Eating Out

Galway has a food scene that punches well above the city's size. Quay Street and the surrounding Latin Quarter have the densest concentration of restaurants; the standard has improved considerably over the past two decades, with local seafood — Galway Bay oysters, Atlantic salmon, wild sea bass — anchoring the best menus. The Saturday market at the Spanish Arch is the best place to pick up artisan cheeses, smoked fish, and Connemara produce.

The Galway oyster is the city's most iconic food. The Galway International Oyster Festival in September is one of the world's oldest oyster festivals, but the oysters are available in pubs and restaurants throughout the year. Order them at the Quays Bar, at Ard Bia at Nimmos beside the Spanish Arch, or at any of the shellfish stalls at the Saturday market.