Review: O’Gradys On The Pier

We went to O’Grady’s on the Pier in Galway. Here’s our review.

As I was making the trip down to the Galway Bake Fest from Dublin, I decided to make the most of it. We booked into the Connemara Coast Hotel in Galway which was fabulous from the get go, the views of the Atlantic were spectacular and the hotel itself had a Cape Cod look and feel. The hotel was spotless and they even upgraded us to a superior room. The next morning we had breakfast which rivalled some of the top breakfast joints I have had the pleasure of eating in. The staff were really helpful and very accommodating to children which is a big plus in my book. We asked them to recommend a really nice seafood restaurant and they did not let us down. They recommended O’Grady’s On The Pier in Barna, Co Galway.

O’Grady’s really did live up to its excellent reviews on tripadvisor. This quaint little seafood restaurant is situated right on the small pier in Barna. When we arrived we were seated immediately and they served us some gorgeous homemade fresh brown bread.

Looking through the menu it was so hard to choose! So we ordered a bottle of wine while we thought about what we were going to have. We had an amazing 2013 Sauvignon Blanc called  Southern Lights. This wine was really fruity and not too dry and went down a treat with each of my dishes.

For starter:

I had scallops served on pomme puree with a Parmesan crisp and bacon lardons served in a scallop shell. It tasted as good as it sounds. I literally didn’t leave a scrap.

 

My 6 year old had the mussels in a coconut, lemongrass chilli and coriander sauce. Although it had the chilli it was not spicy it had a beautiful fragrant taste and the coconut balanced out the spice. She devoured the whole bowl leaving me to mop up the sauce with some of the delicious homemade bread.

 

My guest had the chowder to start. This was really good. It was not a traditional chowder as it had mushrooms in it but it is one of the nicest chowders I have tasted.

The mains:

For my main I ordered the hake with prawns, mussels and clams in a marsala sauce. The fish was so fresh and cooked to perfection and the marsala sauce gave it a little kick. The dish was gorgeous. I would definitely order it again.

 

My 6 year old ordered the fish and chips a classic but you would be surprised how sometime restaurants can get it wrong. Fortunately this was not one of those times. The fish was fresh and the batter was crispy served with chunky chips. She ate the whole thing although I did give her a little help.

My guest had the king scallops with seasonal mushrooms served on celeriac puree. As I was quite full I only had a small taste and it was amazing.

Usually a big fan of dessert I had to pass on this occasion as I was seriously stuffed but I have promised myself on my next visit I will leave room for dessert.

The damage:

€115.75

Overall it was a fantastic night, the food was fresh and tasted stunning, the staff were really friendly , the views were breath taking and I found it value for money but above all it is child friendly if you go for an early sitting. The restaurant was fully booked so make sure to book in advance.

I am already planning my next trip to Galway where no doubt I will stay at The Connemara Coast Hotel and dine in O’Grady’s on the Pier.

Top marks 5/5

By Sarah Carbery