Best Dinner Places to Eat in Aran Islands

"On the shores of Galway Bay, the Connemara Coast Hotel is the perfect place to spend a little me-time, especially in the luxury spa. Book time in the Therapy Rooms and look forward to an Aromatherapy Massage or more rigorous Swedish massage. Natural aromatic oils are used in the Hot Stones Massage that delivers deep heat to inner bone and tissue."

"Hotel of the Year 2018, The Twelve is an elegant retreat in Barna Village. It combines exquisite dining, luxurious rooms and some well-deserved relaxation therapy in Le Petit Spa. Escape the world for a time and immerse yourself in a Nourishing Marine Cocoon Wrap or get back to nature with a mineral-rich Seaweed Bath which is known to have amazing restorative healing properties."

"Balancing opulent and snug, The Twelve offers a delightful and well-appointed seaside experience just outside Galway city. Come here for top-class cooking and accommodation amid the great outdoors in the West of Ireland."

"The drive to the seaside area of Barna is well worth the trip to enjoy fresh seafood at O’Grady’s on the Pier. The country-style dining has a warm, rustic charm, while the terrace offers some of the best views of Galway Bay. Start with the local Castletownbere Bay crab claws or fresh steamed mussels with chorizo, paprika, and leeks."

"This super fish restaurant was the first place chef Aidan McGee (now Head Chef at Corrigan's Mayfair) worked. The biggest selling point is its glorious views over Galway Bay - but the seafood-heavy menu is also full of delights. More about O’Gradys on the Pier"

"A seafood lover’s paradise, O’Gradys is located right on the pier in Barna, just outside Galway city. Seating is limited and it’s walk in only, but risk it. Believe me, you won’t be sorry."

"Inis Meáin Restaurant & Suites offers a remarkable, carefully designed experience on the remote, beautiful and windswept island of Inishmaan. Ruairí and Marie-Thérèse de Blacam’s splendid and intimate enterprise is only a few years old – but is already famous for sky-high quality and immersive island magic."

"Builín Blasta is a friendly kind of place, offering a truly Irish Céad Míle Fáilte to everyone who wanders through their doors. They offer award-winning vegan options such as their lentil spaghetti bolognese with cashew “parmesan” and their super tasty vegan sandwich with chermoula, roasted mushroom, tomato and caramelised onion on homemade sourdough rye bread. If you’re looking for a sweet fix, treat yourself to one of their delicious vegan desserts and a warm cuppa."

"If you like your outdoor dining to have those scenic seaside vibes, take a trip out to Spiddal and treat yourself to something tasty from Builín Blasta. They have an amazing range of baked treats, whether you prefer sweet (like a mango cheesecake!) or savoury (like a black pudding and blue cheese jambon!!). Loads of outdoor seating, doggy-friendly, wheelchair accessible and with a cute craft village next door to browse around."

"Donnelly's Bar & Restaurant is an old local favourite that has been renovated to a beautifully modern finish. Located on the picturesque Barna Pier, it's the perfect location to appreciate the sea and its plentiful bounty!. Their menu packs a secret weapon that you won't find anywhere else; Neptune's Seafood Treasure is a crepe filled with fresh salmon, cod and prawns in a white wine sauce, gratinated and topped with Hollandaise and breadcrumbs, and it's delicious!"

"One of Ireland’s most renowned seafood restaurants, Donnelly's also caters to carnivores with its game and meat dishes. Wash it all down with a few drinks at the on-site bar."

"The O’Dowd family have been welcoming visitors to this much-loved pub overlooking the harbour for longer than most people care to remember. There are some new developments from time to time, but the old bar is always the same – or at least ..."

"This pretty cottage is just the kind of place that visitors to Ireland dream of finding - and what a joy to discover that it’s no dream but a delightful restaurant serving delicious homemade food. If you take a jarvey or taxi to the Dun Aengus ..."

"Situated just outside the city, White Gables is housed inside a 1920s cottage, ideally suited to serving what owners Kevin and Ann Dunne refer to as their ‘time-warp classics’, such as seafood cocktail Marie Rose and scallops mornay. For more than 20 years, the Dunnes have been bringing their seafood-centric menus to the people of Galway at White Gables and providing a relaxed and elegant setting in which to enjoy them. A set dinner menu of three courses is available here for €39.50, as well as a three-course Sunday lunch for €28.50."

"Traditional Irish cooking in a restored Stone cottage at a crossroads in Moycullen village. White Gables Restaurant serves on traditional Irish dishes, with a focus on seafood, including fresh lobster from their fishtank. Warm, homely red tone, floral lampshades and dark mahogany furniture, portray a picture of Ireland in a different time."

"Renowned for its fine seafood, with lobster, crabs and oysters fresh from the sea, this sophisticated yet cosy atmosphere will warm your heart as well as please your tastebuds."

"At first glance, there is nothing remarkable about this humdrum looking bridge. But it’s actually a place of pilgrimage!. – not religious, but film."

"At first glance, there is nothing remarkable about this humdrum looking bridge. But it’s actually a place of pilgrimage!. – not religious, but film."

"While only two of the ancient buildings at this site are actually churches this was one of the earliest Irish pilgrimage sites ever."

"Having started learning about vegetarianism and veganism nearly four years ago, the folks at Sweet Nothings café have always tried to put an emphasis on living clean and as sustainably as possible. Their menu is 100% vegetarian and nearly everything has a plant-based alternative. They’ve even got vegan, wheat and refined sugar free desserts that they’ve been selling at markets for the last three years and it’s clear that Connemara has taught them that simplicity and living in harmony with nature is the key to everything."

"Ok, admittedly, this technically isn’t a market, but it has that rustic and beautifully, homemade one-of-a-kind feel that any good market offers, and for that alone, Culture Trip highly recommends a visit. The Spiddal Craft Village is a rural business spot for a host of arty producers, people who blow glass, paint Galway’s sublimely rugged landscapes, weave baskets, cook in beautiful bakeries and a serve up an awarding-winning stop-off at the restaurant and coffee shop. In other words, it’s a very worthwhile aside."

"Not an art gallery as such, but certainly one of Ireland‘s best creative communities, and a corner of Connemara that any arts-loving visitor will want to see. Spiddal Crafts is home to both the production and sale of anything from hand-blown glass to ceramics, coin-based jewellery, and the work of Brazilian resident artist Andrea Rossi, who makes vibrant folk art. Seeing the art in progress is the best part."