What should we know about The Morning Bakery?
Brian O’Keeffe and Kevin Powell’s The Morning Bakery lives in the former home of once go-to brunch spot, Meet Me In The Morning. That turned into Table Wine in November 2021, but closed in November 2022, with the guys going back to their pastry and coffee roots. The dog-friendly bakery and specialty roaster café now serves great coffee and baked goods seven days a week.
Where should we sit?
There's seating downstairs for 15 or so people, another two tables outside, and at the weekend they open the upstairs area with space for around 20.
What should we have?
To the right of the café they operate a takeaway hatch, which had five kinds of focaccia and all of the same baked goods as in the café. As you enter the café there’s a counter with the wares of the moment displayed on parchment paper, with names and prices written in marker.
We arrived around 9am on a Saturday, and were told that they bring different items out throughout the day. This is smart, as it makes us want to come back at different times, and the law of scarcity kicks in and makes us want everything, but we started with the berry glazed poppyseed cake - dense and moist with a lovely sweet and zesty tang from the glaze.
The sourdough buns (cinnamon and chocolate) were delicious, sweet and buttery, with just the right amount of icing – the fermentation process giving a greater depth of flavour to balance the sweet with the sour.
An oat cookie was made rich with the addition of chocolate, but crunchier and more substantial with the oats and cranberries. We loved the dark chocolate and sea salt cookie too, perfectly chewy, salty and sweet in equal measures.
The only sweet bum note was a chocolate and almond friand which was disappointingly dry.
We asked about the focaccia having seen them next door, and they told us they usually serve one or two ‘more substantial’ ones in the café, so when they brought them out, we thought it would be rude not to try them.
We had a spicy mushroom and olive with shichimi togarashi, (a Japanese 7-spice seasoning blend), and a green pesto and parmesan, and wow. The flavour punch was real, and the bread was soft and fluffy on the inside, with a nice crunch on the outside. Both were incredibly tasty, but the mushroom got our douze points. We’d go back for his alone, and to try the other versions next door (broccoli and parmesan, oregano and leek with lemon balsamic glaze, and lemon and rosemary).
What about drinks?
It’s all about the caffeine here. Coffee is sourced from producers KB Coffee Roasters, and they serve chai, mocha and hot chocolate. For warmer days, there's iced ‘dulce de latte’, and regular iced lattés and Americanos.
Why should I go?
As written on their glass counter-top, ‘We don’t do brunch :)’, so don't ask for avocado toast. It is however the perfect spot to while away a morning drinking good coffee and eating the most delicious of baked goods. The ‘no laptops’ rule means you won't be working here either – they’ve set their sights on creating a community vibe, and they've done it.
The Morning Bakery
49/50 Pleasants Street, Dublin 8
