The 12 best cafés in Dublin right now

I hate waiting for coffee, but I make an exception when it comes to Kaph. There’s always a lineup here, but it's worth it. Coffee is both an art form and a science here at this cosy coffee shop on Drury Street, which has some of the best baristas around. Looking out onto one of the trendiest streets in Dublin, the bench outside is usually taken, if it is, head upstairs for a quick caffeine retreat in the middle of the city.

Address: 31 Drury Street, D02 Y684, Dublin 2

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, from 8am-6pm; and Sunday, from 10am-6pm

Expect to pay: €3.50-4 for coffees and drinks

If you’re seriously into your coffee, you’ll likely love Clement & Pekoe. With a variety of drip coffees behind the bar, a few sweet treats at the counter and outdoor benches on South William Street that offer the best people watching in the city, this is an ideal spot to sit with a flat white and eavesdrop on all the local gossip. They also have a solid selection of loose leaf teas, if you’re in the mood for something a little more mellow – their coffee is excellent, but it’s like rocket fuel. 

Address: 50 William Street S, D02 DE93, Dublin 2

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 8.30am-5pm; Saturday, from 9am-5pm; and Sunday, from 11am-5pm

Expect to pay: €4-7 for drinks

Not everyone is a coffee fiend. And as Ireland is a nation of tea drinkers, it makes sense that the capital has a killer tea shop in its midst. There are a huge selection of loose leaf blends in Portobello’s Wall & Keogh, all of which you can buy to take home, but also a few tables where you can get a pot to enjoy straight away (and maybe a breakfast burrito on the side, too). But java addicts, don’t despair – they also have coffee that’s roasted in-house (as well as chai and matcha).

Address: 45 Richmond Street S, Portobello, D02 XD93, Dublin

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 7.45am-5pm; and Saturday to Sunday, from 9am-6pm 

Expect to pay: €4.50-11 for plates, and €4-5 for teas and coffee drinks

This café is secret to even most Dubliners. Walk through the doors of The Last Bookshop on Camden Street, which has stacked towers of new and used books, head out the rear doors and step into Cake Café. Given the name, you might guess that its cakes and croissants are top-notch (and you'd be correct), but the real star of the show here is the setting. The hidden courtyard surrounded with plants and coffee served in cute, mismatched cups and saucers makes this the perfect little hideout.

Address: The Daintree Building, 8 Pleasants Place, Saint Kevin's, Dublin

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, from 10am-5pm; closed Sundays

Part grocer, part café, The Fumbally is a warm and inviting meeting space with high ceilings and soft wooden furnishings. Essentially, this is a spot to drink quality coffee while surrounded by leafy green plants, but you should also pick up some locally grown fruit and veg or a jar of kimchi or hot sauce that the team here ferment themselves. On a sunny day, the seats outside are your best bet, but if you’re catching up with friends for a chat, inside is nice and cosy.

Address: Fumbally Lane, The Liberties, D08 HFF2, Dublin

Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, from 8am-5pm; Saturday, from 9am-5pm; Sunday, from 10am-3pm; closed Mondays

Expect to pay: €5-15 for plates, €4-9 for drinks, and $4-6 for sweets and pastries

Dublin's answer to the big coffee chains, 3fe started with one location and is now sought out by coffee connoisseurs across the city. From freshly roasting their own coffee beans to collabs with the Irish rugby team, the guys here know what they’re doing, and there’s now seven locations across the city. The most popular is its flagship café on Grand Canal Street, but my favourite is 3fe Five Points in Harold’s Cross, which feels like a proper neighbourhood spot.

Address: 288A Harold's Cross Road, Harold's Cross, D6W V068, Dublin 

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 7.30pm-3.30pm; and Saturday to Sunday, from 9am-4pm 

Expect to pay: €5-7 for snacks, €8-14 for mains, and €1.50-4 for sided and extras 

Portobello is one of the smallest neighbourhoods in Dublin, but it's got plenty of great places to eat and drink. Brindle Coffee & Wine is one of the best coffee shops in the city for sitting down in the sunshine and watching the world go by along the terraced street. This is a wine shop first and foremost, but locals know about its ace takeaway coffee. On a summer’s day, the stools at the front are a proper suntrap, and the canal is just round the corner if you fancy a stroll.

Address: 34 Lennox Street, Portobello, D08 N265, Dublin 8

Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday, from 7.30am-8pm; Thursday to Saturday, from 7.30am-9pm; and Sunday, from 8am-8pm  

Expect to pay: €3-5 for coffee drinks, €4.4-9 for tonics, and €8.50-12 for wines by the glass 

It’s a Trap is one of those vegan cafés that’s so good that even your non-vegan friends will stop by for a coffee and a treat. With a bright pink exterior, it’s hard to miss this fully vegan café on Aungier Street, but you'll still be surprised by just how good the coffee and snacks are here. Try the cinnamon roll if you've got a sweet tooth, or the Korean BBQ wrap if you're after something more substantial.

Address: 81 Aungier Street, D02 DK50, Dublin

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 8am-5pm; Saturday, from 9am-5pm; and Sunday, from 10am-5pm 

Expect to pay: €6-14 for plates and €3-6 for drinks 

Dublin’s top contemporary menswear shop is also the best place in Temple Bar to grab a coffee. The sleek white interiors give Indigo & Cloth a Scandi-chic feel, and the coffee from Bailies Coffee Roasters in Belfast is slap-you-round-the-face strong (in a good way). Pop upstairs to check out the fashion offerings of A Kind of Guise, Oliver Spence and Universal Works; it's also recently started stocking womenswear brands too.

Address: 40 Clarendon Street, D02 R921, Dublin 2

Opening hours: Open daily, from 10am-6pm 

Smithfield has been namechecked as one of our coolest neighbourhoods in the world, and you can’t have a cool neighbourhood without a seriously cool coffee shop, right? Welcome to Proper Order, the coolest in town. You know you’re in the right place when you’ve got the former Irish Barista Champion pouring your shots and spinning your milk. Serving up baked goods from No Messin’ Bakery (don’t miss the Cardi B cardamom bun), Proper Order is a firm favourite with Dublin’s coffee lovers.

Address: Unit 1, The Distillery Building, Smithfield, D07 WDX9, Dublin 7

Opening hours: Open daily, from 8am-4pm

Expect to pay: €3-10 for coffees, teas and specialty drinks 

I'm reluctant to share this one as it’s one of my favourites in Dublin, but it deserves to be on more people's radars. Books Upstairs is one of the best bookshops in the city, but the books are actually downstairs and the café is upstairs. Laptops are banned and there’s no wifi here, instead, this coffee shop is all about relaxing and starting your brand new book as the sun shines in through the stained glassed windows.

Address: 17 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, from 10.30am-5.30pm; closed Sundays 

This local landmark in the cosy neighbourhood of Ranelagh is one of Dublin’s most beloved coffee shops. Nick’s Coffee uses its own blend and it’s always exceptionally well made. What’s even better are the prices. This is where you’ll find some of the best value coffee in the city – a flat white will set you back €3.30 and over-65s drink for free. Get yours to go on a sunny day and wander around the corner to Ranelagh Gardens Park for a pocket of calm in this buzzing neighbourhood.

Address: 20 Ranelagh Road, Ranelagh, Dublin 6

Opening hours: Open daily, from 7am-7pm