Best place for coffee in Cork

Dave147

Cuppa Cafe on Union Quay, love the coffee and food there, not just saying that because the owner is a friend of mine and my girlfriend works there, I swear! All jokes aside, the place is fantastic with a nice ambience and good mix of people. Definitely worth checking out.

Epicness

I LOVE Cafe Idaho! Gulpd in the Triskel Arts centre is lovely too, great hot chocolate. And you can't beat an ole Starbucks in Cork Airport when you go on holiday!

horgan_p

Bad news for the next time you go on holidays - Starbucks is closed

deRanged

Cork Coffee Roasters opened in the old Starbucks didn't it?

Loire

bubby24 wrote: »

Thanks for the post! I tried them and they are really good. Best coffee in town and the prices .... unbelievable
they also has very nice cakes yum yum

2 posts on boards, both for the bakery union...anything to declare there bubby?

esperanza1

Starbucks coffees, espressos, etc. are nothing special. In fact, I find them awful. And why support a big international chain when you can support a small, local café?

kingtut

esperanza1 wrote: »

Starbucks coffees, espressos, etc. are nothing special. In fact, I find them awful. And why support a big international chain when you can support a small, local café?

Are you serious? Starbucks coffee is amazing (a bit pricey but I think it is worth it)! I drink enough coffee (and in enough places to know where you can get a decent cup).

I don't go there to 'support' a big chain, if I could find an independant coffee shop with decent coffee I'd go there also.

beeroclock

Personally I drink in costa alot (all 3 of them!), until I read this thread had never tried the place in the market so nice one to those who recommended as it was most agreeable! Not a huge fan of cork coffee roasters but thats just a personal choice you could say its not my cup of tea! Had a cuppa in the M&S in Douglas last weekend, nice for a change as had a seat by the window

Buceph

Gulpd is a fine place for a coffee, especially if you like your coffee steaming hot. I don't particularly like it that way but I know some people who do. The only other thing is they can grind their coffee too fine, although I've only been there a few times. I do plan on going there more though, especially as they're dirt cheap. €2.30 for the size of coffee you'd pay €2.80/90 in Costa Coffee, and far better.

Costa Coffee near the Opera house I thought was poor, bland flat coffee. Like they'd been sitting on the beans/grind for the past two months. Also, the grind was a little too small which would add to the flat taste. And despite getting a lot of coffee, I thought it was too expensive.

Cork Coffee Roasters have good coffee, I just don't particularly like the flavour. And that's definitely a good point to them. A lot of places in Cork have coffee that's tolerable because it's so bland and average. A place that has a good coffee that's so flavourful you might not agree with it is a great thing.

One place I really like is Nosh and Coffee. Their coffee is generally ok, sometimes it's excellent. But it's just so relaxed in there, there's free wifi and you can get scrambled eggs, tomato, mushrooms and a proper americano for a fiver. Which I've been doing before work for the past few mornings.

I don't know where there's a Starbucks in the City, but the Starbucks in UCC (in the Orb) had pretty decent coffee. It's the same people (Kylemore) as out in the Regional, but it's better in UCC for some reason. And cheap enough for a decent coffee. Their medium is about the size of everyone else's large and only €2.50 when I was last there.



A new question though, if I wanted to get food in a café at lunchtime, who does what and where's nice? Maybe a bit more than a sandwich but not spending too much more than €5/6 for a coffee and something to eat.

deRanged

Buceph wrote: »

I don't know where there's a Starbucks in the City, but the Starbucks in UCC (in the Orb) had pretty decent coffee.

There isn't one anymore. which is good, because otherwise the smaller shops would close and it'd be nothing but Starbucks. I really don't rate Starbucks coffee at all.

sham2

Idahos do a great americano but haven't been there in a while. Recently I got a great coffee and a freshly baked crisp croissant in Italee's on Oliver Plunkett st for €3. Is that good value as I'm only comparing it to Costas which would be nearly a fiver?

eth0

kingtut wrote: »

Are you serious? Starbucks coffee is amazing (a bit pricey but I think it is worth it)! I drink enough coffee (and in enough places to know where you can get a decent cup).

I don't go there to 'support' a big chain, if I could find an independant coffee shop with decent coffee I'd go there also.

For some reason I always feel sick after drinking starbuck's coffee.

Other coffee doesn't effect me this way. Not even Senseo pads that expired in 07

EyeSight

esperanza1 wrote: »

Starbucks coffees, espressos, etc. are nothing special. In fact, I find them awful. And why support a big international chain when you can support a small, local café?

Just because a chain is small, doesn't make it the best. I enjoy startbucks every once in a while. It is very annoying Cork no longer has one. I used drive to the airport just for one.

Cork needs a late night coffee shop!!!!

also i read recently that Costa has around 3 times more coffee content in their drinks than starbucks(even though i'm sure both franchises are owned by the same company)

Ger89

sham2 wrote: »

Idahos do a great americano but haven't been there in a while. Recently I got a great coffee and a freshly baked crisp croissant in Italee's on Oliver Plunkett st for €3. Is that good value as I'm only comparing it to Costas which would be nearly a fiver?

The €3 in Italee sounds like exceptionally good value. I have only had coffee there, which was great, but intend to sample their other good things. Lovely and cosy downstairs just now, makes a great refuge from the wintry elements!

Loire

And the winner is....The Sextant !

A pub you say? I was in there yesterday...they brew Illy coffee and it is absolutely gorgeous. I took another away with me and it made no difference sipping from a take-away cup, it was fantastic. The pub is fine too for reading the paper etc, but I haven't tasted the food. I've no connection to the place whatsoever, but I will be making a lot more trips here for some quiet "me" time.

So for me, in order (so far as I haven't been to Gusto in Washington St (only their coffee dock outsite the Boardwalk)):

1 The Sextant
2 Italee
3. The place in the market
4. Costa Coffee

Maybe we should organise a Christmas Coffee Crawl

leahyl

Is there anywhere is Cork City that serves coffee/tea/hot chocolate and mince pies/cake up until about 10pm that isn't a pub??

leahyl

leahyl wrote: »

Is there anywhere is Cork City that serves coffee/tea/hot chocolate and mince pies/cake up until about 10pm that isn't a pub??

The net cafe place next to McDonalds on Winthrop street, 24hrs
McDonalds too of course, if you like apple slices :pac:

lostinsuperfunk

Is there anywhere is Cork City that serves coffee/tea/hot chocolate and mince pies/cake up until about 10pm that isn't a pub??

Probably most of the wine bars, e.g. Gusto on the nights it opens late, Indigo on Lancaster Quay, the Elysian, Boqueria etc. Also the hotels, the Imperial (closes at 9 I think), River Lee Hotel, Clarion. Maybe the Triskel cafe also?

The Starbucks coffee in UCC is just as nasty as the coffee in all the other student catering outlets on campus. But - it comes in a cup with a logo and costs more...

eth0

Isn't a wine bar just a pub for posh people?

colincork

Wow I'm really surprised noone has mentioned the coffee pod by the clarion they are also on Winthrop st. They are the only place in cork that comes at all close to Starbucks, it's actually worth the €3.50 a cup!

Steoob

colincork wrote: »

Wow I'm really surprised noone has mentioned the coffee pod by the clarion they are also on Winthrop st. They are the only place in cork that comes at all close to Starbucks, it's actually worth the €3.50 a cup!

Dont take offense, but i dont know where to start with that statement

randomuser77

Steoob wrote: »

Dont take offense, but i dont know where to start with that statement

Sorry Colin, I gotta agree with Steoob on this one, Starbucks is hardly the standard bearer. Having said that, they do some damn good coffee (edit: the coffee pod that is, not Starbucks). Still, I don't think their price is justified when Italee charge circa €1.50 for their coffees.

Steoob

There are two types of coffee lovers in this world. People who like starbucks, and people who like coffee how it would be made at the WBC. Thats just a radnom reference but its the only way i can describe that way of making coffee (specialist blend, correct temperature milk, latte art). I read in an article recently that starbucks have all switched to automatic machines now. Can anyone confirm?

langdang

Italee was closed over Christmas so I missed out again there. Have heard good reports from a few more people.
Checked out Cafe Gusto - twas grand like, if every place could do coffee at that standard it would be good.

EyeSight

colincork wrote: »

Wow I'm really surprised noone has mentioned the coffee pod by the clarion they are also on Winthrop st. They are the only place in cork that comes at all close to Starbucks, it's actually worth the €3.50 a cup!

i am a coffee snob but i don't mind startbucks. i do think cork needs one. but 3.50 for a coffee??? you can get a brilliantly made coffee in the market for 2 euro. and most other good places do it for 2.50

Persol

Cafe eco is open 24 hours. The best baristas work 8am to 11pm, after that it's a hit and miss! It is the only place in Cork that serves a single traceable origin of coffee beans! They get their beans from Golden Bean, and let me tell you, Golden Bean are **** hot!! Cafe eco's prices are reasonable and everything is right about their coffees, lattes, mochas, etc.! Only inconvenience is the lack of space! It's get packed very quickly. Maybe it's high time they should go big! ;-)

Steoob

Persol wrote: »

Cafe eco is open 24 hours. The best baristas work 8am to 11pm, after that it's a hit and miss! It is the only place in Cork that serves a single traceable origin of coffee beans! They get their beans from Golden Bean, and let me tell you, Golden Bean are **** hot!! Cafe eco's prices are reasonable and everything is right about their coffees, lattes, mochas, etc.! Only inconvenience is the lack of space! It's get packed very quickly. Maybe it's high time they should go big! ;-)

What? You might wanna have a better look around

evilivor

Persol wrote: »

Cafe eco is open 24 hours. The best baristas work 8am to 11pm, after that it's a hit and miss! It is the only place in Cork that serves a single traceable origin of coffee beans! They get their beans from Golden Bean, and let me tell you, Golden Bean are **** hot!! Cafe eco's prices are reasonable and everything is right about their coffees, lattes, mochas, etc.! Only inconvenience is the lack of space! It's get packed very quickly. Maybe it's high time they should go big! ;-)

Gosh that reads like an advert. In fact, taken with your previous cheerleading posts for Eco restaurant, I'd be very suspect of your motives.

Loire

randomuser77 wrote: »

Italee charge circa €1.50 for their coffees.

Considering how good the coffee in Italee is and the fact they only charge €1.50 it really makes me think most other places are ripping us off...

Henry94

The big problem with coffee is consistency. Cork Coffee Roasters and the place in the market is always good in my experience but a lot of others are not. With Starbucks in town now I think a lot of the Independents need to up their game instead of complaining.