Cafeography
Dublin · Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green

Cafés in Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green

Bewley's, the Drury Street espresso bars and the Victorian arcade on South Great George's Street.

Photo: Selim Karadayı, Pexels License

Grafton Street runs downhill from St Stephen's Green to College Green, and most of it has been pedestrianised since 1982; the Luas runs along its northern end.1 The Green itself, 9 hectares kept in its Victorian layout, was opened to the public by Lord Ardilaun in 1880.2 The side streets hold most of the cafés: Drury Street, South William Street and South Great George's Street to the west, Dawson Street to the east, and Aungier Street and Redmond's Hill to the south.

This is the busiest café district in the city, and the range is wide. Kaph is at 31 Drury Street and Industry & Co at No. 41, Clement & Pekoe at 50 South William Street, and the Pepper Pot sits inside the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre on the same street.3 Two of the quieter tables are in museums, and the oldest name of all is on Grafton Street itself.

Local tip: On Sundays Kaph opens at 12:00 and Clement & Pekoe at 11:00, but Bewley's opens at 08:00 every day, so start the morning on Grafton Street.4

At a glance

85Cafés listed
19With opening hours
06:30Earliest opening
21:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Shoe Lane Coffee, from 06:30 (Mon–Fri 06:30–18:30 · Sat–Sun 08:00–18:30).
  • Closes latest: SoBo, until 21:00 (Mon–Thu 06:30–20:00 · Fri 06:30–21:00 · Sat 11:00–21:00 · Sun 11:00–19:00).
  • Most listed streets: Aungier Street (9), William Street South (6), Drury Street (5).
  • Most common features: indoor seating (25%), outdoor seating (24%), wheelchair access (20%).

D2 Bubble Tea

  • 37 Aungier Street
  • Mon Closed · Tue–Sat 10:00–19:00 · Sun 11:00–18:00
  • +353838383776
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SoBo

  • Westland Row
  • Mon–Thu 06:30–20:00 · Fri 06:30–21:00 · Sat 11:00–21:00 · Sun 11:00–19:00
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Coffee chains in Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green

Bewley's on Grafton Street

The Bewley's building at 78–79 Grafton Street was rebuilt in 1926 by Miller and Symes with an Egyptian-style front, in the fashion that followed the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb. Four of its six Harry Clarke windows, on the back wall of the tearoom, represent the Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite orders, and a lunchtime theatre has run in an upstairs room since 1999.4

The café has come close to closing for good. In May 2020 the owners announced a permanent closure, then reopened on 27 August 2020 with table service and room for 50 people in a building that holds 400.5 In 2026 it opens every day except Christmas Day: 08:00–17:00 in January, 08:00–18:00 from February to November and 08:00–19:00 in December, and entry is free.4

Drury Street, South William Street and the arcade

South Great George's Street's red-brick arcade opened in 1881 as the South City Markets, burned down in August 1892 and reopened in September 1894; it has traded ever since.6 The streets behind it form the densest café grid in Dublin.

Kaph opens 09:00–18:00 Monday to Saturday and from 12:00 on Sundays; in August 2026 its flat white cost €4.60, one of the highest prices in central Dublin. Clement & Pekoe charged €4.40 and All Rosey, round the corner on King Street South, €3.90.7 Clement & Pekoe opens at 08:00 on weekdays and 11:00 on Sundays.

Museum cafés near the Green and the Castle

The Commons, the café of the Museum of Literature Ireland, fills the original student dining halls of Newman House on St Stephen's Green. It serves all-day breakfast, double-baked eggs and blaas, with coffee from Roasted Brown.8 A flat white there cost €4.20 in October 2026.7

The Chester Beatty, in the grounds of Dublin Castle, opened in its present building on 7 February 2000 and was European Museum of the Year in 2002.9 Its Silk Road Café, near the Castle gardens, cooks Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food on site and serves afternoon tea from Thursday to Saturday; booking is essential.8

Early starts east and south of Grafton Street

Shoe Lane Coffee on Tara Street and SoBo on Westland Row both open at 06:30 on weekdays, and The Bald Barista on Aungier Street at 07:00. Bear Mrkt at 39 Westland Row starts at 07:30 and keeps outdoor tables.

Brew Lab on Redmond's Hill opened in February 2023 with a long bar: cakes and a La Marzocco on one side, high seats facing the pour-over station on the other.10 Its flat white cost €3.80 in 2026, less than most of Drury Street charged.7

Sources

  1. Grafton Street, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. St Stephen's Green, Heritage Ireland (Office of Public Works), accessed October 2026
  3. The definitive list of independent coffee shops in DublinTown (January 15, 2020), DublinTown, accessed October 2026
  4. Bewley's, 78-79 Grafton Street/234 Johnson's Court, Dublin 2: Section 482 property (January 31, 2025, updated February 20, 2026), Irish Historic Houses, accessed October 2026
  5. Bewley's reopens on Grafton Street with reduced seat capacity (August 27, 2020), The Irish Times, accessed October 2026
  6. George's Street Arcade, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  7. The Flat White Index: Ireland (café prices logged August to October 2026), The Flat White Index, accessed October 2026
  8. 16 Irish museums, galleries and cultural centres with great food on the side (Gemma Tipton, November 12, 2022), The Irish Times, accessed October 2026
  9. Chester Beatty Library, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  10. The Sprudge Guide To Coffee In Dublin For 2023 (Susie Kealy, June 20, 2023), Sprudge, accessed October 2026
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In Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green, also browse: Specialty coffee Outdoor seating Wi-Fi Vegan & vegetarian Bakery cafés

FAQ

Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green cafés: questions

When is Bewley's on Grafton Street in Dublin open?

In 2026 Bewley's on Grafton Street in Dublin opens every day except Christmas Day: 08:00–17:00 in January, 08:00–18:00 from February to November and 08:00–19:00 in December. Entry is free, a lunchtime theatre runs in an upstairs room, and six Harry Clarke stained-glass windows light the café.

Where are the specialty cafés near Grafton Street in Dublin?

Most are west of Grafton Street around Drury Street and South William Street: Kaph at 31 Drury Street, Industry & Co at No. 41 and Clement & Pekoe at 50 South William Street. Farther south, Brew Lab on Redmond's Hill opened in 2023 with a pour-over station, and Shoe Lane Coffee on Tara Street opens at 06:30 on weekdays.

Which museum cafés are near St Stephen's Green in Dublin?

The Commons is the café of the Museum of Literature Ireland, in the old dining halls of Newman House on St Stephen's Green, with coffee from Roasted Brown. In the grounds of Dublin Castle, the Silk Road Café at the Chester Beatty serves Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food and afternoon tea from Thursday to Saturday.

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