It hasn't been easy: eating in the canteens of various third-level colleges this term. The crowds, the noise, the queues, the jostling for table space were not for the fainthearted.

And rarely was the cheap food a compensation for the discomfort of the surroundings. At prices to gladden the heart of any editor of a newspaper that finds itself in straitened circumstances, the general lack of quality saddened the heart (and discommoded the stomach) of this reporter.

Occasionally, as in DCU and NUI Galway, the food was edible, even tasty. But mostly, it seemed to consist of soggy pasta in sludgy sauce, with a portion of chips on the side.

But, that's just the view of an outsider, dining for a day. Students, with their taste buds honed on chips with curry sauce, appear to be capable of munching their way stolidly through even the most unappetising-looking dishes.

That said, in a number of colleges, students' unions have been campaigning for better food quality or lower prices and, in some instances such as TCD (where some prices were reduced following a boycott of catering outlets), the students have claimed a victory. More power to them.

Cork IT

(The canteen)

The ambience: crowded, noisy space with chaotic queuing.

The menu: chalked on a blackboard, with no prices, was the following: soup, carrot and basil; Irish stew, two mash, one veg; shepherd's pie; spare ribs in barbecue sauce. There were prices over some of the food counters but looking at them was not easy with crowds jostling back and forth, juggling trays, food and bags.

Here's a selection of prices, as spied over the back and heads of students: meat £1.57, veg £1.57, scoop potato 28p, veg portion 55p, rice 55p, soup 59p, packet 40p, tea 45p, coffee 50p, beef burger £1.42, fried cod £1.81. At one counter, there was a tray of steaks, attracting attention from inordinate numbers of young men. The server kept announcing that the steak alone was £4, and vouchers could not be used. The students duly complained, the queue grew, and the server just kept asking them to move on if they were not buying.

The food: I opted for chips and vegetarian pasta. The penne pasta was overcooked and soggy. It was drowned in a white sauce, with the occasional dark fleck of what was presumably pepper. This was enlivened by slices of orange, red and yellow pepper, onions and courgettes. This, along with a mineral water, cost £3.57.

The eating: I was insufficiently starved to do more than taste the pasta and sauce, which was unpleasantly bland. The chips were edible . . . just.

Ambience: the atriums, where students eat, are bright, as might be expected, but the rows of tables and chairs are rather crowded.

The Students' Union is campaigning for better service and food quality. Lunch Watch would like to take this opportunity of wishing them the best of luck. This was one of the most unpleasant canteens we have visited this term.

UCD

(The Forum Club, Belfield)

The location: in the new student centre, but with a separate entrance to the main hive of student activity.

The ambience: plush stools and chairs, distinctly yuppie-pub vibe.

The menu: most students opted for a basket of chips with or without curry sauce, chicken nuggets or sausages. Occasional takers for the vegetarian lasagna and chicken in sweet and sour sauce.

The food: vegetarian lasagna with chips (£3.95) was edible but not a treat. With the emphasis on quantity, students seem to be happy with the portions. The lasagna was soggy, with a lot of bland white sauce, and bland vegetables, mainly onions and tomatoes. My student companion enjoyed his chicken with sweet and sour sauce but admitted he likes any kind of chicken, the sauce wasn't necessary.

Verdict: students seemed to love the atmosphere; pleasant for a drink but stick to the chips, with or without curry sauce.

Belfield restaurant (aka the canteen) The ambiance: entrance with an emphasis on crowd control. Stairs divided by a rail, with one side for those going up to eat a main course, the other for those leaving. Down a further flight of stairs for sandwiches and snacks. Newly refurbished with pleasant light-coloured wooden topped tables and chairs.

The menu: Choice of stir fry pork, breaded chicken with mushroom and tarragon sauce or pasta napoli (all £3.45). Soup 80p, tea 55p for a cup and 60p for a mug; coffee 60p for a cup and 65p for a mug; semolina and fruit or apricot sponge 80p.

Sanguine SU president Aonghus Hourihane reckons the increased choice on campus, with the Forum Club, the Grind, Belfield Restaurant and others will improve quality. He urges students to vote with their feet and patronise the outlet with the best quality and value.

DIT Bolton Street

(Bolton Street, upstairs in new building)

Ambience: very workman-like, no-nonsense canteen with rows of tables and chairs, nearly all occupied by young men; separate staff area has slightly more upmarket round tables. Bright with plenty of windows.

Service: magically fast. Queues melted and tables filled at a most efficient pace.

Menu: Cream of veg soup 70p; "Golden fried breaded pork chop served with peppered sauce, fresh carrot and swede dice, broccoli floret and dauphinoise potatoes" £2.75; "stir-fried szechuan lamb served on a bed of pineapple rice" £2.30; baked aubergine served with side salad or chips £2.10; pizza special (slice pizza, chips, coleslaw, small mineral) £2.40; cup of tea 45p, mug tea/coffee 55p; hot chocolate 75p.

The food: large portions with chips the dominant item on most plates. The baked aubergine was stuffed with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and baby corn. Reasonably tasty. The chips were edible, but not up to chipper standard. The fresh fruit salad had an odd flavour which neither I nor my companion could identify. Neither of us ate more than a mouthful.

Further along the row, a young man and his companion were polishing off large portions of breaded pork chops with chips. They eat dinner in the canteen every day and say the food is reasonable and it's cheap. Another diner had a somewhat dubious sandwich story, alleging it tasted of detergent, however he continues to eat there . . . just avoids the sandwiches (which cost from £1.50, while rolls cost from £3.50).

The verdict: the lyrical descriptions of the food posted on the blackboard are just canteen food by another name. Good, plentiful plain fare.

NUI Galway

(The canteen)

Ambience: very large, very noisy, very busy canteen. Queuing not a major problem as the serving areas are separate islands with salads, pastas, theme foods, and, of course, good ol' canteen food.

The menu: included scotch broth or vegetable soup, 75p, roll, 37p; beef burger and chips £2.30; pasta, sauce and garlic bread, £1.90; pizza and chips £2.22; coffee 53p; tea, 47p; NUI water, 74p.

The food: pasta with Neapolitan sauce was tasty with mushrooms, carrots, and celery in a tomato based sauce; delicious garlic bread. An extra portion of the bread cost 60p. For afters: basic fresh fruit salad with the emphasis on apple and melon. Good coffee with sweet gooey caramel square (just right). Only canteen so far where 90 per cent of the students were not eating chips.

The verdict: tasty food at a good price. Decidedly one of the better canteens. The SU president told EL that the union had fought a two-year battle to bring about an improvement in food quality. It appears they have won.

The downside: difficult to find a place to sit. Even more difficult to persuade the non-English-speaking cleaning girl that we would return to our precious seats after we had got coffee. She was keen on us clearing away the places (it's self clean) to make way for others. Not a place to sit and digest.

Other options: the student bar also serves food, at slightly dearer prices - for instance, beef lasagna or sweet and sour chicken at £4.65.