I finished in Trinity in June and haven’t been to the Buttery since but when I was there, there never were any dishes over the seven euro mark so I’m wondering where they’ve pulled dishes like the paella came from?
But I used to eat there quite a bit and had things like lasagne with garlic bread for 4.50, a burger for 4.50, pasta bake with 2 veg for 4.50… maybe this is what the other students were eating??
The Buttery is so full because students don’t buy ten euro dinners there.
If you were eating in the dining hall you were probably eating from the non-student counter at the far end of the serving area. If you had elected to eat from the first counter, you would have been eating from the student menu, which is frequently totally yum. The student special- a full plate of food and either soup or dessert- is €6, and that is as dear as it gets- there is a student budget dish for €4.95, and a plate of beans and chips is less than €3.
Ah… Thanks Ciara. Maybe I just had a bad meal – as I said paella can be tricky. €6 for the student special is good value, but as you point out, I am not a student. Not anymore anyway, graduated last year 🙁
I guess I wasn’t familiar with the multiple counter set up. The Buttery are obviously not aiming their food at people outside the uni.
I still wouldn’t pay €9.95 for the non-student price again though! Much cheaper and nicer options elsewhere. Which begs the question – why are non-students (presumably staff) paying for this?
You must have been at commons in the Dining Hall or something. There are no portraits of grandees of yore in the Buttery, it is a dark and functional sort of place where I ate many’s the plate of saudages & chips for well less than a tenner.
You were in the Dining Hall. The Buttery is below there, with traditional meals such as reasonably nice Lasagne for €4.95, watery bland pasta for €3.20….basically, not worth what you pay for it.
Catering on campus isn’t good, there’s no true cheap alternative in the vicinity. Best plan is to go to the JCR under Pearse Station, where any toasted sandwich/pannini is €3 including a free tea or coffee, or better still, bring your own sandwich.
I think you went up the large stone steps? then you were in commons and not the student Buttery. If you were in the Buttery you went down the side of the steps not up them?
Ok, if it was The Commons, it was still pretty poor value. I feel I should even things out by trying The Buttery, but my experience of TCD’s catering was quite off-putting.
To further clarify, the Dining Hall has a staff dining area and a dearer hot counter; but you can also dine in the Dining Hall proper (the Hogwarts room you were in) either from that menu, or from the student hot counter, which is the same menu/prices as the Buttery below it.
Phew! I hope that clears everything up!
The JCR is amazing- a bowl of crunchy nut cornflakes and a cup of tea for TWO EURO. And they offer the only realistically priced coffees and “fancy coffees” as they call them in the entire city, best I can tell.
Thursday 19 February, 2009 at 11:58 am
I finished in Trinity in June and haven’t been to the Buttery since but when I was there, there never were any dishes over the seven euro mark so I’m wondering where they’ve pulled dishes like the paella came from?
But I used to eat there quite a bit and had things like lasagne with garlic bread for 4.50, a burger for 4.50, pasta bake with 2 veg for 4.50… maybe this is what the other students were eating??
Thursday 19 February, 2009 at 12:04 pm
The Buttery is so full because students don’t buy ten euro dinners there.
If you were eating in the dining hall you were probably eating from the non-student counter at the far end of the serving area. If you had elected to eat from the first counter, you would have been eating from the student menu, which is frequently totally yum. The student special- a full plate of food and either soup or dessert- is €6, and that is as dear as it gets- there is a student budget dish for €4.95, and a plate of beans and chips is less than €3.
But you’re not a student.
Thursday 19 February, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Ah… Thanks Ciara. Maybe I just had a bad meal – as I said paella can be tricky. €6 for the student special is good value, but as you point out, I am not a student. Not anymore anyway, graduated last year 🙁
I guess I wasn’t familiar with the multiple counter set up. The Buttery are obviously not aiming their food at people outside the uni.
I still wouldn’t pay €9.95 for the non-student price again though! Much cheaper and nicer options elsewhere. Which begs the question – why are non-students (presumably staff) paying for this?
Thursday 19 February, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Paella with a side of turnips? What?
Thursday 19 February, 2009 at 2:26 pm
You must have been at commons in the Dining Hall or something. There are no portraits of grandees of yore in the Buttery, it is a dark and functional sort of place where I ate many’s the plate of saudages & chips for well less than a tenner.
Thursday 19 February, 2009 at 2:26 pm
sausages, even
Thursday 19 February, 2009 at 2:30 pm
I was told I was being brought to The Buttery. But maybe it wasn’t. I’ll find out.
Thursday 19 February, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Where WAS I?
Thursday 19 February, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Hogwarts? Except, a shit Hogwarts where they can’t cook paella. 🙂
Thursday 19 February, 2009 at 3:40 pm
You were in the Dining Hall. The Buttery is below there, with traditional meals such as reasonably nice Lasagne for €4.95, watery bland pasta for €3.20….basically, not worth what you pay for it.
Catering on campus isn’t good, there’s no true cheap alternative in the vicinity. Best plan is to go to the JCR under Pearse Station, where any toasted sandwich/pannini is €3 including a free tea or coffee, or better still, bring your own sandwich.
Thursday 19 February, 2009 at 3:40 pm
I think you went up the large stone steps? then you were in commons and not the student Buttery. If you were in the Buttery you went down the side of the steps not up them?
Thursday 19 February, 2009 at 4:23 pm
ehh….make your own lunch?
sheesh…
Thursday 19 February, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Ok, if it was The Commons, it was still pretty poor value. I feel I should even things out by trying The Buttery, but my experience of TCD’s catering was quite off-putting.
Thursday 19 February, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Peter,
Flembox was right. You were dining in the Dining Hall for lunch, not commons (waited meal for dinner each evening, free to Scholars of the college).
You were eating lunch, and by the sounds of it, from the more expensive, still as tasteless, staff menu.
The Buttery is similarly poor and of equal bad value.
Make your own, or go to the JCR.
Tuesday 24 February, 2009 at 1:00 pm
To further clarify, the Dining Hall has a staff dining area and a dearer hot counter; but you can also dine in the Dining Hall proper (the Hogwarts room you were in) either from that menu, or from the student hot counter, which is the same menu/prices as the Buttery below it.
Phew! I hope that clears everything up!
The JCR is amazing- a bowl of crunchy nut cornflakes and a cup of tea for TWO EURO. And they offer the only realistically priced coffees and “fancy coffees” as they call them in the entire city, best I can tell.