Are you around Galway? Are you looking for things to do? While you are around, you should go out and experience the best bars around the area!
There are a lot of bars in Galway that provide you with a lot of beverage options (both alcoholic and non, but mostly alcoholic), great music, food, and company!
Whether it be a beer or a shot of tequila, here is a list of the top bars around Galway that you should not miss!
How much do drinks at bars cost?
Getting your drink on in Galway can be a bit complicated, as there are quite a lot of options to choose from! To help you with that, we’ve narrowed down the common drinks served and how much they go for on average!
Exclusive bars sometimes charge an entrance fee, but this is not true for all bars. Entry to other bars are free of charge where you can enter freely and buy yourself a drink.
Best Bars in Galway
There are things to consider when choosing a bar such as selection of drinks and music. But how can you tell what bar provides the best services in specific areas?
Here are the criteria we used to answer that question:
1. The Dail Bar
| Atmosphere | ★★★★★ |
| Design | ★★★★★ |
| Music | ★★★★☆ |
| Service | ★★★★☆ |
| Helpfulness | ★★★★☆ |
| Responsiveness | ★★★★☆ |
| Beverage Choice and Quality | ★★★★☆ |
| Value for Money | ★★★★★ |
Located at the heart of Galway, The Dail Bar offers a bar experience that you should not miss!
What we love about this place is that they offer delicious food to go with their famous award-winning cocktails. Although be warned, it’s not exactly the cheapest grub around.
However, if you are interested in whiskey, they also provide an exclusive selection that you can enjoy.
People also love the fact that The Dail Bar is open for partying 7 nights a week, up until 2AM. Knowing that you can stay until early morning certainly makes parties even more fun!
The bar is spread over two floors where live entertainment is available with music and DJs to spice up the place and makes it perfect for a night out in Galway. Live music performed by bands and DJs are done daily which makes it great.
For sports enthusiasts, they also do sports viewing where main games and events are screened in the bar.
With a wide selection of alcoholic beverages to choose from, you should also enjoy their menu where you can enjoy both lunch and dinner, depending on your time of entry.
They provide light bites such as soups and chowders to main courses such as steaks and more. Their menu is also highly rated for their Guinness and steak,
With amazing music and a diverse menu with plenty of alcoholic beverages and food to choose from, you definitely experience a night at The Dail Bar!
Pros
- Open daily
- Has a rich selection of alcoholic beverages
- Provides lunch and dinner menu
Cons
- Food is relatively expensive
- Huge volume of customers
Customer Reviews
Amazing environment
“The environment is amazing. For those who want to drink Guinness and other famous beers in Ireland, that is a great place. The service is very helpful. When I went I asked for a steak and fries and it was fabulous. The location Is fantastic in a very touristic and busy area in Galway.” – Fabricio Souza, Google Review
Tasty food and nice staff
“I had a nice catch of the day, fish with prawns, with a delightful salad. Very tasty and nice staff.” – Anthony Kelly, Google Review
2. The Front Door
| Atmosphere | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | ★★★★☆ |
| Music | ★★★★☆ |
| Service | ★★★★☆ |
| Helpfulness | ★★★★☆ |
| Responsiveness | ★★★★☆ |
| Beverage Choice and Quality | ★★★★☆ |
| Value for Money | ★★★★★ |
If you are looking for a bar that is not too expensive but provides you a high quality experience, you should enter through The Front Door! Located in the heart of Latin Quarter, Galway’s cultural and social hub, this bar offers the best bar experience that you should not miss.
Tagged as a contemporary Irish bar that provides live music, an extensive menu for drinks and one-of-a-kind delicious food menu, The Front Door is definitely the portal to Galway’s heart.
What we love about Front Door is that they are home to the award-winning Sonny Molloy’s Whiskey Bar which houses an extensive selection of local and international whiskey inventory.
They also offer their famous gin bar, TIgh Nora, where it is known to release its own gin, the Nora’s Irish Gin.
Another reason to love The Front Door is that they offer food and drinks, while providing a very distinct experience between day and night.
During the day, they offer a cozy atmosphere where you can enjoy a bite or sip from their famous bar. At night, expect bustling music and parties where people come together and enjoy themselves.
Although it must be noted that some of their drinks can be unavailable due to the high volume of orders. So we suggest that you book an appointment in advance to obtain a seat in the bar without the hassle!
Pros
- Houses award-winning whiskey and gin selections
- Provides lunch, dinner, and kid’s menu
- Long operating hours
- Open 7 days a week
Cons
- Customer service isn’t the best
- High volume of customers, tables and seats are usually filled
Customer Reviews
Great vibe, great food
“Great vibe and interesting layout, lots of turns and corners. Very good price-quality ratio of the food. Really enjoyed the catch of the day, and the vegetable risotto was great. Excellent selection of cocktails and gins! (Can recommend the Wild Atlantic Way and Eat Me, Drink Me.)” – Natalia Neustroeva
Top-notch experience
“Just watched Galway vs Kerry over a couple pints of Guinness. Not familiar with Irish Football, but incredibly exciting and the pub was filled with great people teaching me the game. You got to love the Irish people. Every aspect of the experience was top notch.” – Bob Hall, Google Review
3. Taylor’s Bar & Beer Garden
| Atmosphere | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | ★★★★☆ |
| Music | ★★★★☆ |
| Service | ★★★★☆ |
| Helpfulness | ★★★☆☆ |
| Responsiveness | ★★★★☆ |
| Beverage Choice and Quality | ★★★★☆ |
| Value for Money | ★★★★☆ |
If you want to enjoy a bar that has a long history in Galway, Taylor’s Bar & Beer Garden is here to provide you the best experience!
With over 68 years of history, Taylor’s started as a general grocery store that sold liquid refreshment (including whiskey and porter). Under its new ownership, Taylor’s has become a stomping ground for arts, music, and creative communities where booze and fun flow freely.
What we love about Taylor’s is that they provide a warm and cozy environment, perfect for a small company to enjoy a drink or two.
You can enjoy their extensive list of specialized and fabulous cocktails. If whiskey is your favorite, then Taylor’s has a wide array of choices where their bestseller is their whiskey platter.
If you want a more private function, then you can book Taylor’s as they provide special bookings for their heated garden where you can drink beer and enjoy.
To add, a huge thumbs up from us as they allow dogs in their gardens with their Dog Friendly Policy!
Although it must be noted that they have little food available on their menu. But aside from that, Taylor’s Bar & Beer Garden is a special spot that you should not miss when bar hopping around Galway!
Pros
- Over 60 years of service
- Heated garden perfect for company
- Wide array of drink selection
- Allows dogs in their garden
Cons
- Limited menu for meals and food
- Beer garden booking can be difficult
Customer Reviews
Self-service and great experience
“I had a great experience at the bar. We sat outside and there was live music played by a nice guy. The service was self service and we got up to buy beers. Highly recommend sitting outside (it was covered)” – Yuval Kahan, Google Review
All-around nice
“Great selection of beers, wines and cocktails, friendly staff, and the beer garden was very lively with good music– on a Tuesday. 🙂 Indoors was a bit quieter. All around nice.” Trudyann Buckley
4.An Púcán
| Atmosphere | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | ★★★★☆ |
| Music | ★★★★☆ |
| Service | ★★★☆☆ |
| Helpfulness | ★★★☆☆ |
| Responsiveness | ★★★☆☆ |
| Beverage Choice and Quality | ★★★★☆ |
| Value for Money | ★★★★☆ |
With over 37 years of experience in providing warm and welcoming service around Galway, An Púcán is a must visit!
Housed in a humble space, An Púcán offers an inside front bar with their cocktail bar and an outside beer garden. Their newly renovated garden has a stage for live music performances. *
Their cocktails provide you a lot of choices as they provide over 20 alcoholic options. To make it inclusive, they also included low and non-alcoholic beverages for the people who do not enjoy or have a low alcohol tolerance.
Their Irish whiskey selection is also rich where you can choose your drink from over 12 distillers around Ireland. But it does not end there as they also have selections from around the world which includes Scotland, America, Japan, Canada, Italy, and many more!
To pair with your drinks, An Púcán provides a rich selection of meals ranging from breakfast to dinner, and snacks.
Their best seller, the Open Seafood Sandwiches, is made from all-seafood options. It’s then crafted into the perfect finger food which you can enjoy while drinking your beer and listening to live music in their garden.
Although we would like to make it known that their food selection, especially their mains, are relatively expensive. That said, their wide selection of drinks has the spotlight of An Púcán!
Pros
- Over 30 years of experience in the industry
- Wide array of Irish whiskey selection
- Provides non-alcoholic options
Cons
- Expensive main courses meals
- No takeout or delivery options
Customer Reviews
Lovely food and warm outdoors
“Lovely food and atmosphere here.Great outdoor area very sheltered and warm!The staff were friendly and food came very quickly. The steak was cooked perfectly and overall a great meal. Would totally recommend it if you’re passing through Galway.” – JG Beats, Google Review
Highly recommended
“We actually went there 3 times during our stay in Galway. Food was very good, the servers were excellent and the atmosphere was as we would expect from an Irish pub – wonderful!! Highly recommended!!” – John Elsen, Google Review
5. Taaffes Bar
| Atmosphere | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | ★★★☆☆ |
| Music | ★★★★★ |
| Service | ★★★☆☆ |
| Helpfulness | ★★★☆☆ |
| Responsiveness | ★★★☆☆ |
| Beverage Choice and Quality | ★★★☆☆ |
| Value for Money | ★★★★☆ |
Taaffes Bar is a special type of bar which promises traditional live Irish music to be enjoyed with booze and conversations.For over 20 years, it has maintained its atmosphere, bustling with Irish music, while people come to enjoy the show.
What sets this bar apart from others is its rich history, as it started as a village pub 150 years ago. It’s also unique because it has incorporated traditional Irish music as one of its main attractions.
Aside from being known for their live Irish music, they are well-loved for their specialty cocktails that go well with the wide range of food options on their menu.
They have breakfast options that pair well with their special Irish coffee but they have salads and snacks if you prefer lighter meals.They are also known for large meal portions which are really value for your money.
They are also well-reviewed as the atmosphere allows for a great time at the bar. For music performers, you may perform at the bar without charges, which makes it one of a kind.
Now, while we would love to see more choices on their alcoholic beverages, aside from that, everything on this bar is worth your time!
Pros
- Live Irish music
- Free performance for music performers
- Large serving portions
Cons
- Limited selection of alcoholic beverages
- High volume of customers
Customer Reviews
Like no other
“Taaffes bar is like no other. Day and time are unimportant. I called in for soup and coffee (both really good) at 3pm on a Tuesday and it had more of an atmosphere than most pubs around the country would have on a Friday night. The staff are friendly and welcoming. Can’t wait to call again.” – Ed Moran, Google Review
Great service and friendly staff
“Great service, friendly staff and very professional. Best pint of Guinness I have had in a very long time and each pint is very consistent. It was a pleasure to see a proper bar person pull a pint as it should be pulled and then watch it settle before drinking it. Worth a visit just for the Guinness I will be back definitely.” – David Flynn