Brunch offerings in Dublin have ballooned over the last number of years, with plenty of restaurants and cafés of varying qualities looking to get a share of the hungry hordes out for a hangover cure, or just a low-key start to the weekend. With endless identikit menus serving up stuff you can make just as well yourself, it can be hard in these cash-strapped times to know what's worth venturing out for, but that's where we come in...
Tang, Dawson Street, Abbey Street & Cumberland Place
The small but mighty café on the corner of Dawson Street is best known for their Middle Eastern inspired lunches, with flavour-packed salads and meats drawing the work crowd, but their breakfast and brunch menus are where it's at. Tang serves an all-day brunch on the weekends, including a perfectly spicy shakshuka, and a granola bowl that we've tried to recreate at home an embarrassing number of times. Luckily for the people of Dublin they've opened two more locations in the last few years, both with more seats than the original.
Jean-Georges at the Leinster, Mount Street Lower
If you like your brunches lush and laced with high end cocktails, new arrival Jean-Georges in Mount Street’s Leinster Hotel might be the place for you. Sadly there’s no sign of the €42 hash brown, laden with smoked salmon and pristine pearls of caviar, making it onto the brunch menu, but you can sample a much more affordable version in the full Irish plate. It’s a pretty plain menu, all told - if you’re coming here, it’ll be for the luxury space.
Mr French, Erne Street Lower
“Coffee’s not the only thing we’re good at” came the confident claim from Mr French as they launched their new brunch menu back in March – given how seriously they take the drinks here, we paid attention. The menu keeps it on the simple side (we appreciate the frankness of a dedicated section for hangover cures) with a selection of mainly egg-based reliables, and that’s no bad thing. Plus iced coffee season is just around the corner…
As One, City Quay
This bright and spacious café on the quays focuses on serving seasonal, locally sourced food that's good for your gut. As One boasts a hefty roster of the best suppliers around, including McNally Farm, Merry Mill Oats, Village Dairy and Cloudpicker coffee, and their brunch menu makes good use of great ingredients. While we’d love to say we'd be going for their 'In Season' veg plate, we don't think we could resist the 'Breakfast Muffin', loaded with free range sausage meat, black pudding, an organic fried egg, melted cheddar and organic greens.
Urban Brewing, George's Dock CHQ
Riverside bar and brewery Urban Brewing have launched their new brunch offering right in time for a summer of sun-soaked starts to the day – fingers crossed – and they've got just the outdoor terrace to lap it up. The tapas-style menu is a bit of a novelty, and while we enjoyed dishes like ras el hanout-spiced sweetcorn ribs and shaved fennel-topped Jane Russell’s sausage, there’s a bit of work to be done on weeding out some weaker plates. The Irish mythology-inspired cocktail selection is excellent.
The Pepper Pot Café, Powerscourt Shopping Centre
If a bustling brunch right at the heart of the action is your vibe, you can’t do much better than the plush surrounds of Powerscourt Centre’s Pepper Pot Café. Their Victoria sponge and pear and bacon sandwich (veggies can swap in halloumi) are the stuff of brunch legends, but you can’t go far wrong with any of their homemade savoury and sweet options – recent specials have included pork belly with caramelised pineapple and a chorizo-apple hash.
Chimac, Aungier Street
We would say bottomless frosé is the real draw of brunch at Chimac, but with food this good it only adds to the appeal. They keep things simple with a very short menu - always a good sign of confidence in their dishes - centred on jalapeño-spiced hash browns and free-range fried chicken-topped waffles, with a breakfast burger twist on what they do best. Brunch is Sundays only on Aungier Street and all weekend in their Terenure branch.
The Commons at MoLI, Stephen’s Green
Very few city centre spots can beat the outdoor space of The Commons, nestled between Stephen’s Green and the Iveagh Gardens on the grounds of the Museum of Literature Ireland – on a gorgeous morning, there are few places we’d rather brunch. Breakfast blaas, egg dishes and French toast make up the all day breakfast offering here, with salads and toasties if you’re in the mood for something less breakfasty, and an always-appealing cake of the week to finish up on.
Network, Aungier Street
This little spot on Aungier Street is a regular coffee pitstop for us, but we also love to drop in to Network for their deliciously notiony twists on brunch classics like mushrooms on toast with a courgette chilli pickle, a smoked gubbeen toastie, and a dash of chilli oil to pimp up their take on the obligatory avocado toast. Sure, we may never be able to afford a house but at least we’ve got great brunch options.
Eathos, Baggot Street
Now boasting three locations within a short space of each other on Baggot Street, Eathos is where to head if you're feeling virtuous and ready to nourish your body. They have all sorts of healthy options like açaí bowls and a breakfast salad, but also the option to be a bit bolder with pulled pork croquettes or a scrambled egg and Gubeen chorizo toast. You do you, but make sure you leave some room for one of their cakes - who are we kidding, there's always room for cake.
Brother Hubbard North, Capel Street
Brother Hubbard came on the scene when there was really very little in the way of brunch menus in Dublin. Their mezze trays were a sight for sore eyes and rumbling tummies, and they immediately gained a following. If a Middle Eastern breakfast isn't what you're after there's plenty more on offer, including a rotating seasonal French toast and "the full Hubbard", don't start us off about the cinnamon and walnut scrolls. They expanded from the Northside to the Southside on Harrington Street, and have now gone further south with a third outpost in Ranelagh.
Krewe, Capel Street
This New Orleans-inspired kitchen say they are 'bringing the dirty south to the Northside' - to translate, this means flavour and spiced-packed Creole food like jambalaya and blacked fish tacos. For brunch Krewe switch up the traditional eggs benny and serve BBQ shrimp Po' Boys, and fried chicken on waffles with chive hollandaise and hot sauce - a nightmare for your arteries, a dream for your mouth. This spot is all about fun, so bring some friends and make sure to try their deep-south inspired cocktails.
Blas Café, King's Inn Street
Not somewhere you would come across by chance, Blas is hidden off Parnell Street in the Chocolate Factory, flanked by multi-story car parks. It’s a cosy, casual spot, and you won't find any airs or graces here, just great food. They only serve brunch on Saturdays, so make your way here for 18-hour braised brisket toastie with three cheeses, or one of their great veggie options like slow-cooked Blas beans on toast.
One Society, Gardiner Street
Think of everything you crave on a brunch menu, and you’ll probably find it on One Society’s menu, including potentially the most extensive American style pancake menu in Dublin, and a lovely little family connection in where they source some of their meats. They run the brunch menu from Wednesday to Sunday so no need to wait until the weekend to satisfy your brunch needs, and we're big fans of the special "kids love brunch too" menu for families.
Mad Yolks, Smithfield
Founded by two brothers, Mad Yolks were known for slinging the finest egg sambos to the hungry masses at music festivals and pun popups for years before they opened up their first permanent shop in Smithfield back in 2022. Suburban brunchers will be glad to know they've since added a Rathmines outlet too. We're big fans of their feta and avocado-loaded Fresh Yolk, but realistically there's nothing here that won't scratch whatever brunch itch you're feeling.
Urbanity, Smithfield
If you’re ever getting to the hangry stage of the day, we would advise you to avoid Urbanity’s socials or it might send you over the edge. Everything they post is ultra colourful and practically jumping off the screen, showcasing their seasonal menu which changes all the time. They always have interesting brunch specials, and there's a great outdoor area which we're expecting to be packed on summer weekend mornings.
