Quay Co-op Cafe (The), Cork

Worked here for approximately two weeks and was told my new job was secure. Got on well with everybody and did a good job, as recommended by diners. Was fired, with no explanation given, and not so much as a goodbye, and found out by seeing my name Tipp-Exed off the roster and some hemming and hawwing. Untrustworthy, two-faced and generally undesirable. Their ethics and concern are also fake - I was the only actual vegetarian working the kitchen there.

everything was just perfect, a lovely meal for 2 for 17€, and the portions are more than enough, you won't get out of there feeling hungry. all the dishes are mouthwathering, you just want to eat everuthing. staff is friendly, and the place itself is very beautiful, colourful and relaxing.

Gorgeous food! Had some soup and some salad, everything was fresh and yummy! Staff were very nice. Then topped off with a lovely ambience , devilish dessert and great coffee. Well worth a visit. Oh and its good value also

I went into the Coop after a long days shopping having not been there in years . I forgot how relaxing this place is .I had a gorgeous Roast tomato soup i could up stand my spoon in and a really indulgent choc cake mmmmm for only seven euros. No christmas carols tinsel and a big open fire, what a relief.Thumbs up for the Quay Coop.

Loved this restaurant. The menu, while unpretentious, is imaginative and varied - ranging from exotic casseroles, curries etc to standards like pizza and vegetarian lasagne. You can tell that they use high quality ingredients and actually care about the purity of the food rather than just the flavour and presentation. The ambience is fantastic - bright and airy dining rooms, interesting artwork (featuring local artists' exhibits), newspapers to read and all in a casual self-service setting. Prices are not expensive (considering the quality) and I found the staff quite pleasant. It's quite busy at lunchtime so maybe they're under too much pressure to humour finiky dieticians! It's probably not the place for a quiet romantic meal for two but to experience something unique in Cork, with honest good food and great atmosphere... it's the biz!

Nice atmosphere but pretty bland food - heavey and not much taste. Not much organic either. Nice coffee. Fine for re-fuelling but not a gourmet experience

Being a veggie for 17 years I couldn't believe my luck when I moved to Cork and found this place, but it was too good to be true! The food is good but VERY pricey - for a slice of quiche and 2 spoons of salad I paid over €12.00 (lunch-time). But the worst aspect is the staff. They are rude and unwelcoming. I feel apologetic everytime I order something and God forbid you should ask about something on the menu! I've given it several chances just because it is so close to where I work and it's veggie but I don't want to go somewhere where I'm not wanted. A very strange way to run a service based business. The shop is great and the staff there friendly so I don't know why upstairs is so different! Just not worth it in my opinion, I leave feeling disappointed and dissatisfied everytime.

The Quay co-op is a lovely place to eat, buy and hang out in! The vegan cheesecake saved my sanity...

On holiday for five days (June 2005), we ate here on four evenings, lunch on one occasion and once for breakfast. There was little breakfast choice for someone on a vegan/gluten-free diet (other than mushrooms, beans and tomatoes) and it was expensive, so we only had evening meals/lunch after that. In contrast, they were excellent with a lot of choice for vegans/gluten-free people like myself, and good value for money. The portions were large and the desserts fantastic, particularly the trifle. It was also good to have soya cappuccino. The cafe is attractive with the plants and different colour tablecloths, nice colour schemes, newspapers to read and an airy feel. What let the place down badly was the rude and off-hand staff who seem to dislike their work and their customers! (One young man in particular who shall be nameless) It was peculiar that they were so unfriendly because everyone else we met in Cork was wonderful - very warm - and so helpful. On our last day we encountered a different girl behind the counter who made up for the others to a degree - she was delightful and made us feel welcome for a change. All in all though, a very good place for vegans/veggies to eat. With an evening meal for two, including coffees, for around 25 Euros, it represents pretty good value for the hungry traveller! (The wholefood shop downstairs is superb - we bought a lot of cold food/snacks to take back to our hotel and on picnics)

true the food is SERVED cafeteria style, but the quality is superb. In terms of vegetarian/vegan/healthfood restaurants, i haven't come across a better one. I eat here as often as I can. Although the prices aren't cheap, you definetly get your money's worth (the portions are huge). Everything i've had has been delicious! DELICIOUS! How can healthy food taste so good?! Ask the chef. :) i HIGHLY RECOMMEND this restaurant. You'll feel right at home.