The best restaurants in Galway

12/03/2026: We only had oysters. It was lovely to try flat oysters here! Thank you!

10/03/2026: Amazing fresh sea food cooked to perfection. Well worth making the effort to visit.

06/04/2026: Lignum's tasting menu focuses on locally sourced Irish ingredients with an Italian influence for their preparation. The chefs offer both new flavors and familiar flavors perfectly refined to their peak. The kitchen cooks exclusively with wood fired ovens and grills which lends distinct elements to their dishes and pays homage to ancestral ways of cooking. Furthering ancestral ties, the chef's grandfather is a key supplier of the incredible Amalfi lemons and olive oil (two of the very few foreign ingredients) used in several dishes. My favorite dish was the smoked venison, its subtle smoky scent was so alluring that I delayed eating the morsel until after several wafts. My wife, who's an excellent home baker, was awestruck by the quality of the brioche, it was the best she's ever had. Our other favorites were the prawn with kumquat garnish, scarola (a bitter leafy green) pizza, stuffed pasta, and their signature dessert, Cashel blue cheese with coffee and chocolate glaze. The restaurant's atmosphere is chic yet rustic. While there's no dress code you should at least dress smartly. The wait staff was also extremely attentive and friendly. We will memorialize our experience by adding photos to our scrap book.

01/04/2026: Stunning setting and even better food

15/04/2026: Good gluten free options in a town where it is a little trickier to get a GF meal. V helpful staff, cute decor, and a damn good lamb dinner! Glad to report that thatch cottages are much cosier, warmer & dryer on the inside than they look from the outside, too.

14/04/2026: Best food I've had here in Ireland. Service was fantastic.

19/04/2026: Amazing restaurant, happy to return any time

18/04/2026: What a delight. Food was delicious. I had a lovely potato leek soup and a delicious duck for dinner. My husband had a lovely cod. Wonderful experience.

15/04/2026: The perfect pub to experience the magical atmosphere of Ireland: an absolutely fantastic whiskey bar and servers who are happy to make you any cocktail you want! A perfect experience!

11/04/2026: One of the best pubs in Ireland. A trip to Clifden and a visit to Lowry's are a must. Even better in the evening.

05/04/2026: Beautiful meal here with something for everyone. Welcoming family atmosphere. No complaints.

19/03/2026: Authentic Irish pub with great food and beer

20/04/2026: Authentic old castle hotel. Timeless, great service, clean & today. Beautiful spacious bedrooms & unbelievable bathroom size with shower & seperate tub bath.

18/04/2026: Yup, it’s a castle, 🏰 it’s a fairy tale come true! So so beautiful! And I love how green the walls are!

02/03/2026: Visited during my stay in the area and I loved it. A tuesday evening and the place was hopping. Great atmosphere and really good food at reasonable prices.

11/02/2026: Well worth a visit. Great food, atmosphere & staff.

14/04/2026: Nice place, typical fisherman's decor. Classic but tasty and very generous portions. The men's toilets outside smell terrible and give a bad first impression. But don't let that put you off. The Guinness Zero is nice and cold 😉

14/04/2026: The best restaurant of our road trip!!! It doesn't look like much from the outside, but honestly, we highly recommend it!!! The fish was of incredible quality!

29/03/2026: Great food and good service. There is a sit down restaurant as well as a bakery / coffee shop.

29/03/2026: Absolutely love this place. The food is amazing. Michael and callum are lovely and full of chats. Had a lovely takeaway coconut cappuccino 5 stars always the lads know what they are doing

07/04/2026: I had the pleasure of dining at this gastro pub during my stay in Cong and it genuinely exceeded expectations. The atmosphere strikes that rare balance between cosy and refined. It feels authentically Irish without trying too hard, with a warm and welcoming energy that makes you want to settle in and stay a while, especially welcome on a rainy evening. The food was the real highlight. Thoughtfully prepared and beautifully presented, and most importantly, full of flavor. You can tell there's real care in the kitchen, with quality ingredients and a menu that elevates classic dishes without over complicating them. Service was equally impressive, attentive without being intrusive, friendly without being forced. The staff clearly take pride in what they do and it shows. All in all, this is exactly what you hope to find in a gastro pub but rarely do. If you are in Cong do not over think it. Just go.

02/04/2026: I arrived very hungry and late, and spontaneously decided on the Dish of the Day – perfect! I was almost surprised to receive such a juicy, delicious salmon steak on couscous with excellent vegetables and roasted potatoes. Great beer recommendation: Kilkenny Red Ale... Thank you!

16/04/2026: Nice place, with very pleasant staff.

16/04/2026: I’ll start by saying the waitress suggested the early bird special. It was 8 o’clock, wasn’t that early but she said they still offered it. At the end of the meal there was some confusion over what the early bird special included as we thought it was one of the listed starters, one of the listed entrees, and any of the menu desserts. So that is what we ordered and we were never questioned by the waitress for clarification even after pointing to the special page. But if you read the menu closely, it’s either a starter and an entrée or an entrée and a dessert. Small print on the top of the menu and they’re all listed on the same page on the menu leads one to thinking there’s actually a special price. The reality is there is no special price. The food was good. The mussels were local and good with a large quantity. The seafood chowder was good, but a little thin. The soup of the day was potato and celery. Initially, I thought restaurant was good and a good value, but after the misunderstanding I was not as impressed.

13/04/2026: Prompt service and friendly staff. Food was very nice 👍

27/01/2026: Beautiful food lovely staff. Very clean and tidy. Have their own car park straight across the road. Would definitely recommend.

01/11/2025: I love the atmosphere in this cosy restaurant which is situated in the most picturesque location possible. Wonderfully professional friendly staff, delicious food.

30/10/2025: Wonderful evening; fabulous service and delicious meals. The mussels and sticky toffee dessert were scrumptious.

14/04/2026: the best steak sandwich I have had in my life

22/03/2026: The food the atmosphere the staff the people it really is your one stop shop my favourite place to be when im home in galway Porterhouse ❤️