London/Dublin/Galway Recommendations

[Celtic Truth]

I’m going with 2 of my cousins to London, Dublin and Galway at the end of May. We’re spending 2 nights in each city. None of us have been to any of these places before. We’re all early/mid twenties and looking for some recommendations. In London we’re staying at an Air BnB in Shoreditch, a hotel in Temple Bar in Dublin and an Air BnB in the center of Galway.

Any recommendations for some good things to do or see? What touristy things are/aren’t worth it? We’ll do some of the obligatory bucket list things but I like to get out and explore cool neighborhoods and hit “locals” spots. And of course looking for some good places to eat, drink and party. Any and all restaurant, bar, pub and nightclub suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

For London if you’re staying there for two days I like to split the city in half.

Day one, do everything on the Western part of London, Kew Gardens, Richmond Park, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace etc. Skip the London Eye, not worth the money or the wait. Catch a show in the West End if you can, it’s also their China Town so you can get some good food there as well.

Day two do the East side of London. Admission to the Tower of London is worth it, so is the tour of the Globe. That’s all the main touristy stuff you need to see.

I have a bunch of food and pub recs, but they’re in Southwest London kinda away from the Central part of the city.

Other than that, Hackney is a pretty cool area to walk around in and if you’re going in late May, you may catch the start of the Cricket World Cup.

Oh, and you can never go wrong with a Weatherspoon’s.

[Galway Eagle]

I’m going with 2 of my cousins to London, Dublin and Galway at the end of May. We’re spending 2 nights in each city. None of us have been to any of these places before. We’re all early/mid twenties and looking for some recommendations. In London we’re staying at an Air BnB in Shoreditch, a hotel in Temple Bar in Dublin and an Air BnB in the center of Galway.

Any recommendations for some good things to do or see? What touristy things are/aren’t worth it? We’ll do some of the obligatory bucket list things but I like to get out and explore cool neighborhoods and hit “locals” spots. And of course looking for some good places to eat, drink and party. Any and all restaurant, bar, pub and nightclub suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

The spanish arch is the iconic tourist thing, it's overrated and is more about going down there with a few cans and spending the day by the river enjoying the view.


Food:

Burger: Handsome Burger
Seafood: Hooked
Drunk food: Supermacs or a kabob
Pubs depend if you're into a bit more hipsteresque spots Carribou Bierhaus and Salthouse are solid. If you're into the insane party scene then Buskers and the Front Door are the late night spots. If you like local beer head to the Oslo in Salthill.

Personal favorite Regular pubs: O'Connells for the beer garden, Barr an Chaladh, and Taylors

Best trad session is Crane bar and is cash only.

Depending on when you're here try to check out a Galway Hurling or Gaelic Football match.

Honestly, Galway's great craic but everything to do in this city is drinking on the beach, drinking on the prom, drinking in different cool pubs and walk along the bay.

[Galway Eagle]

After some sleep I thought of more: let me know if you have a car. Some solid places are a short drive away.

Also there's a couple smaller castles that are walkable you could see

Also don't go to The Kings head, or tig coili, both are overrun with British and American tourists. Taaffes can be touristy occasionally but has great music

Church street farmers market is awesome and worth it on a saturday or sunday morning. Get a donut from the donut guy, it'll change your life.

[Benny B]

Depending on when you're here try to check out a Galway Hurling or Gaelic Football match.

This.


Piper --- Were you at the match yesterday?

[mu_hilltopper]

Took the family to London last August. 

My advice is the day after you arrive, buy one of those hop-on-off bus tour tickets around noon.  You'll be tired from the previous day's flight, and it's nice to hop a bus and just sit there, listening to a tour guide for a few hours, have them drive you somewhere.

Those bus tickets are usually 24 hours .. so if you get it at noon, you can use it until noon the next day as well -- not necessarily for the "tour" aspect, but that you use it to transport you somewhere on their route.

Agree with going to the Tower of London, that was a pretty entertaining tour -- although seeing the "Crown Jewels" is not that spectacular.  Our line was relatively short .. still took 45+ minutes to wind through the building so you can spend 90 seconds looking at some jewels.   

Disagree with the above ..the London Eye is relatively cool, and was worth the wait for us.  (Was kind of neat, we video Skyped with the grandparents as we went around on the Eye.)

Get an Oyster card for mass transit travel.  Might as well load it up with plenty of funds .. you can get a refund as you leave the country. -- They can be used on some of the Thames ferries too, which is a nice way to see the city .. but it's slower than you'd expect as each stop takes a couple minutes.

If you are a Harry Potter fan, the movie studio tour is excellent.  You need to get tickets immediately, though.

[Galway Eagle]

This.


Piper --- Were you at the match yesterday?

I was not, due to the Liverpool and Man City matches I went to the pubs with friends. Actually a bit surprised how well Galway's playing with Joe Canning's absence. Thought it'd be a bigger impact.

[mu03eng]

For Galway, if you have a car and have 4 or 5 hours, I'd head up to Connemara for some site seeing. I'd say have lunch in Clifden then take the rainbow road for some really cool views plus you can stop a third of the way through to walk down to the Clifden Castle (about a mile walk) which is a cool abandoned castle you can walk around and through.

Dublin, I'd definitely recommend the hop on/hop off bus....quickest way to see all the important stuff and then get to the bars. The Guiness tour was ok, but if you are pressed for time you could skip it. Might be worth going to the Guiness rooftop bar for a drink or three.

[Celtic Truth]

Worth noting that we will not have a car. We’re taking a bus from Dublin to Galway. Any thoughts or recommendations for getting to the cliffs of moher from Galway? Are there any companies that bring you there and back in a few hours or so?

And probably worth noting that we’ll be in London Thursday/Friday nights, Dublin Saturday/Sunday and Galway Monday/Tuesday nights. It looks like the pubs in Galway close at 11:30 on weeknights - any thoughts on places that would be good to hit and still busy on a weeknight?

[MUfan12]

Worth noting that we will not have a car. We’re taking a bus from Dublin to Galway. Any thoughts or recommendations for getting to the cliffs of moher from Galway? Are there any companies that bring you there and back in a few hours or so?

I saw several buses there when we went, so I'd have to imagine there are. We stayed in Doolin when we visited the cliffs, so it was a short drive. Also, the ferry tour of them is pretty cool, especially if you're not good with heights.

[Galway Eagle]

Worth noting that we will not have a car. We’re taking a bus from Dublin to Galway. Any thoughts or recommendations for getting to the cliffs of moher from Galway? Are there any companies that bring you there and back in a few hours or so?

And probably worth noting that we’ll be in London Thursday/Friday nights, Dublin Saturday/Sunday and Galway Monday/Tuesday nights. It looks like the pubs in Galway close at 11:30 on weeknights - any thoughts on places that would be good to hit and still busy on a weeknight?

Cliffs are beautiful, have become pretty overrun with tourists now that it's peak season but I'd say it's still worth it. There's plenty of tour options to head down, I've only taken the public buseireann so I wouldn't know which tour to recommend.

Galway bars don't close at 11:30. There's rules that differentiate pub vs club vs late night bar. The Front Door and Buskers will both close at 2am. If there's a silent disco going at Roisin Dubh then it'll be packed out the door as well. I won't stake my name to The Skeff as it can be very hit or miss but that's also open till 2am. That spot Taaffes will almost always have a good crowd going as well.

[MUfan12]

The two dinners we had in Galway were at Ard Bia and Quay Street Kitchen. Both were really, really good, but the experience at Ard Bia was exceptional.

[Celtic Truth]

Cliffs are beautiful, have become pretty overrun with tourists now that it's peak season but I'd say it's still worth it. There's plenty of tour options to head down, I've only taken the public buseireann so I wouldn't know which tour to recommend.

Galway bars don't close at 11:30. There's rules that differentiate pub vs club vs late night bar. The Front Door and Buskers will both close at 2am. If there's a silent disco going at Roisin Dubh then it'll be packed out the door as well. I won't stake my name to The Skeff as it can be very hit or miss but that's also open till 2am. That spot Taaffes will almost always have a good crowd going as well.

Awesome, good to hear

[Galway Eagle]

Awesome, good to hear

If you want any daytime pub recommendations or want more pub/food recommendations let me know I've got lists from when friends visited me here.

[drewm88]

We did this tour in London. https://www.alternativeldn.co.uk/london_street_art_tour/london_walking_tours.php

Had an awesome time. Our guide gave us a great history of the neighborhood with a focus on the local culture and street art. He was an artist himself and friends with several prominent ones, so we got an interesting insider perspective.

[JustinLewisFanClubPres]

The two dinners we had in Galway were at Ard Bia and Quay Street Kitchen. Both were really, really good, but the experience at Ard Bia was exceptional.

I'll second Ard Bia. Also, Dela is very good for dinner in Galway. Probably best to get reservations for both.

Crane Bar is a must for me whenever in Galway. It brings in locals and tourists but the music is worth it. If you're looking for trad music, do it in Galway. I have never found much worthwhile in Dublin.

Check out Wild Atlantic Way Tours for tours to the Cliffs from Galway. I'm pretty sure you can get a half day trip from Galway. I'd avoid a full day trip if only in Galway a shirt time. Galway is my favorite place in the world and you'll want to have your time there just walking around and stopping im different places.

I have found the Literary Pub Tour in Dublin to be a lot of fun. You'll get to see some touristy stuff, learn some local history, and hit some pubs all at the same time. It's led by local actors and is pretty interactive. I've found it to be worthwhile (especially if you're in Dublin a short time).

[JustinLewisFanClubPres]

Also, as for clubs (as opposed to pubs), you are probably better off tryingnthat in Dublin instead of Galway. While I'm too old for clubs at this point, Copper Face Jack's in Dublin seemed like it would be a fun spot when I stayed down the block at The Dean Hotel a few years ago.

[Galway Eagle]

I'll second Ard Bia. Also, Dela is very good for dinner in Galway. Probably best to get reservations for both.

Crane Bar is a must for me whenever in Galway. It brings in locals and tourists but the music is worth it. If you're looking for trad music, do it in Galway. I have never found much worthwhile in Dublin.

Check out Wild Atlantic Way Tours for tours to the Cliffs from Galway. I'm pretty sure you can get a half day trip from Galway. I'd avoid a full day trip if only in Galway a shirt time. Galway is my favorite place in the world and you'll want to have your time there just walking around and stopping im different places.

I have found the Literary Pub Tour in Dublin to be a lot of fun. You'll get to see some touristy stuff, learn some local history, and hit some pubs all at the same time. It's led by local actors and is pretty interactive. I've found it to be worthwhile (especially if you're in Dublin a short time).

Never had Dela for dinner but their brunch is by far the best I've had in Galway. Only done coffee at Ard Bia but heard it fantastic. Have you gone to Il Viccolo? Probably the best restaurant I've gone to here but yet to try the other Michelin recommendations

[Galway Eagle]

Also, as for clubs (as opposed to pubs), you are probably better off tryingnthat in Dublin instead of Galway. While I'm too old for clubs at this point, Copper Face Jack's in Dublin seemed like it would be a fun spot when I stayed down the block at The Dean Hotel a few years ago.

This. Idk how old you are Celtic Truth, but galways clubs are Eletric, DNA, and Carbon. They're littered with 18-21yr olds and even one of my 21yr old house mates said he feels old at DNA. If that's your thing those are the clubs but I've only been to two of them and left pretty quick

[Celtic Truth]

This. Idk how old you are Celtic Truth, but galways clubs are Eletric, DNA, and Carbon. They're littered with 18-21yr olds and even one of my 21yr old house mates said he feels old at DNA. If that's your thing those are the clubs but I've only been to two of them and left pretty quick

I’m 23 so in America (Boston) I usually hit the bars/clubs that are popular with the 21-25 crowd. I’ve been to clubs in some European cities in the past year (Budapest, Prague, Vienna) and they were all really solid and the crowd seemed to be about my age. But as you said, with the drinking age being 18 some of the clubs in Europe fill up with teenagers which may not really be my scene. Do the Irish ~23 year olds outgrow the clubs and move into the pubs or are there specific places that are better for that age group?

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I’m 23 so in America (Boston) I usually hit the bars/clubs that are popular with the 21-25 crowd. I’ve been to clubs in some European cities in the past year (Budapest, Prague, Vienna) and they were all really solid and the crowd seemed to be about my age. But as you said, with the drinking age being 18 some of the clubs in Europe fill up with teenagers which may not really be my scene. Do the Irish ~23 year olds outgrow the clubs and move into the pubs or are there specific places that are better for that age group?

Can’t speak for Ireland, but in London there are plenty of 20-somethings that go to clubs. Mostly because the bars stop serving at midnight and you need somewhere to go after.

Clubbing in Central London is really expensive, but there’s an area just outside Central called Kingston that has quite a variety of clubs. Don’t know what your kinda vibe is but feel free to PM me if you want more detail.

[JWags85]

Can’t speak for Ireland, but in London there are plenty of 20-somethings that go to clubs. Mostly because the bars stop serving at midnight and you need somewhere to go after.

Clubbing in Central London is really expensive, but there’s an area just outside Central called Kingston that has quite a variety of clubs. Don’t know what your kinda vibe is but feel free to PM me if you want more detail.

Agreed.  The Mayfair clubs in London are ridiculous.  Lot of them are "private clubs" which basically allow them to be even more stingy with entry.  But Kingston is very fun. 

And the clubbing spectrum in Europe is even broader.  I'll go out with clients/customers/business friends in Europe that are in their 40s and we'll go to a club regularly.  They like electronic music and thats their vibe.  Its not the same clubs as all the 18-20 year olds, but its a club nonetheless.   In the US, outside of maybe NY/Vegas/LA/Miami, a 40+ in a club that isn't holding court at a table or something is kind of side-eyed as "weird", in Europe, its just another patron.

[Galway Eagle]

I’m 23 so in America (Boston) I usually hit the bars/clubs that are popular with the 21-25 crowd. I’ve been to clubs in some European cities in the past year (Budapest, Prague, Vienna) and they were all really solid and the crowd seemed to be about my age. But as you said, with the drinking age being 18 some of the clubs in Europe fill up with teenagers which may not really be my scene. Do the Irish ~23 year olds outgrow the clubs and move into the pubs or are there specific places that are better for that age group?

23yr old is about what I assumed you were so stick with the aforementioned spots I told you in Buskers and the Front Door. I mean no harm in checking out those clubs if you want but I'm not going to stick my name to them as a great time.

One more tip, if closing time catches you early, the casinos serve alcohol all night for a 25€ entry

[JustinLewisFanClubPres]

Never had Dela for dinner but their brunch is by far the best I've had in Galway. Only done coffee at Ard Bia but heard it fantastic. Have you gone to Il Viccolo? Probably the best restaurant I've gone to here but yet to try the other Michelin recommendations

Never been to Il Vicolo. Outside of Ard Bia, the only michelin starred restaurant I've been to in Galway is Cava Bodega, which was also very good but I couldn't remember the name when I originally posted. Suffice it to say that Galway has some fantastic food options and Ireland's culinary scene in general is pretty awesome currently.

[Galway Eagle]

I happen to be in London right now. Any recommendations for
Breweries? I've done brewdog, enfield and camden breweries so far. Plan on Beavertown tomorrow.

[4everwarriors]

Eye'd move onta Beavertown. Sounds fun and somethin' ta look inta, hey?

[WellsstreetWanderer]

The Cliffs are awesome but those with more time and being more mobile should travel up to Donegal and visit Sliabh Liag. These cliffs are three times as tall as Mohr and very impressive. Whilst there drop into the Rusty Mackerel for a pint.It is a two room ancient pub. The second room was originally for the horse. The Guinness is of recent vintage however