Cloud Picker - the creme of Dublin’s coffee crop.
Voted Europe’s coffee capital in 2022, Dublin leaves locals and visitors alike struggling to pick a favourite cup of brew in the city. After a recent visit to an old favourite however I remain convinced that Cloud Picker of Pearse Street reigns supreme.
There is no denying the long-standing grá that Dubliner’s have for Cloud Picker coffee. It’s the sort of place that once you visit you want to tell everyone about. With the popularity of their beans evident from an omnipresence in Dublin’s cafes, one would assume that their small Pearse Street premise would be a constant heave of bustle. The contrary proved true when we visited last Monday. Having walked across a city soaked in sunlight, street corners thronged with tourists in shorts and 99’s in hand, it was a little bit of bliss to step into the cold calm coffee shop.
Established in 2013 by Frank Kavanagh and Peter Sztal, Cloud Picker coffee is roasted in Crumlin and served from their Pearse Street cafe. With a glass front and an exposed interior lined with shelves of grinders and filters, a coffee lover would be loathe to walk by without stopping. Limited seating meant we were lucky to nab one of the tables outside, more often than not filled with workers from a near by offices or students from the university across the street. Having been one of those students a few years prior, Cloud Picker was a spot I had frequented and loved. After months of proclaiming it to be Dublin’s best brew, it was time to put that to the test as Tom and I stepped inside to order.
There’s an effortless sense of cool to the interior. The narrow space is filled with a counter running lengthways through the room, guiding you down to the back where a screen plays videos of Cloud Pickers escapades to coffee plantations. Khruangbin plays in the background as our eyes turn towards the coffee menu written up on the wall behind the counter. Beneath each section - Filter, Iced, Black, White - there is a regularly alternating poster naming the current beans on roast for that brew. A Specials Board is drawn up, with standouts being Vietnamese Iced Coffee and a Magic- which we grew partial to in Melbourne. Cabinets of pastries tempt the gaze too, flaky pastries from Medialuna and an extensive list of delectable looking toasties.
Coffee Jargon
We stick to coffees and our choices are decisive. A cold brew filter for me, made with Fazenda Passeio, a single origin from Brazil. Tom went for a flat white with the washed Ilkito from Ethiopia. The barista details the flavour profiles of the different origins and we head back outside, heads heady with coffee lore. The coffees follow moments later as we’ve luckily arrived in a reprieve from the morning and lunchtime rush. Served in a Kin glassware cup, the ice cubes of the cold brew crackle as it is set down on the table. Tom’s flat white looks to be light in its roast and a smooth pour. We sip. The butterscotch notes carry through in the Brazilian cold brew, leaving a floral finish that lingers without being overly sweet. Balanced and light, it is a refreshing cup without a complex flavour profile. The flat white is indeed a light coffee, with a wash process on the bean allowing for a clean simple flavour. A citrus hint carries through. I could easily have had a second cup of each of the coffees.
From the quality of the coffee and the knowledge of the baristas, it is evident that those working in Cloud Picker have a passion for what they do. Not confined to roasting and making coffee, their work extends to helping coffee plantations, supporting new coffee sources, and focusing on sustainability. Having written a piece on Cloud Pickers project with Yemen coffee in 2021, I was intrigued by their latest work with Project Waterfall. For every 250g box of Ethiopian coffee that is bought, Cloud Picker donate 1 euro to Project Waterfall, who in turn invest in clean water, sanitation and hygiene projects for the communities growing the coffee. The Ilkito coffee from Tom’s flat white was one such coffee and so we bought a box to try at home.
As we finally pulled ourselves away from Cloud Picker’s array of coffee equipment and emerged into the rush of Pearse Street, I felt sure that I had indeed just drunk Dublin’s best cup of coffee. As a coffee entity, I believe Cloud Picker is one of the most perfectly curated coffee spaces I’ve visited. Their ethos and atmosphere is effervescent and one that I’m sure many places strive to replicate. Do yourself a favour and call in to them on Pearse Street or at one of their new openings in Dublin Airport.
Cloud Picker Pastries from Medialuna 