Curiosity finally got the better of me. I've walked past the Rubicon restaurant loads of times in the past few months on my occasional forays to the Horseshoe Bar and have even briefly stopped to look at the menu. Sooner or later I knew I was destined to go and eat there. Since I'm old enough to have studied Latin at school I knew what the name meant. I'd always assumed that the Rubicon - the river that Julius Caesar famously crossed with his army - was a river of some size and importance, but some years ago near Rimini I saw it and it's not much more than a drainage ditch. Slightly disillusioning to find that something so legendary could be so nondescript.

It was one of the wettest nights that I can remember as I set out to collect my guest. I was thinking of Rubicons and rivers in general because the river that crosses my land had begun to rise alarmingly high. As I drove to Bray there were times that the wipers weren't keeping up with the full fury of the rain on the windscreen. Still, I thought nobly to myself, I have a job to do - like the Pony Express riders of old, neither wind nor rain would stop me from reviewing a restaurant.

My guest was Jane Stephenson, who runs and organises 'Women in Business' seminars as well as 'Breakfast Briefings' for the high-fliers. Like any normal man I'd ordinarily be in awe of strong women like Jane, but since I've known her since college days, it's not so much awe as admiration for what she's achieved. We drove into Dublin's Merrion Row and immediately on entering the Rubicon we were greeted warmly and shown to a corner table. It's a pleasant room and is divided rather well visually, even down to tables set into little nooks where a couple could have a private conversation. There's a high ceiling which gives it an airy feel and it's nicely lit.

The menu is pretty much what you'd expect for a restaurant doing trendy med-style food; bruschetta, warm duck breast salad, spinach tartlets, seared calamari and main courses like skewered beef, skewered prawns and three different pastas. While I looked at the wine list Jane was looking around the room. Being something of a gallant gentleman it's my habit to let my guests sit looking at the room while I tend to have my back to it. This has the effect that I have to rely on my guests' commentary on who's in the room. Jane cast her eye around the diners that she could see and gave me this synopsis: a table of young women with sports bags probably straight from the Shelbourne gym, a table of young men all in blue shirts, two middle-aged men, another couple, and 'Oh my God, have you seen that painting?' 'What painting?' 'The one you've got your back to.' I turned to see a painting of a sea-scape with a young, naked lady floating ethereally in the waves. 'Nice.' I said. 'No it's not. It's sexist and it'll put me off my meal.' 'We could change seats,' I suggested, and then regretted it instantly since the last thing I wanted was to sound like a lecher.

I turned my attention to the wine list. 'Red please,' said Jane. The wine list is not a long one and the mark up is average. There are some forty wines listed including four half bottles, and very few are listed at over £20. I chose the Santa Rita Reserva from Argentina at £16.50 which is a full bodied cabernet that I thought might please my guest. From the menu Jane chose the warm duck breast salad to start and fillet of turbot with a prawn, cream and coriander pesto to follow, while I picked the gravadlax and braised rump of lamb.

We were offered breads, a white which was somewhat overyeasted and a well-made tomato bread. The starters arrived and looked and tasted good, especially my gravadlax which was tender and succulent. Both dishes were served with a little pile of salad in the centre of the plate, with the duck and the salmon arranged around the outside of it. If the salad was dressed with an olive oil it wasn't a very good one. With olive oil prices at their lowest for years I can't see that it's much of a saving not to use extra virgin, if not for cooking, at least on salads - it's simply a whole lot nicer.

The service in the Rubicon is exemplary. From the moment we walked in we were made to feel comfortable and the attentiveness of both the waitresses who served us was impressive. The wine was good and I was enjoying catching up on Jane's news since she moved back to Ireland from London to set up her business. The main courses arrived and were presented on large plates. After a while I noticed that Jane was picking very slowly at her turbot. 'Is it OK?' I asked. 'It's very over-cooked, which is spoiling it.' I tasted it and agreed. Actually it was much the same with my lamb. When meats turns into a loosely matted bunch of fibres then it's over-cooked, even for those who don't like their lamb pink. A pity, because the taste was good.

Neither of us were up to desserts, but we decided to have an espresso each. I know I'm pedantic about this, but I don't think that watery coffee put into a demi-tasse turns it into an espresso. Neither it seems does Jane, because she called over a waiter and asked if she could have a proper espresso. I thought his accent was Italian and I asked him if he was from Italy. He was, and after he'd gone I said smugly 'Now that he knows I'm Italian as well I'll bet we get a proper coffee.' Well, I was half right - the second round was much better, but still not quite as it should be. Still, while we finishing them we were offered two Sambucas on the house, which was a nice touch and made a pleasant end to the meal. The bill for our two starters and two main courses came to £39.90 excluding service.

Ever the gentleman, after driving Jane back to her house I offered to take her baby-sitter home as it was pretty much on my way. Turning out of the baby-sitter's house I found myself completely stuck on a patch of very soft and very wet earth. An hour and a half later with the aid of a jack and a crowbar I was finally free and driving home. I mention this because I discovered something: all that activity made a wonderful digestive. By the time I was on the road home, I was surprised to find that I was hungry again.