It's been a while since I've done the ethnic thing, so when my guest Rachael Sexton told me that she liked Thai food the choice of restaurants became easy. I asked her if there was anywhere in particular that she wanted to try and yes, there was - The Bangkok Cafe.

It was a night that the buses were on strike, so even late into the evening traffic was horrendous and we arrived a little after nine. We parked in North Great Georges Street and walked downhill toward the restaurant. At first sight it appeared closed, until as we got nearer we could make out a dim light through the door. We stopped to look, because from the outside of the restaurant the word 'unprepossessing' springs to mind, along with photo-images of war-ravaged cities. Two apparently derelict buildings are on either side of it and shrubs and small trees grow from gutters and roof tops. In terms of location, I've seen better. Rachael is a Feng Shui consultant, and I was interested to see her reactions.

You have to knock to get in and I can see why. While we were knocking and waiting a man ruined with drink shambled up the pavement towards us, his insistent ramblings becoming increasingly menacing as he got closer. Rachael almost leapt into the cafe as the door was opened and our new-found friend tried to come in too.

After this moment of near farce I began to take in my surroundings. We were in a small room that was packed with tables and people. As I scanned the room I could see nowhere for us to sit, although I knew Rachael had made a reservation. 'That's your table there,' said the lady who greeted us, pointing to a table I'd assumed was part of another one already occupied, but on second viewing I could see that there were settings for two people right alongside another couple. Don't come here if you have things to discuss in private.

The menu and wine list come as a few stapled sheets, so I began with the list of wines at the back. It's a short list, seven reds and five whites, but we'd decided on red. All were under £20, mostly around the £15 mark, but I didn't want a Beajolais, a Vin de Pays or an Australian, so I asked for the Spanish 1992 Reserva at £19.95 - the most expensive wine on the list - but it was out of stock. That left me with a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, so I ordered that. Now there's a salutary lesson here, and this serves as a perfect example.

Learning the name of a wine that you enjoy, like a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, won't always help you. A few weeks ago I had one that was made by Cantina Tollo and it was superb. This one, whose maker's name I have chosen to forget, was not. It's a bore, but you have to learn the producer's name as well to ensure that you find the same quality. It wasn't bad in the sense that I would have had a reason for sending it back; it just wasn't a very good wine. I stuck with it for a glass or two, but Rachael asked for beer instead. When it arrived I looked at the bottle expecting to find some exotic Thai name and label, but it said simply 'Tesco's French Lager'.

It's easy to have fun with the names on a Thai menu and I've done it before, so I won't do it again. Except to say I really wanted the Phat Khow - just for the name you understand - not for the corn seeds that it was made of. Nearly all the starters are under £4 and a lot of the main courses are £8-9; at these prices I began to understand why the place was so full, even mid-week. Actually I've tried to get in here without a reservation twice before but couldn't, so this time Rachael booked.

She'd chosen prawn wontons as a starter and I chose the Bangkok selection, which was a taste of most of the starters, including Thai beef Satay on a skewer, chicken and prawns. Both of these dishes, although simply presented, were very tasty. The balance of flavours was near perfect and it began to occur to me that this is a restaurant not only for people who don't want to spend the increasingly large prices that Dublin restaurants are charging, but that it's also for people who put food at the top of their priority list. If things like matching cutlery and crockery are important to you, then don't come here. You get a varied selection of both, and Rachael even got a plate with a chip out of the side. I know that for some people that would be cause for complaint, but this is so obviously a place where the only focus is on food, that somehow you shrug and just enjoy the eating.

Our main courses arrived, a curried prawn chilli for Rachael and a squid and prawn one for me. Both of us had ordered plain boiled rice as side orders, which came in little embossed metal pots. Again the dishes were full of flavour, perhaps a hint too much garlic in mine and a little too much chilli for Rachael, but they were every bit as tasty as the starters.

Desserts don't seem to feature strongly on the menu and we both tasted the ice-cream, which was ordinary enough. A plain and unexciting coffee finished the meal. The bill came to £54.10 and included a 10% service charge. It just so happened that I'd been to an ATM before we came to the restaurant, so when I was I told that they couldn't accept any credit cards, thankfully I had some cash. I can't remember when I last paid for a restaurant in cash, I just simply assume these days that they all accept credit cards. Quite what would have happened if I hadn't first been to an ATM I'm not sure.

The food is good in the Bangkok Cafe, but the overall feel is more like a student canteen than a restaurant, and in a way that's part of its charm. But if comfort, space and quality tableware are things that you want from a evening's dining as well as good food, perhaps the Bangkok Cafe is not for you.