Fitgeralds

Eventually, it might be good.

le Comte de Saint-Germain:
Food: the seafood canneloni was alright but yet again we see the appearence of the tasteless grated carrot as a token gesture towards a salad, what is wrong with dressing?
Service: The fact that she made light of her bumbles was nice, but would be better if she was interacting with the customers outside of that.
Price: Cheep-ish but you don't get much
View: The large open view of the junction of Catherine St. and Roches St. gives plenty to look at, but eventually you realise you are sitting in a large badly finished box for all the world to see.

The Busy Engineer:

Food:
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MGB:

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Relish

le Comte de Saint-Germain:
Food: The Thai Chicken Wrap wasn't bad but was served with a handfull of crisps and a token gesture towards salad that was the tasteless grated carrot and red cabbage, which desperatley needed a dressing.
Service: Ok so they seat you, may even move around a few chairs, allbeit at the door to the kitchen. So keen are they to seat you that they offered to seat me again while I was waiting for the rest to pay.
Price: All right but €2 for a mug of coffee is a bit stiff, mind you it is a Large mug and the coffee isn't bad (even better was the fact that they only charged us for a cup of coffee)
View: So long as the weather is not arctic one could sit at the few two seater tables up the front, otherwise you are going to get shuffelled down the cavernous back which is large enough that you can eye people from far enough away.

The Busy Engineer:

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MGB:
Relsih is a bit wierd. It seems to think of itself as an upmarket place for happy, rich, middle class people to hang out and have fancy paninis far away from the disgusting proliteriate and their toasted sandwiches. And it almost pulls it off, except of course that this is Limerick and the skangers look the same as everyone else in their unifrom of choice of jeans and checked shirt and/or "leisurewear". As this is the case the staff, at least those at the front who seat people, have decided that it is better to offend everybody by treating them, with a disdainful eye and a dismissive, impatient manner, as trash who came in off the street, as opposed to quite possibly being poeple with a few bob in their pocket who want lunch/coffee/dessert/whatever, which most people who arrive in the door invariably prove to be. Overall one tends to leave with the impression that you have been slightly screwed over. Even though the prices aren't extortionate and the food ain't bad you still feel that the whole experience wasn't up to much and you didn't get value for money. By Category

Food: good range of stuff, but doesn't tend to change much. While the sandwiches can be interesting; salad and crisps is a bit weak as a side dish. Specials can be hard to find and the staff aren't very knowledgable about them. Typically there is a soup, a lunch and 4 dessert specials - probably meaning they expect more people for just coffee and cake than for lunch!

Service: Getting a seat can be a bit rushed, and often feels like the person seating you is doing you a favor. These are the same people who you pay afterwards and I don't think they like seeing groups of three or four paying separately - although they are resigned to it. Staff who take and distribute orders tend to be nice, but can be a bit clueless - not knowing the specials, or the difference between large and regular coffees, that kind of thing.

Price: Reasonable enough - 6.50-8.00 euros for a sandwich depending on what you want. Same as everywhere else really!

View: Watch the world go by only at the front, and a small outside area. Inside the cafe is quite large and open, so plenty of opportunities to look at people eating and drinking if that floats your boat

Greenes

The food is good; the problem is getting it.

le Comte de Saint-Germain:
Food: Nay bad, actually tasty and fresh and not at all bland, mind you see next comment. Sandwich/Panini department could do with a bit more variety.
Service: What personality Greenes does have is possessed by its eclectic staff, unfortunately this means the probability of your sandwich being just thrown together depends on what is going on behind the counter, probably an indication of awkward management.
Price: Reasonable, not stunning good value but reasonable.
View: Greens problem is that the majority of the seating is upstairs (actually over a number of levels) and while the stained glass is nice it doesn't lend itself towards hours of people watching.

The Busy Engineer:
It's amazing the difference that some chair covers and some table runners can make to a cafe. Greenes has turned itself from a canteen type atmosphere to a more up-market cafe in one easy move.
Food:
There is a good selection of sandwiches and paninis on the menu. The Ploughmans special is always good. The Paninis however can be a bit hit and miss. Most of the time they can be quite tasty but you can't guarantee that it will be consistent from week to week. The vegetable soup is generally excellent. The menu could do with a bit more variety consistency especially in the Panini department.
Service:
The waitress upstairs is quite eager. She tends to hover and when you have just taken your last bite and put your fork down the plate is whipped away. One can't help but feel that they're rushing you. The girl behind the Deli can be very abrupt in her efficiency.
Price:
The price is about average for Limerick €7 approx for panini/baguette
View:
Upstairs: none
Downstairs: Little Catherine street, William Street. Downstairs is quite busy so I wouldn't bother.

MGB:
Greenes is your typical city centre cafe, its been around for ages and seems to oscillate between an old-style canteen and something a bit more up-market depending n the fashion, care and attention from the owners/managers and money! At the moment its trying to be more up-market probably due to competition from places like Relish, and the late lamented Jenny's.
Food: 5/7
Overall the food is fine, for a quick lunch or equivalent. A decent enough range of sandwiches, generous portions and good presentation. The soup can be a bit hit and miss, in particular the chowder never seems to live up to expectations.
Service: 5/7
Overall service is pretty good, can vary a small bit between over and under enthusiastic, but there is a good mix of personalties. More often than not the chef is around serving customers behind the counter, which is a nice touch. They have their regulars, which we are in danger of becoming, but they tend to take them a wee bit for granted and can lump them all together.
Price: 6/8
Standard city centre prices fopr sandwiches and soup. Good value for money
View: 2/7
There isn't any, even if you manage to get a window seat upstairs. Doesn't quite attract the pretty-people set, and in any case its not laid out well enough for surreptitious or even open people watching.

Jenny's: Where it all began

It was a small place on Little Catherine St.
The world went past the window.

The food was ‘Crispy’, ‘Crunchy’ and ‘Tasty’ just like food is supposed to be (and none of those words appeared on the menu).
The coffee was good.

The service was personable.
The prices were rather resonable.

It was there that we began lunching regularly.
And it turns out we were spoilt.
Because now Jenny's is gone
and it turns out that no one else has managed to put it all together.

Come back Jenny, all is forgiven.
(They sell maternity wear there now)