Why eat a boring hotel breakfast when the food at Brother Hubbard is so good? See what it’s like to eat breakfast at this classic Dublin brunch spot.
I chose to bag the hotel breakfast and walk to Brother Hubbard for breakfast during my first trip to Dublin in 2013. Truth be told, my walk was not painful. I traversed St. Stephens Green, strolled along Grafton Street and crossed the Capel Street Bridge over the River Liffey to get to the charming café.
Walking in the brisk autumn weather refreshed my soul and whetted my appetite. Upon arriving at Brother Hubbard and seeing the sign that says “This is the cafe you’ve been looking for” – I knew that my research had taken me to the right place.
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Brother Hubbard is on the less touristy north side of town and was opened by James Boland and Garrett Fitzgerald in 2012. It’s a gem of a cafe serving some of my favorite things – coffee, breakfast, lunch and homemade pastries.
According to the menu, everything is made in-house except for the bread that they source from nearby Arún bakery. I was happy to see that the cheese comes from my new favorite Dublin spot, Sheridans Cheesemongers. Plus, they have a cute little garden, though I chose to sit inside.
Upon my arrival, I was in dire need of a good cup of coffee. I’m talking about a handcrafted cup with a nice crema. Brother Hubbard gets their Has Bean coffee from the award-winning experts at 3fe. It was a solid cup made with quality beans, filtered water and organic milk. The latte art was a nice touch. Needless to say, the cup of coffee met my high expectations.
Update
Brother Hubbard has joined the Dublin coffee scene and now roasts its own beans.
Although I was tempted to order porridge, the server recommended the bacon and cheese sandwich. The sandwich description sounded great, plus I could see where each ingredient was sourced just by looking at the menu. It was a great choice at 4.90 Euros – tasty and hardy, and not as stick-to-your-ribs filling as the porridge would have been.
Arriving at the 8:00 opening time was a good move, as I avoided the crowd but still got to people watch. Everybody seemed happy with the food, even those just having toast and jam.
My plan was to return to the café a couple days later for some pre-flight slow-cooked organic porridge for me and some homemade scones to take home to Daryl. Alas, Brother Hubbard doesn’t open until 10:00 on Sundays which was too late based on my 11:00 flight time. Oh well, at least I was able to bring Daryl home a picture of the treats.
I have my favorite spots in Philadelphia where I can get excellent coffee. There are also plenty of great restaurants. However, there is nothing like Brother Hubbard with its excellent coffee and great food.
A girl can wish though.
Brother Hubbard now has two locations in Dublin. I ate at the original location at 153 Chapel Street, Dublin 1, Ireland.
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About the Author
Mindi Hirsch
Mindi Hirsch left corporate America to embark on a never-ending quest for the next great meal. The award-winning Food & Travel writer lives in Lisbon with her partner Daryl.
Disclosures
Article Updates
We update our articles regularly. Some updates are major while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article.
Funding
I self-funded my lunch at Brother Hubbard.
Original Publication Date: October 31, 2013
Hamilton
Saturday 7th of March 2015
Oh, I miss 3FE coffee! Enjoy yourselves!
Kim
Wednesday 8th of October 2014
I wish I had known about this place when I was in Dublin last year. I will be sure to check it out the next time I am there.
Elaine
Sunday 17th of August 2014
I've had weekend brunch here before, great spot!
Red Hen
Thursday 31st of October 2013
Poor Daryl getting all those pics instead of actual treats! You`re cruel! Thanks for the tip off on Brother Hubbards. Will check it out as soon as I can.
Mindi Hirsch
Thursday 31st of October 2013
Don't feel too bad for Daryl. Although he didn't get scones, he got cheese, chocolate and a sweater. Let us know how you like Brother Hubbard...