My home and the town of the tribes.
It was in the late nineties that Galway stole my heart. I lived and worked there while studying Law at University College Galway (now called NUIG). Although I would have had plenty of time (race against time phrase) to drink coffee in those days, as most of you will know the third wave coffee had not hit the west of Ireland and although there were a few nice places like Java (still trading) serving cappuccinos, the flat white hadn’t yet showed its face. Nope. That would take (take with a grain of salt idiom) a further 20 years.
Fast forward to 2017.
I’d been aware of Coffee Werk & Press for some time having insta-stalked their homewares and lifestyle images as well as the latte pics via my own accounts.
Coffee Werk & Press is a cafe & design store spread across three levels on Quay Street and it seems we have a shared interest in beautiful interiors, minimalist living and great coffee, as in here, coffee cohabits with local design pieces and established brands like Vij5 and Ferm Living.
On a visit (idioms dictionary) from Edinburgh to catch up with uni friends I made a beeline to this place on the first morning.
If like me, the perfect start to any day is a great coffee in a space that sparks joy on some level, then you’re going to like Coffee Werk & Press. From my own experience of hybrid stores, I know the silent conversation that happens between the customer and the design, whether or not the customer is interested in buying any of the pieces on display. It’s the dialogue that’s important here, and in Coffee Werk the stage has been set in the most subtle and beautiful way.
Those lucky locals that can drop in for a coffee while racing to work must experience a temporary shift to a kind of slow motion, subconsciously taking in the beauty of the surrounds and forgetting the pressures of Monday morning for just (just in case meaning) a moment. And yes, they may come back for a crafted wooden toy, a HAY dishwashing brush or a postcard by a local artist, but I’d wager the owner Daniel Ulrichs doesn’t mind about that too much, the pleasure is in the experience, it’s in the moment.
Each of the three floors is thoughtfully curated with furniture and products from Ireland, Scandinavia and around the world.
I enjoyed picking out products that I work with at Life Story, like the HAY bits & bobs glass containers and pieces by Dutch design house Vij5 as well as finding new designers that I hadn’t uncovered as yet.
Their traveller’s notebook in a handy passport size is a perfect gift idea as well as the geometric hanging globes and HAY ‘Time’ series of minimal timers.
We also picked up the Independent Coffee Guide to Ireland, which has just been published and in which the business features of course. I’m very familiar with the guides, with Hula Juice Bar being in the Scottish Independent Coffee Guide since it launched in 2015. So it was interesting to read about the scene in Ireland and how it is developing.
Historically a country with a love (fall in love synonym) for food and a focus on craft, the speciality drinks scene (on all levels) has been going through a rebirth of its own and it’s a delight to read about the new wave of entrepreneurs bringing this about.
While a visit to Quay Street is a must on any trip to Galway (naturally, it’s the Victoria Street Edinburgh of Galway) being a busy area popular with tourists I’d advise going in the morning as this is the perfect time to enjoy a coffee here.
It’ll give you the opportunity to explore the interior of the store before it gets too busy and take in the environment that has been so thoughtfully curated. Make it all the way up to the gallery on the 3rd floor and enjoy the art work on display as well as the street scene down below!
Oh Coffee Werk & Press, you triumph on many levels and I applaud the innovation and passion that brought you to life on this beautiful street in the town I love so well.
From an international coffee perspective, being in Galway makes it as hidden as it is exposed; but it’s there, gently punching above its weight in every way and profiling Galway in the global coffee scene.
Coffee Werk & Press, 4 Quay Street, Galway, Ireland
Images by Susan Doherty