I can’t rave enough about this town in Ireland. We loved Galway. We spent four days there and tried lots of restaurants. Galway is so small you can easily walk to all of these places when staying near the city center. If you can only go to one place, eat at the The Pasta Factory.
Side note: If you are traveling to more than Galway, check out the full list of restaurants recommendations here.
The Pasta Factory
Best. Place. Ever. It is the cutest little Italian restaurant. They make their pasta and sauces in house. Their menu changes weekly. We actually ate here twice, because who knows when we’d ever be able to eat it again. It was also a really good deal – two small pastas, two glasses of house wine, two appetizers for 30 euros. Shout out to the random American we met in Kinsale for the recommendation.
When we were leaving, a female employee asks us if we enjoyed our meal. We raved about it. “Did you try our plates? They’re edible.” Without missing a beat, Jon starts eating the plate. His internal monologue saying I hope she wasn’t joking. They tasted like rice cakes. Visit their Facebook page for the weekly menu.
Sheridan’s Cheesemonger & Wine Bar
Not only does this cheese shop have a cute story, they have a wine bar right over the shop. Stop here for a before dinner drink. I tried my first Nebbiolo here and loved it. Get a bottle of wine to go or drink there. The glasses were a little pricey, but not too bad. Facebook page.
Brusker Brownes
If you are in town on Monday, check out the live jazz band here. The good dancers show off their skills in the center and everyone else hangs around and drinks in the back. It starts around 10 p.m. We had some pretty comical experiences with drunk people here including an Irish woman, who told us we have accents. “Do we have accents?” I asked innocently. ” “DO YOU HAVE ACCENTS?” the drunk woman responds with an exaggerated and mocking tone. Now Jon and I say that to each other all the time. Shout out to our Airbnb host for the recommendation. Brusker Brownes website.
Dough Bros Pizza Company
Can’t go wrong with a place that started as a food truck. The atmosphere is casual and aesthetically pleasing. They have part of the original food truck on the wall and Where’s Waldo books. If you are craving pizza in Galway, I definitely recommend it. Make sure to get the wild garlic dipping sauce. Visit their Facebook page.
Dela
Sometimes you need brunch on a weekday. Dela is the answer. Brunch is from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Tuesday – Sunday. Their avocado toast game is strong. But you know Millennials will never be millionaires if we keep spending money on avocado toast. (Oh the news these days). Skip the mimosa. It is served with ice and that’s just weird. Oh and if you like your bacon crispy be sure to ask. Ireland seems to like uncooked bacon. Dela’s website
Neo
After spending more than a week in Ireland, you start craving another cuisine. The Asian street food restaurant, Neo is the perfect fix. The pad thai was delicious. Jon wasn’t crazy about the Tikka Massala, so skip that dish. I wish we had it here because I would eat it all the time. Facebook page.