For those converts to the church of the humble sandwich, Galway has for long boasted one of the best sambo eateries around in Delight.
Although Abbeygate Street is stuffed with lunch restaurants, only Delight’s wall is adorned by a Bridgestone Guide award and the praise is well warranted. The cafe’s convivial owner Dave runs the food bar from 9-6 Monday to Friday, keeping holy both the Sabbaths, and Delight remains one of the busiest lunchtime hubs in the city.
On a recent visit, the few chairs by the wall were naturally taken so take-away was the only option left, which constitutes most of the cafe’s business. The menu is broken into salads, sandwiches, all day breakfasts, sweet treats and hot and cold beverages. Most everything comes in under budget – with a few salad plates just missing the mark – but the sandwiches, breakfasts and bagels all represent good value for money.
The focus is on healthy food using fresh and interesting ingredients from the raw power salad with apple and strawberry through to a raw oriental vegetable wrap of Asian greens, noodles and peanut miso chilli to the fresh fruit salad and granola with yoghurt and fruit breakfast options.
On this visit the day’s dining companion went for the tried and tested roast Irish beef with rocket, parmesan, vine tomato, red onion and a balsamic vinaigrette on rosemary foccacia while this diner plumped for the breakfast ciabatta of delicious garlic and herb sausage, black pudding, bacon, tomato, chilli, melted cheese and mayo. Pat Shortt never made them this way!
The sweet section of the menu also deserves mention. Although we didn’t sample the wares on this visit, it does include pineapple ginger upside-down cake and carrot cake with orange icing for €2.80 while the baked cheesecake and sticky toffee pudding with hot toffee sauce retail for €3. Delight continues to prove that fast food can be both affordable and readily available and doesn’t always have to come with a coronary warning.
The damage: €6.50 each for both the roast beef with rocket, parmesan, vine tomato, red onion and balsamic vinaigrette on a rosemary foccacia and the breakfast ciabatta.
The verdict: Excellent food at great prices, in short: the best sandwiches in Galway.
