The 1592 is probably a restaurant that many of you have never heard of. It’s not surprising either.  It’s located in Trinity College Dublin and is not open to the general public.  I’ve been working in Trinity College for ten years and it has always been on my list of places to have lunch.  I finally managed to take a visit and am happy to report its great value too.  Two courses for €20 and three courses with tea/coffee for €22.

1592 Dining Room

The restaurant is described as elegant fine dining and the head chef on duty is Brian Buckley. It opens for lunch daily from 12.00 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. during the academic term time.  The dining room itself is not that big and I suppose old style charm is how you would describe it.

I’m not sure the photos do it justice, they may make it look less fine dining and more school dinner but the food was full of flavour and very enjoyable. The presentation (apart from the dessert) perhaps just needs a little tweaking.

For starters I went with marinated chicken breasts with a mixed leaf salad and a tomato and coriander salsa.  The chicken was soft and tender and the salsa had a nice little bit of heat to it which paired perfectly with it.

Marinated Chicken Fillets

For main course I went with the baked cod with a sundried tomato crust served with basil cream sauce and seasonal vegetables. The crust was a perfect contrast to the delicately cooked fish.

Baked Cod

Dessert was of course the winner in this dining experience.  A delicious baileys cheesecake topped with ribbons of thick toffee, chocolate shavings and fresh strawberries. Indulgent and tasty and simply divine.

I’d certainly go back and have lunch again. It’s great value and since it’s literally on my work doorstep it would be rude not to.

Baileys Cheesecake