Galway Pub Crawl
Name a better place to spend an evening indulging in one of Ireland’s most time-honoured traditions: pints of Guinness in good company!
About halfway through our Irish Roadtrip, Tys and I decided to spend a night in Galway to seek out some well-poured pints. If you’re not a big Guinness drinker, let me tell you, the difference between a poorly poured and well-poured one can be seen and tasted. Here’s a rundown of what to look for in a promising pint:
Bartender exercises the two-part pour, waiting for the first pour to settle before beginning the second
No bubbles in the head or on the inside of the glass
A finger width of head; more often means it’s warm, less and it will taste flat
The head domes slightly over the top of the glass
If you are joining us in drinking the black stuff on this pub crawl, try your hand at “splitting the G”, Tys and I committed to the challenge with every pint drank on this trip! Take a big swig on your first sip and try to line up the bottom of the head perfectly with the line in the middle of the Guinness “G” on your glass.
But, even if you aren’t a beer drinker, grab a glass of whatever floats your fancy and enjoy the vibrant scene of Galway’s nightlife.
Stop 1 - Garavan’s Bar
Known for their Irish coffees and cocktails, as well as their pints, Garavan’s is a great choice to start off the night. Walk up to the bar, order, and pay (bar service is objectively elite) and grab a spot. We opted for a table outside in the crisp autumnal air.
Stop 2 - Tig Coili
Compared to the quiet experience we had at Garavan’s, Tig Coili was a party! The tables were all occupied, so we stood near the bar, enjoying the electric atmosphere while the live music filled the small, dimly lit space.
Stop 3 - Sonny Molloy’s
A little further down the way on High Street is Sonny Molloy’s. Grab a drink at the bar and enjoy the cozy atmosphere. If you’re looking for whiskey, this is the place. You could almost smell the spice notes in the air. Above their bar they have the whiskey menu on display, and we asked the bartender: those prices are per ounce!
Stop 4 - Tigh Neachtain
Live music, wood fireplaces, wood panelling on the walls, and locally sourced food if you want to stop for a bite. They’ve got a decently sized space for outdoor seating, so we grabbed a table beside the rich blue exterior of the building and cheersed our glasses for pint number four of the evening!
Stop 5 - The Crane Bar
The last bar on our crawl was a little further away, venturing out of the Latin Quarter and across the River Corrib… but “further away” is an 11-minute walk from the first bar! The Crane Bar was a fun place to cap off the night. Downstairs is a quieter space with a pool table and cozy vibes, upstairs was packed — even on a weeknight — with live music and a second bar.
BONUS Stop - Xi’an Street Food
If you want the truly authentic Irish experience, head to Xi’an Street Food for a spice bag after some cheeky pints! If you’ve any Irish friends and you mention a spice bag, I all but guarantee their face will light up. It’s like a Canadian with their poutine, or a Brit and their kebab; it's classic drunk food… and don’t tell the other Canadians, but it might just be better than poutine!
So what is it? Fried chicken, fries (chips), and sautéed veggies, all tossed together with the spice bag spice mix that is a little salty, a little spicy and all around delicious!
Some other great choices here are the 4-in-1 (spice bag + curry/gravy) and the hand-pulled noodles. The Irish-Chinese fusion is god-tier.
