Alliance Francaise

I work on Pearse Street which may as well be in the suburbs for the lack of decent places to have lunch. I’ve only become acquainted with the café here in the past couple of months, and its just under a ten minute walk from Pearse Street, so at lunch time I can meet friends who work nearer the city centre. This place is always buzzing at lunch, as it offers great value on hot and cold dishes. The café is spacious, with the lovely large windows illuminating the large room. The décor is simple, with sweet gingham vinyl tablecloths on the tables, with the sugar cubes served in small kilner jars.
To order you queue at the food counter, but they bring the food to your table. Their lunch options are all helpfully marked to show if they are gluten free or suitable for vegetarians. Their soups are usually both. I always get fries when I come here, and have noted their popularity amongst the other diners too! They serve a range of sandwiches, salads, hot dishes and deserts. The food is wonderfully presented on large wooden platters, and their fries come in those small tin buckets that seem to be so popular at the moment.
My favourite treat when eating here is their hot chocolate, which comes in a BOWL, no half measures here!
Alliance Francaise offers courses in French, as well as examinations, but also they have film screenings and cultural evenings. It has a warm and welcoming atmosphere and I wish I’d discovered their café sooner!

Today I was craving a new café experience and found myself on Kildare street, so I popped in here out of curiosity.
I ordered a hot chocolate and chocolate fondant… yup one of those days!
I sat down in a stylish canteen style table.
(There are couches available too) and tucked into my hot chocolate which was quite average. But then I got my chocolate fondant! Oh sweet lord!
This beauty was perfectly made with hot chocolate oozing from the middle, fresh cream and a dash of blackcurrant.Homina.
Perfect for any chocolate fan!
While there I found out that the building does French classes and love people who try out some French when ordering from the French speaking staff.

…and they have a coffee shop! It is bright and nearly clean and there are staff.
We shared a pot of tea and had a pastry. Mine was strawberry and it was excellent.
It was a good place to have a chat as it was quiet but I was warned when it fills up with generally French students it can be very noisy.
It was nice.

The Alliance Francaise is the best place to go if you are in anyway curious about the French language or culture. They provide everything from qualifications and information to tutoring and examination in the French language. Most certificates and qualifications required to study or work in France are provided solely and excellently by this global organisation.
Personally i have had great experiences with the staff who have helped me with all my problems when organising a year in Paris.
you my also sit examinations here in the TCF, DALF and DELF (Official French language assesments) and if it you need it they also provide excellent language courses at competitive prices.
Ambiance in the building is nice too, and its refreshing to hear the language spoken so freely in the middle of Dublin

As the name says, this is Dublin’s French language Institute. Actually located in an old gentleman’s club called ‘The Kildare Street Club’; with some very amusing adornments on the pillars outside, one feels the adrenaline flow before entering at all! Upstairs, has a very good library with some very good reference books — I’ve used it to do some geographical research of the Languedoc region. Most people do some of their very professional and intensive French courses but if you just want to go in to sample the Gallic atmosphere, you won’t disppointed! I just go into the restaurant to have a coffee and a croissant and I feel like I’ve just touched down in La France — the Gallic Patisserie is well served here. If you’re a Francophile, then you should take an exploration of the institute; afterall, a bit of French flair in Dublin is bon bon.

Best French courses in town are run by the Alliance in the city centre. Funded by the French embassy (I think) it offers a number of courses, all levels, both for adults and children. You can also get language certificates upon completion of official exams. The staff is very helpful and while it seems expensive, my experience of other places is that the Alliance is actually great value. Quality of teaching is excellent too and there’s a lovely café downstairs.