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Caffé Nero

Located only a 5-minute walk from the college, it is a known hotspot for students and young working professionals alike. We were hesitant to feature a franchise in our blog, but being a local for us in college, we decided it would make the cut.

Caffé Nero turns 30 years old next year, but it has not always been fortunate in their business ventures. That was until 2007 when Rome Bidco Ltd decided to buy it out and go private. The franchise has grown from strength to strength since then, and it is easy to see the success due to the fact there’s one on nearly every street in Dublin!

A cold entrance, highlighted by the lack of people sitting at the tables closest the door. As we approached the counter, the usual Irish mentality of “I’ll get this one lads” kicks in. “No you won’t, I’ll get it”, say the other 3. Thanks to Revolut, this issue is slowly becoming less and less frequent, which, personally, I don’t feel is a good thing. I’m sure cashiers love to see people arguing over who’s round it is or who paid last time. Classic.

As we began to shout out our orders to the barista, his colleague began making an awful racket. Pushing a box of coffee across the floor, making a horrifying screeching noise, meant that after 3 attempts to order, the barista was still no closer to understanding what we wanted. We received our 4 lattes and proceeded upstairs.

“Didn’t know we were scaling bleedin’ Everest” says one of the lads. A fair point as we had to carry 4 scalding hot cups of coffee up a rather steep flight of stairs. As we approach the summit, we see a perfect spot for us to enjoy our coffee. As you may see from the background of the photo, some coffee’s survived the rough terrain better than others.

Caffé Nero is well known around Dublin and a good coffee shop. A mellow atmosphere with a side of business is how I would describe it. A relaxing music playlist followed by echos of meetings discussing quarterly revenue.

A creamy froth followed by a sharp hit of caffeine was definitely what the doctor ordered, and Caffé Nero supplied this in abundance. The coffee was consistent from start to finish. It was smooth with a silky texture all the way through. The latte was strong but not overpowering.

We left Caffé Nero feeling very pleased with our experience. The atmosphere and homely feel of the coffee shop topped off with our above-average coffee made our trip up the street more than worthwhile.

Price: €3.30.

Milk Alternatives: Oat, Soya, Coconut, Almond.

Bean: Segafredo .

Atmosphere: 9/10

Facilities: 8/10

Coffee: 8/10

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The Iveagh Garden Hotel

As we walked down a dark, miserable Harcourt Street in the late afternoon, a gust of wind blew us into The Iveagh Garden Hotel.

This 4-star hotel, located not even 100 yards from the infamous “Coppers Nightclub”, home of many a county jersey and extremely questionable playlists. We did not let it’s next-door neighbours put us off our quest to find a coffee to brighten our day.

We entered The Iveagh Garden Hotel in search of a caffeine boost. Greeted with a warm welcome at the door by the doorman, we felt somewhat like royalty. A large foyer, filled with modern sofas and coffee tables, we made ourselves at home.

As we took out our laptops to discuss, what eventually turned into this post, a friendly waitress appeared to take our order. “4 lattes please”, we said. Personally, I could have done with a double expresso, but to keep our quest for coffee fair, opted for a latte.

We had begun to discuss how tranquilising the foyer was. The soft, Caribean like music, mixed with the feeling of a 5-star hotel made us feel a million miles away from the busy and bustling Harcourt Street. It had just turned 5:00pm. Harcourt Street flooded. People frantically racing out of their offices to get a train that would get them home 20 minutes earlier. Electric scooters, bikes, The Luas. What we were looking at out the window was a complete contradiction to the atmosphere inside the hotel.

Alas, the coffees arrived. Well, we think they may have been coffees. As you have probably seen already, it was very very….very bad. It seemed as though the barista had sent the cup through a blender that was on fire. It looked burnt. The coffee was bubbling still.

A 4-star hotel, in Dublin? It can’t be as bad as it looks, right? WRONG. The latte tasted very poor. It tasted as if they had burnt the coffee beans before they grounded them. Even the addition of a few sugar cubes could not take the bitter taste out of our mouths.

A beautiful hotel, but I certainly will not be back for the coffee.

Price: €3.30.

Milk Alternatives: Oat, Soya, Coconut, Almond.

Bean: God only knows.

Atmosphere: 8/10

Facilities: 7/10

Coffee: 2/10

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Beanhive

Next stop on our journey I find Dublin’s best coffee was Beanhive Coffee, Dawson Street, Dublin 02. Located in a quaint space right next to Stephen’s Green, one of Dublin’s most central parks, we were excited to find out if this intriguing café held the secret to coffee perfection. 

 We arrived at the particularly small café to a welcoming scent of delicious food and their fresh coffee brew. The service showed its efficiency with a welcome greeting on our first step in the door, and the chance to make our order shortly after. To small space meant that Beanhive offer outdoor seating on the street. Allowing for us to enjoy our brew while watching the bustling city go by. If it wasn’t for this extra seating, we would have been stuck to stand, as it is clearly a favorite to many with almost every table being occupied by satisfied customers. 

We finally sat down at our table and prepared ourselves to taste our latte al fresco. This was not any ordinary cup of coffee, it was impressively decorated like as if we had just stepped into an art museum. The coffee was hot, perfect for warming the hands and heart while sitting in the crisp air. The brew itself was strong, with a sharp kick aftertaste, conforming the caffeine was hard at work. Between conversation with friends, the view of Dublin city life, and the intricate design on the cup, it is safe to say we were not bored of entertainment. 

 Price: €3.50 

Milk alternatives: Oat, Soya, Coconut, Almond +50c 

Atmosphere: 10/10 

Facilities: 6/10 

Coffee: 9/10

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A lovely good morning from someone that loves you can make the day a good one! Good morning,sunshine.”

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As we walked down a dark, miserable Harcourt Street in the late afternoon, a gust of wind blew us into The Iveagh Garden Hotel.

This 4-star hotel, located not even 100 yards from the infamous “Coppers Nightclub”, home of many a county jersey and extremely questionable playlists. We did not let it’s next-door neighbours put us off our quest to find a coffee to brighten our day.

We entered The Iveagh Garden Hotel in search of a caffeine boost. Greeted with a warm welcome at the door by the doorman, we felt somewhat like royalty. A large foyer, filled with modern sofas and coffee tables, we made ourselves at home.

As we took out our laptops to discuss, what eventually turned into this post, a friendly waitress appeared to take our order. “4 lattes please”, we said. Personally, I could have done with a double expresso, but to keep our quest for coffee fair, opted for a latte.

We had begun to discuss how tranquilising the foyer was. The soft, Caribean like music, mixed with the feeling of a 5-star hotel made us feel a million miles away from the busy and bustling Harcourt Street. It had just turned 5:00pm. Harcourt Street flooded. People frantically racing out of their offices to get a train that would get them home 20 minutes earlier. Electric scooters, bikes, The Luas. What we were looking at out the window was a complete contradiction to the atmosphere inside the hotel.

Alas, the coffees arrived. Well, we think they may have been coffees. As you have probably seen already, it was very very….very bad. It seemed as though the barista had sent the cup through a blender that was on fire. It looked burnt. The coffee was bubbling still.

A 4-star hotel, in Dublin? It can’t be as bad as it looks, right? WRONG. The latte tasted very poor. It tasted as if they had burnt the coffee beans before they grounded them. Even the addition of a few sugar cubes could not take the bitter taste out of our mouths.

A beautiful hotel, but I certainly will not be back for the coffee.

Price: €3.30.

Milk Alternatives: Oat, Soya, Coconut, Almond.

Bean: God only knows.

Atmosphere: 8/10

Facilities: 7/10

Coffee: 2/10

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Shoe Lane Coffee

As we embarked on our journey of finding Dublin’s best coffee, there was only one place to start, Shoe Lane Coffee, 7 Tara Street, Dublin 2.

Located right in the heart of one of Dublin’s busiest working hub, surrounded by creative organisations, we couldn’t wait to try this artisan coffee shop.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a duo of baristas who certainly woke up on the right side of the bed. While looking at the menu, they engaged in conversation immediately.

The coffee shop was busy, but not overcrowded. After requesting 3 latte’s, we got offered table service, or if we wanted to sit upstairs, we could wait for our beverages. We opted for the latter.

As we ascended the narrow stairs, we were pleasantly surprised by the large table, which was being used as a work area by a couple of poor humans who seemed to be studying for exams. Shoe Lane Coffee had all the facilities to accommodate.

Eventually, we sat down to examine what really mattered, the coffee. A smooth texture, with a swan design (of all animals, a swan??) created on top. A strong taste, followed by a chocolatey aftermath.

A coffee is always best washed down with a cold glass of water, and of course, we got what we needed. A self service water bar to quench our thirst.

As we left onto a busy Tara Street, we got a warm smile and a “have a nice day” from the staff. A great start.

Price: €3.40 (20c discount with Keep Cup)

Milk Alternatives: Oat, Soya, Coco/nut, Almond. 50c extra

Bean: Full Circle- Fazenda Lages (8/10)

Athmosphere: 9/10

Facilities: 8/10

Coffee: 8/10