Ard Bia, literally High Food, is an appropriate moniker for this highly-regarded Galway restaurants, which enjoys an attractive riverside location - the stone-built medieval customs house overlooking the Claddagh Basin - which it shares with sister restaurants Ard Bia Café and Nimmo’s, plus a constantly changing exhibition of modern art.
Proprietor Aoibheann MacNamara’s enthusiasm, energy and commitment to quality are evident throughout the operation, which has become a favourite destination for both Galwegian food lovers and visitors to the city - who happen on it very easily in this central spot, and love its character and atmosphere, the quality and interest of the food, and the long opening hours offered between the three operations.
With bare wooden floors, off-white painted walls, generously spaced tables and chairs and Aoibheann’s trademark quirky art choices, the style is one of spare modernity, with a relaxed ambience (including simple table settings with paper napkins).
The daytime Ard Bia Café is open on the ground floor from 9am, offering sandwiches and salads, soups (Galway Bay mussel and smoked haddock chowder with brown soda bread, perhaps) and day-long hot and cold specials including the generous Ard Bia hamburger and veggie burger; also speciality teas, freshly squeezed juices - and home-bakes(eg gluten free chocolate and orange cookies).
In the evening Ard Bia Restaurant offers a more sophisticated experience (priced accordingly), with a broadly Mediterranean/Irish à la carte menu which like all food served here is based on seasonal Irish food, mainly from local artisan suppliers. It’s an atmospheric candle-lit space, with views of the river and the buzz of having the food served from an open kitchen.
Menus read lip-smackingly well. You couldn’t do better than start a long day around town with ‘McGeough’s lovely full fry’ for example, featuring breakfast meats from the famed Connemara butcher and Ard Bia’s own chutney. Or, later on, perhaps a St Tola’s goats cheese salad, with cheese from the milk of Burren goats in nearby Co Clare; or a bowl of Ard Bia creamy seafood chowder, full of local fish - smoked cod, seatrout, mussels and clams - supplied by the aptly named Gannet Fishmongers…
Evening menus kicking off cheerfully with a ‘Spring Tipple’ of Hedgerow Prosecco are very well constructed to allow a 2/3 course early bird choice from the main à la carte (Sun-Fri, 6-7pm) which offers terrific value for the quality at €23/€27, with no supplements.
But it’s what Aoibheann MacNamara has recently added to the back of her menus that’s really exciting. Not satisfied with giving a summary list of suppliers (useful as that is), she’s given a concise rundown of a dozen of her main suppliers, with a mini profile of each and enough information (address, phone number, website) to encourage interested diners to visit them, or see their produce for themselves in local shops or at Galway Market.
When it comes to supporting producers of quality local foods, Aoibheann MacNamara is the reverse of many of today's restaurateurs; she has always ‘walked the walk’ - now it’s great to see her ‘talking the talk’ too, and sharing that great passion for local foods with her lucky customers
There’s an interesting wine list too although, surprisingly, without tasting notes.
Service can perhaps be a little too laid back at times, but at all three operations you’ll generally find good cooking, and good value for the quality offered.
The first floor is used as an extension to the restaurant in busier periods and is also available for private functions.
*As well as displaying exhibitions in the restaurants, Ard Bia Gallery Berlin offers artist residencies (www.ardbiaberlin.com).
** Winebar now also open Thu-Sat 6-11pm.
Seats 100 (private room, 20-50, outdoors, 10); children welcome; reservations required; riverside deck; Ard Bia Restaurant: Mon-Sat 6-10pm & Sun 10am-10pm; a la carte, house wine from €20. Ard Bia cafe menu served Mon-Sat 9am-3.30pm & 6-10pm (Lunch from 12pm and brunch from 10am-3.30pm) & Sun 10am-5pm & 6-10pm. Winebar Thu-Sat 6-11pm. 10% sc on groups 10+. Closed 25-26 Dec. Amex, MasterCard, Visa, Laser.
