Cafe Nero is quite a recent addition to the the coffee chain market in Dublin, competing against the other popular chains like Starbucks, Costa, Butler's and Insomnia. What I liked most about Nero is the atmosphere and seating; it's all cosy couches with a very homely design, bookshelves and low tables, almost like a living room! The O'Connell street branch has both an upstairs and a downstairs area which has a decent number of seats, but probably not as big as some of the Starbucks and Costa chains. They also have Frappes and a soya milk option.
The coffee is average at best, I didn't find much of a different in taste compared to other chains. However, while it's far from 3Fe style barista coffee, it is a bit cheaper than the other chains; I paid €2.55 for a regular Americano to sit in. The take out and sit in prices are different as well which is something different to most places.
The staff were very friendly, they have a loyalty card where every 10th coffee is free, there is a code for the toilet (there is only one toilet by the way) and also serve pre-packed sandwiches, salads, yoghurts and baked goods.
Overall: Cheaper than the other chains with a cozy atmosphere and late opening hours from 7 am until 10pm.
Coffee: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Atmosphere/ seating: 5/5
Price: Relatively cheap read more