A flat white in Dublin that tasted of blueberry and rose.
Issue 15
Brew Lab on Redmond's Hill pours single-origin coffee, and the Yemen flat white we had there is the one cup we would order in Dublin.
Redmond's Hill is a short street in Dublin 2 that links Aungier Street to Wexford Street, easy to cross without looking up. At number 17 there is a long bar, high seats that face the baristas, and a brewing station set up the way coffee competitions are run.
We ordered the flat whites. The beans were from Yemen, and the cup tasted of blueberry and rose, smooth and clean. The latte was brilliant too.
Yemen beans, and the flat white tasted of blueberry and rose.
The pick, if you only have time for one
Brew Lab is a Steep Pick, scoring 9.1, the highest of the four Dublin venues we have reviewed so far. Order a flat white on whichever single-origin they are pouring that day, since the guest roasters rotate, and add a pastry. The pastries are exceptional, and the staff are friendly, accommodating and coffee-centric. The owners, Arvind and Renata Khedun, are both Irish champions: Arvind won the Irish Barista Championship in 2018, and Renata is a five-time Irish Latte Art Champion.
Ask what is in the cup
It is a good habit at any specialty cafe, and a fair test. At Brew Lab the staff talk about the coffee. At Boca Cafe out at Spencer Dock, the barista could not tell us which beans or what roast went into our flat white, which surprised us for a specialty shop, although the cafe's own listings name Full Circle Roasters. Boca is still a good place for a sandwich and a latte. We just would not go there to ask about beans.
- Brew Lab Steep PickChrist Church / Portobello · Dublin · Steep Index 9.1/10
A clean, vibrant specialty cafe in Dublin 2, with single-origin coffee, a brilliant latte and exceptional pastries, run by Irish barista champions.
- Brindle Coffee & Wine Steep PickChrist Church / Portobello · Dublin · Steep Index 8.8/10
A coffee shop by day and an organic wine bar by evening in Portobello, with a tucked-away back room, an excellent flat white and staff who make it feel like home.
For the evening
Most of Dublin's cafes close by late afternoon, and Brindle Coffee & Wine in Portobello is the one that stays open. It is a coffee shop by day and an organic wine bar by evening, with a back room tucked away for reading alone. We had the La Parra white, a blend of chardonnay and moscatel, and it tasted of ripe peach, apricot and green apple. Brindle is a Steep Pick too, at 8.8.
On our radar
We wrote up the whole week in a new Dublin guide on steep, including how far apart the cafes are and a walking route that links all four. We have not reviewed 3FE yet. If there is a Dublin stop we are missing, reply and tell us.