Habib and Abu's African restaurant and takeaway

This daytime-hours African restaurant / takeaway in Galway's #WestEnd announced their imminent arrival in mid April 2025, and had their grand opening on 23 May.

They're in Dominick Street, in between Giovanni's chipper and the West End Art Collective - in the restaurant that was most-recently Chef P Grub.

The breakfast menu includes shakshouka (spiced poached eggs), breakfast muffin (African style, with turkey rashers, eggs, tomato, cucumber and guacamole) omelette (vegetarian and otherwise) ful (spicy fava bean stew) with naan bread, and sweet oat porridge.  Lunch includes jollof rice with chicken stew, Sudanese okra with asida, ful with naan bread, peri-peri chicken burger, beef burger and steak sandwich.   A vegan falafel salad was added very soon after opening day, and they are also doing lovely puff-puff / mandazis, which are great with their house Rwandan coffee.

Hours:   7am - 6pm, with lunch/dinner served from 1pm

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Lunch / dinner and desserts menu, June 2025

Jollof rice with chicken stew?  It was lovely, but not really as described.

City Pantry Cafe

The new City Pantry Cafe opened in very early February 2025. 

They're in Dominick Street, beside Daróg wine bar, in the premises that was previously Bare Pantry Cafe in Dominick Street.   This has had a little redecorating and a few changes to the lighting, but the overall customer ambience is unchanged.

The menu now is extensive, featuring all-day breakfast, burgers, wraps, sandwiches,  a children's menu, pizza, pasta, pastries and sweet treats, hot drinks and smoothies.

Initially open seven days a week:

8am - 5pm, Monday to Friday

9am - 5pm Saturday

10am - 5pm Sunday

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March 2025

China Town

China Town  Asian Cuisine Restaurant & Takeaway opened in early / mid May 2024.

They're located in Dominick Street, in the restaurant that was previously Tomo's Asian Streetfoods - in between John Keogh's gastro-pub and the late night convenience store known only as  No 26.

The menu includes a range of fried noodle and fried-rice dishes, as well as a range of Asian curries and signature dishes.   They've got a range of specials, eg snack box, party box, spicy box - as well as some surprises. 

Open 5pm to- 12 midnight,  Tuesday-Sunday.

 

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Phone:  091- 581929    

Email:   ChinaTownGoldenWillow@gmail.com

Smash Bird

This lurid flouro-pink takeaway chicken-and-more shop is casting Dominick Street in a whole new light. Nestled in between the classy Plámás coffee-shop and the down-to-earth Giovanni's chipper, they are an eye-catching addition to Galway's West End, with premises designed by Galway artist, Tracey Moca.

Officially opened on 1 November 2023, the doors were open the weekend before at least to tease Halloween visitors to the city.

Located in Lower Dominick Street, in the same place where Roost used to be, this fast-food store is taking chicken to new levels - in the spirit of Birdhouse and Dawghouse (which just happen to be run by the same people.

The menu features burgers (mostly buttermilk fried chicken, with one beef option, chicken wings and popcorn-chicken options, "dawgs" (hotdogs) and vegan "junk" which means Brassica Burger, Dirty Secret, Dominick-Trix Dawg, The Stray, Creole Corn, and Miso Maple corn.   There are also some interesting-sounding sides (french-fries, tater hashers, halloumi fries, disco fries, garlic-butter parmesan fries, tagarashi fried, cabbage fritter, Asian slaw and pickles).  And sauces offering all these flavours and more.

Hours to start with

Wed-Thurs,  5 - 10pm 

Fri-Sun, 5pm - midnight

Order on-line for collection 

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Daróg Wine Bar

Thiz Galway city wine bar opened in late July 2023, just in time for the end of the Arts Festival and the fun of Race Week.

It's located in Lower Dominick Street, in the premises which used to be Tartar cafe and wine bar:   This has had a boat of light grey paint and some minor reorganisation inside, but still has its intimate small-cafe charm.  This is a popular area for new businesses in 2023, with the recently-rebranded Bare Pantry (formerly Arabica) on one side, and Hickey Meats on the other.

The menu is focussed artisan wines, which can be accompanied by a selection of gourmet hot and cold plates, snacks like marinated olives with blackcurrant oil, and oysters with cucumber, crèam fraiche, shallots and fennel  - or delectable cheese-and-meat boards. 

Regular opening hours are from 5pm Tuesday to Thursday,  and from 3pm Friday and Saturday.

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Web  (maybe .... "coming soon")

Phone:    (091) 565 813

Email:    hello@darogwinebar.com

New colour scheme - 2024

The Sustainable Studio

Update, August 2024

The Sustainable Studio announced that they are returning to being an online only business, saying:

We are moving! From the end of August we will only be operating online, and will be closing our physical premises in Galway. The decision came from a variety of reasons but it is an exciting move for us and we hope you will stick around to see what the next stage has to offer 💃 

Points to note- 

➡️ We are no longer be taking clothes at all

➡️ We are only dealing with high end bags & accessories from labels such as LV, Gucci, Chanel with an emphasis on unique vintage items ✨

➡️ We will be hosting pop-up events and VIP events in our new premises 

Thank you again to all who has come into our physical place this last year ❤️

Originally 

Well-established as an on-line designer and luxury goods re-sale business, The Sustainable Studio opened a boutique-storefront in Dominick Street in late June 2023.

No ordinary second-hand shop, The Sustainable Studio's initial focus has been selling pre-owned high quality designer-brand bags, jewellery and accessories throughout Ireland, with the aim of developing sustainable fashion behaviours and practises.  Opening a bricks-and-mortar store gives them a space to display goods, as well as to facilitate pop-up shops and photo shoots.

True to their philosophy, they're in a pre-loved shop unit in a very recycled part of the city - and next door to Carroll's pub who have re-used caravans in interesting ways in their back-yard.   The shop which The Sustainable Studio have was previously home to AlterEva clothing alterations.

The Boutique is still being developed, and shopping is by appointment - contact them by WhatsApp or email.   The photo-space, which will get great natural light from large front-windows, is also available for hire

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WhatsApp:    086 348 0697

Email:    Info@sustainablestudio.ie

Window display for the official opening,  August 2023 -  The Sustainable Studio 

Hickey Meats

This new-but-old butchers shop emerged from the team who were working in Collerans Butchers in Mainguard Street:  when their management buyout wasn't accepted, they set to working opening their own inner-city butchery store - and the customers and wellwishers were happy to follow.   The new shop opened on Friday 19 May 2023

They're located in a fully refurbished shop at the north end of Dominick Street, really just across the bridge from their old store.  It's in a premises that was home to Joyces Bookstore until Covid hit in 2020.   And longer-standing Galwegians remember it as the home of Sean Loughnane's butchery shop from the mid 1970s until 2001.

Products include all the meats you expect from a full-service butchers, as well as meal kits, salamis and more from Horgans Delicatessen Supplies, spices sauces and more.

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Address:  52 Dominick Street

Phone:     085 135 8087

Email:      hickeymeats@gmail.com   

Christmas opening hours, 2023 - upside down in the shop window, but cameras are clever!

Chef P Grub

Update

Chef P Grub announced at the end of June 2022 that they are closed for now.  Renovations are being done on the premises.

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Original listing

This small African cafe / restaurant opened on 18 March 2022 - just after the madness of Paddy's Day was over.

They're in a recently-refurbished building, between Mellow Daze and Giovannis, across the road from Tomo's Streetfoods.

The opening-week menu was a mix of light bites (wings, nachos, potatoes), healthy bites (salads), lunch-time burgers (beef, chicken or bean), sandwiches, "grub" (dinner-time dishes:  chicken breast, steak sandwich, fish,  and chips, chicken pasta or cauliflower steak) and a small range of desserts.  There were also specials - to start with Korean BBQ steak sandwich and loaded ice-cream.  Later weeks saw some more adventurous dishes, including gzmklla stew, and South African spiced beef.  And a few weeks later there was another shift to include a range of North African dishes - making this Galway's first African restaurant. 

Initial opening hours are Wednesday - Sunday 1pm - 10:30pm - closed Monday and Tuesday.

You can order online thru their website (link below) - for collection only.

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Phone:   091355043

June 2022 menu

More-interesting week 3 menu

Opening week menu

Bella's

Update

Mid October 2024:  Bella's is gone, the bright red paint job has been toned down, and the place is re-opening under new management "soon".

Originally 

Bella's Takeaway in 17 Dominick Street Upper opened in late November 2021, after applying a bright tomato red paint job to the premises vacated by Vinnies - and giving the staff bright green uniforms so they really stick out.

Serving a wide range of late-night favourites: pizza (including the lesser-spotted Julia), burgers, kebabs, chips - and even wraps, they open at 4pm and stay that way until late.

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Phone: 091707523
On-line orders thru Just-Eat.

Plámás Cafe

Promising "coffee and things" this small coffee-shop / design-shop opened at the beginning of September 2021.  

It's located at 6 Dominick Street Lower, next door to Taylor's Bar, in a building that's recently been used as offices / storage for Heavy Man films and others, but was apparently a bakery back in the 1950s.

The name, Plámás, is an Irish-language word, pronounced "plaw-mawse" (at least according to this writer), roughly meaning flattery. 

Their coffee is locally-roasted and made by expert baristas and they have wickedly-good sweet treats from Marmalade Bakery, while the display space is used to to promote local arts and crafts, and works inspired by Galway.

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M P Walsh Public House

 M P Walsh is Galway's newest and most traditional bar - all wrapped up into one.

The pub was begun during 2020, when the lease for the former E Brún bar at 55 Dominick Street Lower became available.    With time to spare the new licensees were able to work intensely on a fitout which truly reflects the look and feel of a traditional Irish bar in The West of Galway city.   

With no kitchen, so they weren't able to open in December 2020.   The eventual opening day was 26 July 2021, when vaccinated people could finally start dining and drinking inside - and so when people could start dining and socialising again.  And if you want food, go next door to Bótown for burgers, or Anair for fine-dining.

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Spice India

Spice India officially opened their Galway restaurant on 1 July 2021, initially offering takeaway and outdoor-dining only, and then full indoor dining from the 26th.

This is a well established chain:  their first restaurant opened in 2010, and they now have branches in Athlone, Carrick-on-Shannon, Longford, Mullingar, Newry - and Galway city.

The menu includes all the expected favourites like butter chicken, with old and new categories like korma, tikka masala, balti, karahi, boona, jal freizy, rogan josh, biryani, curry, madras, vindaloo and kolahpuri - plus kebabs, a rack of Irish lamb, and a kids menu with the reliable fish-fingers and chicken nuggets.  There is a great range of plant-based vegetable dishes, and lots of rice and bread options too.

They have a range of offers, including Sunday lunch, early-bird and meal-for-two deals - plus a loyalty card, and discounts for ordering through their very own app (available for Android and Apple / iOS).

Their location is the ground floor of Bridgewater Court, across the street from the long-established Kashmir Nepalese restaurant.    This premises was most-recently the Irish / Sri-Lankan Claddagh Restaurant, which closed after Christmas 2019 and never re-opened.   They describe their address as Dominick Street Lower, although some might call it Fairhill Rd.

Web | Facebook | Insta | Twitter | Phone (091) 353 501

Rouge - Previously Rouge Restaurant Francais, Bar á Vins

This family-run French restaurant opened in July 2021, offering a small, seasonal menu with usually 2 or 3 dishes per course, and often a queue to get a booking. 

Envy Hair Salon

Envy Hair Salon opened in Galway's #WestEnd on 17 May 2021.

They are located in Sea Rd, need to the Woozza Pizza takeaway, just down from Kai restaurant - in the unit which was most recently CJ Salon.

It's operated by two stylists who have with 8+ years experience in the hairdressing industry, who are passionate about creative colour and bespoke cutting.

Phone: 083 013 4007

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Aplomb Menswear

Update

Aplomb have announced on Facebook that they are closing on 22 February 2025.

Originally

Aplomb menswear and lifestyle store opened in a long-empty shop in William Street West, between The Face hairdresser and Silkes Cash-and-Carry Warehouse.

They originally intended to open in Spring 2020, but the Covid-19 delayed things until late November.

The store aims to "showcase sustainable fashion from across Europe, while also offering goods from closer to home" - and with a website built using Shopify they have a clear focus on on-line as well as local sales.

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Kashmir

This Indian and Nepalese fine cuisine restaurant was opened in 1994, in Kilderry House in Lower Fairhill Rd (across the street from the Fire station). 

They reopened for takeaway deliveries and collections on Tuesday 28 April 2020. They are open from 5-11pm, Monday to Sunday.


Facebook | Web | Order online | Call (091) 589 900