Proper Order Coffee

A multi-roaster bar in Smithfield

Coffee here comes from more than one roaster, which is the first thing to understand about the counter. The shop opened just off Smithfield Square in January 2016 and built its menu around European roasters, with Square Mile the name most closely tied to its early board and Red Brick appearing alongside it. That structure leaves room for single origin espresso and guest coffee rather than one fixed house option. The bar is equipped to match: a three-group La Marzocco Linea PB with built-in scales, two Mythos One grinders for espresso, and an EK43, a Marco F45M brewer and a La Marzocco Vulcano grinder for filter and guest shots. The founders brought competition form to it, between them an Irish Brewers Cup title in 2012, an Irish Latte Art Championship in 2015, and repeated high finishes at the Irish Barista Championship across 2014, 2015 and 2016.

White brick, one fireplace, very few seats

The room is small, narrow and design-led, a slim Smithfield space with a calm, light-filled feel and enough equipment on the counter to give it a laboratory air. White exposed brick runs the length of it, photographs of the Irish countryside hang around the room, and an original fireplace still sits in the middle of it all. Seating is limited to a few wooden tables, so the rhythm is set by the counter as much as the room: some people take a table with a book, others stand at the bar and talk to staff for a few minutes before moving on. Service is knowledgeable and conversational, happy to get into sourcing and brewing without making the place feel formal.

Order the Slap And Tickle first

Start with the Slap And Tickle, the house signature that changes daily and has kept regulars coming back. One version came as an orange spiced latte finished with dehydrated orange zest; another paired a Red Brick espresso with a Buena Vista cascara soda as a chaser. Seasonal flavoured lattes follow the same approach, built with real ingredients such as roasted pumpkin and whole spices instead of a syrup pump. For food, think pastry rather than kitchen. Cruffins from Scéal Bakery are the best-known item, with croissants, pains au chocolat and morning buns joining them later in the week. Coffee first, pastry alongside if the counter still has them: that is the whole visit, and it is enough.