The Food gallery

Echoing the thoughts of a couple of previous reviewers, ie. Emily C. and Tim L., I have been both impressed and underwhelmed on visiting The Food Gallery.
Blown away by the premises itself, it really is a cool spot, very impressive. Large open area, lovely high ceilings with beautiful ornate coving. Decorated nicely with some impressive work by students/​artists from NCAD. Plenty of seating, a nice mix and match of seating too which is always cool. They also have some outdoor seating which is a big plus, probably the only café on Thomas street/James’s street that I can think of that has outdoor seating. Nice to be able to sit outside with a coffee. Speaking of which is excellent. The staff are also extremely friendly and are often handing out samples of cake with your coffee which is a nice touch.
However, I did expect something a little different/​more on the food front when I first ventured into The Food Gallery. Right, cards on the table, the only thing I’ve eaten in here was the baileys cheesecake which was gorgeous, so maybe everything else on offer is equally excellent. Unfortunately the menu is a little limited and for me there is nothing outstanding that shouts you have to come here for breakfast or lunch. I would drop by for coffee and the occasional treat. It is a cool place and the atmosphere is nice.
Unfortunately a gallery of art it may be, a gallery of food it ain’t!

Consistently amazing coffee, lovely sandwiches. Nice for a sit down too

This is a 3.5 star rather than a 4.
It’s absolutely GARJUS inside. There’s a wall of magazines and newspapers to read, and loads of comfy couches and random seating to settle in with your coffee and chiiillll. It seems like the type of place you could get stuck in for a few hours without anyone ever bothering you. There was a mixture of aul wans and hipsters and mothers and students, but everyone looking very comfortable in their surroundings.
The thing that let it down in my opinion is the food. There are options for quiche, soup, salads or sandwiches, but all are pretty bog standard and uninspiring. In fact there seemed to be twice as much choice for beverages than food! Having said that, I had my eye on a selection of different baked cakes etc which looked lovely.
I’ll definitely be back, but maybe just for cake.

Big airy café on Thomas St with a good selection of coffees (different brews) but I felt that the variety of food could expand beyond just a few quiches, three types of sandwiches and a couple of salads.
Also they had no soy milk the last few times I have been in… Don’t they think about the poor lactose intolerant people?!

Wer jetzt von mir erwartet, dass ich hier einen Cappuccino bestellt und diesen vielleicht sogar komplett ausgetrunken habe, weil er so lecker war, wird leider, leider enttäuscht werden. Freilich liegt das weniger daran, dass die Damen und Herren hinter dem Counter nicht wüssten, was sie tun, sondern vielmehr daran, dass ich bei meinem hiesigen Besuch bereits zu viel Koffein und damit Benzin im Blut intus hatte.
Doch der Reihe nach: Beinahe, beinahe wäre ich an diesem Lokal schnöde vorbeigelatscht, wenn, ja wenn nicht auf dem Aufsteller auf dem Gehweg großtönig das Wörtchen « Unilocal» gestanden hätte. Da ich von Natur aus neugierig bin, galt es sogleich das Lokal einmal von innen zu besichtigen…
…und alleine das lohnt sich bereits. Hohe Decken mit Stuck, Parkett, helle Wandfarbe, (abgefahrene) Kunst an der Wand und alles in einer großzügigen Räumlichkeit, die den Charme eines modernen Kaffeehauses verströmt. Dazu tragen auch die verfügbaren Zeitungen und –schriften bei, die kostenlos ausliegen.
Die Kaffeeliebhaber sehen glücklich aus. Als meine Augen eine kleine Anrichte mit zahllosen Add-​ons erspäht, verstehe ich das. Darüber befindet sich ein Schwarzes Brett mit Veranstaltungshinweisen.
Essen kann ich natürlich auch hier. Das sagt schon der Name. Es gibt einiges zur Auswahl: die ein um andere Tagessuppe, verschiedene Quiches, Sandwiches, Kuchen etc. Ich gönne mir ein Stück Quiche «Cheese & Ham» für 5,50 Euro. Wenn ich wollte, könnte ich es mir mit Salat pimpen und den Gesamtpreis auf 8,90 Euro bringen. Will ich aber nicht. Salat bekomme ich trotzdem, zumindest als Dekoration. Schmeckt trotzdem gut zur Quiche. Die ist mir leicht zu weich. Das macht aber nichts, sie ist trotzdem köstlich und sehr fein gewürzt.
Ich mag diesen Ort. Ich mochte mein Essen. Aber ich ziehe einen Stern ab, weil ich nicht aus eigener Erfahrung sagen kann wie gut der Kaffee ist und mir damit ein bisschen was im Gesamteindruck fehlt.

Fantastic coffee and food. Always great service! solid staff anf great opening hours.

The Food Gallery is definitely a place to stop at when strolling Thomas St. The spot is a foodie harbour with a stylish, spacious room spiced up with that hint of bohemian charm you don’t mind and which makes things stand out. I love their open food counter with cakes and lemonades. For me, it like a eye-​candy teaser, just before embarking on a cheesecake quest with a fork & a cup of cappuccino. A warm, relaxing atmosphere is perfect for a book and a chat.
Whenever I visit, the staff is really friendly serving treats without delay. I am always on the move so quick service in company with a smile is what I need when rushing for last-​minute catch-​ups.

Where to start, the minute I walked in the door of this café I was hit by the atmosphere, and beauty of the building, the walls are adorned with paintings from a nearby gallery. The atmosphere is relaxing with sofas to lounge about. I managed to get the prime seat at the front window where I enjoyed one of the best expressos and an amazing apple crumble which i was informed was made fresh that morning on the premises. I also sampled their homemade soup of the day and brownbread which was real comfort food a taste of home.

It was a wet, cold and windy afternoon when I happened upon this little treasure in the hussle and bussle of Thomas Street. Hand on heart I have to say they have the best coffee in town! And their cupcakes are to die for!!! I spent the afternoon lounging on their cosy sofa looking out at the rain and browsing through their many magazine titles. I loved the art work on the walls and it would seem to be the local haunt for students and artists of NCAD. Already looking forward to my next flat white and one of their homemade treats: o)

Nettes großes Café mit leckerem Kaffee, Kuchen und Sandwiches. Preise ok, freies wlan, kaum Touristen.

Great place for lunch of coffee. Home made soups and salads are always of a very high standard. Nice place to hang out — buzzy at lunchtime. Free wifi. A friend says the desserts are also top class, but I’ve never sampled :-)

How very sleek but studenty* is The Food Gallery? Comfortable and cafeteria-​like with great seating and lots of light pouring in from those massive front windows, this café makes the most of its Thomas Street location right by NCAD. Just a short walk from Christchurch and Dublinia, The Food Gallery is a great stop for late breakkies and early lunches.
With a daily menu of ever-​changing sammys, salads and more — There’s a definite air of cool, calm and collected to go with your cheesecake and coffees. For lap-​top toters the café also offers WiFi (ask at the register to get the password) which is free for customers.
*No, this is not a word. But it IS a feeling!

I visited the Food Gallery for the first time this week and was definitely pleased by the experience and would go back again. The room is large and airy, which high ceilings. You can choose to sit in the standard table/​chair for a meal, or enjoy your coffee in a large, comfy arm chair. Though I was there for lunch, and chose the standard seating option, I would love to go back for coffee and a crossword in one of those cushy looking ones.
I enjoyed a chicken and butter bean casserole, served with rice (€ 9.95), one of the hot meal specials of the the day. Other (cheaper) options would have been an array of sandwiches, quiches and salads (pasta, bean, mixed veg). I will-​powered my way past the array of cakes and other baked goods, but my dining companion succumbed to the Bailey’s Irish Cream and Oreo cheesecake. I tried a bite, and it was absolutely divine. I’ll be getting my own piece the next time I’m at the Food Gallery.
Take-​away coffees (cappuccino, latte, etc.) are all € 2 and well worth it. Delicious espresso!