The 11 best cafés in Dublin

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.

Tucked away on a side street off the busy Camden Street, The Morning Bakery has quality coffee and a brilliant selection of focaccias and sweet baked treats. It was recently expanded and now has indoor seating, so you can sit down with your flat white and cruffin (yes, that's a croissant-muffin hybrid). The street gets a lot of morning sun, making it an ideal spot to wake yourself up and say hello to all the dogs out for their morning walk.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. This spot overlooks the Grand Canal, so it's the perfect fuel for your your waterside walk.

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.

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.

We named Smithfield as the coolest neighbourhood in the world last year (you can check out this year’s ranking right here), and well, 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 Irish Barista Champion pouring your shots and spinning your milk. Serving up baked goods from No Messin’ Bakery, Proper Order is a firm favourite with Dublin’s coffee lovers.

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.

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 €2.75 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.