Ireland Guide
Galway and Mayo
Restaurants
1 Ard Bia at Nimmo's Long Walk, Spanish Arch 
091/561114 Opening time: Thurs– Sun onlyOffshoot of the Quay Street café in a characterful medieval stone building overlooking the river, offering delicious, good-value cooking with strong Greek, Middle Eastern and North African influences in the evening, and for lunch, classy sandwiches, salads, and cheese and meat platters.
2 BK's Spanish Parade 091/568450 Despite the address, this easy-going wine bar and bistro couldn't be more French. Dine on classic dishes such as duck magret in prune and fig sauce, or simpler, cheaper fare such as plates of cheese and charcuterie – sometimes to the accompaniment of a piano or live jazz. Cheap three-course set menu. Poetry readings some Thurs evenings.
3 Conlon's Eglinton St Opening time: Closed Sun lunchtimePopular, cheap seafood restaurant, specializing in Galway Bay oysters, seafood salads, and fish and chips in plain but comfortable surroundings. The day's catch is chalked up on a blackboard.
4 Couch Potatas Upper Abbeygate St The national vegetable baked in dozens of creative ways, with the added pleasure of puzzling over the meaning of names like "Paris by Night". Cheap and plenty for veggies, of course, plus starters and salads.
5 Da Tang Noodle House Middle St 091/561443 Opening time: Closed Sun lunchHung with art exhibitions, this cosy spot provides excellent, authentic, mostly northern Chinese noodles – either in soup, sauce or pan-fried – as well as salads, sizzling dishes and hotpots.
6 Druid Lane 9 Quay St 091/563015 Opening time: Closed Mon– Thurs lunchtimesRelaxed, informal restaurant, with helpful staff and excellent, global-influenced food, such as duck breast with cranberry and port jus; or you can perch at the bar for a glass of wine and snacks. Early-bird menu until 7pm.
7 Holywell Bridge Mills, O'Brien Bridge In an atmospheric converted mill, with a gorgeous sun-trap riverside terrace, this branch of the County Clare franchise dishes a short but winning menu of very tasty, classic pastas and pizzas at low prices.
8 Homeplate Mary St Opening time: Mon– Thurs noon–8pm, Fri & Sat noon–9pm, Sun noon–7pmCosy, basic and cheap restaurant serving everything from herbal teas and cakes, through salads and ciabattas to main courses such as chicken curry.
9 Kirwans Lane, Creative Cuisine Kirwans Lane, off Upper Cross St 091/568266 Opening time: Closed Sun lunchPopular, welcoming, upmarket restaurant with quiet outdoor tables, offering a range of international cuisine, such as turbot fillet with prawn bisque.
10 McDonagh's Seafood Bar 22 Quay St Opening time: restaurant Mon– Sat evenings; takeaway closed Sun lunchA Galway seafood institution, attached to a fishmonger's. Simple, traditional fish dishes in the friendly restaurant, or high-quality fish and chips and chowder from the takeaway section, which has a few simple tables inside and out on the street.
11 Martine's Quay St 091/565662 Opening time: Lunch Fri & Sat onlyFriendly, reasonably priced, wood-panelled bistro, with a lovely, dark bar and tables outside. Sandwiches, salads and pastas for lunch, and a fairly conservative evening menu, featuring rack of lamb and lasagne, alongside a more interesting list of daily specials.
12 Pizza Cabin Upper Dominick St 091/582887 Delicious, cheap pizzas to take away or eat in, either on the narrow counters here or in Monroe's pub next door.
13 Tulsi Buttermilk Walk, Middle St 091/564831 Galway's best Indian restaurant rustles up very good vegetarian and meaty food and even tries its hand at Indo Galwegian fusion dishes such as tandoori mackerel. Good-value buffet lunch on Sun.
14 Viña Mara 19 Middle St 091/561610 Opening time: Closed Sat lunchtime & SunAptly decorated in warm, sunny hues, this restaurant and wine bar offers carefully prepared, mostly Mediterranean dishes, such as braised confit of belly pork, sometimes with a modern twist, and attentive service. Simpler lunch and early-bird (Mon– Fri until 7.30pm) menus.