Review from www.wherecanigoeat.net 2010

Roundstone is probably one of the most picturesque small fishing villages along the west coast of Ireland in Galway. O’Dowd’s Seafood Bar can be found on the main street just 100 yards from the harbour and has a reputation for the some of the freshest and very best seafood around. O’Dowd’s Seafood Bar has been run by the same family for four generations now and over time, other non-fish dishes have been added to the extensive menus, but if you are visiting, it would be a shame not to sample the seafood as it is extremely good.

Diners at O’Dowd’s have the choice of eating in either the restaurant or bar area and there is also a café to be found further down the street with internet access. The restaurant menu is served from 6pm in the evening whilst the bar menu is served all day in the bar and up to 6.15pm in the restaurant and there is also a €19.95 two course special menu available 12-7pm every day as well as a daily specials board.

On the Sunday we visited Roundstone, we were determined to try O’Dowd’s Seafood Bar, having read such good reviews, and chose to eat in the bar area as we were only really after a light snack and I am glad we did as it had lots of character and did not look as if it had changed much over the years, a trait we were beginning to notice about most Irish pubs and bars we had visited during our stay in Galway.

As we entered, there were a couple eating a large plate of local mussels and that pretty much made my decision of what to have for lunch very easy. The seafood chowder also looked extremely good and my partner had vegetable soup and a ham and cheese toasty as she is not a big fan of seafood really. The mussels and soup quickly arrived and very good they were too and good value at €10.95 and €5.95 respectively given their freshness and taste. The chowder in particular was top notch and it was nice to find a generous helping of large chunks of fish at the bottom of the bowl that made the dish extremely filling and satisfying.

The service at O’Dowd’s Seafood Bar was first class and the whole dining experience was faultless. Within an hour we were all paid up and on our way, but very impressed we were too, and it was most definitely one place we would visit again, perhaps for a evening meal next time as O’Dowd’s Seafood Bar without doubt lived up to its excellent reputation as one the best places to eat along the west coast of Ireland.