3 Best Restaurants in Galway City, County Clare, Galway, and the Aran Islands

JP McMahon has caused quite a stir in the Galway dining scene with his tapas at Cava Bodega and the recently opened casual spot Tartare, but award-winning Aniar (meaning "from the west") is his flagship restaurant. A minimalist Nordic decor provides an unfussy backdrop for the chef's equally unfussy approach to food. Each course in the daily menu, ranging from 6 to 10 dishes, is designed to either complement or contrast with the local produce. For those brave enough, try a dillisk starter with its overwhelmingly briny flavor, while awaiting monkfish in a bed of lush foraged salad.

The industrial facade and simply furnished interior of this Michelin-starred restaurant and wine bar just off Eyre Square betray nothing of head chef Enda McEvoy's daily creations; he scours, forages, and travels the coast for the finest and most offbeat indigenous ingredients like reindeer moss or trout caviar. Plates are imaginatively presented, and the tasting menu has a cult following across the country (but is fairly priced at from €85 for seven courses). 

For anyone seeking an authentic tea-drinking experience, à la the Irish grandma who serves tea as an art form, the Cupán Tae ("the cup of tea" in Irish) serves it up with fussy crockery and much nostalgia. Breakfast is top-notch, and the popular afternoon tea comes complete with fresh-baked pastries served on a tiered china stand (of course). Add prosecco if you're feeling celebratory.