The second-largest city in Ireland has a mighty historic relationship to much of the world’s dinner table. Cork has historically been a major export harbor, with bacon, beef, and butter leading amongst the widely traded and shipped commodities. It’s also the world’s second-largest natural harbor behind Sydney. There’s even a butter museum.
All this food coming in and out, it should come as no surprise that Cork became the country’s most highly regarded destination for dining and drinking. Yes, Dublin and Ireland’s other major cities have their own vibrant scenes. But when it comes to the best of the best, many head to County Cork. Even the Irish Examiner said in its 2020 write-up of the country’s top 20 food towns “we could have written about the food scene in every town in Cork.”
That love of the game extends to cafes and coffee. This guide covers a wide swath through much of Cork proper, though in 2018 the technical boundaries of the municipal area swelled to include nearby Douglas and Ballincollig to name a few. No matter as there’s something for all the coffee heads headed to the Rebel City.
Boru
This is arguably the first excellent coffee shop one encounters if they hop off the train at Kent Station to travel to the city. Boru’s owner Brian Mills and head barista Alan Dineen run the show and are well-versed in specialty coffee and the city’s scene, too. Red Strand Coffee is on bar, loads of well-roasted and diverse coffees for sale by the bag as well. A wide array of pastries and treats, with a ton for vegan and gluten-free diners, live in a basket and behind the counter.
Many hang around Boru just for the vibe alone. There’s outdoor seating in addition to the tiny, intimate cafe itself. Mills is always joking around with some regular, a line of toys and comic books behind him with the AeroPresses and pucks. This is a smart spot on the east side of the city center.
Cafe Moly
This roaster is one of the city’s favorites, though shout outs to longtime quayside favorite Cork Coffee Roasters, too. The business actually originated in South Korea back in 2012, but when two employees wanted to move back to their hometown of Cork the owner told them to take the brand with them. In 2020 the business opened on Douglas Street with a slew of roasts and a cozy corner spot fitting for moody screenplay writing and flat whites.
The pastries, especially Portuguese custard tarts and croissant waffles, are big-time popular here. Further, fans of the cafe can enroll in barista classes to learn more about the industry. Hit up Cafe Moly before visiting Nano Nagle Place, a convent and museum celebrating Irish social justice. (Though the convent did just open its own charming cafe in fall 2024—never enough coffee.)
Filter
Eoin McCarthy and Alex O’Callahan’s series of Cork cafes are nothing new to those paying attention to Irish coffee culture. They opened the first shop in 2012 bringing the most well-roasted coffees on the island to the city for the first time. Now there are two Filter cafes in the city, with newcomer Wunderkaffee joining the roster out in Farran.
The level of coffee care at the cafes are what set them apart from other shops in the city. The mission of selling the best of the best—fall 2024 options include Dublin favorites Imbibe Coffee Roasters and Cloud Picker Coffee—is still alive, and their Instagram is a hub for local events and activism. The small shop in the city center is ideal for walking the bustling streets along the River Lee.
Three Fools Coffee
This bright and airy cafe sits on Grand Parade, the city’s main drag, and brought specialty coffee right next to the Cork Library and a brilliant statue of Irish revolutionary Michael Collins walking his bicycle. Three Fools opened in 2015 but has now grown considerably to include shops in Carrigaline and Douglas with loads of wholesale accounts.
There’s a wide array of coffee options, including a number of outstanding Chinese and Indian coffees. The main appeal here can certainly be considered the cafe’s proximity to the heart of the city. There’s tons of outdoor seating, which is ideal if you catch the rare day of sun in this part of Ireland.
Alchemy Coffee
There’s few places in Cork for croissant sandwiches topped with huge chunks of brie. That’d be Alchemy Coffee and Books, a lovable corner spot not too far from University College Cork and sought-out roaster in its own right. Plus there are a slew of art and literary events at the cafe; ancient poetry enthusiast Bobbo the Bard performed in September.
The menu includes standard espresso drinks and loads of food including eye-catching coffee cake. It’s a bonus that the quirky cafe and all that righteous food, made in-house or at Alchemy’s own commissary kitchen, is across the street from Elizabeth Fort. It’s one of Cork’s sightseeing musts, a 17th century star-shaped fort part and parcel of the city’s medieval history.
Plugd
Like so many of Cork’s cafes, this one, too, is just a half-block from the River Lee. Unlike so many, this one is bright corn yellow and has a wall of vinyl albums on display across from handsome wood furniture and zines aplenty. Plugd bills itself as a record shop, actually, and hosts live music on the regular like one would.
But the coffee and food are worth a visit, too. Clonkakilty’s Stone Valley Coffee Roasters provides the beans, and there’s a modest selection of pastries on deck, too. Heading here for a drink and a walk through the city’s music scene, whether it’s finding a gig to attend or hanging around long enough to hear about one anyways.
Paolo Bicchieri is a freelance journalist based in the United States. Read more Paolo Bicchieri for Sprudge.
