It's all a matter of taste

Thu, Feb 06, 2014

Restaurants and pubs in Loughrea have a fair selection of good quality meals using locally sourced ingredients and pub snacks. The hotels too have locally sourced cuisine on the menu with great local lamb and beef farmed nearby. As in any sizeable town there are, of course, takeaways offering fast food, fish and chips, Indian, and Chinese. For something a cut above you cannot go wrong with the pizza and pasta at il Porcetto from the affordably priced menu. The Hungry Bookworm, a lovely eclectic cafe and wine bar where you can enjoy variations on classic dishes while also perusing the literary classics, is well worth exploring too.

Delicious food for all tastes at Taste Matters

Thu, Feb 06, 2014

Taste Matters opened in Loughrea in November 2010 with the aim of serving honest, good, food in a casual and friendly setting.

Brendan Loughnane Butchers for quality and value

Thu, Feb 06, 2014

Brendan Loughnane is very experienced in the meat business, and comes from a family with a long tradition in the industry.

Brendan Loughnane can give you recipes and tips on how to prepare your meats. Ready meals are also available with some of the favourites being steak stir fry in Cantonese sauce, chicken stir fry in Mexican sauce, chicken curry, and beef stroganoff. All the ready meals come prepared in a foil tray for easy and convenient cooking in the oven.

Out of the Chi pan...

Thu, Jan 30, 2014

Since 1997, Da Tang Noodle House on Middle Street had served the people of Galway with thousands of steamy bowls of comforting noodles, dumplings, and legendary spicy salad. But Da Tang hung on the shoulders of an individual and when the time came for him to retire, Da Tang retired also. Their sister business, Chi Asian Take-away, a little takeaway in Westside, took over the space in the middle of November. Chi promises healthy convenient food choices using locally sourced fresh ingredients. Chef Andy Bandara uses the highest-quality local produce to create Asian dishes from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, China, and Vietnam. Known for good food, great flavours, and a mean nasi goreng, how does this takeaway translate into a sit-down restaurant?

Anton's — a hard habit to break

Thu, Jan 23, 2014

For me, it all started with a tuna sandwich. There was a time that I lived just round the corner from Anton's and was as comfortable there as in my own dining room. Anton's has been deservedly rewarded with many years of success on Father Griffin Road.

Sushi delights at Kappa-ya

Thu, Sep 26, 2013

For a couple of years now the undisputed centre of the restaurant scene was over the river in the West End. Dominick Street to Sea Road had all the better places to tempt people over the bridge, from Rouge all the way up to Kai. But at last there has been a seismic shift and there is a new dining district in the heart of the city. Middle Street is Galway's newest dining destination, where you can feast on tapas in the new Cava Bodega, slurp your way through lunch in the long serving Da Tang Noodle House, or dine on modern Irish cuisine in the comfort of The Malt House. With the inclusion of the friendly wine shop that is Thomas Woodberries, I may never go over the bridge again.

Galway Bay Hotel wins Best Carvery in Connacht Award

Thu, Sep 26, 2013

The team at the Galway Bay Hotel have picked up yet another award at the Unilever Foods Solutions Great Carvery of the Year 2013, held at the Herbert Park Hotel in Dublin recently. The hotel was awarded Best Hotel Carvery in Connacht, which is a testament of the quality of food and service provided in Harvest Café under the watchful eye of executive chef Robert Webster.

Casual Italian dining at Renzo gallery cafe

Thu, Sep 26, 2013

Renzo gallery café is located on Eyre Street beside Debenhams, in Galway city centre. Renzo is now open late Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, serving fine Italian wine and cuisine at recession busting prices. Good Italian food is at the heart of Renzo, with menu options to suit all ages and occasions. It offers simple, fresh, delicious, food, bursting with flavour, texture, and colour.

The set menu is a reasonable €16.50, which consists of an Italian platter to start and a main course of your choice, including a range of salads, pastas, and pizzas. The dessert menu features popular Italian sweet treats such as tiramisu and limoncello cheesecake. The wines on offer have been carefully chosen to complement the flavours of each dish. The team at Renzo are passionate about good Italian coffee, and trained baristas will be happy to serve you a rich espresso or a frothy cappuccino to top off your meal.

Add a little murder to your company Christmas party

Thu, Sep 19, 2013

Murder on the Menu, the successful murder mystery dining experience featured every month at the Harbour Hotel, has begun accepting bookings for this year’s Christmas season.

The Book Shelf...

Thu, Sep 19, 2013

Pie
Angela Boggiano

Angela Boggiano

On the Wine Shelf...

Thu, Sep 19, 2013

Château La Rose Bellevue Prestige Côtes de Bordeaux 2010 (O’Briens, €14.99)

Grand Cru Wiebelsberg Riesling 2012 (Lidl, €12.99)

Thu, Sep 19, 2013

At part of Lidl’s French wine sale that started last week, the German retailer has introduced a number of new wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône and this particular delight from Alsace. Made with 100 per cent Riesling grapes grown in the Andlau valley close to the Vosges Mountains, it’s got a welcoming floral and citrus bouquet on the nose. On the palate, the citrusy and lime fruit is big, bold and fulsome while retaining a charming and elegant structure in what is a very well-balanced wine with a crisp dry finish. Perfect as an aperitif or with a range of seafood, this is definitely one to fill your boots with while stocks last.

Why did the student cross the road?

Thu, Sep 12, 2013

Having spent some time working in NUI Galway, I can justifiably lend my voice to those who say that the food available on campus is generally not that good. Sure, the pizza in the college bar is tasty enough, but it does not really count as a vegetable as the American government would have us believe. The Gourmet Tart Co used to supply the university with its freshly-made sandwiches, but these seem to be no longer available this year, replaced by a lesser sandwich to fill the gap. It is not, I am sure, because students don’t care what they eat — in fact a growing number of them are revolting against the banal food on offer.

New Cava Bodega restaurant to open next week

Thu, Sep 05, 2013

JP McMahon and Drigin Gaffey will bring the taste of Spain to Galway once again with the opening of their new restaurant, Cava Bodega, next week.

Two great Galway food festivals and competition time

Thu, Sep 05, 2013

Here is something a little different for those of you with a competitive streak. The granddaddy of all Irish food festivals, Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival, has a really exciting competition for you, marking its 59th year. If you are passionate about food and local products, its Best of the West recipe competition, run in conduction with LookWest.ie, has been designed to showcase all the wonderful food and producers of the entire western region.

It's good to share at dela restaurant

Thu, Aug 29, 2013

As Cava rises phoenix-like from the flames on Middle Street in the city centre, its old lodgings have been given a makeover into a Scandi-style eatery known as dela. On walking in the door, it is impossible for any regular of the previous occupant not to compare one to the other. The layout is pretty much the same, there is a lunch-time deal of soup and a sandwich with coffee for €10 just like the old days, and they have patatas bravas on the menu, but then again, who doesn't these days? And there ends the similarities, as they are as different as the proverbial chalk and a sharing plate of Sheridan's cheese.

Delicious deli treats at the g Counter

Thu, Aug 22, 2013

This new cafe and deli based in Wellpark Retail Park caused quite a lot of excitement when it opened four months ago and now has just about found its groove. Next to the back door of the g Hotel and directly across from the Eye Cinema, it instantly scores brownie points with some of the only free parking in the city and no booking required.

Cava restaurant to reopen in Middle Street

Thu, Aug 08, 2013

The popular Cava Spanish restaurant and tapas bar, which closed earlier this year, will reopen at a new premises in Middle Street next month.

Fine Italian food and a great ambience at Renzo

Thu, Aug 01, 2013

At 32 Eyre Street, beside Debenhams, just off Eyre Square, Renzo Gallery Café flourishes as a part of Galway’s character. With an Italian ambience, Renzo provides a delicious variety of coffees and herbal teas that will brighten every part of your day. Renzo Gallery Café serves up delicious gourmet pannini and sandwiches that are very popular among local residents and business customers.

Enjoy all your favourite Asian dishes at Bodkin Point

Thu, Aug 01, 2013

Bodkin Point, Galway's only buffet-style Chinese restaurant (as far as I know, but correct me if I'm wrong) is situated at Galway Shopping Centre, and it certainly serves up quite a feast. Choose your table, join the queue, and fill your plate from a selection of Asian dishes. Favourites such as spring rolls, sweet and sour chicken, and pot stickers sit alongside popular exotic eats including sushi and chicken satay.

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