See all Motoring AdviceWe know how you feel, we've bean there too.
To remedy your coffee rut, hit the road and pay a visit to some of our favourite coffee shops that are going the extra mile when it comes to taste. They offer the perfect blend of gourmet coffee in gorgeous locations, which are grounds for a great road trip.
Caffe Banba, Inishowen, Co Donegal
You want off-grid? You got it! Caffe Banba is the most northerly coffee shop in the country. So, set your navigation for Banba's Crown, which is at the tippy-top of Malin Head, and keep your eyes peeled for a teeny-tiny Piaggio. Here you'll find husband and wife team, Dominic and Andrea, making brilliant brews using coffee roasted by Bailies in Belfast. After driving all this way, you really ought to refuel with some of their beautiful banana bread. Rich in potassium, bananas help regulate blood pressure. If you brought the kids along for the ride, you might want two slices.
O'Neill Coffee, Skibbereen, West Cork
Cork is the capital of coffee culture in Ireland. Shhh! Don't tell the Dubs. The county has a plethora of independent roasters and cafes, such as O’Neill Coffee in Skibbereen. Located in Ms O'Neill’s former grocery shop, it is a delightful marriage of modern coffee culture in a traditional setting. Serving locally roasted West Cork Coffee, locally sourced herbal tea and scrumptious sweet and savoury local treats, O'Neill Coffee is a great place to get a taste of West Cork with a side order of nostalgia.
Glencar TeaSHED, Glencar, Co Leitrim
For brews with views, follow the breathtakingly scenic Yeats Country Drive to Glencar and enjoy caffeinated drinks accompanied by sounds of Ireland's most famous waterfall. As W.B. Yeats himself might have said, you should arise and go now to Glencar TeaSHED, where you can sip locally roasted coffee and enjoy scones, soups, sambos and sublime views of Glencar Lake. The café's history dates back to the late 1800s and photos of the original Tea House adorn the walls. This is coffee with heritage in the heart of Yeats Country.
The Old Barracks, Birdhill, Co Tipperary
Coffee obsessives should don their anoraks and take a road trip to the small, country village of Birdhill, which is easily accessible off the M7. The Old Barracks Coffee Roastery and Coffeebar is housed in a 300-year-old converted building, but it is overflowing with the most modern of equipment. You can hear the beans cracking in the huge roaster, their rich aroma perfumes the whole building. It's mesmerising to watch. So too is seeing the baristas work the Modbar coffee machine that uses gravimetric technology. Ok, calm down. Choose your brew from up to 10 different coffees on offer and grab a seat outside and drink in serene views of Mount Moylussa and Lower Lough Derg. This place really is brew-ti-ful.
Off the Beaten Truck, Crone Woods, Co Wicklow
Be wowed by the wonderful Wicklow Mountains as you make your way to Crone Woods for a pick-me-up pit-stop percolated in a 1996 renovated horsebox. Laura Hayden set up Off the Beaten Truck with the aim of being as off-grid as possible - electricity is sourced from a leisure battery so as not to disturb the tranquillity of the surroundings with a generator. We love her sustainable ethos and her grá for all things Irish. Her coffee comes from Irish roasters, her bakes are laden with local ingredients and Irish artists play on repeat. With terrific coffee, treats and tunes, this off-grid truck is on point.