For the Coffeeholics: 5 Best-Loved Coffee Spots in Ireland Where You Can Get Caffeinated
The need for coffee spots in Ireland began in the 17th century when merchants brought back coffee from the Middle East. But did you know Irish coffee was accidentally invented in the 1940s to warm up passengers in a cold airport during winter?
If we think about it—it’s inevitable that coffee will not be big in Ireland. Hence, you can find a lot of coffee shops in almost every corner.
Whether you’re looking for mainstream coffee shops or independent coffee spots, Ireland has much to offer. And we’re going to list down the top places to go get that cuppa!
The Cost of Visiting Coffee Spots in Ireland
Recently, the government has raised taxes, adding 20 cents per cup of coffee. There’s also an increase in labour, materials, and ingredients.
On average, you’ll get a cup of coffee for €4.40—€4.50 nowadays. The costs of pastries and cakes on the other hand vary and may range from €3.50—€6.50
Top Coffee Spots in Ireland
We’re reviewing the best using the following criteria:
1. Vice Coffee Inc.
| View and location | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Cleanliness and maintenance | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Food and beverage | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Vice Coffee Inc. is one of those places wherein you can get both alcohol and coffee. It has coffee options, a variety of food choices, and even alcoholic drinks, which we think make it a good place for people with varied tastes.
We love how the owners take care of the coffee spot as well. It’s clean and well-maintained, and there are several seats available for walk-ins.
It even has a beer garden, if you like the outdoors! It’s a good area to have conversations so you won’t bother the people inside too much.
Just a heads-up though—the coffee shop’s almost always full since it has become a popular hangout place for everyone. Most especially during peak hours, it can be quite noisy, and not everyone enjoys a lot of noise.
The drinks that some patrons recommend are the Fancy Frankie and Luxurious Linda. These are two types of Irish coffee that taste smooth and really good—you’re welcome!
We love that they also serve a variety of food. If you get hungry, there’s no need to hop onto another place just for quality food—plus, the place has great desserts!
One of the complaints though is that Vice Coffee Inc. has limited milk options. So if you have preferred milk to your coffee, it might not be available!
Customer Reviews
Extensive brunch menu
We stopped for a coffee and toastie as a late-morning snack, both were wonderful. The staff was really friendly and the venue itself was fantastic. Don’t go to the big fast food chains for lunch/coffee, go to Vice instead.
—Matthew Smith, Google Reviews
Great dessert selection
Always a pleasure to stop by! Amazing service, unbelievable treats (lemon bar and chocolate chip were yummy), and the coffee – wow, from another world. The “coffee three ways” should become a standard offering in all cafes – ingenious! Thank you for being such rock stars!
—Kateřina Marxtová, Google Reviews
2. Cork Coffee Roasters
| View and location | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Cleanliness and maintenance | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Food and beverage | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
What we love about Cork Coffee Roasters is that it’s located in a nice neighbourhood. You can see the coffee spot to and from the English market, making it popular with everyone who passes by.
It’s the reason why it’s almost always full. But the good thing is, it has a lot of indoor seats, so there’s always a good chance you’ll find seats even during peak hours.
Another thing we love about it is that it serves traditional coffee. So if you prefer latte, cappuccino, or Americano, this is the perfect place for you—plus, they have good pastries!
According to some patrons, they also love that the coffee shop has reasonable prices both for coffee and pastry. It’ll be a good place to just pass by and relax if you want to have a good cuppa!
In fact, they added that it’s a good place for people-watching and just having conversations with friends. Most especially during the cold months, the place turns extra cosy and warm.
The servers are friendly as well. They make you instantly feel welcome the moment you step inside the shop.
Oh, and another thing! If you’re a fan of their coffee blends, we think you’ll love the fact that they offer coffee bean delivery.
Parking is difficult though, by the way! So we recommend finding a parking nearby so you can just walk towards the spot.
Customer Reviews
More indoor seats
For some reason, I had never been to this location, but popped in after lunch for a double espresso. It was delicious and the staff was very friendly. There is slightly more indoor seating here than at other locations I’ve been to. But not a ton. Lots of construction outside at the moment. But even without it, don’t expect parking. There is no car park to my knowledge. Great traditional coffee shop in Cork!
—Kevin McCabe, Google Reviews
Perfect coffee roast
Stopped in while walking to the English market. Amazing cappuccino. On our way back I got another. Also amazing. One of the best coffee places I’ve ever visited. The coffee is roasted really well and makes a great beverage. The place was also crazy busy so get there earlier. Highly recommend.
—Nicholas, Google Reviews
3. Coffeewerk + Press
| View and location | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Cleanliness and maintenance | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Food and beverage | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Coffeewerk + Press is one of those beautifully decorated coffee spots in Galway, Ireland that you’d get curious about. In fact, one of the patrons even described it as Scandinavian—with the way it was decorated inside.
It’s really a cosy nook—one of those you’ll frequent after you pass by once simply because you’ll love the vibe! There are plenty of seats you can occupy while you’re drinking your coffee.
The coffee is great as well! They have a variety of blends you can choose from, and they all taste so good.
We want to give kudos to the baristas as well who are welcoming and friendly! They can even give you great coffee recommendations if you ask for them.
One of the highlights of the coffee spot for us though is the upper floors. It has a lot of goodies you can buy like art, books, homeware, and other lifestyle products.
One of the complaints about the coffee shop is that it has no tables, just chairs. So if you go here to have coffee and accomplish some work, it’s probably not the ideal place for you!
Also, there are no gluten-free options. So if you have dietary restrictions, you might be a little disappointed.
Customer Reviews
Upper floors offer goodies
I found this shop from TikTok and it was the perfect spot on a rainy day! The atmosphere was warm and inviting. The oat milk mocha was not too rich but perfectly sweet. There are also two additional floors with goodies to look at and buy as well as places to sit, so make sure to check out those spaces too!
—Eren Hepp, Google Reviews
Friendly staff who give great recommendations
I’d do anything to bring this shop with me back to California. Amazing amazing amazing. Exceptional coffee (pour-over is a must), the vibes are immaculate, the prices are reasonable & most of all the staff is incredible. I asked for coffee recs in London and they didn’t hesitate to provide me with recs. Looking forward to my next trip to Galway specifically for a cup from Coffeewerk + press!
—Mollie Lund, Google Reviews
4. Three Fools Coffee
| View and location | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Cleanliness and maintenance | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Food and beverage | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Its name might be Three Fools Coffee, but it serves great coffee and doesn’t make a fool out of you! In fact, several customers said they appreciated that the shop sells beans that they could buy for takeaway because they couldn’t get enough of the blend.
It’s also located in a prime location, so you can easily see it while you’re walking past. The coffee spot is beside the main road, its walls made of glass—so you can easily people-watch or car-watch as you enjoy your cuppa!
We think you’ll appreciate the different types of pastries they offer. We love that they’re served warm or fresh, perfect with coffee.
The ambience is nice as well. The interior is minimalist, and in different shades of brown, making it cosy and relaxing for all customers.
Another thing we appreciate—the baristas. They really put effort into the latte art, making their coffee look too good to be consumed!
By the way, they sell coffee beans in Three Fools Coffee as well. You’ll even receive a complimentary cup of coffee if you do so!
It’s quite pricey though for such a small coffee cup size. A small cup might not be enough for you so make sure you check the sizes!
Customer Reviews
Offers coffee beans for takeaway
My husband and I visited several cities and many coffee shops while in Ireland for 12 days. Three Fools was our favorite coffee! We had flat whites, and they were delicious as well as beautiful. I ordered oat milk in mine and they still created beautiful latte art! We bought two bags of beans to bring home to the US. It was so good, we wanted more so we emailed back and forth and customer service was excellent. They so kindly sent our order to the US, all 5 bags of coffee, and some free goodies! 10/10
—Moriah Quillin, Google Reviews
Prime Location
A super warm coffee shop, just under the Ferris wheel in the center of Cork. The coffee beans are of very high quality and the female barista is kind and friendly. I will come again!
—Jiaan Cui
5. Clement & Pekoe
| View and location | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer reviews | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Cleanliness and maintenance | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Food and beverage | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Clement & Pekoe offers two good things—coffee and tea. And according to its customers, the high-quality loose-leaf tea and carefully sourced coffee taste so good they never go to any other coffee shop!
For one, the coffee spot looks great—it’s cosy and clean, allowing you to just relax. There are plenty of chairs and tables as well, so you can go as a group and still have a place to sit!
We love the layout actually. Everything is arranged in a way that you won’t bump into the next person or even accidentally intrude on another group’s conversation.
It’s also located in the heart of Dublin—so you can easily see it as you pass by. You can even do people-watching if you like since it’s a spot where people just walk by.
The coffee is great as well as the tea—though there are limited coffee flavours, so that can be a bit disappointing. However, the coffee itself is flavourful, making it a worthy buy for us!
The coffee shop, by the way, offers pastries and desserts. And we love that they pair so well with the hand-brewed coffee.
Just a heads-up though—you might need to find a parking space outside of the main street. There’s no parking space at all, and it’ll be hassle to you if you go straight there with a vehicle.
Customer Reviews
Hand-brewed coffee
The decoration is simple and comfortable, with the wooden tables and chairs making it feel very warm. making me feel no pressure and no sense of distance. A very comfortable atmosphere, where you can completely relax. The layout design is very good, and the appropriate space design gives the entire space a unique structure and sense of space. The hand-brewed coffee tastes good with two flavors to choose from. Pairing with dessert. We chat and spend a wonderful afternoon.
—Amanda Qian, Google Reviews
Great value for money
Super nice coffee spot. Offers all your espresso-based drinks with milk alternatives. Matcha tea, chai latte, a lot of loose tea leaf options, filter coffee like V60 , French press, Aeropress, Chemex as well as batch brew. Also offer decaf. Generous seating area with a bright nice vibe. Friendly staff. Welcoming for all.
—Ceyza Z, Google Reviews
FAQs About Coffee Spots in Ireland
We hope our article showed you the best coffee spots in the country! If you’re in the mood for something stronger, you should try the Irish beer and learn What Makes Irish Beer Special.