From the amazing array of coffees and teas on offer, it seemed churlish to have a simple filter coffee, so I selected the most over-the-top concoction on offer, which involved toffee, marshmallow, and cream, as well as a bit of coffee. It was, unsurprisingly, very sickly sweet and obviously incredibly unhealthy, but an experience. My only regret is not trying some of the cake and pastries, which looked divine.

We stopped in the one on Mary Street for coffee and a scone which was light and flaky. The self serve restaurant has light meals, desserts, sandwiches and beverages. The food is decent and prices are reasonable but the main reason to come here is the decor. Stained glass windows and walls covered with Chinese writing, dark, heavy tables with marble tops and velvet upholstered benches made us feel like we were in the early 1900s. Patrons were a mix of tourists like ourselves, suit and tie businessmen, and elderly ladies who were taking a break from their shopping.

Bewley’s has its own line of coffee and teas available for sale at the cafes as well as in stores throughout Ireland. A purchase from Beweley’s makes a good souvenir to bring back for your tea drinking friends.

Most of Bewley's establishments are self-service cafeterias, but Bewley's of Grafton Street also has several full-service tearooms. Go at least once because Bewley's is a quintessential hit of real Dublin, and the people watching is good. But stick to coffee and sticky buns, because the food is rather mediocre.