Dublin’s 10 best spots for an outdoor coffee

The Dublin coffee scene is a creative and lively one, and myriad hatches, horseboxes and shipping containers are popping up around the city. Here are 10 of the best where you can wet your whistle, al fresco.

Dash Container Café

(Hole in the Wall Pub, Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin 7. Open seven days, 7.30am – 8pm)

A Phoenix Park jaunt becomes even more enjoyable when you know there’s some seriously good coffee close by.

Dash has made its mark since opening on Blackhorse Avenue last October with their hand-roasted Triangle coffee, a single origin Arabica coffee in collaboration with Khanya Craft Coffee and named after The Triangle in Phoenix Park.

Sweet and savoury menu offerings include organic granola, toasties and wraps, pastries and soup with sourdough, and according to Dash’s Morne Prinsloo, their five main producers are all based within a kilometre.

They also work with the kitchen staff at the Hole in the Wall to produce menu options sourcing local ingredients where possible.

Wellness and community are intrinsic to the brand – it’s also a dog-friendly destination – and they’ve recently teamed up with the Peter McVerry Trust to encourage the Dash community to get ‘Active in April’, a virtual event to raise funds for those experiencing homelessness.

Aventura Café

(Portmarnock train station. Open Monday-Saturday, 7.30am-4pm & Sunday, 8.30am-4pm; Paddy’s Hill car park. Open Monday-Saturday, 8.30am-4pm & Sunday, 9am-4pm)

Judging by the regular queues, the people of the parish know they’re on to a good thing with Aventura at Portmarnock Station.

Venezuelan couple Mercedes Olivares and Orlando Contreras started their business in 2014 and they now have a second location – a coffee/horsebox – at Paddy’s Hill, between Portmarnock and Malahide.

The coffee uses South American beans and is from sustainable Irish roasters – including Koffy in Newry – and Aventura’s ‘Happy coffees’, which include oat flat whites and dirty chai lattes, are full of love and caffeine.

The menu features ciabattas and sourdough toasties, and Mediterranean salads made fresh every morning by Chef Guilherme Sena who joined Aventura last September.

At weekends, they mix it up and it could be Argentinian choripan (a chorizo sandwich) with chimichurri, or smoked salmon with poached eggs, baby leaves and Hollandaise sauce on a muffin.

Cakes include brownies from MUD Bakery and alfajores from Apamate Bakery and owner Olivares says customers are obsessed with their new selection of freshly baked pastries, like Baileys cruffins, from artisan croissanterie Medialuna.

Bru Box

(Father Collins Park, Hole in the Wall Road, Donaghmede, Dublin 13. Open seven days, 8am-4.30pm)

Having opened on the first week in March this year, Bru Box has hit the ground running.

Located in the grounds of the Trinity Sports and Leisure Club in Donaghmede, former Dublin GAA star Eamonn Fennell and his business partner Nathan Mullins are behind the coffee dock, which is meeting the caffeine needs of families and walkers in Father Collins Park, and already proving to be a hit with the local community.

Coffee is from the award-winning Silverskin Coffee Roasters (Silverskin’s Brian Kenny used to run the much-loved Kiosk in Ballsbridge) and there’s also a selection of pastries and cookies, as well as vegan and healthy options.

The sweet treats element is a work in progress, according to Mullins, as they find out what their clientele’s preferences are.

“We want to tailor it to their needs and be a focal point for the local parish and give them what they want,” he says.

Bua Coffee

(St Mobhi Rd, Glasnevin, Dublin 9. Open Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm, and Saturday & Sunday, 9am-3.30pm)

When childhood friends Ruairi Cotter and Neil Mulhern met up for a coffee last March, the idea of a café serving great coffee and treats to the Dublin 9 community was born.

Cotter had returned to lockdown Ireland from Australia, and Mulhern’s work in the entertainment industry had dried up, so starting Bua (‘Win’) was an obvious next step.

“We felt there was room for speciality coffee in the area, we both grew up in Glasnevin and had a love for coffee, so it all just made sense to us,” Cotter says.

Based out of Home Farm FC’s juvenile ground on Mobhi Road, they offer Roasted Brown coffee, which is sustainably produced, while two local bakers produce their cakes and pastries.

They’ve also introduced sausage rolls, and more recently hearty sandwiches and toasties.

Bua wasn’t just something to keep them occupied during the lockdown, according to Cotter and they’re looking forward to seeing what they can do when the world is back to normal.

“Our ambition is to still be going strong in ten years’ time, and we know that to do that we need to keep our standards high and evolve all the time,” he says.

Happy Out

(Bull Wall, Bull Island, Clontarf. Open seven days, 9am-4pm; and Morehampton Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4. Open Monday to Friday, 7:30am-4pm and Saturday & Sunday, 8am-4pm)

Shipping container café Happy Out has been bringing joy to locals as well as daytrippers to Clontarf’s Bull Island since it opened in 2017.

A second café in Donnybrook which launched last year mightn’t boast the same Dublin Bay views, but the vibe of a nice, chilled, fun place to visit is identical.

Coffee is made from Roasted Brown beans and their Iced Chocolate Latte has now reached almost iconic status.

Covid-19 has meant a reduced menu at Bull Island but that doesn’t feel like so much of a hardship when there are pastries from Tartine Organic Bakery and brownies, cookies and mini carrot cakes from Camerino to be had.

Toasties are available at Donnybrook and they’re focusing on bringing these back to Bull Island, with the full menu returning this summer.

Bull Island can get busy but co-owner Brian Hanratty has some advice on beating the queue.

“There can be a bit of a lull around 11 sometimes, just after morning folk have been and before the late risers head down,” he says.

Goats Gruff

(Astagob, Strawberry Beds, Co Dublin. Open Monday-Friday, 8am-3pm and Saturday & Sunday, 9am-3pm)

Husband and wife Brian Kennedy and Ciara Cummins’ Neapolitan pizza truck, which doubles as a coffee stop, has grown to be a community hub and a destination for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Based out of the car park of the Strawberry Hall pub under the M50 bridge, Goats Gruff brew Imbibe Coffee’s full-flavoured Kaleidoscope roast with notes of caramel, chocolate and citrus fruits.

They like to be creative when it comes to coffee and staff favourites include their Double Chocolate Nutella Mocha, and coming into spring the thirst-quenching, delicious and buzzy Iced Oat Milk Caramel Latte hits all the right spots.

Pizzas are pre-order and for collection, Thursday to Sunday from 4.30-9.30pm and they also have a range of gourmet wood-fired sambos daily, which can be ordered from the hatch.

If your caffeine must be accompanied by a sweet treat, Goats Gruff stock a variety including Heavy Bros (stuffed cookies with Crunchie) and Salted Caramel Wagon Wheels.

New additions coming to the menu include salads and meat and cheese boards.

One Kinda Folk

(Dartmouth Rd, Ranelagh. Open Monday-Friday, 8.30am-4pm and Saturday & Sunday, 9am-4pm)

Hidden away behind an ivy wall, you could call One Kinda Folk on Dartmouth Road, Ranelagh a secret spot, except the queue tends to be a giveaway.

Owner Rachel Elliman opened the coffee hatch in October 2019 and was inspired by the eight years she spent in Australia and the thriving coffee scene there.

This Aussie influence trickles down into the drinks menu where the best-selling chai is made with Prana chai whose ingredients include black tea, pure Australian bushland honey, cinnamon, cardamom and peppercorn.

Another customer favourite is matcha lavender latte, which Elliman describes as “sweet and fragrant and a little bit earthy”.

Coffee is 3fe’s Momentum blend, and One Kinda Folk (the name is from the book To Kill a Mockingbird) also put on single origin coffees from time to time.

Fresh treats arrive in daily from Tartine Organic Bakery and there’s a range of vegan goodies from Rua Food.

Nearby Dartmouth Square, a little city centre oasis, is a pretty destination in which you can savour your brew.

Hatch

(Glasthule Rd, Sandycove and Main Street, Blackrock. Open Monday-Thursday, 7am-4pm; Friday, 7am-5pm and Saturday & Sunday, 8am-5pm)

Scenic seaside locations are only part of Hatch’s appeal, with outlets in Glasthule and Blackrock.

3fe coffee, highly-trained baristas, organic milk and a double-shot of espresso as standard in all drinks make a Hatch coffee particularly delicious.

Sustainability is also important to founder Mealla Tarrant, and Hatch uses 100pc compostable and biodegradable cups, lids and food packaging.

In Glathule, local businesses, including MUD Bakery, provide the treat options, and in Blackrock, there’s a small kitchen with a curated menu for takeaway only, including chilli and lime avocado smash on Bread 41 sourdough, or their latest creation, a buttery brioche cinnamon swirl with a vanilla cheese frosting which sell out every day.

Other best-sellers include their New Orleans Iced Coffee, a 12-hour brewed coffee with chicory, house simple syrup, Jersey milk and lots of ice, and their Anzac cookies.

For the best possible start to the day, combine a Hatch visit with a sunrise swim.

Mint Coffee

(Stradbrook Rd, Mountashton, Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Open Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm and Saturday & Sunday, 9am-5pm)

When you’re a parent in need of a caffeine hit but can’t countenance the idea of parking up and manhandling child and buggy out of the car, drive-through dock Mint Coffee seems heaven-sent.

Located inside the gates of Blackrock Rugby Club, it’s been doing a roaring trade since it opened in December last year.

Coffee lovers appreciate the Number 1 blend from Eighty9, roasted in small batches in Dun Laoghaire and which is full bodied and spicy with a hint of sweetness.

Or choose one of the hot chocolates, a range of Instagramable concoctions including Malteser, Toblerone and Cadbury’s Crème Egg.

“You’d want to be in the full of your health, they’re quite decadent,” advises Mint’s Michael Hearty.

There are also boozy takeaway options available on occasions like espresso martini and lime and mango margarita, although these are clearly not for drivers.

Food-wise, there are toasties, as well as salad bowls available and these will be expanded upon as the weather improves.

A new range of drinks called Blizzards, which are intriguingly described as ice-based jelly drinks in flavours of watermelon mint, apple and bubble gum, will launch before the Easter holidays.

Fallon & Byrne, People’s Park Café Deli

(Park Road, Dun Laoghaire. Open seven days, 9am-6pm)

The pandemic has seen Fallon & Byrne’s Dun Laoghaire restaurant converted into a grocery pop-up which carries favourite food hall items, cheese and charcuterie and take-home meals, so you can grab dinner for later as you’re also picking up a hot beverage.

Their house blend was developed in collaboration with 3fe so its excellence is assured and they rotate interesting coffees from around the world onto the menu, such as cortado and Vietnamese.

Add a freshly baked almond croissant or a pain au chocolat to your order, a box of Rocky Roads if you’re feeling greedy or one of F&B’s legendary sandwiches like the mightily meaty New Yorker (turkey, pastrami, mortadella, beef tomato and pickle on a poppy seed bap) to fuel your walk around People’s Park, or a stroll along Dun Laoghaire harbour.