Welcome to your own personal guide that will give you a rundown of some of Galway’s best coffee shops where you can indulge yourself with tasty treats and sip yourself into ecstasy with cups of coffee and hot chocolates. You’ve heard of a pub crawl, now say hello to the café crawl! Here are my top five favourite cafés:
Java’s Creperie and Café Francais
Situated in the cosy one-way street of Abbeygate Street, this homely creperie has built a reputation for its delicious sweet and savoury crepes. From the second you enter Java’s threshold; you’ll be greeted with a homely vibe and friendly staff. If you want a personal recommendation, order the Chocolate Liegois; a crepe decorated with chocolate sauce, flaked almonds with 1 scoop of vanilla ice-cream, 1 scoop of chocolate ice-cream and fresh cream. Sip away at a cup of Java’s best hot chocolate while you look out on to the streets of Galway, slipping into a relaxed state and thinking “I could get used to this!”.
The Secret Garden
Take a trip down Shop Street, down past Monroe’s and stumble upon The Secret Garden café located on William Street. This café has grown to be the love of one’s life from locals to students to tourists who visit Galway. The café offers over 100 types of tea that come from all over the world so if you’re a tea fanatic then this place should be on your bucket list. Upon visiting it myself, I was seated comfortably among cushions in a little secluded area where I could appreciate the handmade furniture and the artwork from local artists. The visit is also worthwhile if you’re a lover of cats; the resident cat wanders around saying hello to every new and familiar stranger.
Jungle Café Galway
“Go to the Jungle Café,” they said. “It’ll be fun,” they said. They were right!
Situated between New Coach Bus Station and Galway’s Train Station, this funky café brings tropical paradise vibes that’ll make you feel better on those rainy days. You have a generous variety of new foods to try like jungle salads, falafel burgers as well as iced coffees and coconuts. Come and experience jungle life like Mowgli and Baloo!
An Tobar Nua
Nestled comfortably on Dominick Street, An Tobar Nua is an Irish and American café with views of the canal and just a stone’s throw away from The Claddagh. Their menu offers breakfast options, grilled food, soups and so much more. An Tobar Nua also holds retreats “inspiring students to a life of meaning, value & purpose.” Come on over and enjoy a coffee on the canal in a cosy and quiet environment.
The Creamery
Located in Galway’s bustling entertainment area with casinos, Curry’s funfair and the Prom is this cute little coffee shop offers a range of vegetarian and gluten free foods, milkshakes, ice creams and a selection of teas. Why not enjoy a walk on the Promenade, fill your lungs with some healthy fresh sea air and afterwards venture to the creamery and enjoy a coffee or some quality food while admiring the sea-side view from your perch.
Rachel Garvey is a Co-Editor for Features for Student Independent News for the year 2023/24. She works full-time, but dedicates her free time to writing and being involved in SIN. Rachel has been a contributor to SIN since 2017.