’I did well known Galway tour but one thing had me scratching my head’

I spent four years living in Galway, during which time I like to think I made the most of the city’s bustling pubs, award-winning restaurants and thriving music scene.

As a broke and exhausted college student, however, what I didn’t manage to do was visit some of the area’s most famous tourist attractions. The Cliffs of Moher? Too far. Aran Islands? Too windy. Connemara? Nope.

I deciced to play the role of a tourist for a weekend on my latest trip back, and I was surpriseed by the activity that ended up impressing me the most in Galway.

Read More: Thriving Galway restaurant opening bar too as date confirmed after amazing start

Read More: Quick moving Irish woman wins top spec Land Rover for €2

I met Michelle, my guide for the renowned Galway Food Tour, outside the nearly 100-year-old McCambridge’s food store on a rare sunny day in June. Okay, it was partly sunny with showers; the textbook definition of an Irish summer.

I was the only member of our small group from Ireland, quietly piping up from the back in my Cork accent when Michelle asked us where we were from. The answer received some giggles from my new American and German friends, as did the fact that I actually used to work in the café we were standing in front of.

Michelle kicked off with a super quick history lesson, where I somehow learned more about the city than I had in four years of living there, and some background on Ireland’s evolving food scene.

We then took a five minute walk to our first stop: Truffle, a French chocolaterie serving indulgent fondants, fresh pastries and handmade treats. The window display alone would be enough to draw in customers but the luscious, locally-inspired truffles and melt-in-your mouth macaroons are what makes them return.

After learning a little about the chocolate-making process and the difficulty of opening a business post-Covid, we headed across the road to Little Lane Coffee Company to sample a speciality blend and hear about the coffee industry.

We were greeted by co-owner Graham, who taught us how to really taste and appreciate coffee. There was no milk offered, and not a single person felt that they needed it.

The next stop on the tour was The King’s Head, one of Galway’s best known and most popular pubs. This was an establishment that I, again, had frequented many times but knew little about.

It turns out that the bar is housed in the city’s oldest building, which dates back over 800 years. The building was the home of the mayor of Galway, Thomas Lynch Fitz-Ambrose, in 1654 and, astonishingly, the same fireplace has sat there since 1612.

We learned all of this as we sat down at a long, wooden table where we served fresh oysters, local craft beer and a full plate of some of the most unique and tasty goats cheese I’ve ever had.

After our meal – yes, this selection felt like a meal in itself – we returned to McCambridge’s for an amazing spirit tasting led by Michelle, who taught us all about the history of Irish whiskey and poitín.

We laughed and told stories over glasses of Micíl Irish Poitín, Uais Irish Whiskey and a range of local cheeses. We even got try fresh sushi rolls from Yoshimi Hayakaw, one of Ireland’s top sushi chefs and owner of Wa Sushi.

We somehow still had two more stops ahead of us: Éan and Kai, two inventive, Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded restaurants in the heart of the city.

We had two Spanish-inspired small plates in Éan, before moving on to sample Kai’s famous baked goods. It takes a lot for me to stop eating a plate of cakes – and let me tell you I was defeated.

We finished up by exploring Galway’s West End and enjoying a cocktails in Massimo’s.

I spent the next few days raving to all of my friends about the tour and telling them everything I had learned about the city and its produce. I had eaten amazing food, met some lovely people and made a very long list of new restaurants I wanted to try (or retry).

One of the American couples on the tour told me that they book similar experiences in every city they go to, which I now realize might be one of the best ways to see a new place. Or, in my case, learn about an old one in a whole new way.

Join Galway Beo’s top stories and breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.