Visit Galway’s Westend for a few drinks with pals

Galway’s Westend has some of the best spots for an epic night out in Galway. With late bars, wine bars, music venues and traditional pubs, there’s no end of great places to have a drink in Galway’s Westend.

We can’t talk about a night out in Galway without mentioning Róisín Dubh, a world-famous music and comedy venue that always has something exciting in store for you! For music of the traditional Irish variety, head down to The Crane Bar where there’s always a session, although the famous pints of creamy Guinness are almost as soothing as the tunes. There’s always music to get your feet tapping in Carroll’s on Dominick Street too; whether you opt for the traditional-style Irish pub at the front or the modern, quirky ‘Caravan Club’ Beer Garden out the back, you’ll find regular live music sessions to match the vibes in either space.

Speaking of beer gardens, some of the best outdoor party spots in the whole of Galway city lie across the bridges in Galway’s Westend. When the sun is high, the craic is always 90 in Taylors Bar & Beer Garden and their covered ‘n’ heated outdoor area is a great place for a pint of Guinness, a refreshing cocktail or one of their many Irish whiskeys. Down on William Street West, Massimo has a few choice tables out front to soak up the sun in the afternoon as well as a hopping beer garden tucked away out the back where you can party the night away with tunes and cocktails aplenty.

Nova, the first (and by far the best!) Gay Bar in Galway, is always exploding with colour, sounds and fun. It’s a great place to dance the night away to some cheesy tunes and cheer on the regular drag performers. The Blue Note Bar, the local’s boozer, has a famous (or maybe infamous!) dancefloor where hordes of revellers have danced, laughed and loved down through the years, before cooling down and catching up in the quirky outdoor area.

For the craft beer lovers among us, there are some excellent places that you have to try “Back West”. Salt House may be small in size but it somehow manages to pack 23 taps (15 of which are rotational!) and over 180 different varieties of bottles within its hallowed walls. Bierhaus, just down the road, is a hub of culture where you’ll be able to sample dozens of local and international beers or stouts, Irish gins, flavourful wines, handcrafted cocktails and mouth-watering food, all of which changes seasonally. If there was a Michelin star for bars, these two treasure troves would definitely have a few hanging beside their doors, ready to be admired from the quaint little patio areas they’ve got out front.

No trip to Galway would be complete without a pint of Guinness in a classic, homely, comfy traditional Irish bar! You’ll get all that and more at MP Walsh on Dominick Street Lower, with fantastic cocktails and eye-catching décor to add to the mix. If you feel like sampling some of the finest Irish cooking along with that much sought after pint of plain, John Keogh’s Gastropub boasts a hugely impressive menu and loads of snugs to cosy up in while you eat and drink. The Galway Arms Inn, too, is home to a fabled pint of the black stuff and a céad mile fáilte.

It’s not JUST pints and Irish craic in Galway’s Westend, though – you can have a fancy date night out on the town too! Tartare is a fabulous café by day but transforms into a trendy wine bar in the evenings with a perfect range of organic, biodynamic wines and small plates to nibble on as you chat. No matter what they do at The Universal, they do it right; the cocktails are mind-blowing, the curated food menu is beautiful and the selection of wine will keep you coming back to try a new one.

It’s safe to say there’s a watering hole to suit any event or occasion in Galway’s Westend, so why go anywhere else? Learn more about Galway’s Westend by checking out the best things to do, right here.