JP McMahon’s guide to all-day eating in Galway

Just off the bus… Probably the finest cheese toastie in Galway, Tasty Toasty has recently relocated to the bus station in Galway. Good quality cheese sourced from Sheridans Cheesemongers make these toasties incredibly cheesy. The coffee is also excellent so pick up a toastie and a coffee and wander down to Lough Atalia and grab a waterside seat.

Mornings in Galway mean a wander down into the Medieval quarter, grabbing a double espresso from Coffeewerk + Press.

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Then a short hop over to Magpie for a beautifully laminated pastry. The Spanish Arch and the River Corrib (one of Europe’s fastest flowing rivers) are nearby so take a stroll down the old long walk and grab another river side seat and enjoy the sights and sounds.

If you’re looking for something more substantial to eat, brunch in Caprice or Dela are always good options. Dela have their own farm out in Moycullen and grow a lot of their own produce. My daughter loves the buttermilk pancakes at Caprice and you can also grab yourself a traditional full Irish breakfast if that’s what you have a taste for.

While Galway is awash with places to grab a quick bite for lunch nothing beats The King’s Head for a bowl of chowder served aside traditional Irish soda bread. The King’s Head is iconically located in the center of the Latin Quarter and the building is over 800 years old. They have an extensive gastropub menu, but the chowder is top notch and hits the spot at lunchtime.

Wa Café is a small Japanese restaurant located near the Docks. They open for lunch daily, as well as for dinner. Sit back and enjoy some incredibly sushi and perhaps a little glass of sake to take the edge off the day!

Just around the corner from Wa Café is Rúibín, a beautiful old pub with a great reputation for food and drink. With seats outside, relax with some oysters and a good glass of chilled white wine and watch the hustle and bustle of the boats going by.

On many an afternoon you’ll find me in the Bunch of Grapes, a small pub located on Shop Street in Galway’s Latin Quarter. While many pubs in Ireland now serve wine, few serve excellent wine. What separates the Bunch from the rest is the care given to their wine list (wine is supplied by Woodberry’s). You can also grab a great pint of Guinness, along with a fine bowl of soup and an old school toastie.

Sheridans cheesemongers is a Galway institution and their cheese shop has inspired many a chef over the years. The wine bar upstairs has a great selection of wine (many of which are organic, natural, and biodynamic) and its cheese and meat boards are fantastic. Plenty of Irish farmhouse cheeses abound as well as a great selection of Irish and European charcuterie.

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Galway has many places that offer wonderful small plates packed with flavour. Éan, our own Cava Bodega, and Daróg showcase the best of Galway food through the guise of the small plate. Fast and casual with great wine lists, you can try and fit them all in on a single evening mid-week for a wonderful taste of Galway.

Ireland has a long love affair with Italian food. After Italia ‘90, everything seemed to be about pasta, pizza, and lasagne in Ireland. At 15, I found myself working in an Italian Restaurant in Maynooth run by a man from Naples. I never looked back. Il Vicolo (owned by my brother) is in the Bridge Mills (an old mill) by the river Corrib. They make their own pasta there and the wine list is all Italian. The river runs underneath the restaurant, so the views are fantastic from both the wheel room as well as the terrace which looks out over the Corrib.

The Dough Bros pizza is legendary in Galway and these guys have gone from strength to strength over the years, now delivering home kits nationwide as well as their ever-popular pizzeria. Though the queues are long they move quickly, and these long-fermented wood-fired pizzas taste delicious. Expect traditional as well as some quirky toppings. They’re constantly innovating and giving pizza the place it deserves in Galway as well as Ireland.

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Galway is awash with good pub food but Brassiere on the Corner and McSwiggan’s stand out with refined offerings. There’s plenty of seafood, shellfish, and steaks to choose from as well as vegetarian options.

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This Westend of the city is known for its music with great venues like Monroe’s Tavern and Róisín Dubh, but the food is also top notch from our own Michelin-starred Aniar to the best burgers (Handsome Burger) and chicken (Birdhouse) you can get your hands on.

Kai (Ireland’s only Michelin green star restaurant) is also a great spot for lunch and dinner with a focus on sustainable food in a warm and cozy setting. Finally, The Universal offers great food and drink for those want to grab a window seat and watch the world go by.

Lastly, if you do find yourself the worse for wear after the late bars close, Vinnie’s on Munster Avenue prepare their own chips on site daily, so why not partake of that strange Irish delicacy of a curry cheese chip… I however prefer mine plain with a good dash of salt and vinegar!