Visitors to Dublin, please don't be fooled into thinking that Bewley's is an essential stop. It is in fact an overpriced tourist trap, which flogs perhaps the foulest cup of coffee in Dublin. I can recommend it in certain circumstances, such as when you absolutely must have a fry up with beans and chips, but mostly I would counsel avoidance.
If you do find yourself dragged there by your enthusiastic fellow tourists, I can offer you the following tips:
- Sit in the James Joyce Room in the Grafton Street cafe - this has comfy seats, and is perhaps named in honour of the fact that, in Ulysses, James Joyce managed to namecheck every single place of business in 1904 Dublin except Bewley's.
- Do not under any circumstances order a mug of "black" or "white" coffee. The only acceptable coffees on offer are the "speciality" varieties, such as Java or Kenya. These come in "Three Cup Cafétieres", which contain almost two cups of liquid (but not quite).
Other than that, you're on your own.