Alternative Dublin - A Non Alcohol Adventure Around The City.

January 1st 2022.

Yes, its hard to believe, but we are now living in 2022. The year has just flown by.

I can’t think of a better way to start the year than by creating a list of some awesome spots around the city to help you get out and explore. From Coffee shops to book shops. From Markets to Galleries.

I am thankful that Alternative Dublin have come in touch with me and asked to put together my Top 5 things to do around the city which does not involve the pint. It will be hard to narrow down a Top 5, so I thought I would just gather together all, and then go from there. Expect lots and lots of coffee shops :)

As mentioned by themselves on their “About” Page -

Alternative Dublin is an artist collective hosting events, tours & parties.

Forget typical tourist traps and forget about the green fields of Dublin. We will show you the city that doesn’t make it onto the postcards, but it’s the Dublin locals and visitors alike love.

Made for those who don’t like to follow the crowd, we invite you to delve a little deeper into the city and enjoy unusual nights out, offbeat activities and quirky tours of the capital, and beyond.

So with that said, I’m going to kick this off with a list of some of my favourite coffee shops around the city. If there is one thing that 2020/21 has given me, it was a love for my own city. Lockdown provided us with the motivation to love our own city as we could not explore others and this led to lots of great finds.

Coffee In The City

1.WokeCup Cafe, Smithfield.

I was lucky enough to live directly across from this cafe. Living above Token Arcade, this cafe was just a stones throw away. I was even more luckier to have this place during lockdown and working from home found me strolling across to Wokecup for a Mocha and a Veggie Sausage Roll most mornings. The owner Maria is suuuuper nice and I found myself having some lovely conversations with herself and her wife Sheryl. I would highly recommend this spot if you are in the area and not only do they make some lovely coffees, they also offer some very tasty Vegan and Vegetarian dishes too.

2. The Little Cactus, StoneyBatter.

Fairly new to the city, this spot has exactly what it says in the name, a coffee shop full of pricks. Cactus that is.

Always welcomed with a big HEY ! from all staff when you walk in, the baristas here are serving up some tasty coffees. The store also has a great little section down the back where you can buy some threads and they also often have some local artists work on display here too. Sketchyinc and Ross Carvill’s work has been spotted in store. :)

3.One Kinda Folk, Ranelagh.

I will let these guys speak for themselves as they say it so well…

An old shed that used to house cobwebs and yoga mats is now a Byron Bay inspired hidden little gem in the middle of the city. Set behind the most gorgeous ivy wall you’ll find a little oasis filled with dried flowers and the smells of specialty coffee and chai brewing.

I came across this spot as its on my way to work. I used to walk from Smithfield to Belfield and grab a coffee in-between from these guys. They have an amazing garden that welcomes you in along with a big smile from their staff. Serving up some tasty coffees from 3FE this is great spot for a coffee all year around. Even all the doggos love it here :)

4.Container Coffee, Thomas Street.

Located inside a container that looks nothing like a container on the inside, this place is situated directly across from the Store House. Walking up, you can smell the hops all around and then the smell of lovely coffee follows. Container Coffee is also situated right under St Patricks Tower and you get to enjoy a great view of the tower whilst sipping your coffee on their picnic benches. St Patrick’s Tower was built in 1757 and was the largest smock windmill in Europe used to power the Roe Whiskey Distillery. So its nice to imagine what life was like back in the 1700’s whilst you chow down on a veggie sausage roll and freshly brewed Mocha :)

5.Perch-The Kiosk, Leeson St Bridge.

The perfect spot to drop into after you have been strolling the length of the Grand Canals. This awesome little Kiosk was once under different ownership and simply called “THE KIOSK” . In business for 38 years before it had to close its doors, this little building is now ran by Perch. The small building in which Perch is situated on the junction of Leeson Street and Adelaide Road was built in 1929 and originally served as a water pressure station and public toilets before it was converted into a small café.

Serving up speciality coffee from Bailies Coffee Roasters in Belfast. Grab a cup and go sit with Patrick Kavanagh on his Bench just 5 mins away.

I’m going to stop here as I can go on for ever talking about all the great coffee shops of Dublin. It’s crazy, I have been to a few places in Europe where you would expect great coffee culture, but I’m always amazed at how well Dublin does it. Just like we have a pub on every corner, I really think we are starting to have a great coffee shop on every corner too.

Check out some of my other favourites below which you can find around the city.

Each Cafe is Hyper linked to bring you straight to their insta for more info :)

Art In The City

This goes out to all the amazing artists situated in Dublin and a far. Soooo much talent oozing out of the locals of Dublin and below you can see just a handful of ways to find that art.

Going to kick this off with some street art!

Graffiti is something Dublin battles with and this was certainly seen with the amazing group Subset who created there project “Grey Area Project”. Constant push back from the council, Subset turned our grey walls into masterpieces which most where torn down the day after. You can see some of their work here - DUBLIN WALLS

The S Dock Road Street Art is a constant in the city. Every weekend you can see amazing artists kicking ass with their talents and dropping some colour into the city. South Dock road runs along the north bank of the River Dodder connecting Bridge Street in Ringsend to Grand Canal Dock and along this street you can find huge spray painted murals from Niall.ol , Decoy art, Kinmx, Artofasbestos, Hollypereira Illustrations and much much more. A great day out when the weather is nice.

Taking it Back indoors I have three of my favourite places to visit in the city when it comes to art.

Places where you can pick up local art work along with other artists outside of the city.

Jam Art Factory is a spot on every ones list and these guys hold some of the best photographers and illustrators works. A day out in the city is not complete without a browse through their many prints available.

Next up for grabbing a coffee, some wine, some art, some house decor, some great food, a bit of everything really, is The Hens Teeth.

Situated in Black Pitts, Dublin, this spot has it all. They have a huge wall which is full of prints by amazing local artists and if you are lucky you might end up in there whilst they are showcasing a project by a local artist such as Fattiburkes “TheSnug” and “Lazy Days” by Hattie Stewart.

The Gallery Of Photography Ireland for the photo lovers on a stroll around the city. Make it your goal to stop in and browse the many photo books, quirky cameras and postcards on show. This building holds 3 extra floors above. Always a new exhibition on show and the top floor is for members only where you can have access to top photo scanning equipment to sort out your negs. A great stop to add into your walk around the city.

Check out the below for a little more Art In The City

Feeling the Culture

Getting right into the culture of certain areas of Dublin, The Liberties is high on my list of a good spot to stroll around. Full with great coffee shops local street vendors and the Liberty Market which is full of even more vendors, it’s the best way to hear the voices and see the characters. A perfect day out to dive into the city.

One great spot I would recommend would be Luckies Bar, I know this is a non alcohol guide around the city but I’m not talking pints here. If you are “lucky” you might be in the area when the guys over at Hopfully Brewing host their Artfully Market. A market dedicated to local artists where you can pick up prints, hand made art work and some grub.

In the same area, keep your eyes peeled for the Marrowbone Bookstore - The Coombe.

Opened in 2017 this little store is such a great find in the area. As mentioned by themselves … “We have a good selection of good books. Mostly fiction. Mostly paperbacks. Mostly pretty cheap. We don’t have everything, but we usually have the good stuff”.

Sometimes hosting musicians in the shop with intimate gigs and the odd puppy asleep on the floor. Take a stroll down and find this cute little place. You cant miss the lovely yellow front and the lamp lit plants and books in the window.

Hop On The Dart

Jumping across the city now and hoping on the Dart to get over to Black Rock where we will find the Black Rock Market.

Keeping with the no alcohol day out, adding the Black Rock Market into your trip will top off your day. Not only are there some tasty spots to grab food, but you will also find local artists selling their prints and hand made bits and bobs.

Hosting local artists along the corridors you can find everything handmade, homemade, vintage and plenty of food. Opened Saturday and Sunday.

One of my favourite spots here for stoping for a quick bite is Veggie Vibe Cafe which is open Wednesday to Sunday. Greeted by Marcel, he is chill, laid back and a cool bearded dude. Veggie Vibe is totally vegan and even if you are not into that, the food is still absolutely delicious. Their Tofu scramble is amazing and the veggie burger is tops ! Sitting outside in the corridor of the market, you can catch a glimpse of the buzz and the traders selling their art and hand made goods while you chow down. Go check em out!

A Full Day In The City.

The Coffee, The Galleries, The Streets, The Books, The People.

I told you this would be mostly coffee shops :).

But hopefully you are fuelled with some more knowledge of where to go and what to see and not just what’s the best pub to get a great Guinness. Although this is a very important question, we will leave that for another day.

The best thing in my opinion to do in Dublin when not having a pint is to just get super lost. Put on some comfy shoes and just keep walking. Walk down that lane you haven’t walked down before. Take that right turn that you haven’t taken before. Go into that shop you haven't visited. Eat in that restaurant you just seen.

Treat Dublin like your on holidays. I do this daily and it opens Dublin up to me in a new way every day. Dont threat it like you have been here before. Explore the shit out of her as she is a beautiful city to explore.

And try do it with a camera in your hand ;)

Below you will find a small continuation of this list with some bullet pointed activities to do in the city.

Thanks for reading x