Stripped back to quirky chalkboard style menus and an eclectic mix of wooden tables and comfortable round booths, the Hungry Bear, Galway’s rustic and simplistic style has gone back to basics and encourages a Zen-like atmosphere for young and old to experience.
The Hungry Bear’s key detailing includes the soft polar and grizzly bear murals and insightful quotes. Located right in the hustle and bustle of Galway city, this quaint throwback is a much more natural affair where red brick, stone, and wood all come together to create a homely and comforting environment.
There is just one difference: not a smart phone, tablet or laptop is in sight — a far cry from restaurants which feel more like open-plan offices rather than centres of community, the Hungry Bear encourages people to nibble on wholesome farm to fork food and chat, discuss, gossip, and debate. Children are provided with old traditional board games such as chess and Connect 4, which will turn back the clock for parents and have them remembering their own childhood.
With seating upstairs, downstairs, and outside, the Hungry Bear reverts to the original purpose of restaurants to act as places for lively debate and meaningful discussion and, most of all, social interaction. Restaurants were traditionally an extra place after home and work, where people could talk and spend time with friends or family and switch off from their hectic lifestyles by giving themselves a break from constant screen use.
Manager Lisa Doherty said: “Going out to eat should be about looking up and interacting with people. At the Hungry Bear we want to see people laughing, debating, playing board games, and enjoying face to face company. Pretty much like a big family gathering.”
With local producers such as Brady’s Butchers Athenry, The Friendly Farmer, and The Sauce Guy, customers will know exactly where their food is coming from. From succulent grilled chicken, buttermilk chicken, grass-fed burgers, harmonious salads, and veggie options, including affordable options for the little bears combined with a mouthwatering selection of additive free sauces, the Hungry Bear provides food for the mind as well as the heart and soul.
