Starbucks, Quay Street

This internationally-recognised chain opened their most-prominent Galway city cafe in the first week of June 2026 - officially a transfer from their now-closed Edward Square location.

It's located near the bottom of Quay Street, in the building which was Gemelles's restaurant for many years until they quietly closed "for renovations" sometime in mid/late 2025.   This is in between Aran Sweater Market and Martine's restaurant, in the heart of the tourist area.

In recent weeks, the premises has had a lot of work done, converting the interior from classic restaurant to functional cafe.  The exterior is mostly untouched, apart from cream paint on the window frames and installation of a modest name-sign ans a small door plate.  And thankfully the vibe is very different from their other Galway outlets which feature modern glass in Eyre Square, and pokey transport-cafe in Ceannt station.   And they do have a small, busy outdoor seating area at the front, with a very welcome canopy.

The menu and pricing is classic Starbuck, focusing on coffee-flavoured milky sweet drinks.  But they do have come nice sandwiches, cakes, slices and scones, and bottled juices and waters.

Opening days / hours

To be advised - will be 7 days/week.

Socials and contact details

Insta   

Heart of Galway / Premier-league Pop-up

Update

A few weeks before Christmas 2025, the gifts were replaced by Englisg-soccer themed presents, a few footballs were painted onto the walls, and a temporary looking "Premier-league pop-up" banner covered the Heart of Galway sign.

By a week into January,  the gear was gone and the door was closed, no change to the sign though. 

Then a week later, the banner was gone, the gifts were back, and the soccer balls painted over.  Very herat-of-Galway-ful!

Originally 

After weeks of careful preparation, Heart of Galway, the city's newest, locally-owned gift-store, opened their doors on Saturday 2 March 2024, after putting up exterior signs on 27 February.

They're located at the top of High Street, in between Nally's barbers and the lime-green movie set that was previously Griffin's Bakery.   This shop was previously home to Stodge Face (which became Merge), and before that Boston Donuts.  

Just like it says on the sign, their product's are Irish gifts (things like Guinness-flavoured chocolates, brass dook knockers, cute miniature sheep) and clothing - including some reasonably priced tee-shirts, hoodies, caps and more.  They also have a stand of postcards which spent some of the first day outside -  keeping that dry will be a challenge!

Days / hours are still to be announced, but given the very central location it's likely to be a seven-days-a-week store.

No social media found yet - watch this space.

Koko Atelier

This family owned and operated tailoring and clothing-alterations shop opened in late December 2025.

Based in the lower-ground floor of the Corbett Court Shopping Centre (ie the complex at the north end of the Eyre Square Centre, they are un Unit 10 - which was previously home to Sub City comics, who have moved to a larger unit in the same centre.   This has had the previous display cabinets dark walls cleared out, and a range of sewing equipment installed - in line with the vision of the shop as an atelier, ie an artist's or designer's studio or workroom.

Established by Arnuatova Liudmyla, the business aims to offer a prefect fit, with premium quality and a personal touch.   Services include clothing alterations, custom dressmaking, evening, debs and bridesmaids dresses, dancewear, curtain-making and home décor - and also plan to offer sewing classes and workshops.

Initial opening hours/days

Monday - Wednesday: 10am to 7pm

Thursday - Friday: 10am to 8pm

Saturday: 10am to 5pm

Sunday:  10:30am to 3pm

That said - they opened just before Christmas, and closed just afterwards until 10 January.

Social media and contact details

Insta

Phone:  085 200 9225

A couple of weeks later, the proper signs is up outside.

Opening week

Coming soon ...

Adams Green Provisions

This upmarket cafe / coffee shop / deli and grocery store opened at the end of the 3rd week of November, 2025 - after several months of rumours on the internet that it was going to be a "sandwich-shop".

It's located near the top of Williamsgate Street, in between Lil Bro's Pizza and Logue's Shoes, and across the road from PTSB Bank - in the unit that was previously CEX games.   This has been carefully and thoroughly refitted, and includes both indoor and outdoor cafe seating, and a recently-installed canopy.

Adams Green appears to be a totally new brand:  Adam's Green Retail Limited was registered as a company-name in August 2025, with a Galway (Athenry) address, and a director who has been involved in a number of other Irish companies (source).

Products include grilled sandwiches, cakes, muffins, pastries, cold drinks/minerals, coffee, tea and hot chocolate - all served in takeaway dishes because the eat-in area is quite small.  The coffee menu is small (flat white, Americano, latte and cappucino - with some "fancy" milks available), and the coffee is roasted in Tuam, Co Galway.

The provisions-store part of the shop has have a range of groceries that a tourist might want, including bread, milk, coffee, breakfast cereals, pre-prepared meals. spreads, biscuits  snacks, sweets/chocolates, herbs and spices, cleaning products, and even nappies and nail-polish remover!

Opening days and hours

To be advised :  They closed around 6pm in the first weekend, but were still going strong at 7pm on the following Saturday.

Socials and contact details

Insta  |   TikTok

Salted-caramel roulade - one of the unique cakes / sweet-treats at Adam's Green Provisions 

Abbeygate Cafe and Bistro

This very pleasant Galway city cafe and bistro morphed from Cozy House into Abbey Gate Cafe and Bistro. 

It didn't initially close or change the daytime offering - but a breakfast menu and Under New Management signs appeared first, followed by a change of signage in late April 2025.

Then in mid May, it closed for a few days due to "unforseen circumstances".  But it really did re-open, with a simplified lunch menu in a week or so.

The breakfast menu has the expected classics, and kippers for a touch of something different. 

Facebook 

Updated, simpler menu, May 2025

Inital menu, in April 

Screene's on the Square

This eagerly-awaited Galway-city pub opened the doors to the public on Friday 9 May, after soft-opening the day before, and taking their first delivery a week earlier.

The pub is located at the bottom of Prospect Hill, just around the corner from Eyre Square.  The building was most recently McGettigan’s and Club Cuba - in between the ProCabs office and Snap Fitness - just down from TK Maxx.  They've given the front a tasteful new medium-green colour scheme, and done extensive work to make the bar area better.

It is run by experienced publicans Jimmy Screene and Becky Gavin, who have been operating Screene’s Bar near Menlough in north-east county Galway, for over ten years.

Aiming to offer "Cold pints, a warm welcome, craic agus ceol", initially, Screenes on the Square is operating as a bar, and the kitchen opened for lunch just a few weeks later.   Regular music has started, with live acts are already booked for June.   Screene's also hope to open a live music venue in the upstairs later this year.

Address:   9-11 Prospect Hill

Email:  Screenes.ots@gmail.com

Facebook  |  Insta

Reuben sandwich- on the lunch menu at Screenes

EM Tech

This phone accessories and repair shop opened in Galway in the 3rd week of November 2024.

They're located downstairs in the Eyre Square Shopping Centre, in a kiosk most-recently occupied by Mega-Catchy, in-between Jump Juice and Healing Earth, and close to Costa Coffee.

Products include phone cases and accessories, headsets, mice, Fire sticks, speakers, ring-lights, as well as second-hand phones.    

Services include repairs of all kinds of mobile phones, Nintendo switches, X-Boxes, screens, laptops and more.  They've got a Fun Tech branded cabinet for storing repairs in - maybe this has just been re-used from the recently-closed FunTech store, or perhaps they're acting as an agent.

No socials yet.   Most likely open seven days a week, at least in the run-up to Christmas.

ithe Smashburgers

This new burger restaurant opened in the last week of June 2024.

They're located at 8 Quay Street, in a premises that was previously Sliders, across the street from the city's newest Charcoal Grill.   It's had a vibrant deep-green paint job, and some work done inside too.

Open seven days a week

Opening hours: 12-noon until 2am the next morning.  

The menu is simple:  burgers (double, triple, bacon and vegetarian options - the first three including American cheese, onions and special sauce), and loaded chips aka fries / praitai (flavour options include lightly salted, pepperoni, curry, and garlic cheese-and-bacon.).   Single-patty burgers are only available as part of a meal-deal (burger, pratai and a drink).  Plus various drinks, sauces et al.

Their name "ithe" is the Irish-language word for "eat".

Insta   |  .... 

Sanctuary male grooming

This male grooming salon opened in late July 2023.

They're located at 5 Lombard Street, in between Anthony Ryan's homewares and Hertrich's pork butchers.   The unit was previously an internet cafe, then a computer repair shop and then empty for some time:  it's had a total fit-out, and the whole building has a new flush-fitting shopfront which is working very nicely.

They decor is decidedly manly and laid back:  the chairs are placed so you don't have to look at yourself in the mirror while the work is being done, colours are muted / black - and there's a traditional barbers pole at the back of the salon.

Services include everything you'd expect from a barber:  haircuts and beard trims in a variety of styles, which they're happy to show pictures of.    Appointments are done via Booksy (link below).

Norma opening hours are Monday - Saturday, 10am to 6pm - but they will consider after-hours if you contact them.

Insta   |   Booksy   |    Phone:   085 282 8279

Ecco

The Danish-owned Ecco shoe company opened their first dedicated high-street store in Galway city in the 3rd week of December 2022.   

They're based in Shop Street between McCambridges and McDonalds, in the until that was previously Carphone Warehouse.

Ecco shoes are known for their comfort, support and style, and are popular on the shelves of the city's general shoe-stores.  This new shop complements these, offering the chance to see a wider range of the company's designer shoes and accessories.

Web   |   Facebook   

The Lane Wine and Cheese

This intimate but perfectly-located wine bar opened in late July 2022, just in time for the delights of Galway's Race Week.

They're in a small venue in Kirwan's Lane, in between the Wild Geese arts collective and the back door of Sliders, opposite the side door to Busker Brownes.  It's been a carefully inconspicuous set of frosted glass doors for years, but now the frosting is gone and the wine-glasses are clinking.

Wines served include an extensive range of beautiful offerings from Europe, served with a carefully-curated selection of European meats and cheeses - and including a vegan-cheese platter.

Open from 4pm, most evenings.

Web (it was working, likely will be back soon)    |  Facebook   |   Insta

Richardson's off-licence

Located at the bottom of Prospect Hill, this is probably the smallest off-licence in Ireland - it's basically a tiny shop at the far corner of a pub, with a separate doorway from the street.

In the aftermath of Covid-19, opening hours are Monday, Tuesday and Saturday 10am - 2pm.

Copy Write

Copy-Write office supplies / stationery shop is located in Bóthar Irwin / Irwin Lane, just off Eyre Street at the north end of Eyre Square.  After working remotely / online, the shop reopened, following the Covid-19 closedown, on 18 May 2020.

They have a wide range of commercial stationery and home-office materials, and also offer printing and photocopying services.  

Facebook | Call 091-569700

Bubble Bee

This bubble tea-shop / cafe, which opened in Lower Abbeygate St in 2019, was one of the first cafes to get listed on Just Eat / Deliveroo after the Covid close-down in 2020.

Offerings include coffee, smoothies, icecream, bubble-waffles and other breakfast and lunch menu items.

Open Tuesday - Sunday, approx 12-noon to 7pm.


Facebook |  Web

June 2025

New decorations and canopy, spring 2023

Winter holiday, 6 January to 7 February 2025

January 2022 - pink cafe re-design

Bubble Bee, original yellow shop design

Le Petit Delice

This locally operated French bakery/patisserie and cafe is located in Mainguard St, right next to Deeleys cafe, and up from Claddagh Credit Union.

They which stayed open throughout the Covid-19 restrictions for takeaway coffee, baking and treats - and went back to regular operations after that.

They have an excellent range of French cakes and sweet-treats, and a sandwich bar.

Grind Coffee and Food Hub

Grind Coffee and Food Hub re-opened their cafe in Briarhill Shopping centre for takeaway coffee on 1 April 2020.

On Wednesday 20 May, they're also starting food service - again with a Preorder & Collect system in place. Call to order on 091-769590, open from 12-noon to 7pm.

The cafe in Merchants Rd is re-opening on at 8:30am on Monday 18 March for Coffee, Scones and pastries

McCambridges

McCambridges is one of Galway's is oldest grocery shops - and in recent years has branched out to include a coffee-bar, fine-food delicatessen, hamper selections, and a cafe / restaurant.

When the Covid-19 crisis hit in 2020, as a grocery shop they stayed open and did home deliveries.  They were one of the first city-centre shops to effectively limit the number of people in the store, mark queues outside (one for coffee, one for regular shopping), start a one-way-system through the shop and put safety screens in place to protect their staff.   They were also the first to work out out to re-open their coffee bar - and the staff who make the coffees and managed the queues were remarkably cheerful and helpful throughout.

In 2022, the McCambridge family reached retirement, and sold the business to the Musgrave Group, Ireland's largest food distributor.   So far, there have been very few changes, although the upstairs seating area has now been re-opened for foods and drinks purchased downstairs (no table service is available). 

Insta   |   Web    |      Phone:  +353-(0)91-562259    |    Email:  retail@mccambridges.com

Dough Bros

Following the 2020 Covid closedown, Dough Bros Pizza restaurant re-opened for takeaway pre-order and collection only (no walkup orders), from Friday 15 May.  Their at-hone options were incredibly popular, with booking a time slot being done while  phone lines open from 1-8pm Wednesday and Thursday.

Facebook |  Web

Dough Bros in New Year, 2023