Coffee in Dublin

I have lost count of the number of times that students have told me that they can't get nice coffee in Dublin. Good coffee, they claim, can only be found in their own country. This complaint comes from students of all countries, but mostly from Italians!

Of course, Dublin (like Rome and Madrid and Paris and everywhere else) has places where you can get terrible coffee, and I have had bad coffee in lots of these cities. But I have good news! There are lots of places to get really good coffee in Dublin too. You just have to know where to look. So, here are a few suggestions:

1. Try 'Lemon' on Dawson Street (just beside the side entrance to Trinity College). It mainly sells crepes but it has very good coffee too. Also, they will give you an extra 'shot' of espresso for free if you like your coffee strong

2. Go to 'Bewley's' on Grafton street. This is a very old Irish cafe which has been a meeting place for Dublin people for years and years. They also serve very good coffee.

3. 'The Bald Barista' or 'Milk and Honey' have won awards for their coffee. The second one has just opened, so go and tell me if it's nice, I haven't been there yet. They are both on Aungier Street (this is the street that continues on from George's St if you keep walking away from Temple Bar).

Finally, did you know that there is a World Barista Competition! Baristas (people who make coffee in cafes) come from all over the world and compete to be the best Barista in the world. An Irish guy won it in 2008. And this year, an Irish guy came 4th. Check out the video:

http://www.worldbaristachampionship.com/videos/2009finals_ireland.html

Enjoy!