Our run down of where to get the best grub
EATING OUT IN UCD
Clubhouse Bar
Great if you need to get in a solid plate of soakage before a night out. You can get a head start on the others by ordering a cheeky pint with it. It's not all cheap but there's a few good options like chips for €2.50 and the portion sizes tend to be massive. *They only accept cash so make sure to go to the ATM at the back of the Old Student Centre first.
Centra
Great place for the chicken fillet roll. Burrito bowl is a bit steep though. Good location for Sutherland and Quinn but a trek for everyone else. Also generally more expensive than SU shops as their focus is profit whereas ours is value. Honestly!
Main Restaurant
You’ll find this place between Quinn and the Arts block. The food is not great, the prices are not great and the atmosphere is non-existent. It’s only a middlin’ place to get dinner if you’re around until late and they have a Chopped in the back, which is outrageously expensive but oh so fresh and tasty. Negative marks for the fact that you’re charged for extra milk and ketchup.
Poolside
Poolside Café is located - you guessed it - besides the swimming
pool. They focus on doing the simple things right, which means you can get some of the best hangover food here. Why not sweat the badness out in the sauna, then hit up Poolside for a ham and cheese toastie, or a beautifully greasy sausage roll? They also sell protein bars and protein shakes, for the gym bunnies among us.
Pi Restaurant
The local for Science students as it’s on the ground floor of their building. It has a tasty and varied menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Really good hash browns at breakfast and they'll usually have a veggie option. Prices are not bad either. Nico's coffee is quite exceptional also!!
Pulse
One of the healthiest places for lunch is, of course, in Health Science. Also one of the most expensive. Make your own salad or roll from fresh, varied ingredients but don’t buy a bottle of water or a snack unless Mum and Dad are paying the rent. They give out their coffee grinds as fertilizer though and the staff are lovely!
Chopped
One of the classier establishments the Belfield campus boasts, Chopped is the place to go if you have a lot of time, a fair bit of money, and a weird craving for leaves. The food is consistently tasty, but the queues are consistently long. You do get a lot of food packed into the awkwardly shaped plastic containers. This is probably for the best - it makes it easier to eat your feelings when you realise that you just don't make friends with salad.
SU Shops & Deli
Students favourite! You’ll find our Students’ Union shop in the Library and the Sports building. They’re run by students with a focus on providing the best value and service for students so you’ll see a few familiar faces in the staff t-shirts.
Check out our dedicated Shops page for all the latest deals
Bringing your own meals to campus and need a microwave? Check out the locations below.
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Outside the SU Library
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2nd floor of Richview along with a full kitchen
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The Old Student Centre
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Ag Common Room
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Eng Common Room
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Vet Soc have one in Vet
Feeling parched and in need of hydration? Check out the list of water fountains you'll find dotted around campus.
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1 in the SU Reception in the Old Student Centre
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1 in Richview on the ground floor across from the main entrance
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3 in Science; Pi Restaurant, the Science Hub and Science South
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1 in Health Science on the first floof close to the PC Lab
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2 in CompSci on the ground floor and first floor
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1 in Vet just before the entrance to the library
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1 in Arts on the ground floor opposite an Cuas, 1 upstairs in D
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1 in Tierney on the ground floor at the Student Desk
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6 in Eng on first, second and third floors
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At least one on every floor in Sutherland