Galway, Ireland - Restaurants

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From 1847 to 1851, the Irish Potato Famine killed over a million people (and enticed a couple million more to emigrate), but even the survivors were still left hungry. If time and progress - along with Ireland's newfound economic prosperity - heal such wounds, though, in Galway this healing has taken the form of dozens of restaurants. Their many and varied fares will fill you up (the portions here are much appreciated by Americans, I add while patting my full tummy), without leaving your wallet skin and bones. For more info on where to go for grub in Galway, check out this site.

An Gabhar �rga - Vegetarian
Lower Newcastle, 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Near the university campus, but from the city centre this is about a 15-20 minute walk. It's beyond worthwhile, though. Feast on daily specials (pastas, Thai dishes, etc), all imaginative, healthy, delicious and cheap. Smaller bites - such as potatoes and sandwiches - are available. Be sure to check out the featured art as well.

Da Tang Noodle House - Chinese
Middle Street, 12-3 (except Sunday) and 5-10 (11 on weekends).
Serves up some of the best damn Chinese food I've ever had. If it isn't a Galway institution, then Galway should bloody well hurry up and make it one, the fact that it's Chinese instead of Irish notwithstanding. Takeaway and delivery available. Dessert is extensive; wine costs only IR�6.50 a bottle, and a pot of green tea is a pound. It's possible to feast at the Da Tang for under a tenner, but if you go all-out expect to spend closer to 15 quid. Don't worry though: it'll be worth it.

Couch Potatas - Potatoes
Upper Abbeygate Street. Small, student friendly, and wizards when it comes to transforming potatoes into good eats. Open 12-9:30 p.m.

Govinda's - Indian vegetarian takeaway
Top of Eyre Square (Mon & Wed) and Saturday Market, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
There aren't many selections, but what Govinda's does, they do divinely. Samosas (75p, big and divine) and kitchri (a IR�2 stew so packed with veggies and pulses that it can even keep my appetite sated all afternoon); also daily specials. Stick around a while and talk to the owners, the Tohaks, or pick up a book on Hinduism to read while you enjoy your lunch (they keep around a few texts, such as the Bhagavad-Gita, for interested souls who want to feed more than their stomachs).

The Kitchen Fayre - Veg, continental
Sun-Wed, 9 a.m.-10 p.m., and Thurs-Sat, 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
A little bit of everything: veg, seafood, pasta, chicken; good food and prices. Student ID gets you 15% discount.

Mama's - Asian
Middle Street. When I first heard of Mama's, I didn't expect an Asian restaurant, but Mama's excels at exceeding expectations. Fare spans all of south and southeast Asia, from India to the Phillippines. Expect to spend IR�10-15, but you'll enjoy every bite.

McDonagh's Fish House - Fish 'n' chips
Quay Street. A Galway institution - as well it should be. The Fish House is open for dinner but is especially good for lunch; a huge piece of battered cod, a large order of chips and a drink should keep you going for the rest of the day - and for about a fiver. In addition to the takeaway, you can also eat in-house.

Scotty's Casual Gourmet - American
Middle Street, Mon-Sat, 12-8 p.m.
A bar and grill specializing in all those classical, trademarks dishes of American cuisine: burgers, sandwiches, chicken dishes, and also good soups, salads and desserts. Expect to spend around a tenner, but the portions are huge, so you're definitely getting your money's worth.

Snack Box - Grease!
Shop and Market streets, every day until 3 a.m.
So much more than just a run-of-the-mill chippie. Cheap, with great specials and tons of variety in the menu, from kebabs to chicken nuggets to fish. You can eat well, knock back a soda and listen your arteries harden, while your wallet stays as full as your stomach. Great for that late-night fry-up, but also good for daytime meals, and on nice days there's outside seating.

Spike's
High Street (just up from Cross Street), Mon-Sat, 12:30-2:30 p.m. and 6-9:30 p.m.
I'd detail the fare, but it would take too long, because Spike's does everything from curry to crabcakes - and they do it all well. A good sit-down restaurant with nice staff and good decor, Spike's is a great place to treat yourself or have a special occasion that will set you back only IR�10-15.

As far as small cities go, Galway is pretty multi-faceted: one of the fastest-growing cities in Europe (though the present population is about 60,000), a cultural capitol of Ireland, a seaport, the capitol of County Galway, a student town, etc, etc.

For traveling the west of Ireland, it's a good city to base yourself in, or at least set out from, as places such as the Burren, Connemara, and the Aran Islands are all easily accessed from Galway.

The River Corrib runs through Galway and empties into Galway Bay to the south; the river also separates the city centre from the Claddagh, an old fishing village on the west.

To the northwest of the city centre is the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG). The city centre itself is compact and pedestrian friendly (most of it is pedestrian access only), and a local bus service is provided to suburbs.

Prices are a bit lower in Galway than in Dublin (you'll pay about IR�2.20 for a pint, instead of at least IR�2.50), and the city itself feels more like a small town that has gained the sophistication, but not the crime and dinge of a larger city. Coffee shops and cafes abound, and in the summertime Galway is the epicenter of many cultural festivals. Many local pubs nightly feature live music, usually traditional Irish.

This is an eclectic place; much of the architecture is Spanish, as from the 13th to the 17th centuries Galway conducted a lot of trade with Spain. Fishermen walk around with professors, and once June arrives salmon swimming upstream can still be seen from many of the city's bridges (such as the Salmon Weir Bridge).

Though more so in the county than in the city, Galway, despite all its European and American influences, is also one of the main Irish-speaking regions in the country.

The most annoying thing about Galway is the weather. Winters are said to be miserable, and during the summer months (as opposed to the 'summer season') expect it to be sunny and hot one day, raining and cold the next. You'll soon get used to wearing shorts with your winter coat, however, and sunglasses with your umbrella.

For help in getting around town, go to Eason's bookshop (O'Connell Street in Dublin, or Shop Street in Galway) and put down IR�3.50 for the Galway Street Atlas, a small, pink, spiral-bound indexed street atlas published by Ordnance Survey Ireland.

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