The best coffee shops in Ireland (worth travelling for), according to team IMAGE

Lauren Heskin, Editor, IMAGE Magazine

I love Melody’s Brew, it’s a little purple van at the junction down to Cross Beach, just outside of Louisburgh, Co Mayo. Serving up yummy coffee, absolutely delicious sweet treats (I’m still dreaming about the chocolate caramel square I had last time) and plenty of chats courtesy of Nicole O’Malley, who spent her winter season in South America on the hunt for delicious coffee.

Locally, I always get my weekday coffee(s) from Krystel in Espresso 44 on South William Street. She does a mean flat white and on Wednesdays, I cannot walk by their fresh Nutella cronuts… it’s becoming a serious problem.

Simone Kennedy, Senior Event & Partnerships Executive

After a swim on Baginbun Beach in county Wexford, you have to visit Gralinn, Fethard. It serves the most delicious brunch, homemade baked treats and great coffee. The décor is minimalist yet chic with indoor and outdoor seating.

Megan Burns, Deputy Editor, IMAGE, IMAGE Interiors

Whether you’re heading on a chilly day for a walk, or have packed for a day of swimming and sunbathing, don’t head to the beach at Tramore without stopping off at Seagull Bakery on the way. Not only is there great coffee, there’s a variety of alternative drinks such as kombucha for any non-coffee drinkers in the group, while their pastries and breads are too good to leave behind. Enjoy your treats on one of their outdoor benches, where the vibes are always great, with kids, dogs, and just generally happy people all chilling out.

With two locations, one on Benone beach and the other just down the road in Downhill forest, both Sea Shed Coffee locations are a great place to stop off for amazing coffee and sweet treats. Linger a while in their Downhill location, which has chess board tables, a stove lit on colder days, and peacocks in the garden, or pick up treats for a beach picnic at the Benone shop, which also offers surf equipment hire.

In Antrim, there are few cafés as close to the sea as Babushka, literally situated on a pier, the perfect place to watch surfers rolling in on the waves, or the buzz on the beach on a sunny day. Their coffee and food is so good you’d make the trip here even if the location wasn’t so incredible, so it’s an utterly dreamy combination.

If you’re heading to Lough Derg, The Old Barracks is an amazing roastery and coffee bar that’s the perfect pitstop on the way. You can choose from different beans depending on your flavour preferences and the team are meticulous about making sure every pour is perfect. There are also sweet treats, as well as a small shop offering coffee equipment and Irish food. The outdoor seating area has gorgeous views, too.

Sarah Finnan, Deputy Digital Editor

Baker Boys in Co Sligo is one of my favourite coffee shops in all of Ireland. A deli/bakery/café hybrid, they make all their own food and pastries in-house and everything is extremely good. A little off the beaten track, you’ll find them in the heart of Yeats’ County’s working quarter in Finisklin.

The grub is good (great even), the staff couldn’t be nicer and the interiors are really cool too (be sure to check out the baby pink bathrooms before you leave). Owners Jane and Myles Lamberth’s second café, Shell’s Café along the Strandhill seafront, is second on my list of favourite coffee shops. In Galway, it has to be Espresso 44… their coconut milk hot chocolate is liquid happiness.

Shayna Sappington, Senior Branded Content Writer, IMAGE.ie

I went on a road trip to Dingle last summer and I’m still dreaming about the brew I got in Bean In Dingle. It’s a family-run cafe and they roast their own coffee. Plus they’re nestled in a row of local shops, so it’s the perfect pick-me-up if you’re on a spree.

I popped around the corner to Seed & Soul and had one of the best smoothie bowls of my life. Also, if you’re around Dublin and looking for something different, I cannot recommend Green Fox near Harold’s Cross enough. Their pistachio latte is divine!

Hannah Stapleton, IMAGE Marketing Intern

There are two things I love most about the summer – the Sunny South East, and a good iced coffee. The simple joys in life, and having spent many years exploring the joys that Ireland’s south has to offer, I can confirm I have found some hidden gems over the years.

During the summers, I call myself a West Waterford local. From here, we travel the length and breadth of Cork and Waterford, stopping for many a coffee along the way. My favourite spot so far has been at Sea Church in Ballycotton. Set just outside of the stunning seaside village of Ballycotton in East Cork, Sea Church is a casual dining restaurant, with an upcycled shipping container turned coffee shop out front. It is the perfect spot for a coffee coupled with some stunning views – (it doubles as the perfect beer garden also). They also stock Popsicle, an Irish gourmet popsicle company, and a firm favourite of mine!

Marlene Wessels, Art Director

When you are in Dun Laoghaire and you smell burning toast, chances are that it is JJ Darboven roasting their coffee. On recommendation from a friend, I tried the coffee and it is now my (almost) daily fix for a take out coffee. Very reasonable at €3.30 for a cappuccino and you can add a little artisan chocolate for an extra 70 cents. The company, who’s home is in Hamburg, has been around for 150 years, so they definitely know how to make good coffee!

Emily O’Neill, Branded Partnerships – Marketing Account Executive

If you find yourself venturing through Offaly, Ballycommon Bakehouse is the perfect place to stop for a coffee and a sweet treat. Ballycommon Bake House is located just outside Dangain, Co. Offaly on the Grand Canal Greenway. They won Bakery Of The Year in 2022 and have an array of cakes and pastries to accompany your coffee. My go to order is a flat white and a slice of their Kinder Cookie Slab.

Holly O’Neill, Digital Editor & Beauty Editor

If you’re in Naas, Hey Darling is a must-visit brunch spot; delicious Calendar coffee, unbelievable pastries, toasties and bagels, a beautiful space to chill and dog watch, plus a new location on the way nearby in Kill. Don’t miss it!

Sarah Gill, Staff Writer

When it comes to coffee that’s worth travelling for, a visit to Misunderstood Heron is always worth the journey. The food truck is perched overlooking the Killary Fjord in Connemara, and provides some of the best views imaginable. It also helps that the food is pretty out of this world.

If you find yourself in Galway city, a stroll as far as Ré in Salthill will put a smile back on that caffeine deprived face. Their brews are sensational, their staff are some of the soundest around, and they’re dog friendly — so pup watching is essential.