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.

Dela is owned and run by local couple Joe and Margaret Bohan. So, what inspires a couple to open a restaurant in a space previously occupied by one of Galway's best loved restaurants? Would you have to be certifiable or just confident to open in an area of the city that is home to many of the city’s best eateries? Take Kai for a start, just this weekend it was announced as the best restaurant in all of Connacht, with Jess Murphy being highly commended as best chef to boot. There's the very popular Oscars Seafood Bistro, and the amazing value in Rouge. If you are going to be the meat in the sandwich between barbecue kings Creole on one side and the Michelin-starred Aniar on the other, then you had better have something special to bring to the table. Luckily for them, they do.

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.

Great offers can be found at this café on a daily basis, from home-made soup and sandwich specials to exclusive Italian style sandwiches, Renzo provides an appetising menu at extremely affordable prices. Renzo Cafe also offers an array of scrumptious desserts from cakes to little treats.

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.

On the Wine Shelf...

Thu, Aug 01, 2013

Guerrieri Rizzardi Munus Bardolino Superiore Classico DOCG 2010 (O’Briens, €14.99)

On the Cookery Book Shelf...

Thu, Aug 01, 2013

Ice Cream and Other Frozen Delights
Ben Vear

Allez les bleus, French cuisine is alive and well in Galway

Thu, Jul 25, 2013

New Galway restaurant Chez Azur, in an elegant upstairs room with stunning views out over the docks, is a quiet culinary oasis just a stone’s throw from the buzz of Quay Street. At the top of the stairs are two lovely rooms with lots of character, a little casual with dark wood tables, comfortable chairs, and lots of light from windows looking out over the boats in the harbour. This was my second visit here since its opening night back in March and it has developed quickly into a well run restaurant.

JP’s Steak House, Mullingar — offering flavour and quality

Thu, Jul 25, 2013

JP’s Steak House Mullingar has announced the appointment of new head chef Aaron O’Neill. A seasoned graduate of Athlone Institute of Technology, chef O’Neill brings a wide variety of new culinary delights to menus at JP’s Steak House.

The Book Shelf...

Thu, Jul 25, 2013

One of the best cookery programmes of the last few weeks has been Rick’s India on the BBC with the English restaurateur, chef, and cookery-school owner once again donning his signature blue and pink shirts embarking on a culinary odyssey in search of the world’s best food.

The Amalfi Coast : A Collection of Italian Recipes

Thu, Jul 11, 2013

There is nothing better at this time of the year, whether you are planning a holiday at home or away, than flicking through cookery books dreaming of past getaways, trying to recreate scenes from an especially wonderful break.

Taltarni Heathcote Victoria Shiraz 2008 (O’Briens, €16.99)

Thu, Jul 11, 2013

Made in Victoria, Australia by John Goelet, the founder of Clos du Val in California, this is an outstanding Shiraz, particularly when it is on promotion at this price.

With redcurrant, plum and red berry flavours on the nose, it is a pleasure to sip on the palate with rich dark fruit and a little pepper and spice lining up to be enjoyed in what is a beautifully crafted full-bodied wine with perfect tannins and a long smooth lingering finish. Serious quality at a remarkable price and something that is perfect with anything from the grill or barbecue.

Domaine Félines Jourdan Côteaux de Bessilles Les Fruites 2012 (Wines Direct, €10.75)

Thu, Jul 11, 2013

This is a combination of Chardonnay and Roussanne grapes grown in Côteaux de Bessilles, a Vin de Pays region of Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France.

Sizzling summer parties at the Harbour Hotel

Thu, Jul 11, 2013

The Harbour Hotel is one of the most popular venues for family events, catering for anniversary parties, retirement parties, christenings, sports and social club events, and birthdays.

Popular Quay Street Italian restaurant rebranded and revamped

Thu, Jul 11, 2013

Il Folletto, the much loved Italian restaurant on Quay Street, has undergone a revamp of both interiors and menus. A contemporary rebrand and relaxed but modern approach to the interiors has given a renewed energy to the popular restaurant.

A waffley good time in Liosbaun

Thu, Jul 11, 2013

Mr Waffle has been popular from day one. Located on a very busy intersection, the flagship shop on Newcastle Road is convenient for both the university and the hospital. Both fine institutions, it's fair to say, but somewhat notorious for the poor quality food available to workers, students, and inmates. However, Mr Waffle's wide selection of crepes, sandwiches, quesadillas, and salads has saved many of them from a joyless lunch break.

Mr Waffle is a lively spot filled with chatter and the constant gurgling of the coffee machine, the clatter and bustle of efficient staff. Outside the trendy chocolate, orange, and gleaming glass restaurant, there are wooden seats on a small patio for people soaking in the sun. The branding is as crisp as the exterior of one of its authentic Belgian waffles.

Sunday lunch only €22.50 and children eat free at the Harbour Hotel

Thu, Jun 27, 2013

Bring the whole family together for a relaxing Sunday lunch in the heart of Galway. Enjoy a fabulous four course lunch for only €22.50 per person, including a glass of Prosecco. Children under 10 years can eat for free (offer is valid for one child per adult).

Some like it hot

Thu, Jun 27, 2013

Mexican food. I had no great love for it as a cuisine until a visit to Wahaca in London a few years back convinced me of its possibilities. Ex-MasterChef winner Thomasina Miers oversees branches of her popular canteen-style eatery throughout London, it won me over with the authentic and flavoursome fare, even though the heat was certainly dialled down for the English palate. In Ireland, we mostly get what passes for Mexican food from a yellow box in the supermarket. When prepared, it often appears on the plate to have already been eaten by someone else. This is not the case at Boojum, the new restaurant on Spanish Parade, here it is all aromatic, fresh, and zesty, a return to its street food roots.

E-paper

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