Vice Coffee Inc has one of those Dublin centre identities that rewards a closer look. From the street it is easy to read it as just another city bar, but inside Wigwam it pulls together a sharper coffee offer than the setting might suggest: multi-roaster espresso, V60 filter, Irish coffees, toasties, and a retail shelf that makes it easy to leave with beans or brew gear as well as a cup.
The formula is broad, but it is not vague. Vice has kept a recognisable point of view since 2013, and the place still feels like a coffee room with personality rather than a generic all-day stop. There is enough rhythm in the menu for regulars, enough theatre in the Irish coffee side for visitors, and enough retail to make the shop useful after you have left. That combination is the main reason it has stayed such a familiar Dublin name.
Coffee style
The core offer is strongest when it stays close to the cup. Vice rotates roasters and keeps the espresso and filter side moving, which gives the menu more range than a simple house blend setup. The V60 reputation matters here: it is the sort of place where hand-brewed coffee feels like part of the identity rather than an occasional extra. If you want coffee that is a little more precise than the room first suggests, this is the part of the menu to lean into.
That same attention carries through the more playful drinks. The Fancy Frankie, Plain Jane, and Luxurious Linda have become shorthand for why Vice still gets talked about, and the Irish coffee side has enough swagger to justify the attention. It is not just novelty; the drinks are built around a coffee bar that understands sweetness, balance, and when to let the coffee stay in charge.
What people go for
The food side is deliberately practical. Toasties and sweet treats give the room a bit more staying power, but the draw is still coffee-first. That makes Vice easy to understand: a place for a serious espresso, a decent filter cup, or an Irish coffee that feels more considered than costume.
The feel
Inside Wigwam, the room has more atmosphere than calm. It is buzzy, music-friendly, and a little more social than a stripped-back espresso bar, which suits the venue backdrop and the fact that Vice can move between daytime coffee and a later drink-and-coffee crossover. The best seats are the ones that let you watch the room without getting swallowed by it.
That setting is part of the appeal rather than a compromise. You are not coming here for silence or laptop monk mode. You are coming because the room has character, the staff know the menu, and the whole thing feels like a long-running Dublin institution that still knows how to be useful now. The result is a stop that works for a quick coffee, a longer hangout, or a detour that turns into a second drink.
Why Vice Coffee Inc is shortlisted by Filter Notes
Vice makes the shortlist because it is still doing several things well at once. The coffee side is serious, the Irish coffee side is distinctive, and the retail shelf means the visit can continue at home. Add the Wigwam setting and the long-running Dublin 1 identity, and you have a cafe that feels more like a reference point than a one-note pit stop.
Full review and more photos will be added soon.