The Fumbally's reputation as a quality spot for breakfast and lunch is cemented in Dublin's café line-up. This is matched by its status as a leading coffee house, serving the excellent 3FE coffee, which is regularly joined by a guest coffee. If patrons are not stopping for its scrambled eggs and Gubbeen smoked ham on sourdough bread, they are dropping in for a top-notch brew in the light-filled shabby chic space.
While not found on one of the primary streets of Dublin's city centre, Luca D’Alfonso and Aisling Rogerson's atmospheric venue is a short stroll from one of its most historic landmarks – St. Patrick's Cathedral. Visitors to Dublin will love this casual café as a prime spot to connect with people and get information on local events, while enjoying the great food and hospitality. Signage is minimal so you may walk past it on your first visit.
At the heart of its success is its ethos. Sustainability is key, they champion local producers on their menu, and try to use organic foods as much as possible. This strong ethical foundation means customers are served quality food with heart and inspiration - and at great value. The café’s influence reaches into the greater food community too, with many former employees having set up their own cafés or food businesses, and some of their resulting products appear on the menu as well as on shelves to take away.
Breakfast time is always buzzing and The Fumbally's famous egg dishes are hard to say no to; lightly scrambled free range eggs with olive oil, garlic and tomatoes served on toasted sourdough are simply delicious, add Gubbeen hot smoked ham as a tasty little extra! Vegan dishes are equally vibrant and moreish.
For lunch, expect a helping of c0lourful fresh salads, falafel, pulled porchetta ciabatta and daily soups and specials which change daily. Counter service is the house style and tables are communal, making it a sociable affair.
The drinks menu offers freshly pressed organic juices and house-fermented drinks such as kombucha and seasonal kefir, also a simple range of European organic wines.
With a no reservations policy, queues quickly form at lunchtime. For a unique dinner experience, attend one of their themed Wednesday Dinners. Always showcasing seasonal local ingredients, each week a different Fumbally chef is given free rein to create a one-off menu: the results are eclectic, exploring anything from pre-potato Irish food to Japanese rice bowls perhaps or French bistro classic. Details for upcoming dinners can be found on their website.
Next door, a recently converted 19th century building is home to The Fumbally Stables (http://thefumballystables.ie), offering beautiful spaces for learning and workshops (from yoga and meditation to home cooking and baking to fermentation and coffee training), treatments (reflexology, massage, shiatsu and herbalism) and events (music, talks and pop-up dinners) some of which are run in-house and some of which are hosted by regular collaborators such as 4Hands Studio.
A regular Saturday food market offers the opportunity to take home the produce of the extended Fumbally food community, with café suppliers such as local, small-scale, sustainable growers such as McNally’s Family Farm, Elmhurst Cottage Farm, Shackleton Farm and Garryhinch Mushrooms selling their wares alongside Scéal Bakery, Harry’s Nut Butter, White Mausu, Fumbally Ferments (kimchi, kraut, miso bomb and seasonal additions) from their own kitchen and cheese, cured meats and olive oils from Lilliput Stores. In December, the stables and café host a three-day Christmas market showcasing local food producers, Irish craft and design.
*Activities at The Fumbally Stables including the weekly food market were postponed until further notice in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, while the café has also paused normal services. The café is now host to The Fumbally Shop on Fridays and Saturdays, where numerous local Irish growers are supplemented by imported organic produce and their usual range of condiments is bolstered by supplies of house-baked sourdoughs, breads and pastries, Gubbeen Farmhouse cheese, cured meats and smoked ham, Dublin Honey Project, Organic Milk from Village Dairy organic milk and natural wines.
The Wednesday Dinner is available for collection only, with an emphasis on energising comfort food: think deep-flavoured red-wine braised puy lentils with slow-roast tomatoes, kale and wild garlic salsa verde with Higgin’s free-range shredded pork or garlicky Garryhinch mushrooms, served with house-baked rosemary focaccia, and with dessert of rhubarb and ricotta almond cake with a blood orange drizzle. A range of condiments, fermented foods and drinks, natural wines and local cider are also available to buy on collection at your allotted time.
