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# Simon's Place – Cozy Café with Great Coffee and Sandwiches in Dublin
Simon's Place is a beloved café located in the heart of Dublin, specifically at 22 South Great Georges Street, George's Street Arcade. Known for its inviting atmosphere, Simon's Place offers a diverse menu featuring delicious coffee, sandwiches, and homemade treats. Established as a second incarnation of the cherished Marks Bros café, it has become a staple for locals and visitors alike since its inception. With a focus on community and a laid-back vibe, Simon's Place has garnered numerous positive reviews highlighting its friendly service, quality food, and unique ambiance. Whether you're looking for a quick coffee or a cozy spot to linger, Simon's Place is a must-visit in Dublin.

## History
### The story of Simon's Place
Simon's Place began as a response to the need for a community-oriented café in Dublin, taking inspiration from the much-loved Marks Bros café that operated in the same area during the 80s and 90s. The vision was to create a space where people could gather, enjoy quality food, and feel at home. The café quickly became a hub for artists, students, and locals, fostering a sense of belonging and connection.

### Milestones and growth
- Established as a successor to Marks Bros café in the early 2000s.
- Gained popularity among college students and local artists.
- Recognized for its commitment to quality and affordability in a changing culinary landscape.
- Featured in various media outlets, solidifying its status as a Dublin institution.

### Cultural and local influence
Simon's Place has played a significant role in Dublin's café culture, maintaining its identity amidst the rise of trendy coffee chains. It has become a gathering spot for diverse groups, from students to musicians, and continues to celebrate local art and culture through its decor and community events. The café's walls are adorned with posters promoting local gigs, reflecting its commitment to supporting the arts.

### Continuing the tradition
The café remains true to its roots, offering a menu that emphasizes fresh, homemade ingredients. Simon's Place has successfully retained its loyal customer base while attracting new visitors, ensuring that the spirit of community and quality food continues to thrive. The café's commitment to maintaining its unique character sets it apart in a rapidly changing city.

## Community
### Community involvement
Simon's Place actively engages with the local community by hosting events and supporting local artists. The café provides a platform for musicians and creatives to showcase their work, fostering a sense of collaboration and connection among patrons. This involvement has solidified its reputation as a welcoming space for all.

### Community notion about the place
The community views Simon's Place as an integral part of Dublin's cultural fabric. Many patrons have fond memories of spending time there, whether studying, socializing, or enjoying a meal. The café is often described as a second home, where people feel comfortable lingering for hours without feeling rushed.

### Events and gatherings
Simon's Place frequently hosts informal gatherings, open mic nights, and art exhibitions, creating opportunities for locals to connect and share their talents. These events not only enhance the café's vibrant atmosphere but also contribute to the sense of community that defines Simon's Place.

## Offerings
### What Simon's Place offers
Simon's Place is renowned for its extensive menu, which features a variety of coffee drinks, sandwiches, and homemade pastries. The café prides itself on using high-quality ingredients and offering generous portions at reasonable prices. The atmosphere is relaxed, making it an ideal spot for both quick visits and leisurely meals.

### Dining and food experience
The dining experience at Simon's Place is characterized by its casual yet inviting ambiance. Patrons can enjoy their meals in a cozy setting, whether seated at communal tables or in more intimate corners. The café's menu includes a selection of sandwiches made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, as well as a range of coffee drinks prepared by skilled baristas.

### Events and packages
While Simon's Place does not offer formal event packages, it is a popular choice for casual gatherings and meet-ups. The café's spacious layout accommodates groups, making it an excellent venue for informal meetings or social events. The welcoming atmosphere encourages patrons to linger and enjoy their time together.

### Facilities and features
- Cozy indoor seating with communal tables
- Outdoor seating on George's Street
- A relaxed, laid-back atmosphere
- Free Wi-Fi for customers
- A selection of local art and music posters adorning the walls

## Pros and Cons
### Key insights from reviews
Reviews of Simon's Place consistently highlight its friendly service, quality food, and inviting atmosphere. Patrons appreciate the café's commitment to providing a welcoming space for everyone, regardless of age or background. The affordable prices and generous portions are also frequently mentioned as key selling points.

### Compliments and strengths
- Exceptional coffee and a variety of drink options
- Delicious sandwiches and homemade pastries
- Friendly and attentive staff
- Comfortable and relaxed environment
- Strong sense of community and local involvement

### Contrasts and notable mentions
Some reviews mention minor inconveniences, such as the requirement to pay for drinks upon ordering rather than at the end of the meal. Additionally, while the café's atmosphere is generally praised, a few patrons noted that it can become crowded during peak hours, making it challenging to find seating.

### Summary evaluation
Overall, Simon's Place is highly regarded for its quality offerings and welcoming atmosphere. The café's commitment to community engagement and local culture sets it apart from other establishments in Dublin. While there may be minor drawbacks, the positive aspects far outweigh them, making Simon's Place a must-visit destination.

## Location & Nearby Attractions
Simon's Place is conveniently located in Dublin's city center, specifically at 22 South Great Georges Street, within the George's Street Arcade. This vibrant area is known for its eclectic mix of shops, cafes, and cultural attractions. Visitors can explore nearby landmarks such as Dublin Castle, the Chester Beatty Library, and the bustling shopping streets of Grafton and Henry. The café's central location makes it an ideal stop for those looking to experience the local culture and enjoy a delicious meal.

## FAQs
**What are the opening hours of Simon's Place** Simon's Place typically opens from early morning until late afternoon, but hours may vary. 
**Is there outdoor seating available** Yes, Simon's Place offers outdoor seating on George's Street for patrons to enjoy. 
**Does Simon's Place accept credit cards** Yes, credit cards are accepted, but it's advisable to check for any specific payment policies. 

## Visit Simon's Place Today
Experience the charm of Simon's Place, a beloved café in Dublin known for its delicious coffee, hearty sandwiches, and welcoming atmosphere. With a rich history and strong community ties, Simon's Place offers a unique dining experience that reflects the spirit of Dublin. Whether you're stopping by for a quick coffee or settling in for a leisurely lunch, you’ll find that Simon's Place is a perfect spot to enjoy great food and connect with the local culture.

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I love Simon's Place. I went here for the first time back in 2019 and knew I had to come back here the next time I was in Dublin. Simon's has a wonderful coffee drink selection. I ordered a flat white which was a perfect pick me up. Their sandwiches and salads are delicious. They have a cauliflower salad that I have tried to replicate at home several times but I cannot ever get it the same as Simon's. Order the cauliflower salad, you will not be disappointed. The service is quick and friendly. Lovely environment for lunch and coffee!

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Just nursing a coffee in Simon's makes you cool by association! From the music poster plastered walls, to the music makers sitting beside you, this place rocks! Yet it doesn't scream 'we're hip', instead the atmosphere is pure laid back good vibes. Grab a table outside on George's Street and watch Dublin and her people whizz by or sit upstairs, on rustic benches and rub elbows with fellow latte sippers and read the many magazines and newspapers around or the informative walls! But if you can find a seat, head downstairs, to the cosy, cocooned, cavernous basement area. Grab a table and settle in with a battered book or chess set and relax and enjoy the peace, quite and conversations around you. Of course you obviously want to enjoy a coffee with all your atmosphere so it is a good job that the coffee here is tasty and cheap too! From espresso to hot chocolate the barista get it just right and brew to perfection! Served in big mugs and glasses, so no need to drink and run, stay and linger if you please! If you are hungry the giant doorstep sandwiches will fill that hole. They are made in front of you on their fresh homemade brown bread, with lots of interesting fillings and the soup is home made too and really satisfying! But, for me, the hot sticky sweet cinnamon buns that melt in your mouth and leave you wanting more are the best thing to go with my coffee after a hard days shopping in the George's Street Arcade! You have got to try them! With 12 years experience behind this place, you would expect them to get it right by now and they do! The tried and tested recipe works, friendly staff, yummy food, perfect coffee, relaxed atmosphere, prime location, comfortable size and good vibes, are what keeps all those happy customers coming back week after week to Simon's. See you there!

0f4eaa98-5782-4a2a-b943-f3002fa5ba5f

Simon's Place is sort of a second incarnation of the much-loved Marks Bros cafe which used to operate a little further down George's St in the 80's and 90's. See this Irish Times article for a bit of that history: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/simon-s-back-1.128155 . Simon's food remains the best cafe fare in Dublin, in my opinion - fresh, delicious, and outstanding value. I highly recommend the sandwiches - on huge slabs of super-fresh half-wheat bread, generously packed with various fillings, lettuce, tomato slices, and cucumber - unchanged since Marks Bros days. The cinnamon buns are also stupendously delicious - soft and buttery, generously flavored with cinnamon, and with a delicious sticky caramelized base. This is food of uncompromising quality, made with love. To top it all, prices are very reasonable - my sandwich and bun cost me only 9 euros, which is a bargain for such good food.

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Simon's Place is a Dublin institution. Anyone who went to college in the 80s or 90s will almost certainly have whiled away hours of their life in this busy hub. A place that that for all its vigour never as much as shot a stern sideways glance at lingering wasters whose coffee cup was long drained. The spirit of Simon's Place is one of community. It welcomes all: artists, students, workers, chancers, passers-by. It has never bowed to fashion or fad, as it has witnessed a city in the grip of culinary overhaul over two decades, without flinching, or changing. Testament to that is its queen of soups, the General Vegetable, a staple that would make up the first course of my last supper. Even today, if I'm getting over a cold or flu, the first thing I crave is that delicious soup. I once asked Simon the owner for the recipe and he gave it to me. It's ridiculously unfussy - the perfect recipe. I tried to make it but it just didn't taste the same. Perhaps my pathological inability to properly stick to a recipe, but I'm not sure I really wanted to anyway. Because it's never just what you eat, is it? It's where you eat it. It still serves the same limited selection of pre-made sandwiches: avocado, cheese, tuna and so forth - hand-wrapped in the clingfilm with the twists in the end - and the introduction of the barista coffee machine is perhaps the only nod to a post-filter culture to be seen, and that one can only be good. Want to put up a couple of posters for your upcoming gig in one of the few places in Dublin where you can do this for free? Go right ahead. Want to sit by yourself for a while and people-watch, develop your novel plot, read your book or just muse about life without feeling self conscious? Be their guest. Want to hatch a counter-cultural plan to overthrow something or other, or just change the world fundamentally in five days? Downstairs is a good start. Want to engage in conversation with a stranger, about something esoteric, cranky or otherwise. There's a good change they're sitting close by waiting for a smile and nod. Simon's Place - there's nowhere else quite like it. Well, maybe Grogan's pub, another stalwart to consistency in a trend-strangulated world. Just without the alcoholism.

47856352-b6ce-4fb0-8912-49a2d352f6f4

This is a 3.5 star rating. Hands down the best wifi I've come across in any coffee shop in town. If you're looking for somewhere to set up shop with your laptop for a little while, have a drink, eat some whopper sambos, and get some good people watching in, this is your spot. I only had a tea so can't comment too much on the food this time. The tea was average at best - tea-bagged tasteless peppermint, served in a mug with no teapot etc. My other gripe was having to pay for my tea on order, rather than at the end. As I was waiting for someone else, I wanted to pay for us together, or maybe add more to my bill as I was going. Just a small gripe, but one the same.

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I might be getting a little too old to hang out in a coffee bar whose walls are covered in flyers for cool gigs, has communal tables, and serves yummy home-made treats, but I'm definitely not too old to enjoy a downstairs area with dark recesses to plan and plot, scribble in my notebook for hours, and drink good coffee. Bottom line: Nah, I'll never be too old!

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Simon's Place is, quite simply, the coffee shop that the Celtic Tiger forgot. Cheap, cosy and scrumptious, it has escaped the fate of so many others, who have succumbed to the franchise-driven, American-influenced ignominy of much of the rest of Dublin's cafes. While it is known for being the hangout of those effortlessly cool types that most of us can only dream of becoming, Simon's Place actually exhibits a rather eclectic clientele - from suit-clad businessmen at lunchtime and young ones hanging out after school, to caffeine-addicted students and budding musicians. It's simple decor (unfussy chairs and tables upstairs, with charmingly carved and painted benches downstairs) makes the wall's content stand out even more. Keep an eye out for upcoming gigs, markets, festivals and the odd job advertisement, as the posters and fliers have their finger on the pulse of what's going on in Dublin. While the tea is as unfussy as everything else (no fancy teapots here, just good honest mugs), and the usual array of coffees are unblemished by the orange-mocha-chip-frappacinos of other establishments, it's the cinnamon buns that really steal the day. Baked on site every day, and best at around 12.30 when they're fresh out of the oven, they truly are amazing. Coupled with a cheap cuppa, there's no better afternoon treat. Their sandwiches (particularly the tuna) aren't half bad either - cheap, filling, and made on site every day. Everything about this cafe is right, if you're looking for good value for money, friendly service and a great atmosphere!

492268ec-1059-409f-845d-c7f4958c33a3

In London I am constantly looking for it... that local coffeeshop with personality. Simon's Place has that character, an indescribable essence that you just don't find in Starbucks. It could be the dozens of fliers advertising local bands stuck to the wall practically covering black and white photos of what George's Arcade used to look like. Or it could be the big tables that encourage strangers to sit together. Or it could be the strange blend of clientele, hip looking kids sitting alongside crotechty old geezers. Menu is just what you're looking for, the usual coffees (no frappé) fresh made sandwiches, salads and cakes. Indie on the stereo, friendly staff. Don't take this place for granted, character doesn't last forever. This time, two years from now, this could be another Nero/Costa/O'Briens. I sat here for two and a half hours and they never tried to rush me out. Quality!

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I know Simon's Place to be often dubbed the 'Once' café owing to a scene from the Oscar winning, music infused Irish film, 'Once' starring Glen Hansard being shot here in 2006. The café continues on from the unconventional theme running through the rest of the outlets in George's Street Arcade. The walls are awash with posters and leaflets promoting indie gigs happening in and around Dublin. The interior is ragged in a very endearing way - I suppose shabby chic would be the most apposite way of explaining it. The unkempt interior works well in conjunction with the cool music promos that line the walls to create an all-round hip feel. This place is grungy without isolating say the more feminine, susceptible shopper that has just come from Om Diva at the top of the arcade and wants to sit down with a coffee. I have often enjoyed a supreme hot chocolate with marshmallows in here after traipsing round all of the clothes outlets within the arcade. As someone who isn't particularly inclined to the rock and roll side of things I have found this to be a unique milieu in which to hang out and have enjoyed glancing at the posters to see if any gigs take my interest. If you are an alternative rock and roller by nature then lunching within this chilled, alternative space is effectually ideal dining.

dd3ac247-4ee5-4367-964b-0543c378fecf

Great cosy coffee shop that does magnificent sandwiches. Really tasty sandwiches with a variety of fillings. Probably the best sandwich in the city centre, it's worth going just for the sandwiches. There is a great vibe and friendly atmosphere. I'm not a big fan of different prices for eating in as opposed to taking food out, the only real negative I can say about the place. If you are a sandwich fan, pay them a visit.

Discover Simon's Place in Dublin's George's Street Arcade for authentic Irish cuisine in a vibrant setting. Book now and experience local flavors today.

Simon's Place Restaurant in Dublin's George's Street Arcade

Simon's Place

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Discover Simon’s Place on South Great Georges Street, Dublin. Enjoy delicious local dishes in a cozy atmosphere. Perfect for food lovers!

Simon's Place in Dublin - Cozy Restaurant & Local Favorite

Learn about Simon’s Place on South Great Georges Street, Dublin. A beloved spot for authentic Irish cuisine and friendly service. Visit us today!

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Opening hours for Simon’s Place, Dublin. Find opening hours for Simon’s Place, Dublin on 22 South Great Georges Street, George's Street Arcade.

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