Stephanie’s Cafe

In the 4 years I lived in Harold’s cross I watched this shop go through no less than 6 different incarnations, everyone and their granny tried to open here with little or no success, primarily due to the common belief that bad paint jobs («ara sure a lick of paint will see her right») and mediocre menus involving beans and salads seaweed and god help me algae were just what the local population wanted, as though suddenly the South circular road had just become some sort of hippi commune and no one told me. As it turned out it hadn’t, it was just that no one had told the would-​be café owners.
Then, about 3 years Stephanies opened and it was as though they had actually asked someone what they would like to eat, the answer was comfort food — lasagnes, bacon and chips even Panini’s… real food and not a mung bean in sight.
They have a wine licence I think but the selection is small, it’s not somewhere to go for a meal out anyway, it is a ‘caf’ in the great british sense, breakfast and hung-​over weekend lunches a speciality.

Stephanie’s Café is on the Corner of Leonard’s Corner and Clanbrassil Street on many bus routes.
It is a modern and clean café with lots of space and good big windows for watching life pass by at this busy corner junction.
The staff are very nice and attentive and quick off the mark no waiting about tapping fingers impatiently here for service.
I had the veggie breakfast of hash browns, fried eggs, fried mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, toast, orange juice and big mug of coffee. Everything was great and when I asked for no beans they substituted these with extra egg. Everything was cooked to perfection, not too greasy and the hash browns were delicious! There was lots of toast too and the coffee was nice and hot and fresh.
I found it a little expensive nearly € 9 as this was the same price as a full breakfast with bacon and sausages! But then again, I think I just find everything in Dublin really expensive now a days!
But overall a good experience and would go here again. They didn’t mind us lingering over our coffees longer than we should, the music was good and the atmosphere nice and cheery!