Like its name, Queen of Tarts is an adorable coffee shop/bakery/lunch cafe in Dublin, Ireland. Located not too far from Dublin’s tourist highlights in Temple Bar, Dan and I went here for bunch on our first day in Ireland when we visited Ireland over Thanksgiving last year. It was raining the morning that we arrived, and a meal at Queen of Tarts was just right to warm us up!
All of the delicious tarts at Queen of Tarts.
Queen of Tarts’ charm hits you as soon as you walk into the tiny restaurant. There is a fabulous display of treats along the back counter, with a few small tables in the front. Make a reservation if possible, or work in time to wait for a table. We walked in and snagged the last available table.
Queen of Tarts menu.
Queen of Tarts’ menu is not huge, but Queen of Tarts offers some relatively healthy options, as well as some ridiculous desserts. We decided to try both options… Since we had recently landed from an overnight flight, we both started with espresso drinks – me a delicious cappuccino and Dan a double espresso.
Necessary after an overnight flight.
For brunch, we both ordered the bacon and leek potato cake (it just sounded too good not to…). The plate was actually a potato cake stuffed with Irish bacon (more like ham) and leeks, topped with a poached egg, and paired with a few roasted tomatoes. The plate was also served with the most delicious spicy red pepper sauce! Each plate was served with two (!!) cakes! The meal was very tasty and definitely did away with the notion that Irish food stinks!
Bacon and leek potato cakes with poached egg.
We couldn’t leave the Queen of Tarts without trying some sort of sweet, so we ended our meal and set off for a tour of the Guinness Storehouse with an amazing chocolate cake topped with powdered sugar and paired with homemade whipped cream. Very, very, very tasty!
Our tasty dessert!
Brunch at Queen of Tarts was a nice treat and a fun way to start our trip to Ireland. And it was an especially nice and non-touristy restaurant in the notoriously touristy Temple Bar area of Dublin. I recommend Queen of Tarts if you are sightseeing and need a light breakfast, lunch, or snack!
STEAL OUR TRIP
Queen of Tarts: Cow’s Ln, Dame St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, Ireland. Open daily 8h – 19h. Queen of Tarts has a second location in Dublin on Dame Street in Cork Hill.
ON A BUDGET
Prices are listed on the above-pictured menu. While not too, too expensive, there are definitely more budget friendly options in Dublin. For a less healthy and quicker Dublin breakfast, try Mr. Donut on Parnell Street. Mr. Donut serves delicious and filling donuts and coffee!
Mr. Donut: Moore Street Mall, 58 Parnell St, Dublin, Ireland. To go only. Open most days 8h – 20h, shorter hours on the weekends.
Mr. Donut!