Bewley’s Grafton Street Café– Dublin City Centre

Good Food Ireland^® Approved Since 2022

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Overview

Bewley’s Café is one of the iconic cafes of Europe. Ernest Bewley opened his Grafton Street Café in 1927, however, Bewley’s first ‘Oriental Café’ opened even earlier, in 1894, on Georges Street. The George’s Street Café was the first to roast coffee in-store in Ireland – something that would be considered innovative today in the 21st century. The scents of freshly roasting Bewley’s coffee beans have been wafting down Grafton Street for the past 95 years. The saying goes ‘everyone in Ireland has a Bewley’s Grafton Street story’. Some were brought there by their grandparents and toda Read More y we see ‘Generation Z’ youngsters bringing their own children. There is something timeless and generation less about this Dublin institution. It is the consistency; the classics – the timeless Cherry, Almond Buns – the Cinnamon Spice Bun – the decadent Mary Cake (from the 1950’s) made with the finest Valrhona Ariaga Dark Chocolate – the all-day Full Irish Breakfast sourced from some of the finest small Irish food producers and of course the starting point of all; the finest coffees and teas.

The Bewley’s Coffee and Tea tradition commenced circa 1835 when Samuel Bewley and his son Charles imported tea from Canton in China, forming the China Tea Company in 1840. In 1894 the Bewley’s coffee story began with the opening of the George’s Street Café and in 1903, Ernest Bewley imported the first Jersey cows into Ireland from Jersey Island, to supply the growing demand for good quality milk and cream for his cafés and bakery in Dublin. Whilst Bewley’s no longer has the family farm, it now sources its milk from The Village Dairy in Co Carlow whose herd includes Jersey Cows. The constant at Bewley’s is the commitment to the finest ingredients. In many ways, sitting under the iconic Harry Clarke stained glass windows in 2022 is no different than it would have been in the 1960s and in the decades before. There is the hustle and bustle of people going about their daily lives, the whispered confidences, the fleeting moments of togetherness. The Bewley’s Team is worthy of the generations of those who threaded those same floorboards before them – they seem to love what they do! One senses that they respect their customers and the Bewley’s ethos they are upholding – all that whilst efficiently delivering ‘tradition’ in a cup and on a plate. The Campbell family, the current custodians of Bewley’s Café (since 1986), have diligently upheld the Bewley’s tradition of excellence, conviviality and value-for-money. In 2022 Bewley’s Grafton Street won ‘Best Workplace’ with ‘Best Workplaces Ireland’. This pride of place informs every aspect of the Bewley’s Café customer experience.

Dining

The Bewley’s experience starts many metres along Grafton Street as you get that unmistakable scent of freshly roasting coffee. Crossing the threshold there is a beaming smile with Dublin’s best céad míle fáilte. You cannot miss the real, yes real open fireplace as you make your way to your table.

This is authentic – this is Bewley’s. Yet it has many similarities with other iconic European capital classic cafés of its era – think Café Central in Vienna (1876); Café de Flore, Paris (1887); Café Buchwald, Berlin (1852). Clearly, in their well-documented travels, the Bewley brothers did not fail to learn a thing or two about cafés.

Bewley’s Grafton Street is a hive of activity; interest in every nook and cranny. The gem in the basement is the full view of the bakery. One glance and it’s clear to a seasoned baker that this is a top-quality operation.

The workmanship and respect of products and traditional baking techniques are on full view. Bewley’s most recognisable space is its ground floor café on the Grafton Street level – a hive of activity from dawn to dusk. The upper levels house more café space and Bewley’s Café Theatre.

Currently open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.00pm; Saturday 8.30am to 5pm and Sunday 9am to 5pm, Bewley’s offers a menu of favourite dishes that have been enjoyed there for many years. The commitment to small Irish food producers is impeccable – a continuation of their Fairtrade-certified coffee ethos.

The Granola & Morning Boost is made with Jinny’s Bakery Granola from Drumshanbo in Co Leitrim, Killowen yogurt from the Dunne family farm, Co. Wexford and Leahy’s Honey from Galway East on the slopes of the Sliabh Aughty Mountains – a veritable basket of the Irish countryside.

Then of course there is the timeless (all-day) Bewley’s Full Irish Breakfast. Best of best comes to mind – leading out with Jane Russell’s hand-made sausages (produced daily in Co Kildare).

The Russell sausage heritage goes back to 1863 when Jane’s great-great grandfather Edmund Burke established his pork and bacon business on O’Connell Street in Clonmel. The black pudding – a carefully guarded 1800s recipe, is from Clonakilty, Co Cork. The more contemporary addition is the excellent Janet’s Country Fayre relish from Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow.

Freshly baked Bewley’s Stout & Treacle Brown Soda Bread accompanies the breakfast. The bakers at Bewley’s use wholemeal flour from the Mosse family’s Little Mill in Co Kilkenny.

There are toasted sandwiches with Hegarty’s and Dubliner cheeses served with north Co Dublin Keogh’s Farm potato crisps.

Another destination dish sees Burren Smokehouse (Co Clare) Smoked Salmon fill a Bewley’s Bakery sourdough croissant with poached free-range eggs and hollandaise sauce.

Berlin has ‘Kaffee und Kucken’, Dublin has ‘Tea and Buns’ or ‘Coffee and Cake’. Daily from 11.30am Bewley’s Cakes – a selection of eight, join the iconic Bewley’s Heritage Buns and hand-made scones.

It’s probably safe to say that long-serving Bewley’s staff members can tell their customer’s characters by their choice of bun. A Bewley’s bun is to Bewley’s as is a slice of Sacher Torte to Vienna’s world-famous Café Sacher.

Today Bewley’s also serves homemade Ice Cream. Ernest Bewley would be justifiably proud of their Affogato.

Opening Hours:

Monday to Friday 08:30 am to 5:30 pm

Saturday 8:30 am to 6 pm

Sunday 9 am to 6 pm

Sustainability

Bewley’s were the first business to sell a Fairtrade product in Ireland buying their first two tonnes of Fairtrade Costa Rican coffee in 1997. Bewley’s has committed to using only Fairtrade Coffee across all their own brands from 2022 onwards.

Also a first – Bewley’s is the first carbon neutral coffee company in Ireland. They invest in carbon sequestration through reforestation at source.

In 2022 Bewley’s will launch the first recyclable coffee bag in Ireland and by the end of 2025, all Bewley’s packaging will be recyclable, compostable or reusable.

2022 marks the 30th year of Bewley’s hospice partnership. Together Every year Bewley’s supports Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning in aid of Hospice care all around Ireland. Since 1992 Bewley’s has helped raise over €40 million.

In 2022 Bewley’s partnered with the Irish Red Cross to establish practical ways to help Ukrainian refugees. For the months of May & June, more than €3,000 was raised. This initiative will continue for the remainder of 2022.

Bewley’s Café Theatre supports upcoming and independent artists.

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