The Best in Irish Food in Counties Mayo and Galway

Updated December 2024–Where can you get the best in Irish food?

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Many tourists ask that same question when visiting Ireland for the first time.

And to be sure, it’s a tough question to answer given that there are so many great places to taste authentic Irish cuisine these days.

Despite its small size, there’s a clear diversity in the type of food that’s available in Ireland given the nature of its varied landscape.

For chefs working in counties that straddle the Atlantic Ocean, it’s about taking the freshest catch of the day and getting it from tide to plate in short order.

It’s also about going back to the traditions that make the West of Ireland different from say, the hustle and bustle of the capital city, Dublin.

This is not to say that you won’t get the best in Irish food from other regions of Ireland.

You most definitely will.

In certain parts of County Mayo, you can ditch the rental car and visit the Great Western Greenway, an off-road trail suitable for cyclists and walkers, and in the process discover some of the best Irish food along the way.

In Galway city alone, there are enough quality restaurants to keep you satisfied for weeks, but if it’s locally sourced cuisine you’re looking for, you’ll get plenty of that in the City of the Tribes too.

Tradition and Innovation Combined

There’s a respect for Ireland’s past and its somewhat forgotten traditions in this new breed of artisans and food producers that you’ll find all across Ireland, including the West of Ireland.

It is in many ways the essence of tradition combined with innovation that makes the food scene all across Ireland incredibly exciting.

In addition to presenting the freshest catch of the day, restauranteurs across Ireland are also eager to experiment with other ingredients from the sea, such as seaweed and other plants that grow in and around the coast.

Chef JP McMahon, the owner of Aniar, a Westend Galway restaurant that places a heavy emphasis on local ingredients, takes his inspiration from the West of Ireland’s natural environment.

There are exciting developments happening farther inland, too, such as the growth of ethical farming practices that produce some of Ireland’s tastiest pork, lamb, and beef.

Some great examples include the Andarl Farm in Glenamaddy, County Galway, which produces a variety of “velvet pork” and bacon products; Calvey's Achill Mountain Lamb (see more about them below) in Achill, County Mayo, which provides artisan lamb meat sourced from sheep grazing on Achill’s seashore; and McGeogh's Artisan Butchers in Oughterard, County Galway, which puts a modern twist into the ancient craft of curing and smoking meats.

McGeogh’s is famous in Ireland for its air-dried Connemara lamb, which is used in many local restaurants.

COUNTY MAYO

Local Food Tours

Walk on the Wild Side Foraging – join archaeologist and expert food forager Will Williams of Walk on the Wild Side. With over 50 years of experience, Will takes groups on walks identifying plants that can be used in various recipes. Also, an expert in seaweed foraging, the majority of his walks are held in and around Louisburgh.

The Gourmet Greenway – a food trail that compliments the Great Western Greenway. Devised by the Mulranny Park Hotel in cooperation with local food producers, it covers approximately 43 km/26 miles and begins in Westport and ends in Achill.

Visitors to the area are encouraged to visit and purchase the fare that is available along the Gourmet Greenway trail.

Westport Food Tours – provided by local company, Westport Tours, this 2 hour and 30-minute food tour will bring you on a culinary journey of this popular West of Ireland town.

The tour includes stops at 8 to 10 local restaurants, cafes, bakeries and shops. The food you'll taste is included in the price of the tour and equals a large lunch.

Expect to taste traditional fish and chips from Westport's oldest fish and chip shop, traditional Irish boxty and pudding, a made-from-scratch sample of Irish ice cream, containing fresh local dairy products and made by Graham, a fourth-generation gelato.

Irish Soda Bread Baking and Food Heritage Experience – learn how to make traditional Irish soda bread and scones from scratch during this fun immersive experience located in the Westport area.

Croagh Patrick Seafood Experience – this family oyster farm and visitor center is located on the beautiful shores of Clew Bay. For generations, the Gannon family has been involved in the farming of oysters, and now you'll get a chance to take an oyster tour when you visit their visitor center. Scheduled tours and private tours are available.

They include a tour of the family's aquaculture farm where you'll hear about what they do and about Ireland's tradition of oyster cultivation, the chance to hand pick your own oysters on the nearby shore and come back to the farm to shuck them. A fresh oyster tasting experience is also included.

The 90-minute tour costs €35 per person.

Wild Atlantic Cultural Tours – if you’re in the North Mayo area, specifically around Killala, check out Wild Atlantic Cultural Tours, run by Dennis Quinn.

Dennis is a certified Failte Ireland local marine and countryside guide who offers wild food foraging tours. He invites participants to learn about the flora and fauna of the North Mayo region, as well as the “fruits of the sea,” including cockles, mussels, seaweed, roots, stems, herbs, shrimp, periwinkles, and more. Email Dennis at [email protected].

Local Restaurants/Eateries

An Port Mór – award-winning Chef Frankie Mallon is committed to sourcing local and artisan produce at this popular Westport eatery. All bread and desserts are made from scratch on the premises. House specialties include pot-roasted pigs’ cheeks with black pudding and apple and vanilla sauce, as well as a 21-day, dry-aged sirloin with red onion marmalade gravy.

There’s a big emphasis on local seafood, including lobster, crab, scallops, and langoustines caught in nearby Clew Bay. The restaurant has a 3-course set menu for €44 per person and a 3-course sample set menu for €72 per person.

Each menu represents the best in locally sourced food. Make a reservation by emailing [email protected].

Kelly's Kitchen – in this Newport-based eatery, you’ll have the opportunity to taste the “Putóg,” an award-winning traditional black pudding that is based on the Kelly family’s secret pudding recipe.

Newport’s famous artisan butchers, located next door, have been in Newport for more than 80 years and sell carefully sourced local meat, which is processed at the family’s own abattoir behind the shop.

Shauna Kelly, who runs the café, serves up the best in Irish food in the form of her father’s tasty homemade sausages and rashers, as well as a variety of other wholesome dishes. The menu also includes a number of gluten-free choices.

Helena Chocolates – this Castlebar-based bakery creates an award-winning brand of chocolate goodies, but you'll also find savory delights there too. Well worth a visit. Owned by the Belgian-born Dirk Schonkeren and his wife, Elaine Schonkeren-O’Mahony.

The Grainne Uaille named after the pirate queen Gráinne Uaille/Grace O'Malley, this popular pub and restaurant in Newport has been owned by the McManamons for over 100 years.

The menu includes some mouth-watering dishes, including seafood that comes directly from the nearby Atlantic Ocean.

Booking.com

Additional Businesses in the Food, Drink and Apiculture Industry in County Mayo

Achill Island Distillers – trading under the brand name, Irish American Whiskey, this is Ireland's only offshore island whiskey distillery.

Its brands include the Irish American Classic Blend, the Irish American Ten-Year-Old Single Malt, the Founder’s Reserve Cask Strength 19-year-old Single Malt, the Achill Island Single Malt Bourbon Cask, the Achill Island Single Malt Bordeaux Cask Finish, and the Achill Island Peated Single Malt, among others.

Free walk-in tours are available between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the summer months. Email ahead if you are in the area at other times of the year.

Connacht Whiskey Distillery – located in what was once a bread factory, this popular County Mayo distillery uses three copper pot stills to make its signature brand, Connaught Irish Whiskey.

The double distilled single malt whiskey is reflective of the local landscape as local grains are used in its making as well as water from two nearby lakes, Lough Conn and Lough Cullin. Tours and tastings are available.

Calveys of Achill – taste Calvey's lamb along with hand-picked seaweed and a traditional blood pudding called Achill Belly when you visit the Calvey farm, where seven generations of the family have been sheep farming.

Learn a bit of local history, heritage and culture while trying your hand at the age-old shearing of wild mountain sheep, and watch the family's Border Collies round up the sheep.

The family also run the Achill Seaside Farmstay & School, which offers short stay volunteering opportunities for internships, training periods, student placements, work experience, and visitors on casual working holidays.

Achill Island Sea Salt – if Achill Island is one of the pit stops on your Wild Atlantic Way journey, be sure to stop at the Achill Island Sea Salt Visitor Centre (closed for the winter months and re-opens again in May 2025).

There you’ll learn about the process of salt production, watch a demonstration of brine being crystallized, view behind-the-scenes hand-harvesting, and much more.

There is also a gift shop selling pure and smoked sea salt and other products that include this popular sea salt. You can also order online (they ship to the U.S. via the Irish postal service).

Check out their delicious recipes using Achill Island sea salt of course!

COUNTY GALWAY

Galway is a big county and there’s a lot to explore in it, not least the culinary experiences that you can get there.

Local Food Tours

Galway Food Tours – no visit to Galway is complete without sampling some of the great food that this eclectic city has become known for.

Galway Food Tours is run by Sheena Dignam and Gosia Letowska.

Both women offer various culinary tours around the city, exposing visitors to local producers and noteworthy restaurants.

Some of the stops include McCambridge’s, Galway’s oldest food store, and the French bakery Le Petit Delice. You'll find other tours to choose from on the Galway Food Tours website.

Food and Culture Walking Tour with Tastings – sample some of the best local food and drinks Galway has to offer while learning about the history of the city at the same time. This fun walking tour promises to indulge your senses as you taste a variety of traditional Irish foods alongside more modern specialties.

Galway Gourmet Adventure: A Culinary Odyssey – go on a culinary journey of Galway. Stop at McCambridges, a mainstay in the city for almost 100 years, experience the hustle and bustle of the Galway Market, which offers fresh, locally-sourced fare, and participate in an authentic Irish pub experience at Tigh Neachtain, one of the many pubs in Galway that host nightly trad sessions.

Connemara Pub Tour from Galway City – ideal for groups of up to 15 people, this half-day guided tour will take you through the picturesque Connemara landscape as you sample the food and drink in various pubs and restaurants in the region. Enjoy a pint of Guinness along with homemade seafood chowder, and more.

Aran Island Food Tours – if the Aran Islands is on your bucket list and you're curious about the culinary traditions on these remote islands, then you need to take the Aran Island Goat Cheese and Food Tour.

Explore Gabriel Faherty's farm, meet his adorable goats, and learn about the cheese making tradition on the island. Half-day and full-day tours are available.

Local Restaurants/Eateries

Kai Restaurant –With a focus on organic or wild locally sourced ingredients such as locally-caught crab, pink onions, hen’s eggs, and yummy brown bread, you know you’re in for a treat at this Westend eatery.

Lunch and dinner are served daily. Take a look at the restaurant’s website for sample lunch menus.

Oscar’s Seafood Bistro – also located in the Westend, this restaurant offers a selection of locally sourced food, including fresh seafood caught off the coast of County Galway.

ArdBia at Nimmos – in Gaelic “Ard Bia” means “high food” and top-quality cuisine is exactly what you can expect at this fun, artistic café/restaurant.

How about Kilbeggan oat granola in a pear compote with Greek yogurt and maple syrupt for breakfast or Andarl Farm pork belly with wholegrain mustard mash and carrots in a cider reduction for lunch?

Dinner is also available in this very popular Galway restaurant, where the emphasis is on fresh locally sourced seasonal ingredients.

John Keogh’s Gastropub – this award-winning pub/restaurant serves up a delicious mix of dishes that take advantage of Galway’s proximity to the ocean.

Try the West Coast Seafood with Irish soda bread and Cuinneog butter, premium-quality Irish steaks, and more.

The Dough Bros – If you’re looking for healthy, affordable food in Galway, do not discount this fantastic pizzeria, which now has two locations in Galway city.

Take a look at what goes into their mouth-watering pizzas and you’ll discover how much of the ingredients are Irish, such as the mozzarella that comes from Toons Bridge Dairy in Cork, Noel's Hot Honey from Leahy Beekeeping in Slieve Aughty in County Galway, as well as products from The Wooded Pig in County Dublin.

Local Businesses in the Food, Drink and Apiculture Industry in County Galway

Leahy Beekeeping – the Leahy family has been in the business of beekeeping for more than four generations.

Their Bee tours are great fun for all ages, even for those who are fearful of bees.

You will also have the chance to sample their honey, which is on sale from the company website.

The Burren Smokehouse – when visiting Connemara, be sure to stop at the Connemara Smokehouse, the oldest one in Ireland.

The award-winning company located on Bunowen Pier in Ballyconneely, offers educational coach tours during the summer months only.

See their interactive display, Taste the Atlantic – Salmon Experience and take the Meet the Makers – VIP Experience, which includes a behind-the-scenes look at the smokehouse.

An organic salmon tasting platter is included with a tasting of four of the Burren Brewery's unique craft beers.

Shipping to the United States is available if you are interested in buying any of the Burren Smokehouse products.

Kelly Oysters – the Kelly family have been harvesting oysters for the past 60 years off the beautiful waters of Galway Bay in Kilcolgan, providing local restaurants and other establishments around the world with their sustainably farmed product.

Private tours are available that will give you a chance to pick and harvest your own oysters. Tastings are also part of the experience.

Micil Distillery – named after their great-great-great grandfather, Micil Mac Chearra, this popular distillery in Connemara has become a popular destination for Irish whiskey aficionados.

The Mac Chearra's business represents Ireland's longest unbroken family distillery tradition.

Tours are available, including the Micil Whiskey Experience, the Micil Distillery Experience and the Micil Cocktail Masterclass.

Farmers Markets in County Galway

Farmers/country markets are popping up all over County Galway thanks in part to the growing emphasis on sustainable farming and providing good, healthy Irish food to the public.

Here is a list of some of them from across the county.

• Ballinasloe Indoor Country Market, Ballinasloe Social Centre, Society Street, Ballinasloe. Fridays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. You’ll find free-range hen and duck eggs, organic vegetables, home-baked treats, crafts, knitwear, and much more at this weekly market.
• Clifden Farmers Market, The Market Square, Clifden. Fridays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Expect to find organic vegetables, homemade bread and pies, herbs, fruits, plants, and a lot more.
• Galway City Market, beside St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church, Galway. Open year-round on Saturdays and Sundays and every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday through July and August. You’ll find hundreds of stalls selling everything from fresh produce, baked goods, and handmade crafts at this great market, which is one of Galway’s oldest street fairs.
• Kinvara Farmer's Market, The Square, Kinvara. Fridays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Moycullen Country Market, An Fuaran (opposite The Forge Pub), Moycullen. Friday 1 to 6 p.m. This award-winning market has a bit of everything, including fresh fruit and vegetables, cheeses, a selection of fresh bread, jams and relishes, seafood, sushi, curries, pizza, honey, and lots more. Find crafts there too, including woodwork, pottery, candles, and soaps.
• Roundstone Country Market, Roundstone. Sundays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lots of variety here, including fresh vegetables, bread, quiche, free-range duck and chicken eggs, Irish cheeses, jewelry, wood products, pottery, handmade soaps, stained glass, furniture, and more. Runs from May through October.

Food Festivals

Galway’s food festivals include the following:

The Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival – will take place between Sept. 26th and 28th, 2025.

A Taste of Galway – includes various culinary-related events in County Galway throughout the months of May and November.
The Corrandulla Agricultural Show – a family fun day usually held in June that includes dog and cattle shows, horse-jumping competitions, home produce and baking competitions, food and market stalls, children’s entertainment, a fun fair, artist stalls and more.
Food on the Edge – a two-day symposium geared toward chefs and food enthusiasts who want to create a better global network. Talks, lunches, masterclasses, producer food village and a FOTE bookstore in association with Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop are all part of the festival line-up for Oct. 21-27, 2025.

More information on food festivals and other celebratory events can be found on this page on the Ireland on a Budget website.

Have you experienced the best in Irish food in either Galway or Mayo? If so, let me know what you thought about it in the comments below.