Cafeography
Dublin · The Liberties

Cafés in The Liberties

Francis Street, Meath Street and Thomas Street, between Christ Church and the Guinness brewery.

Photo: Jonathan Borba, Pexels License

The Liberties take their name from medieval manorial jurisdictions that kept their own courts outside the city's government. In the late 17th century Huguenot silk weavers worked around today's Meath Street market, and the Guinness brewery at St James's Gate now anchors the west end; its Storehouse is Ireland's most-visited paid attraction.1

The cafés follow a handful of old streets: Francis Street, Meath Street with its market, Thomas Street past the art college, and Merchant's Quay on the river. Lonely Planet's verdict is that the area has kept its gritty, local character through a couple of decades of new cafés, design studios and distilleries.2

Local tip: For a Sunday coffee, head to Francis Street: Two Pups opens every day, while Legit Coffee Co. on Meath Street closes on Sundays.3

At a glance

51Cafés listed
12With opening hours
07:00Earliest opening
22:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Courts Coffee Shop, from 07:00 (Mon–Fri 07:00–18:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–18:00).
  • Closes latest: Beast, until 22:00 (Mon–Tue Closed · Wed–Fri 17:00–22:00 · Sat 15:00–22:00 · Sun 11:00–20:00).
  • Most listed streets: Thomas Street (7), Francis Street (4), Dean Street (2).
  • Most common features: indoor seating (14%), wi-fi (10%), specialty (10%).

Cathedral Cafe

  • 2 Dean Street
  • Mon–Tue 10:00–16:00 · Wed Closed · Thu–Sun 09:00–16:00
  • +353858169588
  • Indoor seating
  • Smoke-free indoors
Map FacebookIs this you?Report

Gilli café

  • unit 24, marltings business park, Marrowbone Ln
  • Mon–Sat 08:00–17:00 · Sun 09:00–17:00
  • +353858128086
  • Card payment
Map FacebookIs this you?Report

Two Pups Coffee

  • 74 Francis Street
  • Mon–Fri 08:30–15:30 · Sat–Sun 09:00–15:30
  • +353873526655
  • Indoor seating
  • Partial wheelchair access
Map FacebookIs this you?Report

Nothing matches those filters here. See all cafés in Dublin.

Coffee chains in The Liberties

Francis Street

Two Pups has a café on Francis Street and another in Fairview, both open seven days a week, and in the evening its natural wine bar, Notions, opens on Francis Street from 17:00, Tuesday to Saturday.3 Its pastries come from Bold Boy Bakery, its in-house bakery.4

Rumi, also on Francis Street, opens at 07:00 Monday to Saturday and charged €3.20 for a flat white in October 2026, among the lowest prices in the city; Boom Coffee, on the same stretch, charged €3.30.5

Meath Street and Thomas Street

Legit Coffee Co., founded in 2016 by Damien and Jamaycon, draws on French and Brazilian roots: French pastries alongside locally roasted coffee of Brazilian origin, at 1 Meath Mart on Meath Street.6 Its flat white cost €3.95 in August 2026.5 Catherine's, also on Meath Street, is the local lunch institution Lonely Planet sends you to.2

On Thomas Street, Container Coffee is built from repurposed shipping containers and has outdoor seating, and Ada Coffee & Bagels is at No. 29.7 Thomas Street is also home to NCAD, the country's largest art college, founded in 1746 as a private drawing school. In Newmarket, just south, Teeling opened the first new whiskey distillery in Dublin since the 19th century, and the Newmarket Flea returned to the square in 2025.1 Phoenix Cafe is on Newmarket too.

Roasters on the river and in Dolphin's Barn

Craft Coffee Roasters on Merchant's Quay sells blends hand-roasted by its master roaster, John Gowan.8 Courts Coffee Shop, a few doors along at 27–30 Merchant's Quay, opens at 07:00 on weekdays and 09:00 at weekends.

To the southwest, Imbibe Coffee Roasters works from the Millennium Centre in Dolphin's Barn, and Groundstate on James's Street opens at 08:30 on weekdays, close to the brewery.

The cathedral crypt and Cork Street

Christ Church Cathedral's crypt was built in 1172–1173 and, at 63.4 m, is the largest cathedral crypt in Britain or Ireland. It was renovated in the early 2000s and is open to visitors, and the Christ Church Crypt Café is down there.9

At the southern edge, Cork Street has two early starts: Fogg Cafe at 07:00 on weekdays and Flower & Bean at 07:30, which stays open until 20:00 from Thursday to Saturday. Cathedral Cafe on Dean Street closes on Wednesdays.

Sources

  1. The Liberties, Dublin, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. The best neighborhoods in Dublin, Lonely Planet (Fionn Davenport, updated April 8, 2026), accessed October 2026
  3. Two Pups Coffee, Two Pups Coffee, accessed October 2026
  4. Best bakeries in Dublin, Visit Dublin (Fáilte Ireland), accessed October 2026
  5. The Flat White Index: Ireland (café prices logged August to October 2026), The Flat White Index, accessed October 2026
  6. LEGIT Coffee Co., LEGIT Coffee Co., accessed October 2026
  7. Guide to Dublin's best coffee, Guinness Storehouse, accessed October 2026
  8. Welcome to Craft Coffee Roasters, Craft Coffee Roasters, accessed October 2026
  9. Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
Keep exploring

More of Dublin

Temple Bar & Dame Street

36 cafés

Portobello & Camden Street

31 cafés

Grafton Street & St Stephen's Green

85 cafés

Smithfield & Stoneybatter

28 cafés

Docklands & Grand Canal

48 cafés

Capel Street & O'Connell Street

77 cafés

Rathmines & Ranelagh

28 cafés

In The Liberties, also browse: Specialty coffee Outdoor seating Wi-Fi Vegan & vegetarian Bakery cafés Open late

FAQ

The Liberties cafés: questions

Where can you get coffee near the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin?

Thomas Street and James's Street are the nearest café streets to the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin's Liberties. Container Coffee on Thomas Street is built from shipping containers and has outdoor seating, Ada Coffee & Bagels is at 29 Thomas Street, and Groundstate on James's Street opens at 08:30 on weekdays.

Which cafés in Dublin's Liberties have the cheapest flat white?

On Francis Street in the Liberties, Rumi charged €3.20 for a flat white in October 2026 and Boom Coffee €3.30, among the lowest prices in Dublin. Legit Coffee Co. on Meath Street charged €3.95. Rumi opens at 07:00 Monday to Saturday.

Is there a café in Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin?

Yes, Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin has the Christ Church Crypt Café. The crypt was built in 1172–1173 and, at 63.4 m, is the largest cathedral crypt in Britain or Ireland. It was renovated in the early 2000s and is open to visitors.

For café owners

Own a café in The Liberties?

Free listings are free for good. A featured page gives you photos, a menu and your own URL, in your café's own design, for less than a coffee a day.

Get listed, free See a page in its own design