♥ Cornucopia

Cornucopia is the answer; the question was where do you eat in Dublin when you are detoxing.  I only discovered it a few years ago but Cornucopia has been around for a quarter of a century, starting off as a health food shop with a few tables to the back for eating at, then morphing into a café/restaurant.  Cornucopia has expanded over the years and now occupies the ground floor space of two building on Wicklow Street and there are plans to open the first and second floors of the buildings, later this year, for dining, catering and arts events.

Cornucopia describes themselves as ‘a casual dining whole food vegetarian restaurant producing fresh tasty and healthy dishes’.  So if you go there, don’t expect a posh interior, or a plethora of waiting stall, or overly fussy food  .  Instead you will find a pleasant space, filled with pine benches, chair and tables, where honest culinary fare  is available from a self-service counter at the back of restaurant.  There is a legend on the blackboard menu that shows which dishes are vegan and those that are: wheat, yeast, dairy, egg or gluten-free.  It is often busy and it can betimes seems as if most of the capital’s citizens have descended on Cornucopia, in search of that elusive culinary prey, good and good value food; sharing a table is the order of the day.

I had roast pepper, leek and polenta cake with pea sauce,rice and salad when I was there for lunch during the week; it was flavoursome. Usually, when I visit at lunchtime, I just have soup (which has always been first-rate) and bread, (there is always a large choice of breads catering for different dietary requirements).  The soups are  excellent value at  €3.45 for a small bowl (plenty unless you are exceptionally hungry).

If you are a vegetarian in Dublin you will know of Cornucopia, if you aren’t and haven’t been, I would recommend giving it a try.  Tourists seem to be beating a path there, as according to Cornucopia’s Twitter feed, Trip Advisor have awarded them a certificate of excellence for 2011.

Note: Cornucopia Restaurant is at 19/20 Wicklow Street Dublin 2. The opening hours are; Monday – Wednesday: 8.30-21.00, Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 8.30-22.30 and Sunday: 12.00-20.30.