The Cup

Am I going to kick the puppy? Yes I am.
Sorry to the two Hello-​Kitty-​like gleefully smiley staffmembers, but «Love Is Art» is not where it’s at.
Nothing was right. Not the prices, not the furniture, not the weird patio-​flooring, not the selection, definitely not the coffee, not even the location. Whoever does the writing on the signs DOES have very nice handwriting though, so well done on that. Except that they can’t spell or write coherently at all. So I retract my praise.
Was planning to get a slice of cake (treat day) but at around a fiver for a tiny slice I thought I’d decline and brood over an espresso instead. Espresso was rubbish. Girlfriend had a decaff that MUST have been instant coffee (not even a hint of crema) and was literally scalding hot (at least a million degrees — AT LEAST). And it remained that way for quarter of an hour so I couldn’t bloody leave.
Sandwiches also looked below par. I did enjoy watching the Chinese lady behind the counter trying to explain «rashers» to an old Spanish woman. Pure Fawlty Towers stuff.
In all, one to definitely, definitely, definitely avoid. Sorry puppies.

Firstly this place is now called «Love is Art.» Obviously new ownership as it was closed for awhile. The reason why I have not changed the listing is because the signage affixed to the building says «The Cup». Yet «Love is Art» sandwich boards beckon from street corners.
It’s a rather ridiculous name for a café, I mean sometimes hate is art just look at some of Edvard Munch’s work.
There is no menu in this place. Instead there is a wall with options painted on, see uploaded photo for more insight. You can have a BLT, their «famous hamburger», a ciabatta or breakfast. As they love art the fonts are beside images of the food. Bizarrely that is it, as in I ordered a ciabatta and I was given no filling options.
I was presented with a luke warm ciabatta, filled with spinach, cold deli meat, a slice of cheese. One forced mouthful surged a dough ball down my oesophagus which dislodged after 30 minutes and will no doubt result in 24 hours of constipation.
Am I being overtly cruel? I don’t think so because this is yet another example of people straying from what they know. Call me Sherlock Holmes but I deduced from pictures stuck to the wall that the owners/​servers are a young couple that love art. It’s sweet. Also they are not Irish, I don’t know their nationality but it would be far to say that they are from somewhere in Asia. To me that’s like me opening up a Thai restaurant. That would be acceptable had I lived in Thailand, dated a Thai, cooked a lot of Thai etc. So if they want to continue with that menu they need to research how to make it better and not charge me € 7.30 for it. The coffee with it was decent.
I do want them to make it cause they seem sweet but sometimes the mind is blown as to how people go into the food industry so ill prepared — it’s a cut throat business.

An interesting thing about this café is the Hungarian chimney cakes which are baked fresh in-​store by rolling pastry flavoured with cinnamon, walnut or coconut around the… Hungarian rolling pin… which lives beside the counter. I didn’t try one, having been fed quite well by the roast beef sandwich on some sort of flatbread and a cup of tea which came to a quite reasonable 5.25. Service is pleasant, there’s a comfy couch as well as standard tables, but it’s not a hugely imaginative place. There’s a lot of competition around the Capel Street area for sandwiches, and this place isn’t up to the mark –but then which of them is? Most cafes in the area seem empty most of the time with what seems to me to be good reason. Anyway, the sandwiches in The Cup are not very interesting or appetising-​looking, and menu is pretty standard, but it is good in a basic way and I do want to go back and try a cinnamon chimney cake… nom.