Good cafes in Galway?

14-10-2004 4:53pm #1

Anyone know of any good cafes in Galway. Somewhere you can go for a quiet talk.

forbairt · 14-10-2004 5:16pm

Java's ain't that bad ...

Kirwan's Lane .. as in ... Buskers . down the side .. is nice enough assuming its not jammed .... depends on the time of day ?

Roisin's is nice for a coffee as well but limited in what they do .. but during the winter its nice in front of the fire ...

depends. . I'd tend to head more to a pub a lot of the time .. than an actual coffee place ... still Java's opposite cp's is pretty ok during the day

edit: also banapublucht ?? spelling .. down domnicks street .. just past the bridge mills ... is nice enough haven't been in there in a few years though...

14-10-2004 5:21pm

Thanks for suggestions.

po0k · 14-10-2004 6:16pm

Café du Journal, Quay St.

Small, so look out for it.

Nice enough, café prices.

forbairt · 14-10-2004 6:18pm

mocha ... on ... er is that still shop street ... damn pricey in my esteem though but they've got a nice set of buns in there

just for your hit and run coffee ... insomnia ain't too bad in Hugh's and Hugh's in Tesco's shopping center <-- yes I know its galway shopping center but dammit .. its tesco's and always will be to me ... only problem .. the ex works there ..

they've got really nice baileys coffee's .. think they are pricey enough as well ...

Sarky · 14-10-2004 7:57pm

I know I sound like I'm working for them, but the King's Head is good for sitting down for the day. The coffee's not great, but you get free refills. The tea (also free refills) and food are spot on though, although the food's a bit pricey. And the only time you get many people upstairs is when there's a match on, so it's lovely and quiet most of the time. Just you, your friends, and the barman occasionally asking if you want a coffee top-up. And usually myself and a small group playing cards...

14-10-2004 8:38pm

Where about is the Kings Head?

Zoso · 14-10-2004 9:28pm

More or less at the point where Shop Street, High Street and Mainguard Street meet. Or .. go down Shop Street until you see Blacoe Jewellers in front of you - Kings head should be opposite it on your left.

Robbo · 15-10-2004 12:16am

Definitely Javas or Bananaphoblacht.

Otherwise you're talking about some Starbucks clone with 7 euro sandwiches, Norah Jones on the stereo and a clientele consisting of women who drive 4x4s.

Karl Hungus · 15-10-2004 6:20pm

Javas is indeed great.

Sarky · 16-10-2004 8:58am

fidel wrote:

Living room during the day or Bon Appetito on Abbeygate street

But the wallpaper! My God man, the wallpaper! It's a horrifying rainbow of pain!

forbairt · 16-10-2004 10:35am

what the hell have I been saying .. just head to neachtains ... nice for a quiet one ... coffee's ... er ... coffee ... not that bad .. nice atmosphere ...

neachtains is the pub at the end of high street ? start of quay street

good for a guinneess god for the ... quiet reflective person too

Karl Hungus · 16-10-2004 1:47pm

Aye error9, the coffee in there is not bad at all, probably one of my absolute favorite pubs. Great guinness, and great atmosphere.

nobodythere · 17-10-2004 5:15pm

Try Scribblers on middle street, slightly pricey but not too bad. It's a nice place when their downstairs section is open, they've got a couch to sit on down there.

Try An Tobar Nua too at the end of Dominick St. too if you can avoid the hardcore christian impose-our-beliefs-on-you shíte. It's a nice place with very cheap prices.

King's head have nice cheap hot choc and is fairly empty on Sundays.

Lynch's on Shop st. has nice inexpensive food but is awfully noisy and busy and some of the staff are arsholes. Also try Roscoe's beside Eddie Rockets on Eglington St. and Rascals (quiet, delicious, nice atmosphere) which is a bit of a walk out to Terryland.

Robbo · 17-10-2004 5:26pm

grasshopa wrote:

Try An Tobar Nua too at the end of Dominick St. too if you can avoid the hardcore christian impose-our-beliefs-on-you shíte. It's a nice place with very cheap prices.

I've always wanted to go in there dressed in a full on Satan costume and just sit, drinking a coffee and reading the paper...

Sarky · 17-10-2004 5:32pm

Ooh, then SyxPak could arrive in priestly garb and exorcise you...

tonybrasco · 19-10-2004 1:03pm

Javas or Bananaphoblacht are ok but a bit menky.
I prefer ArdBia on top of quay street (upstairs from Neachtain's)
It is quite nice up there, especially in the morning before it gets busy, when the sun shines through the place. They always have great artwork on the walls and also organise art events sometimes on the weekends through ENSO (performances and gigs). The restaurant (open at night) is horribly expensive though.

Neachtain's (note for visitors : to be pronounced "Noctans") on quay street is also nice and quiet during the day for a cup of tea, an early pint or a hot port.

If you like fireplaces, the Roisin Dubh is definitely the place to go during the day.

leeroybrown · 19-10-2004 1:15pm

Bananaphoblacht for great Australian style hot chocolate or mocha and the greatest cream cheese bagels on the planet. It's open late too.

Javas for late night coffee while looking out at the drunken CP-bound fools.

Scribblers is fine too but the opening hours are too short/inconsistent.

tonybrasco · 19-10-2004 1:15pm

Javas or Bananaphoblacht are ok but a bit menky.
I prefer ArdBia on top of quay street (upstairs from Neachtain's)
It is quite nice up there, especially in the morning before it gets busy, when the sun shines through the place. They always have great artwork on the walls and also organise art events sometimes on the weekends through ENSO (performances and gigs). The restaurant (open at night) is horribly expensive though.

Neachtain's (note for visitors : to be pronounced "Noctans") on quay street is also nice and quiet during the day for a cup of tea, an early pint or a hot port.

If you like fireplaces, the Roisin Dubh is definitely the place to go during the day.

simu · 19-10-2004 1:24pm

Has anyone ever been in Augi café? I pass it most days but it looks a bit drab...

Playboy · 22-10-2004 10:28pm

Augi cafe r0x .. the dude who owns is kEwL :cool:

dwayneburke · 22-10-2004 10:36pm

the guy who runs is càlled Conal and if you go in often enoug he gives you "regular prices" i.e. can and panini for €5...nice place and friendly staff

Jaden · 26-10-2004 12:33pm

The are 2 places in Galway that do drinkable coffee.

1. Arabica. There is one on Merchants Road, one in Salthill and one in Barna.

2. Barbarista. This is in the Wellpark business centre, right beside Maplins, and accross the road from the Huntsman.

Everywhere else is pretty Poo these days.

Mighty_Mouse · 28-10-2004 9:05am

Java's is a skanky manky hole!!! I coulnt't bring myself to eat anything from it!

fozzle · 29-10-2004 8:30am

Mmmm, Banan Phoblacht is great. They do loads of different kinds of coffees and teas, the food is lovely, and where else would give you melted chocolate in a cup without batting an eyelid. Also, they don't hassle you if you stay for 6 hours, which is nice.

Sarky · 30-10-2004 12:20am

They also serve us fantasy/scifi gamer types without all that "Hey Marcia! Come and see the Satanists!" bother.

Rredwell · 30-10-2004 4:46pm

Banapoblacht is supposedly an Irish language café, but when I went in there the woman behind the counter couldn't speak Irish. Also, their interior design leaves a lot to be desired.

I like the Living Room, their garlic bread is very cheap, but it isn't exactly quiet. But they do have possibly have the nicest cappuccino in Galway, at a very reasonable price (€1.85).

As for Lynch's, their staff are a lot friendlier than one or two of the waitresses in Ríordan's in Quay Street, which has lovely breakfasts all day long.

fozzle · 02-11-2004 9:10am

Rredwell wrote:

Banapoblacht is supposedly an Irish language café, but when I went in there the woman behind the counter couldn't speak Irish. Also, their interior design leaves a lot to be desired.

I like the Living Room, their garlic bread is very cheap, but it isn't exactly quiet. But they do have possibly have the nicest cappuccino in Galway, at a very reasonable price (€1.85).

As for Lynch's, their staff are a lot friendlier than one or two of the waitresses in Ríordan's in Quay Street, which has lovely breakfasts all day long.

You object to the décor in BP, yet you like The Living Room?!

You have strange eyes my dear. I like BP, it's bright and chereful and you never know if there's going to be records or cactii or something else odd on the walls.

leeroybrown · 02-11-2004 9:22am

Rredwell wrote:

Banapoblacht is supposedly an Irish language café, but when I went in there the woman behind the counter couldn't speak Irish.

Not entirely surprising considering that Irish people generally won't work in café's.

fozzle wrote:

and you never know if there's going to be records or cactii or something else odd on the walls.

Mmmm ... yellow ducks

forbairt · 02-11-2004 10:47am

where exactly is Augi café ?

... when's it close ... need someplace to go tonight and don't want to do to a pub .. *slaps self* .. thats better

leeroybrown · 02-11-2004 10:48am

I think the Augi café is the small one on Augustine street just up from the library on the opposite side. I could be miles out though.

forbairt · 02-11-2004 11:43am

ah think I know the one .. its red outside ... I've been in there before ...
nice enough ... nothing amazing .. if its the place I'm thinking of ... so hopefully its not

simu · 02-11-2004 3:32pm

leeroybrown wrote:

I think the Augi café is the small one on Augustine street just up from the library on the opposite side. I could be miles out though.

That sounds right.

As for Bananaphoblacht, the owner speaks Irish but not all of the staff do.

Robbo · 02-11-2004 11:07pm

Jaden wrote:

2. Barbarista. This is in the Wellpark business centre, right beside Maplins, and accross the road from the Huntsman.

I had the most appalling sandwich from there today. Apparently, mayonaisse is now an optional extra in sandwiches which comes in a little tub.

The coffee was passable.