Restaurants

gaeilgegrinds

Cheap & cheerful-
Posh Nosh-
Something different-

Opinions greatly appreciated. Bringing people out for Race Week & want to know what ye think of places & why. Thanks

Zzippy

gaeilgegrinds wrote:

Cheap & cheerful-
Posh Nosh-
Something different-

Opinions greatly appreciated. Bringing people out for Race Week & want to know what ye think of places & why. Thanks

Cheap & cheerful:
Da Robertas - Salthill, great little Italian. Essential to book as its so popular.
Al Muretto - Forster Court. Very good Italian.
Fat Freddys - Quay St., also Italian (anyone spot a theme?). Definition of cheap & cheerful.

Posh Nosh:
Oscars - Dominick St. Without doubt (IMO of course) the best restaurant in Galway. Great food and even better service. Pricey but worth it. Essential to book in advance
Malt House - off Shop St. Very good food, nice atmosphere, very central

Haven't eaten anywhere that could be described as "something different"

padi89

Galwayguy99 wrote:

Posh Nosh:
Malt House - off Shop St. Very good food, nice atmosphere, very central

Save yourself a few euro and just go to the kings head next door,very similar menu,same kitchen,there is a difference of 5 euro on some dishes.

biko

Cheap & cheerful- La Salsa
Posh Nosh-Kirwans
Something different-Ard Bia

Zzippy

padi89 wrote:

Save yourself a few euro and just go to the kings head next door,very similar menu,same kitchen,there is a difference of 5 euro on some dishes.

Same kitchen? Really??

cornbb

Cheap and cheerful - The Charcoal Grill (Cross St.). Sit-down kebabs and burgers.
Posh Nosh - KC Blakes (Quay St.). Nice varied menu, great location and service.
Something different - Da Tang noodle house (Middle St.). Fantastic Asian cuisine at a good price and one of the Bridgestone best 100 restaurants in Ireland. Try the hot pot!

padi89

Galwayguy99 wrote:

Same kitchen? Really??

Yup.All the hot meals anyway,one of the chefs let me know.

galah

Latest addition to our restaurant rotation: That Italian place (forgot the name) in Bridge Mills. Nice, simple selection, home-made food, AND it's rather cheap (we're talking 50 Euros for two, including wine, one starter, two main courses and one dessert). They have really nice bruschetta, and the best home-made ice cream ever!!!!

Abalone on Dominic Street is really nice too (posh). Or Vina Mara in "the street that is the backroad to the King's Head (seriously, street names are a problem for me...;-))

Also, MC Swiggans (used to) do good food. Deteriorated a little recently, I found, but nonetheless it's still nice.

rabbitinlights

gaeilgegrinds wrote:

Something different-

Nimo's @ The Spanish Arch, Great food and brilliant staff, kinda cramped but worth it.

Fey!

Abalone on Dominic St. Da Tang on Middle St. Mustard on Middle St.

Not sure about Nimmos; haven't been in it since Ard Bia took it over (not an Ard Bia fan, as last time I was there I was treated like a leper for looking for a non-alcoholic drink).

louisecm

The only restaurant I've experienced really is Martine's Quay St. Wine Bar and Restaurant (there has got to be a better way to say that, I'm probably pointing myself out as a newbie by calling it that). Anway, its I guess mid range prices. Great menu, just normal steak and chicken and sea food etc and everything is DELICIOUS. I've been there with work a few times and took my friends there last weekend and they loved it. Very cozy, great service, and amazing food.

biko

If we move it outside of the city - Padraicins
I never had a bad meal there but they stopped serving Chicken Kiev Come back chicken!

padi89

biko wrote:

If we move it outside of the city - Padraicins
I never had a bad meal there but they stopped serving Chicken Kiev Come back chicken!

Dont think its so great lately Biko,was out a couple of times this summer and i wasnt too impressed.They just lash out a mountain of chips and salad with most courses on the lunch menu and give little of what you have actually ordered.

Donnellys of Barna is my top pick,great food,location,service,atmosphere,bar its no wonder its won so many awards.

Fey!

Padraicins hasn't been the same since it was taken over a few years ago. And I really hope that Donnellys has gotten back to deserving the reputation it had since I was there last.

Martines is good, as is Kirbys on Cross St (part of busker Brownes). Outside of town I'd recommend the Pier Head in Kinvara.

gaeilgegrinds

Bol Uisce in Spiddal is unreal for seafood.
Also the Indian in Moycullen (reasonable), White Gables in Moycullen (top notch in my opinion).

Cheap food-Chinese opposite Buskers is very reasonable.
Love Lemongrass(wasn't aware name had changed though!)
Heard Abalone is great too so going next week.
Best pizza-Monroe's!
Best big reasonable sandwich has to be O' Connor's Bakery!

triblex

my friend is looking for job like waitress or something. does anyone have fresh info or sparks?:rolleyes: pls give a holler thanks a bunch

gaeilgegrinds

The New Lemongrass...Tamarind...review in Advertiser, very very good review, worth a visit me thinks!http://www.galwayadvertiser.ie/content/index.php?aid=7734
tamarind.ie

NeoSlicerZ

Cheap food-Chinese opposite Buskers is very reasonable.

We've closed down now

Fey!

Neo; why did ye close down? I work across the road from ye, and was wondering what happened. Sorry to see ye gone.

DEmeant0r

Posh Nosh: The old school house around oranmore is great.

gaeilgegrinds

When did the Chinese close down?! Damn!

You Suck!

BRING BACK KAM CHINS!!!

Dammit!

Neo, any plans to reopen?
Kudos for the good food while ye were in existance, miles ahead of any other chinese at the same price.

triblex

is Kim Chin too busy on other businesses to care the inn or what? i don't think it was anything to do with financial bog.
datang noddle is supposed to be good too. never checked it out meself though

gaeilgegrinds

You're all making me hungry!

padi89

Fey! wrote:

Mustard on Middle St.

Whats this place like?? Is it just the same as what Scottys was???

biko

Mustard is great! Get the chirizo burger and skinny fries, yum!
Ask how many varieties of mustard they have.

One

VinceV

Cactus jacks - something different - tastes great! Loads of restaurants by Spanish Arch.

NeoSlicerZ

The parents have moved onto other stuff, etc, etc. I'll miss being able to walk in and say "...feed me"

gaeilgegrinds

So will we all! Damn that!

Fey!

Neo - hope that the other stuff works out for them; they were always really nice to deal with. I hope that the other stuff is easier than the restaurant business, too!!!

ethernet

Cooke's Restaurant and Wine Bar and Al Muretto's never fail to please.

JIZZLORD

pah, everybody knows that curry chese chips from the kebab house is where it's at!

s_carnage

You could try the Park House Hotel on Foster St. You'd prob want to book places for race week just to be sure of getting in. Especially all de decent spots.

cornbb

JIZZLORD wrote:

pah, everybody knows that curry chese chips from the kebab house is where it's at!

Tell me about it, my gf is addicted to them! I like those large battered sausages myself*

*There was no way I could think of to make that sound not dirty

gaeilgegrinds

I've got Glenlo, Donnelly's & The White Gables booked for different groups. So far so good on the booking!

muppetkiller

VinceV wrote:

Cactus jacks - something different - tastes great.

Worst resturant in Galway IMO - terrible food (my steak was served Cold and Blue ?, service (cold/blue steak arrived 10 min after everyone else had finished their mains) and staff were complete Wasters.

Also avoid it on Friday nights and Saturdays as it is normally frequented by hen parties (The chunky type ..shudder ...shudder)

Oscars,Malt House, Nimos and Thai Garden are nice..

Thai Garden deserves a special menton as it's dirt cheap and food is fantastic.
I don't really rate the lemongrass either.

FastMachine

I agree with muppetkiller, Cactus Jacks is complete sh1te. What's the deal with taking so long to cook the steaks, its a fooking steak not a Xmas Turkey. On another occasion there I had the blandest (not the worst, just the blandest) food I've ever tasted.

But even worse imo is Cookes on Abbeygate St. It should be called Retarded Cookes. Only there once (and it was empty, I wonder why) but never again.

Best by a long shot is Thai Garden, best food Ive had in Galway. Also got a soft spot for Milano's.

JoeA3

Another thumbs down for Cactus Jacks here.
We went there one night about 18 months ago and from the moment we went in, we felt we were an inconvenience and not a customer! And get this, when we'd just about finished our mains, a waitress quickly cleared our table and the dessert menu was definitely not on offer! Turned out, our table was needed (double-booked?) by the next saps due in the revolving door. Needless to say I didn't go back since. Avoid!

Thumbs up from me for Oscars (really top notch), KC Blakes, Milanos (great service despite its almost "fast-food" approach and great desserts), Fat Freddys and Thai Gardens.

ZorbaTehZ

I had a nice big piece written out but it was terribly long, so instead:

Italian: Go to the one on Key Street, or to Da Robertas in Salthill, or out west, go to Mulberrys in Barna, 'tis lovely but quite expensive.
Chinese: My favourite is the one in Spiddal, but in Galway City I suppose the one on Shop Street is decent.
Indian: Can't remember the name of it but its directly across from the Thai Gardens at the Spanish Arch.
Mexican: Cactus Jacks, food is great, service is a bit meh; Fat Freddys do lovely enchiladas and quesadillas iirc.
Turkish: Hands-down its got to be The Charcoal Grill near Cross Street.
Thai: Theres a new place in Salthill (can't remember the name) its right beside Crcma. You wait a helluva long time for the food, but it's worth it.

Fey!

Thai Garden is excellent.

We had a group of 30 in the White Gables on Sunday, and it was fantastic.

Chinese on Shop St is gone, but they're in Oranmore and Claregalway now (Royal Villa).

Milano is way overrated; expensive and unfilling. If you want a sit-down pizza, then Fat Freddys. For take-home, Monroes.

KC Blakes has good food, but I find the owner to be very full of himself, and very unfriendly. However, his daughter in law is there all the time, and she is very nice.

Thai in Salthill is, I think, Morellas, who also have a place at the cinema in Oranmore. Haven't been there, but have heard very good things.

I haven't been in Park House in years, but I've heard a lot of customers raving about it. A definite must try by all accounts.

ve

In my 27 years in Galway, I've eaten out quite a lot. Myself and my girlfriend usually go out for a meal at least once every two weeks.

My recommendations are...

Bethlehem in Ballybrit (not far from the racecourse). They are Italian, and their food is excellent. The food is no more than a tenner for a plate. Their pizza is unreal (and I've had pizza in many countries and some of the best spots in Brooklyn), and a 12" is only €8-9 with toppings. If you are hungry and have bugger all dosh, this the place to go. You need a car though as it's near enough some rough hoods.

Finnegans on Market St. (near the corner of Abbygate St). I recommend their "All day breakfast", for €7.50 if I recall, you would want to be hungry to get through all the stuff they give you. Largest fry ever!!! (for the price). They also do a fantastic club sandwich.

Going up the scale a bit (Indian), try Kumars on Flood St. Again I have eaten in every Indian in Galway, and many more further afield etc, and Kumars is still my favourite. For some reason in Galway when you mention the word Indian, people think they are doing you a favour by mentioning Tulsi or Eastern Tandori (those places, especially Tulsi, are going downhill, nothing special at all). Kumars is a max of €15-16 per main course.

For something different, I would probably have to agree with some other posters when they say Da Tang Noodle House on Middle St.

As for something fancy, I don't believe there are any fancy restaurants in Galway. Fancy and Pretentious tend to go hand in hand in this neck of the woods. I've dined in some of the fanciest restaurants in the upper east side in New York, and it's hilarious when you see some restaurants back here in Ireland serving crap with little understanding of dining etiquette and acting like it's their privilege to be serving you because the locals have put them on a pedestal. Priceless. Some "fancy" restaurants are OK, but they are shooting themselves in the foot when it comes how up their own arse they are.

Jamey

I'm in love with the Home Plate (dunno the name of the street, beside Mixers, across from Sally Longs's). You get a huge feed for under a tenner, I've never finished a meal in there! Great burgers, and there own special homemade chips.

JIZZLORD

mmmm, the home plate. i too have never finished stuff from there, ****ing amazing chips!

Fey!

A few places there I had never heard of, and a few I had forgotten!

Finnegans on Market St is the same as Riordans on Quay St, formerly of The Left Bank on Dominic St and the Lisheen Restaurant on Bridge St.

Haven't been in the Home Plate in years!

Ronan|Raven

ZorbaTehZ wrote:

Thai: Theres a new place in Salthill (can't remember the name) its right beside Crcma. You wait a helluva long time for the food, but it's worth it.

Second that, went there a few weeks ago with herself and found it fantastic. It is also very reasonably priced imo. Cant remember the name either!

padi89

Ronan|Raven wrote:

Second that, went there a few weeks ago with herself and found it fantastic. It is also very reasonably priced imo. Cant remember the name either!

Pantai as far as i remember

colettew

Morgans on Forster st do really good bar food - decent portions & good value too.
Oscars on dominick st for evening meal- fab presentation of food - have to book in advance.