O'Connell's in Galway

12/12/2024: Never had a bad experience here.

06/12/2024: The place is bigger than it looks as the ground floor has only like 5 small tables. However, their downstairs has a full dining floor of seating. It is dimly lit but not terribly loud that we could hear each other. We were seated right near the kitchen so it was fun seeing the food being prepared and sent out to the tables. Ranked from most liked to least liked: Leeks with hazelnuts: The charred leeks tasted great in the sauce. The bite had variety in texture from the toasted caramelized nuts. Churros: the churros were freshly fried with a nice crunch to the exterior and a dark chocolate dipping sauce (more cocoa flavor, less sweet). There was also honeycomb pieces (crunchy, sweet) and small bits of fruit. Burger: The mini burger was juicy and had a delicious jam that complemented the bite well. I wasn't a huge fan of the bun though, almost too dry. Octopus: The octopus was cooked to absolute perfection—very tender to taste and the sauce clung to each bite. The dish ratio is more potato than octopus, and the potato slices were very bland. Ham croquettes: while it was flavorful, I would have opted for a different dish. It didn't stand out much. The service was attentative throughout our dining. The food came out quickly but also timed with enough time to enjoy the food before the next one came out.