For a city so small – population 80,000 – Galway has a lot to recommend it. Nothing more so than their restaurant/pub scene. Everyone I talked to said I’d love eating in Ireland – and I wasn’t disappointed.
As vegetarians, a lot of the menu items were off limits to us (though I can’t say I wasn’t tempted by the Guinness beef stew!), but what we did eat was incredibly fresh and wonderfully made.
Most of our eating took place in the Latin Quarter. We may have missed the Galway Food Festival by just one day, but we certainly didn’t miss out on great food.
Specialty pies at the Pie Maker (aubergine, kale, & goat’s cheese and curried butternut squash & carrot), Spanish tapas at Cava Bodega, fresh tacos and Corona at Tuco’s Taqueria, grilled halloumi bap at the Quay Street Kitchen, and a deliciously relaxing brunch at McCambridges.
We were only in Galway for four nights, but we got in as much food as possible. Not to mention the full bag of specialty cheeses I walked away with from Sheridans Cheesemongers! And all the ciders sampled at establishments such as the Crane Bar, the King’s Head, and Tigh Neachtain. Each with its own unique atmosphere, from the quiet Crane Bar (until the live music starts up, I’m sure!), the never-ending space at King’s Head, and the forever busy Tigh Neachtain.
But Galway wasn’t just a city to eat in. We also did plenty of window browsing in the Latin Quarter, eventually purchasing scarves, local jewellery (ok, made by an Australian while she was living in Ireland!), postcards, and wonderfully calming wooden children’s toys at Wooden Heart.
We enjoyed the bustle of Eyre Square and found quiet places to walk along the water. If it hadn’t been quite so chilly and drizzly, we might even have spent some time feeding the swans nearby.
Part of our final day was spent enjoying the calm of the Galway Cathedral. The stained glass windows were stunning and added to the peaceful ambiance inside the church.
Galway is a city I’d happily return to someday – someday soon.
Abroad With Ashley 