dublin. Love the outside seating - great for having a gawk at passers by. Friendly staff and nummy coffee and grub

wattlendaub

Black Apple Cafe in Harold's Cross is a beaut of a spot, amazing food and coffee and they really treat you nicely in there.

endacl

They all sound great? Is it essential to be a hipster though? I like me coffee and vinyl, but I'm not a hipster. Do they charge non-hipsters more?

liffeylite

endacl wrote: »

They all sound great? Is it essential to be a hipster though? I like me coffee and vinyl, but I'm not a hipster. Do they charge non-hipsters more?

of course they charge you more if you don't have your hipster card with you

I guess you would like the twisted pepper 3fe café and also the café up in tower records, if you haven't tried these before.

also roasted brown in the IFI, temple bar.

endacl

liffeylite wrote: »

of course they charge you more if you don't have your hipster card with you

I guess you would like the twisted pepper 3fe café and also the café up in tower records, if you haven't tried these before.

also roasted brown in the IFI, temple bar.

cloud493

I'm quite a fan of moda in rathmines. Food's a little over priced, but 2 quid for a cup of tea and a sit down.

killbillvol2

cloud493 wrote: »

I'm quite a fan of moda in rathmines. Food's a little over priced, but 2 quid for a cup of tea and a sit down.

€6.95 for the all day breakfast is good value.

SebBerkovich

Cafe Irie in temple bar was really good - sadly i hear it closed down recently enough. pity.

cloud493

killbillvol2 wrote: »

€6.95 for the all day breakfast is good value.

I don't think its that good though.

sky2424

Thought the same about cafe irie too- til I saw this. In hindsight I'm kinda not surprised- always wondered what happened behind the curtains at the till!!

http://www.fsai.ie/news_centre/press_releases/jan_enforcements_11022013.html

SebBerkovich

sky2424 wrote: »

Thought the same about cafe irie too- til I saw this. In hindsight I'm kinda not surprised- always wondered what happened behind the curtains at the till!!

http://www.fsai.ie/news_centre/press_releases/jan_enforcements_11022013.html

Weird, didn't know thats the reason it went down - also i notice Camden Kitchen on there, that's still open any idea why that's still around while irie is gone?

Dick Turnip

Went to Urban Picnic in George's Arcade for lunch today. Honestly had one of the nicest sandwiches ever - beef medallion ciabata with pepper sauce/mayo and a small side salad. €8 and worth every bit, the beef was very tender.

The cafe itself is small, just two long benches which may not be to everybody's liking but it was to mine. Maybe if it was busier and I was eating face to face with a perfect stranger I might think differently but I'll definitely be back

TTWNF

the Black Apple Cafe in Harold's Cross is great.... great food & top coffee

Ben D Bus

liffeylite wrote: »

also roasted brown in the IFI, temple bar.

Filmbase, not IFI?

liffeylite

Ben D Bus wrote: »

Filmbase, not IFI?

You are correct, my mistake.

IFI does have a cool café bar also though

Dub13

On the northside The Lovinspoon on north Frederick Street is a great spot.

AsianDub

Stage Door Cafe in Temple Bar is nice. Didn't eat, just had a few glasses of wine. Service was friendly.

Koptain Liverpool

Dord wrote: »

Accents turned off the sockets as people were abusing it. They said they either had to put up the price of drinks which is unfair, or turn off the sockets as the bill was too high. Makes sense in fairness. I'd rather have cheaper coffee.

It's for reasons like this that I don't like that place.
What were people doing - plugging in tumble driers??

liffeylite

wanted to add the new oolong flower power tea café on Stephen street. over 150 different types of tea!! :eek:

AsianDub

I like Bleekers on Dorset Street.

strandroad

Koptain Liverpool wrote: »

It's for reasons like this that I don't like that place.
What were people doing - plugging in tumble driers??

It's a common problem in cafes with comfy seats and long hours; people set up their offices there, block the seats, use up power and sit over one tea pot for half a day. You'd have to ask them to buy something or leave to make room for paying customers which looks horrible and puts onlookers off big time. Much easier to turn off the sockets to protect the business.

ProudDUB

mhge wrote: »

It's a common problem in cafes with comfy seats and long hours; people set up their offices there, block the seats, use up power and sit over one tea pot for half a day. You'd have to ask them to buy something or leave to make room for paying customers which looks horrible and puts onlookers off big time. Much easier to turn off the sockets to protect the business.

Didn't the old Bewleys go out of business, as too many people were coming in and reading the newspapers all day long, but only ever buying a cup of tea and a sticky bun? Meanwhile, very expensive city centre rents had to be paid.

I really miss the old Bewleys coffee shop set up. The current set up makes it feel a bit like a cattle mart - get the punters in and get them out as quickly as possible. You do want to create an atmosphere where customers can sit back and relax. But then there are the customers who will sit there all day long and just take the piss. With everyone these days having lap tops and smart phones and a need for wifi and electricity, it is a very tough business model to get just right.

Dub13

ProudDUB wrote: »

Didn't the old Bewleys go out of business, as too many people were coming in and reading the newspapers all day long, but only ever buying a cup of tea and a sticky bun? .

Surly its not a Dublin only problem, how do cafes in other city's deal with this..?

strandroad

ProudDUB wrote: »

Didn't the old Bewleys go out of business, as too many people were coming in and reading the newspapers all day long, but only ever buying a cup of tea and a sticky bun? Meanwhile, very expensive city centre rents had to be paid.

I really miss the old Bewleys coffee shop set up. The current set up makes it feel a bit like a cattle mart - get the punters in and get them out as quickly as possible. You do want to create an atmosphere where customers can sit back and relax. But then there are the customers who will sit there all day long and just take the piss. With everyone these days having lap tops and smart phones and a need for wifi and electricity, it is a very tough business model to get just right.

It's not only that; in one cafe there was a notice to please not consume food one's brought on the premises; I was like "wow does it really happen" and the staff said it does, to the degree they had to put it up. People were really coming in for the day, on one coffee purchase.

EyeSight

Dub13 wrote: »

Surly its not a Dublin only problem, how do cafes in other city's deal with this..?

most shops have seating that isn't too comfortable. For 30 mins they are fine but try sitting on them for over an hour.
It is still a big problem for them but they make money back off having great foot traffic meaning more takeout orders.
As i said before, i love accents but it pisses me off when i order a coffee and then find there's no seats because some people are sitting for hours. If you ask to share the table they get quite annoyed