Coffee On Campus

Aurora Andrus finds out where the best coffee is on campus.The time for final essays and exam studying is quickly approaching. That means that countless students will be relying on coffee to get them through the impending all-nighters. UCD has many places to feed the caffeine-cravers, but which one is best? I took to the cafés and asked students where they thought had the best coffee in terms of taste, price, and wait time.Information Science student, Sarah Pender, said that the Pi Restaurant, in the science building is the best. “They do a pretty decent mocha, it’s like a hot chocolate with coffee, it’s so good and so cheap.” Pi received decent praise amongst students for the quality and price of their coffee.
”If you’re just drinking coffee for the caffeine then go to the SU shop because it’s the cheapest.”
Student, James Skelton, a coffee connoisseur, had a bit to say about the coffee on campus. “The Arts cafe is the worst, but they do have a lot of tea if you like tea. If you’re just drinking coffee for the caffeine then go to the SU shop because it’s the cheapest.” While the SU shops do probably provide the cheapest coffee on campus, the queues can be tediously long, especially at peak hours of the day. However, the coffee is from a self-service machine which does allow for a somewhat speedy coffee break at the right time. As for the Arts cafe, there are hardly ever tables available and the coffee is too expensive for such poor quality.There are several other coffee spots that are valid contenders. The Costa Coffee in the Law building has its perks. It’s a little further away, but generally you can snag a seat and have a decent cup of coffee. Costa Coffee can also be bought in Reader’s beneath the library building. English student, Rebecca Quinn, recommends the new kiosk in the Newman building, “The kiosk in Newman is the best, it just tastes better. I think it’s better quality. They also take card now which is great. There’s sometimes a queue but they get to you relatively quickly.”Recent graduate Ruth recommends Starbucks in the Quinn building as the only place on campus to get a frappuccino. “A creamy, cold drink that doesn’t taste much like coffee,” perfect for those who crave the caffeine without the coffee flavour.When it comes to coffee, it’s really up to the tastebuds and time of the drinker. For price, head over to your nearest SU shop, but leave a little time to queue during the busy hours. If you like a fancier cup of coffee then Pi is for you. The Newman kiosk seems to tick a lot boxes, the price is great, coffee is good and the queue moves quicker than others.