Radius
Sep 15, 2018

Five of the Best: Cafes with a Twist

For your next coffee date, try one of these coffee shops that offer something different.

Niamh KennedyDeputy Radius Editor
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Nathalie Marquez Courtney

The last few years have cemented Dublin’s status as one of Europe’s emerging coffee capitals. These days you can’t turn a corner in the city without coming across some kind of specialty coffee offering. The highly competitive market has inspired some of Dublin’s newest and brightest openings to diversify. Say hello to the new wave of coffee shops putting a spin on the tried and tested format, pairing top quality coffee with everything from ceramics to vintage clothes. If you’re the sort of person who enjoys brewing a coffee from the comfort of home, you’ll be eager to learn about some of the top coffee makers available right now which you can check out on thefullmooncafe.com where there are product reviews to help you make a decision on your next purchase.

Little Bird Yoga

A real sense of community is at the heart of yoga studio-cum-cafe Little Bird Yoga. Nestled in a cosy corner building on Portobello’s South Circular Road, Little Bird coffee shop serves as the reception to the busy yoga studio. Whether you’re stopping by for one of their weekly classes or just looking to nab the window seat view there is always a friendly neighbourhood feel to be found in Little Bird. The coffee comes from Badger and Dodo and is accompanied by a range of healthy veggie options and slightly less virtuous sweet treats.

Neighbourhood Coffee

In the age of #selfcare, retail therapy still reigns supreme as the ultimate pick-me-up. Combine that with coffee and cake and you’re onto a winner. Tasty Threads has made its mark on the Dublin fashion scene with its fantastic collection of secondhand clothing for sale in its Abbey Street store. Not content with just dressing the folk of Dublin, Tasty Threads has also set out to caffeinate them with an in-store coffee bar. There is a very much a “mi casa es su casa” vibe in the place, with customers encouraged to play a round of the store’s board games or even ask the barista for a latte art tutorial.

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Container Coffee

If you’re looking for coffee within a distinctive setting, there’s no better spot than Container Coffee. When filming RTE show You Should Really See A Doctor, producer Gordon Hickey was struck by the potential of the shipping containers sitting idle in Dublin Port. Paired with a passion for specialty coffee, this inspiration came to life in the form of Container Coffee, a coffee shop within a reclaimed shipping container. In a prime Thomas St location facing the Guinness Storehouse, Container Coffee serves coffee from Cloud Picker along with baked goods from Capel St institution Camerino Bakery. The little back garden complete with picnic benches is the perfect sunny spot to while away an hour or two.

Arran Street East

Coffee and homeware have proven to be a winning combination in Dublin with the likes of Industry on Drury St drawing in customers with its stylish selection of homeware and fantastic coffee. The latest creative collaboration is to be found in Arran Street East, a modern ceramics studio with a keen online following. Taking inspiration from their location in Dublin’s fruit and vegetable market, they produces a range of simple and elegant pots in everything from aubergine to grapefruit inspired shades. If you want to try before you buy, simply order a hot drink from their cafe, which makes fine use of the beautiful mugs produced in-house. Take a coffee to go and stroll through the beautiful Victorian setting of the fruit and vegetable market or linger a little longer and find yourself struggling to leave empty handed.

Indigo and Cloth

Cutting-edge menswear store Indigo and Cloth have taken note from concept stores that pair sleek apparel with coffee and magazines in London and Paris. Teaming up with popular South William St haunt Clement & Pekoe, they have created a clever and compact cafe space which seats 6-8 people. Beans come from renowned London roaster Climpson and Sons and are complemented by Clement and Pekoe’s extensive selection of loose-leaf teas. Bringing a certain chicness to one of Temple Bar’s busiest streets, Indigo and Cloth’s considered approach to both clothing and coffee more than pays off.

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