Bewley’s, you broke my heart.

Bewley’s is a cafe right on Grafton, in Dublin. My cousin who lived in Dublin recommended it to me close to the end of my first term, and I will be eternally grateful. I’m sure that many locals will think I am ridiculous for liking it, but it never failed to make my day.

The first time I went with Liz, towards the end of her term abroad. We were seated on the second floor, and while there was not a ton of room, it was did not feel crowded at all. The staff were wonderful, the food is great, and Bewley’s tea is fantastic. (I thoroughly enjoy their Dublin Morning Tea and their Irish Afternoon Tea, FYI!) It was a lovely lunch.
Sidenote: An American woman from Philadelphia leaned over, and after talking for a few moments told us not to visit Philadelphia because of the high crime rates. I appreciate her honesty, but she shouldn’t work for any tourism boards.

Once I got back from Christmas, and actually made friends, I started going to Bewley’s pretty regularly. I took my mom when she visited, I went with my friends, we even went with M’s parents when they visited Dublin. Their different desserts were wonderful, just light and perfect. And obviously pair well with their tea. The main floor has these fantastic windows and paintings, and these classic old velvet booths. The third floor is open and light, with the balcony only open sometimes but the windows open always.

Bewley’s announced a few weeks ago that they are closing up for six months, and are at the very least downsizing to one floor, if not moving altogether. I have no doubt that renting any property on Grafton St is horrifyingly expensive. However, I never saw them less than 80% full no matter what time of day or day of week I was there. I suppose the owners have decided it isn’t worth it anymore. It is a particularly important part of my Dublin, it became a part of me. It was the first place on my list to visit when M and I started talking about going back to Dublin. I haven’t decided if I’m even going to walk by- I don’t know if I want to ruin the memories that I have, and I don’t want to spend my time sad. I can only hope that they don’t move altogether.