Bewley's, Dublin

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Since our hotel was located close to Grafton Street, we ended up having breakfast at Bewley's Cafe twice during the week. Bewley's is the most popular brand of tea and coffee in Ireland, and the coffeehouse on Grafton Street dates back to 1927. It is pretty big and quite popular - of course you'll find some visitors, but also plenty of locals stopping for breakfast before going to work. I loved the selection of organic yogurt and porridge - at 5 Euros for a bowl it wasn't exactly cheap, but it came with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a cup of coffee, so it turned out to be a good deal. Just make sure you're not in too much of a hurry: service can be a bit slow when they place gets crowded.

Favorite Dish: The brown sugar and cream organic porridge was delicious and very filling!

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Cozy little place to pop in for quick hot drink. The tables are a bit small and cramped but no one seemed to mind as there were quite a few people out on a date here.

The hot chocolate was okay. Hard to be kind to this hot chocolate when I'd just had the best at Angélina in Paris. Bewley's is a bit sweet and thin for me but the pink marshmallow was cute.

Would be an ideal place to while away a rainy afternoon reading a book tucked away at a table overlooking Grafton Street (which has no shortage of bookstores!).

Hot chocolate = 3.10 euro

Photos: April 2010

Bewley's famous café on Dublin's Grafton Street has been an essential part of the city's life, located in the heart of the shopping district it has become a cherished landmark.
The explosion of coffee shops in Dublin over the past few decades has meant a lot of competition for this traditional café, but this one is a challege even for Starbucks!
Part of the Cafe was bought and changes into a restaurant, but there is a small cafe left that serves famous coffees and Irish bakery products.
You can sit down and drink it inside or just to a classic take away and sip this delicous coffee while walking through Grafton street.

Favorite Dish: There is a variety of coffees all of which are said to be superb, Latte being the Dubs' favorite drink, as to me, my ultimate favorite is Bewleys Mocha, which is so sweet I do not need to add sugar to it!

Also you have to try Irish Scones if you decide to sit down inside Bewleys building.

ps. I decided to delete the menu temporarly as there have been some changes. Hopefully it will be back in no time ;)

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My hotel, O'Callaghan's Stephens Green, did not include breakfast in the rate that I paid on hotels.com. Therefore, I decided to venture out to Bewley's Oriental Cafe on Grafton Street because it is a Dublin landmark. I arrived before the start of breakfast -- so I first enjoyed some tea. Since I arrived early, I obtained a seat near the front window -- which was great for people watching on the busy Grafton Street.

At breakfast time, I ordered the full Irish breakfast. Everything was standard except for one unique twist -- it included a small bowl of Bewley's special relish.

The price was a little more than average, but it was still less than my hotel's breakfast buffet.

In addition to the food, Bewley's is a special Irish landmark -- and, in particular, the Grafton Street location. The Bewley family were Quakers who originated in France. They succeeded in breaking the East India Tea Company's monopoly -- and imported tea from China directly into Dublin. Subsequently, the Bewley family expanded into the coffee trade -- and opened a few cafés in Dublin.

Ernest Bewley opened the Grafton Street café in November 1927. It was a huge vote of confidence in a city and country that had recently endured the Irish War for Independence and Irish Civil War. Also of note, the building had once housed Whyte’s Academy, a school whose pupils included The Duke of Wellington and Robert Emmet.

Favorite Dish: Full Irish breakfast with Bewley's special relish

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Ferni and I were on our way to Grafton Street for some shopping and we decided to stop here for a quick mid-morning meal before hitting the pavement.

When you enter the cafe you'll see the display case of all sorts of goodies to your left and to the right a small sitting area for those who just want to grab something quick. We decided to be seated in the larger dining area where you get the full feel of the ambiance of this place.

The restaurant is really nice, it has beautiful stained glass windows in certain sections of the restuarant with many tables and booths.

We sat down at a nice table over looking some really nice windows and we placed our order. I was in the mood for some really yummy hot chocolate and so was Ferni so we both decided to order that along with a scone. I love Irish scones, they are so yummy and went perfect with my hot chocolate.

They have a prettly large selection of all sorts of sweets, coffees, and dishes to choose from.

Favorite Dish: Yummy hot chocolate and a scone with butter and jam.

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Normally you go to bewleys for 2 reasons. The great teas and the great atmosphere. The main one is in Grafton street (with really nice windowns), but there are several others around town. My favourite was the one at the back, on George's street - quieter and more intimate (and admittedly 500 yards closer to my home, too)

Favorite Dish: Not a dish, but a drink: tea! Bewley's grey or black teas are a unique experience. There's also a great selection of cakes (the apple and rhubarb crumble is heavenly) and sandwiches.

The building is absolutely gorgeous! It's truly an amazement. Bewley's was our first meal in Dublin. We flew in on the overnight flight, and then went over to our hotel which was right around the corner from Grafton Street. We stashed our luggage, and then set off looking for a place to have breakfast. When we inquired, we were told to try Bewley's! Not knowing the city, we had a hard time finding it (really, it was just a little farther down the road than we had thought)

I had a porridge of some sort with fruit and coffee.. very strong coffee. The food was fine, but the place was great. I guess it's one of those 'you gotta go there' kind of places!

Located centrally, what a little gem ! You enter through their take-away bakery and fresh ground coffe shop ( i can smell it just remembering it ). As you enter the main eating area, it takes your breath away. Its beautifull, high period ceilings with elegant chandaliers, stained glass windows most cathedrals would be proud of and roaring open fires. You can sit in an open area or in the more intimate boothed area. It has a very warm welcoming feeling with a gentle buzz as the friendly, very efficient staff REALLY, look after their customers.
The staff are all friendly,welcoming, very helpfull and know all about whats on the menu !
On taking your order, your drinks arrive almost immediately, followed very quickly by your fresh, hot order ( not that you'd mind if it didn't as the surroundings are so lovely !).
The big surprise is how small the bill is - a full breakfast priced at 8.50 euros ( the same price charged elsewhere by other web recomended cafe's but giving lots more for the money !)

Favorite Dish: Full breakfast - consisting of 2 slices of bacon, sausage, black & white pudding, egg, tomato, mushrooms and their own homemade brown bread ( to die for !) @ 8.50 euros.
Organic porridge ( in a bottomless bowl !) served with maple syrup and a pecan nut mountain ( really !) , the nuts must have cost more than the 3.80 euros charged for the porridge.

My tip - Buy some of their own made 'brown bread' ( as served with breakfast ) or the Guiness & treackle bread to take home. It costs 2 euros a loaf and is sold in the shop. BUT you have to ask for it, as you'd never guess they sell it, as it's hidden at the back of all the cakes ! Its the best I've ever tasted, anywhere in the world !!!