Guidebook for Galway

Denise
Guidebook for Galway

Food Scene

This is my favorite restanrant in Galway. I think it serves the best food and I love the atosphere. Its not a very formal place but the service and food are second to none. Its also lovely for a really nice lunch. Essential to reserve any night.
123 locals recommend
Kai Restaurant
22 Sea Rd
123 locals recommend
This is my favorite restanrant in Galway. I think it serves the best food and I love the atosphere. Its not a very formal place but the service and food are second to none. Its also lovely for a really nice lunch. Essential to reserve any night.
This is my favorite restanrant in Salthill. The food is realy good and atmosphere is lovely. Its not too formal and is family friendly. Its also nice for a quiet dinner for two (which is how I usually do it!). Good idea to reserve at weekends and during the summer but its not always necessary.
6 locals recommend
La Collina
169 Upper Salthill Rd
6 locals recommend
This is my favorite restanrant in Salthill. The food is realy good and atmosphere is lovely. Its not too formal and is family friendly. Its also nice for a quiet dinner for two (which is how I usually do it!). Good idea to reserve at weekends and during the summer but its not always necessary.
This is definitely my ‘go to’ local place for coffee & pastries or take lunch. Unfortunately they no longer offer seated dining but a great place to pick up a picnic to take to the beach.
43 locals recommend
Gourmet Tart Company
43 locals recommend
This is definitely my ‘go to’ local place for coffee & pastries or take lunch. Unfortunately they no longer offer seated dining but a great place to pick up a picnic to take to the beach.
This is a small place with nice tapas style food and good wines. Open for lunch and dinner. Probably a good idea to book although not always necessary.
28 locals recommend
Black Cat
179 Upper Salthill
28 locals recommend
This is a small place with nice tapas style food and good wines. Open for lunch and dinner. Probably a good idea to book although not always necessary.
This is a similar style restaurant to Kai and is located on the Spainish Arch bang in the middle of the city. The food is impressive and it a very cool atmosphere. I love this one also. Essential to reserve at weekends.
97 locals recommend
Ard Bia at Nimmos
The Long Walk
97 locals recommend
This is a similar style restaurant to Kai and is located on the Spainish Arch bang in the middle of the city. The food is impressive and it a very cool atmosphere. I love this one also. Essential to reserve at weekends.
This is a more traditional and maybe formal style restaurant but has never disappointed me in many years. Food is always good. Essential to reserve at weekends.
17 locals recommend
The Seafood Bar at Kirwan's
3 Kirwan's Ln
17 locals recommend
This is a more traditional and maybe formal style restaurant but has never disappointed me in many years. Food is always good. Essential to reserve at weekends.
If you fancy getting away from the the tourists and the city try this one. Amazing seafood!
54 locals recommend
O'Gradys on the Pier
54 locals recommend
If you fancy getting away from the the tourists and the city try this one. Amazing seafood!
This is a proper french restauant and all the staff are french. The menu is tiny – a selection plate of starters, steak or fish or vegetarian for main courses and desert. A really fun night out. Food is good and great value. Great wine list.
48 locals recommend
Rouge Restaurant
38 Dominick St Lower
48 locals recommend
This is a proper french restauant and all the staff are french. The menu is tiny – a selection plate of starters, steak or fish or vegetarian for main courses and desert. A really fun night out. Food is good and great value. Great wine list.
This Italian has been here for years and its actually really nice. I recently ate there and had fish and it was delicious. Its reasonably priced and its really central. Also very family friendly.
Trattoria Magnetti
12 Quay St
This Italian has been here for years and its actually really nice. I recently ate there and had fish and it was delicious. Its reasonably priced and its really central. Also very family friendly.
This is a spanish tapss restaurant and I love going here with a gang of friends at the weekend. Its great fun and the food is always lovely. I love the pork belly and the scallops but to be honest its all great. Also bang in the middle of the action at night.
46 locals recommend
Cava Bodega
1 Middle St
46 locals recommend
This is a spanish tapss restaurant and I love going here with a gang of friends at the weekend. Its great fun and the food is always lovely. I love the pork belly and the scallops but to be honest its all great. Also bang in the middle of the action at night.
This is a reletaviely new arrival in Galway. Its run by two locals brothers and the pizzas are really great. Its also a very resonable place. Good with kids or adults if yoru just want something super casusl.
62 locals recommend
The Dough Bros
1 Middle St
62 locals recommend
This is a reletaviely new arrival in Galway. Its run by two locals brothers and the pizzas are really great. Its also a very resonable place. Good with kids or adults if yoru just want something super casusl.
This has been a favorite with locals and tourists alike. It’s a great spot if your in the city with kids and if the weather is nice you can sit outside and watch the world go by – and in summer you could see anything on Quay Street!!
6 locals recommend
Fat Freddy's Restaurant
15 Quay St
6 locals recommend
This has been a favorite with locals and tourists alike. It’s a great spot if your in the city with kids and if the weather is nice you can sit outside and watch the world go by – and in summer you could see anything on Quay Street!!
This is a lovely little Japanese restaurant in the city centre and its one of my childrens favorite places. Not expensive and tasty food. The sushi rolls are good and the teriyaki chicken.
Kappa-ya
4 Middle St
This is a lovely little Japanese restaurant in the city centre and its one of my childrens favorite places. Not expensive and tasty food. The sushi rolls are good and the teriyaki chicken.
This is a small little fish restaurant off the beaten track owned by the daughter of a Galway fishmonger. It’s a great family restaurant and really great value. The food is lovely and fish is always fresh. They take bookings or you can queue for a table.
41 locals recommend
Hooked
65 Henry St
41 locals recommend
This is a small little fish restaurant off the beaten track owned by the daughter of a Galway fishmonger. It’s a great family restaurant and really great value. The food is lovely and fish is always fresh. They take bookings or you can queue for a table.
This restaurant and Bar beside each other offer good quality Asian food. I prefer the bar as its more casual but the food is equally good in both. Bar is suitable for kids in the early evening.
24 locals recommend
Asian Lounge Asian Tea House Restaurant
15 Mary St
24 locals recommend
This restaurant and Bar beside each other offer good quality Asian food. I prefer the bar as its more casual but the food is equally good in both. Bar is suitable for kids in the early evening.

Drinks & Nightlife

This is well worth a visit as it is a very old family run pub which is in the O’Connor family since 1942. The amount of memorabilia in the place is mind boggling and they have live musinc most nights. Althoguh it is a very popular tourist spot there are still a lot of locals who count it as their ‘local’.
72 locals recommend
O'Connors Pub
Upper Salthill Road
72 locals recommend
This is well worth a visit as it is a very old family run pub which is in the O’Connor family since 1942. The amount of memorabilia in the place is mind boggling and they have live musinc most nights. Althoguh it is a very popular tourist spot there are still a lot of locals who count it as their ‘local’.
Great venue for traditional music in a very typical local pub.
94 locals recommend
Crane Bar
2 Sea Rd
94 locals recommend
Great venue for traditional music in a very typical local pub.
This is probably the most popular pub in the city amongst 20’s 30’s & 40 somethings. It is open late most night and is very big so you may find the older age group towards the front off high street and the younger age groups upstairs where the disco music is blaring. Definitely if you’re single this is the place to be but full of couples also.
117 locals recommend
The Quays Bar and Restaurant
Quay Lane
117 locals recommend
This is probably the most popular pub in the city amongst 20’s 30’s & 40 somethings. It is open late most night and is very big so you may find the older age group towards the front off high street and the younger age groups upstairs where the disco music is blaring. Definitely if you’re single this is the place to be but full of couples also.
Another great spot for a night out – usually very busy and plenty of people to meet. There is a live music venue upstairs. This place will be rockin on the weekends and a great Sunday night venue.
117 locals recommend
The Quays Bar and Restaurant
Quay Lane
117 locals recommend
Another great spot for a night out – usually very busy and plenty of people to meet. There is a live music venue upstairs. This place will be rockin on the weekends and a great Sunday night venue.
Have a pint in Neachtains and preferably outside if the weather is good. This is a great spot and still a favourite with locals all year round. Positioned in the heart of Quay Street you can see all sorts here.
131 locals recommend
Tigh Neachtain
17 Cross Street Upper
131 locals recommend
Have a pint in Neachtains and preferably outside if the weather is good. This is a great spot and still a favourite with locals all year round. Positioned in the heart of Quay Street you can see all sorts here.
A great pub down ‘the west’ which is very famous as a live venue. The pub is to the front and the venue is in the back. Worth checking out the listings online as they get a really impressive line up of acts – also a lot of comedy and every Thursday night they run a Comedy Club which is great.
90 locals recommend
Roisin Dubh Comedy
8 Dominick St Upper
90 locals recommend
A great pub down ‘the west’ which is very famous as a live venue. The pub is to the front and the venue is in the back. Worth checking out the listings online as they get a really impressive line up of acts – also a lot of comedy and every Thursday night they run a Comedy Club which is great.

Essentials

Distance from the house 7 mins walk Small local artisan grocery – lots of lovely foods but also supplies the basics , Fruit, Vegetables and a very good butchers. Lovely selection of breads and cakes. A good wine selection. The luxury items are a bit expensive but for basics and meat it reasonable.
12 locals recommend
Mortons of Galway
148 Salthill Rd Lower
12 locals recommend
Distance from the house 7 mins walk Small local artisan grocery – lots of lovely foods but also supplies the basics , Fruit, Vegetables and a very good butchers. Lovely selection of breads and cakes. A good wine selection. The luxury items are a bit expensive but for basics and meat it reasonable.

Sightseeing

Walk the Prom – if you want to be a real local Ever local person in Salthill walks ‘the prom’. I do it almost every day with my dog and its usually the best part of my day – that doesn’t say much for my life does it? If you want to be a real Galwegian you will walk to Blackrock (big yellow diving boards) and kick the wall, turn around and come back. As your on holidays you can stop and buy an ice cream if the weather is nice.
Blackrock
Walk the Prom – if you want to be a real local Ever local person in Salthill walks ‘the prom’. I do it almost every day with my dog and its usually the best part of my day – that doesn’t say much for my life does it? If you want to be a real Galwegian you will walk to Blackrock (big yellow diving boards) and kick the wall, turn around and come back. As your on holidays you can stop and buy an ice cream if the weather is nice.
This is not an event just a place of note.
98 locals recommend
Spanish Arch
2 The Long Walk
98 locals recommend
This is not an event just a place of note.
Galway City Market Situated outside St Nicholas Church it is lovely to wander around and soak up the atmosphere. You can get a lovely lunch from one of the many food stalls and all sorts of fruit, vegetables and artisan foods. The market is open all year round on Saturdays from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm and Sundays, Bank Holidays, Fridays in July and August and every day during the Galway Arts Festival from 12.00 to 8.00.
Market Street
Market Street
Galway City Market Situated outside St Nicholas Church it is lovely to wander around and soak up the atmosphere. You can get a lovely lunch from one of the many food stalls and all sorts of fruit, vegetables and artisan foods. The market is open all year round on Saturdays from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm and Sundays, Bank Holidays, Fridays in July and August and every day during the Galway Arts Festival from 12.00 to 8.00.
Connemara Visit the Kylemore Abbey & Award Winning Gardens from Galway Explore the heart of the Gaeltacht (Irish-Speaking) region of Ireland. Travel through Ireland’s most untouched, rugged landscape blanketed in majestic mountains, expansive lakes, golden beaches and breathtaking valleys. This tour is named the Traditional Irish Cultural Experience – and is a look into traditional life on the West coast of the Emerald Isle. Along the way, you’ll learn a bit of the Irish language, the history that has shaped the region, and a few tales of the local residents.
301 locals recommend
Connemara National Park
301 locals recommend
Connemara Visit the Kylemore Abbey & Award Winning Gardens from Galway Explore the heart of the Gaeltacht (Irish-Speaking) region of Ireland. Travel through Ireland’s most untouched, rugged landscape blanketed in majestic mountains, expansive lakes, golden beaches and breathtaking valleys. This tour is named the Traditional Irish Cultural Experience – and is a look into traditional life on the West coast of the Emerald Isle. Along the way, you’ll learn a bit of the Irish language, the history that has shaped the region, and a few tales of the local residents.
Experience the rugged coastlines, windswept landscapes, rare flora and Irish culture that make The Burren unique. Explore the most popular sights of Ireland’s west coast on our professional guided day tour to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren
556 locals recommend
Cliffs of Moher
556 locals recommend
Experience the rugged coastlines, windswept landscapes, rare flora and Irish culture that make The Burren unique. Explore the most popular sights of Ireland’s west coast on our professional guided day tour to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren
Take a day trip to the Aran Islands. A lovely way to pass the day .
102 locals recommend
Aran Islands
102 locals recommend
Take a day trip to the Aran Islands. A lovely way to pass the day .

Arts & Culture

The museum is located just behind The Spanish Arch. It’s a great local museum with a relaxed feel and some interesting content. Its not a big place so won’t take very long.
141 locals recommend
Galway City Museum
Spanish Parade
141 locals recommend
The museum is located just behind The Spanish Arch. It’s a great local museum with a relaxed feel and some interesting content. Its not a big place so won’t take very long.

Shopping

Situated outside St Nicholas Church it is lovely to wander around and soak up the atmosphere. You can get a lovely lunch from one of the many food stalls and all sorts of fruit, vegetables and artisan foods. The market is open all year round on Saturdays from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm and Sundays, Bank Holidays, Fridays in July and August and every day during the Galway Arts Festival from 12.00 to 8.00.
53 locals recommend
Galway Market
7 Lombard St
53 locals recommend
Situated outside St Nicholas Church it is lovely to wander around and soak up the atmosphere. You can get a lovely lunch from one of the many food stalls and all sorts of fruit, vegetables and artisan foods. The market is open all year round on Saturdays from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm and Sundays, Bank Holidays, Fridays in July and August and every day during the Galway Arts Festival from 12.00 to 8.00.