It’s finally the weekend, you’ve been dreaming about brunch all week but can’t be arsed trekking into town. You need some proper tasty nourishment, preferably in your hood, and only the best coffee will do. You need our guide to Dublin’s best brunch options in the ‘burbs... (and if you are arsed trekking into town, you need our guide to the best brunch options in the city centre)
Northside
Two Boys Brew, Phibsborough
Kevin and Taurean of Two Boys Brew opened up the now iconic Dublin 7 café back in 2016 inspired by their time in Berlin, Copenhagen and Australia. They're still pumping out some of the best brunch on the Northside, like avocado toast with crispy halloumi; eggs benedict with pulled pork shoulder; and baked ricotta hotcakes. They're also pouring some of the best coffee in the area and are eternally busy so get there early if you want to avoid getting hangry in the queue.
3fe, Phibsborough
3fe seemed to sneak in overnight in Phibsborough last September, basically next door to Two Boys Brew, aka the flagship brunch spot of D7 - an interesting move. Now becoming a bit of a cookie cutter operation, their first suburban Northside location's menu is virtually the same as their other spots, but you can't deny the coffee is great and their food is solid with their chorizo and romesco hash and their fried chicken thigh bap being highlights. The perfect spot in Phibs when you can't get into TBB.
Bang Bang, Phibsborough
Slightly off Phibsborough’s main drag, just behind Dalymount Stadium, nestled among the 1890s red brick houses is Bang Bang, home of the legendary brunch burger - a Dublin brunch right of passage. Their specials change daily, with an option each for carnivores, veggies and vegans, they pour Silverskin coffee and their sweet treats are all homemade. It's an all round super brunch spot with great food, banging tunes and friendly staff.
Slice, Stoneybatter
Stoneybatter is basically heaven for food loving D7 dwellers, with some of the best dining spots in the city. For brunch though, Slice is where it's at. The café is cosy, and the food is always excellent (bit fans of their sausage scramble), and lucky for us they serve an all-day brunch six days a week, so none of this weekend only BS. With additional outdoor seating, Slice is the brunch spot to be on a cracking day. Still not convinced? Three words. Watermelon. Aperol. Spritz.
Social Fabric Café, Stoneybatter
Another point on the scoreboard for Stoneybatter is Social Fabric, located in an old post office now transformed into a friendly, casual space. Their brunch menu is varied, with a very generous full Irish alongside porridge, granola, pancakes and more. They're vegan and vegetarian friendly, and also serve Cloud Picker coffee so you’re chanced of a decent flat white are better than average.
Two Pups, Fairview
March 2023 was a good month for brunch seekers in Fairview when revered Two Pups in Dublin 8 expanded across the Liffey with a slightly smaller premises than the original. A small but potent menu, they have fun scrambled egg on brioche bun creations like the McDivil and the Boldy, as well as their loaded hash browns. Pastries are homemade and coffee from these guys is always excellent.
Póg, Clontarf, Howth & Malahide
Póg is a protein pancake palace, with a full menu of sauces, toppings and premium add ons for their signature stacks. If that's not your bag there's also the mortgage busting avocado on toast, breakfast brioche and acai bowls. Although they started in the city centre, the last couple of years have seen them expand to specifically seaside North Dublin suburbs including Howth, Malahide and most recently Clontarf.
Orani, Blanchardstown
Orani in Blanchardstown might not be the first spot you think of for brunch, but trust us, you should be. They describe themselves as "Asian Fusion" with dishes like Orani eggs Benedict with a miso hollandaise, and quinoa taco pancakes, but the owners' Filipino roots have thankfully spilled onto their brunch menu too. Orani is the ideal place to try popular Filipino breakfast staples Longsilog - sausage with garlic rice and a fried egg - and Tapsilog - an all-day breakfast dish with beef tapa, fried egg, garlic fried rice and fresh vegetables.
Dublin 8
Daddy's, Rialto
Daddy’s have been knocking it out of the park since they opened in late 2019, bringing their modern Irish dishes to the people of Rialto. They do an all-day brunch menu on the weekend, and have a few brunch style dishes on their weekday menu too, including the croissandwich and the Turkish eggs. Decisions, decisions...
The Fumbally, Fumbally Lane
Some of the best chefs and food entrepreneurs in Ireland have ‘graduated’ from the Fumbally, which operates a non-hierarchical kitchen, allowing everyone the equal chance to create new menu items. This freedom has paid off for both the employees and the café, with a queue of hopeful young chefs waiting in the wings to get their shot. It's almost as long as the queue of hungry zillennials gagging for brunch on a Saturday morning.
ALMA, Portobello
Another Portobello diamond, ALMA is a family operation, with the name stemming from the four initials of the children, and you’ll usually see one or more of them on the floor. ALMA is bringing an Argentinian twist to the traditional brunch, with dishes like choripan Argento featuring Argentinian-style sausage on sourdough. Our favourite though would have to be the dulce de leche pancakes. We repeat – dulce. de. leche. pancakes.
31 Lennox, Portobello
An Italian-style brunch is something we didn’t think we needed until 31 Lennox came along with their toasted Porchetta Benedict, chicken parmigiana burgers and of course some good quality Italian sausage. Brunch is available Saturday and Sunday from 09:00 to 15:00.
Groundstate Coffee, The Liberties
This café roastery based in the Liberties, Dublin 8 works with small growers for their coffee beans and roast everything in small batches in-house. They're keen to use quality local suppliers and are nailing it with McNally Farm, Firehouse Bakery and Pigs on the Green on their roster. Overnight oats are a popular order, but they also have weekend worthy dishes like brioche brekkie buns and saucy scrambled eggs.
Bibi's, Portobello & Dun Laoghaire
This quiet but buzzy little spot in Portobello has recently opened a seaside outpost in Dun Laoghaire, but the original in Portobello is always a go-to when we’re thinking about where to grab brunch in Portobello. Go early to grab a table, a flat white, and a plate of their Turkish eggs, and be sure to pick up a few of their signature brownies too, cos hey, it’s the weekend.
Southside
Grove Road, Rathmines
Located right at Portobello Bridge, you’ll want to try snag a window seat here for peak people watching as you sip your cuppa. Grove Road serves brunch all day on the weekends and even have a smaller brunch menu that they serve all day during the week, so you don’t need to wait until the weekend to enjoy their avocado and feta smash toast with properly crispy bacon.
Mad Yolks, Rathmines (& Smithfield)
Brothers Hugh and Eoin O’Reilly of Mad Yolks expanded from their Smithfield location to Rathmines, which we're sure the locals are very happy about. The menu is the same as their Smithfield spot, with free-range egg sandwiches, homemade hash browns and chilled mimosas. Flavour combinations are ace, and you should prepare to leave with a newfound grá for eggs. You'll never, ever, need to eat an Egg McMuffin again. Read our once over here.
Dillinger's, Ranelagh
If you’re in the mood for brunch that might turn into lunch that might turn into dinner, Dillinger's is your guy, with classics like Shakshouka and pancakes, as well as hangover busters like fried chicken with waffles or their full Irish. Serving from 11:00 on Saturdays and Sundays, Dillinger's take as much pride in their drinks as their food, so you can pick from a host of cocktails for your hair of the dog. Their Bloody 's are spot on, or if you’re with a gang get the mimosa & Bellini tray to ease yourselves gently into the weekend.
Brother Hubbard, Ranelagh
People of Ranelagh rejoice! The institution that is Brother Hubbard opened up shop at 27 Ranelagh Village back in 2022, and the Southside suburb suddenly had a new must-visit for all day brunch, all week long. No need to trek into town anymore for their eggs menemen, or cinnamon and walnut scrolls. Breads, pastries, pickles, ferments & preserves are made in house, and they have an impressive list of suppliers for the rest.
Happy Out, Donnybrook and Dun Laoghaire
We challenge you not to get a coffee from Happy Out when you're going for a walk along Bull Island or Dun Laoghaire pier. Or if the weather is wild or your head is feeling a bit too tender, try their Donnybrook location. In Dun Laoghaire they’ve collaborated with Together Academy in the most stunning spot right on the water. Sea views, toasties, and killer coffee. What more could you want out of this little old life.
Juniors, Beggar's Bush
Juniors is owned by brothers Paul and Barry McNeary, who are also behind Paulie's Pizza and Lotts and Co., and it’s been on the go for years, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their brunch is American-style with buttermilk pancakes, Southern fried chicken and waffles, and a potato rosti/FXB sausage patty breakfast stack. This is where we’d head for some recovery after a night on the tiles.
3fe Five Points, Harold's Cross
Five Points in Harold’s Cross is a 3fe creation, so you’re destined for good grub and coffee in the comfort of your own neighbourhood. Similar to the other 3fe menus, you've got the staples like the fried chicken bap, Boston beans, and the chorizo hash. An oldie but a goodie, 3fe is a handy dandy reliable.
Southbank, Harold's Cross
Much as we might fancy the comfort of an old favourite, we’ve always got eyes open for something distinctive on a brunch menu. That’s where Southbank’s charred cabbage on toast comes in, topped with tahini, crispy shallots and sumac – you won’t find that anywhere else around town. Fear not if that’s a bridge too far - there are full Irishes and eggs benedicts aplenty too. With an under-12s kids menu on at the weekends, it's also a great bet if you’re brunching with little ones.
Hatch, Blackrock
Hatch in Glasthule is the go to coffee spot in the area, but the space here is limited so they always kept it simple with coffees, pastries and treats. Luckily for the folks of Blackrock, they expanded to a much bigger premises in the last couple of years. They serve a small brunch menu, which includes one of the best iterations of mushrooms on toast that we've tasted, and best not to miss out on their brown butter cookie which scooped a silver medal in the 2023 Blas na hÉireann awards. It's the perfect spot for early birds as they start serving from 08:00 on the weekend, and from 07:00 midweek.
Fable + Stey, Blackrock
A true neighbourhood café, some of the most local locals don’t even know it’s here. Hidden off Newtownpark Avenue, Fable + Stey serve a constantly changing menu with monthly specials taking pride of place. Their brunch is no different so keep an eye on their Instagram to see what they’re serving up, and always leave room for their homemade bakes.
Overends Kitchen, Dundrum
Sitting on the large Airfield Estate in Dundrum, Overends Kitchen has probably the most locally grown produce around as lots of it is grown on the grounds, and their menus change depending on the harvest. It’s a family friendly spot and designed to be explored and enjoyed by all. You could arrive early and help collect the eggs that will end up in your breakfast, or burn off some of your brunch with a walk around the six acre gardens. Either way, you won’t be disappointed by the garden greens shakshuka, buttermilk fried chicken and waffles, or brioche French toast.
Looking for brunch in the city ? Check out our guide to the best brunches in the city centre here.
