il Valentino Bakery & Cafe

You'll smell the buttery croissants before you even spot this bakery tucked into Gallery Quay. The Italian owners have brought a bit of Milan to the glass towers of Grand Canal Dock, and thank God for that. The cornetti are flaky perfection, the cannoli are properly filled to order, and the coffee actually tastes like it came from Italy rather than a burnt bean factory. The crowd is a brilliant mix of tech workers grabbing proper breakfast before facing their screens and locals who've discovered that good bread still exists in Dublin. The display case changes throughout the day, so afternoon visits reveal different treats entirely. It's not the cheapest coffee in the Docklands, but when you're paying for actual skill rather than just location, those extra euros make perfect sense.