Our favourite spots to have a cup of coffee in and around Dublin

It is true - I can confirm it: the streets of Dublin have become the perfect stage for a wave of fantastic new actors looking to come in first in the ongoing contest "WHO SERVES THE BEST CUP OF COFFEE IN TOWN?"

Just navigate in Internet and you'll find quite a few expert bloggers and sites commenting about their favourite contestants to achieve this award and I mostly agree with their choices

Thing is... I am a mum, mainly and firstly I am a mum so when I think of my perfect cup of coffee in Dublin, I am not only considering the quality of the coffee (which still is -of course- the main point) but also other family-related factors, because if these are not taken into account, my best cup of coffee would not exist, in spite of the quality of the beans:

- Apart from the best cup of coffee, is the place offering anything that the kids can have? (they're still too young for coffee). In that "anything" I would include nice milkshakes, amazing slices of homemade cake, pastries... and

- Is the place nice enough for the kids to sit down and be entertained until I finish my superb cup of coffee

- Or maybe, the spot is located in an area where the kids can run around so they do not have to be waiting for me at the table (always difficult for them to keep still for more than 5 mins... I'm sure you know what I mean!)

With that in mind these would be our winners (not in order of preference, but in order of seniority - first one we know for longer and last one is quite new to us):

- Terrace at the Avoca Cafe in Kilmacanogue

Picture this: you and your partner having a very nice cup of coffee in the lovely terrace, newspaper in hand, chocolate gingerbread man waiting to be beheaded beside your coffee mug -other fellow gingernbread men had already been "murdered" by the boys-, morning sun shining down on you, providing the sooo necessary and so comforting natural warmth (or maybe the sun is not shining...), birds are singing.

The kids??? Well, the kids killed their gingerbread men in cold blood and then left... they are now over there, in the garden, running around playing hide and seek, or rolling down the hill; you can see them, and you can check what they're doing, but you do not need to suffer the: "are you done mum? can we go? what's taking you that long??!!! your coffee will go cold if you do not hurry up, mum!".

Priceless, believe me! 

I wrote a post about the place and how to get there some years ago, but everything I wrote back then is still valid for us (we visit quite often), so please feel free to read it if you want to feel this unique experience :-) 

- Union Cafe, beside Deer Park.

Would definitely recommend it for those lazy summer mornings/afternoons when you just cannot face the idea of running around chasing mini people, because your inner self is begging you not to do any physical activity but to indulge yourself... go to Union Cafe, get a nice table at the terrace, directly looking at the Deer Park playground which is located literally opposite the cafe,

sit down ask for a coffee and one of their pastries (which look unreal and taste delicious) and see how your kids fall in love with the state of the art playground only a stone throw away

If your children are not that young, you will be able to control them from the comfort of your table, coffee and pastry paradise... Isn't it a dream come true?

Read my post for more details about Union Cafe  and Deer Park to get the feeling of what I mean.

- Lolly and Cooks @ Herbert Park.

Herbert Park is one of our favourite city parks. Always full of kids running around. There are tennis courts, soccer grounds, a lawn bowling club, a magnificent playground (not big, but great fun for kids of all ages), the pond with all the ducks that attract curious toddlers like magnets. And for the last year or so, there's the cafe.

Lolly and Cooks serves very good coffee, offers nice cakes and cookies and it's located in an unbeatable location. Get a cup of coffee and a slice of cake (my sons' favourite is red velvet cake but  I tend to order a muffin), sit at a table in their terrace so the kids can sit down with you but still have the feeling that they're in the park. Once they finish their cake, they'll start playing beside the table and you'll be able to enjoy your coffee while you also enjoy their company (win-win!)

- Scoop Ranelagh

If you just do not have the time to sit down and enjoy, but you still want/need a real good quality cup of coffee and are determined to find a place where all members of the family are happy to go... well in our family Scoop would be the place: just look at their faces, gelato in hand!

Amazing gelatos and smoothies, supreme crepes and waffles and lovely cups of coffee to go, or to sit there for a few minutes. I can assure you, your kids will be delighted to hear you say you want to go somewhere for a coffee to go, and they will no doubt "kindly suggest" to head in that direction. You know they can be very persuasive...

I know: this list is not similar to the ones I was referring to at the beginning of the post: this is different, exclusive for parents who do not want to give up the pleasure of a good cup of coffee just because they happen to be with their kids...