Tang (Abbey Street)

You're walking down Abbey Street Lower, that stretch where the city still feels proper Dublin, and you duck into Tang. It's the kind of place where the espresso actually tastes like someone cared, where they've figured out the balance between efficient service and not rushing you out the door. The crowd's a mix—people actually working on laptops, builders grabbing breakfast, locals who've probably been coming since it opened. The pastries are the real deal too, the sort that make you regret every supermarket croissant you've ever eaten.