A few weeks ago having missed breakfast (again) I was very much looking forward to lunch and I decided to pop in to that new café that’s quite oddly situated at the front of The Twisted Pepper on Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1. I burst through the door and the small space was packed, for it was 1pm on a Friday. I looked around very confusedly and all I could see was coffee. Coffee coffee everywhere and not a bite to eat.

"Can I help you?" a smiling young man called at me from behind the counter. "Em…yeah, maybe…later." At that moment he could not help me. So this week I returned without needing to satisfy any hunger pangs and went in to find out what the place is all about. And what it is about is coffee. Very nice coffee and very reasonably priced coffee. With a barista who takes this coffee lark very seriously indeed. Without coming across as serious himself, he’s really very friendly about the whole coffee thing he has going on here. In theory I treat myself to a soya latte about once a week though in practice I seek one out every time I so much as catch the scent of coffee beans on the air.

"Do you have soya milk?" "Nope". How disappointing. Most coffee or food establishments that don’t use soya milk or soya products usually do so out of laziness or perhaps lack of demand, or in the case of The Pig and Heifer ‘We wouldn’t put the farmers out of business.’ Which is certainly a fair enough reason. "Oh. Why not?" "Haven’t found one I like yet. Had a nice one in Norway once but haven’t seen that particular soya milk since."

What followed was a lengthy discussion on the reaction of soya milk to the acidity of coffee and different strengths of roasts etc. which was rather more reassuring than someone not bothering to buy a carton of Alpro every once in a while.  Y’see, serious and friendly, a pretty good coffee bar manager combo. It was suggested that I try the current filter blend. And if I didn’t like it I didn’t have to pay. And of course I did like and did pay and was treated to a fruity mild roast which was indeed delicious.

According to the laminated newspaper review on the window this guy only started making coffee a year ago, won the Irish barista of the year 2009, entered the World Championship Of Baristas (now that title may not be strictly exact but you get the gist) and came fourth in the competition. Read his coffee-based blog here www.dublinbarista.com and call into him to check out some of his blends. And while he is whisking up a storm in the glass filter have a peek through the window of the TP doors and try not to remember last weekend’s debauchery. 

Third Floor Espresso. 54 Middle Abbey Street Dublin 1, Ireland. Mon-Fri 8am to 6pm. Sat-Sun 12pm to 5pm www.thirdfloorespresso.com

Written by :

Jade O'Callaghan