The absent smell of tea is only marginally missed as I breathe in all the other beautiful aromas at Bewley's Oriental Café in Grafton Street, Dublin. Coffees, pastries and traditional Irish breakfasts provide a wonderful bouquet to keep my nose busy, and the sight of trays laden with delicious morsels as the waiters whizz past ensure my eyes don't blink for a few seconds.
With eyes and nose taken care of, it is time to think of my stomach. The menu at Bewley's provides a unique snapshot of this beloved Dublin landmark. Cream cakes, just like the ones served of yesteryear, jostle neatly aside cappuccinos and lattes. The Irish breakfast is my choice and for those visiting on a budget I can tell you for under €10 you receive a feast. Sausage, rashers, grilled tomatoe and mushroom, a poached egg, orange juice and your choice of tea or coffee - this meal kept me going from breakfast to dinner time.
The surroundings, I notice once I tear my eyes away from those passing trays, are sumptuous. Dark red wooden floor, a sweeping stair case, potted palms and what can only be described as a magnificent feature - stained glass windows. Six in fact. These are the originals that Ernest Bewley had made when in 1927 he decided to open a café. The Bewleys had been in the tea business since the 1700s when their ancestor, Mungo Bewley moved from France to Ireland. It was in 1840 that Charles Bewley and Co. Tea Merchants was established and 87 years later work commenced on turning Grafton Street into a premier destination for those in search of a sticky bun and soothing cup of tea.
I've always believed Dublin combines old with new better than most cities and here in Bewley's I find proof that I am right. Grafton Street is now a teeming shopping destination with the Celtic Tiger's tail still swaying vigorously (despite gloomy recession warnings) but here is an oasis of the old, with decent sized portions, decent sized prices and decent service still flourishing.
My breakfast arrives hot with a perfectly poached egg - it's a feast.
