Fantastic spot for an elevated Italian dinner. Service was fine, the ambience was quite romantic, and the food was divine. The bread in the beginning was lovely, the focaccia was well done! The cacio e Pepe was perfection, and the risotto with ossobucco was out of this world. The apple dessert is a MUST and was the best dessert I think I've ever had - and the lemon curd here was also delightful! read more

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Food was great and atmosphere as well. Would recommend it, sitting outside on the patio would be really nice I imagine read more

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Great Italian restaurant in Galway! If you're in the area and craving Italian food I definitely recommend it. The place is usually busy so a reservation is a must. The focaccia they give you prior to your meal is fantastic and I would go there simply for the bread itself. Their menu is definitely on the pricer side, but the ambiance and service make up for it. If you're looking for high quality pasta, wine and the best focaccia you'll ever eat definitely head to Il Viccolo! read more

Ridiculously good food. The lamb loin and the tagliatelle lamb ragu were both delicious. Lamb loin was a small portion but some of the best we've ever had if not the best! The Tagliatelle was perfectly cooked and the ragu was outstanding, perfectly salted with a mix of pork. The sauce was balanced and excellent. The service was impeccable, from the host seating us to the Italian server that had a lovely Italian accent. Had to cool my daughter off, haha. The building and setting are rustic, dark but lit enough for it to feel just like an upscale 400 year old building, which it is. Sorry the pics aren't great. Eating began immediately and then I realized I had no pics. The bread service was also fantastic! read more

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The ambiance was great. The service was excellent. The seafood parcheti was SO salty that I was wiping the sauce off the shellfish and noodles in order to eat them. When my husband said something to the waitress about it she said "well, it is seafood from the ocean!" My husbands venison ragu was also very salty but not nearly as bad. We wanted to love it. read more

The best restaurant in Galway. Absolutely fabulous, the food, the staff, the restaurant itself. First-rate, authentic Italian. My wife had the Spaghetti Carbonara and I had the Four Cheese Gnocchi. Both exceeded expectations. The wine was excellent. Can't say enough good things about this venue. read more

Excellent. Excellent. We tried a lot. Spaghettis Carbonara, Gnochi (the best!), risotto, tagliatelle with mushrooms (their description was soooo much better). The salad was simple and great. The potatoes! So crispy. So good. Outstanding service. Great meal. Great experience. read more

We reserved and requested an outdoor table well in advance. When we arrived there was plenty of outdoor seating available however we were told those tables were booked up. We should've left. We sat indoors and as we finished up those outdoor tables were still open. The food - all four of us had pasta. All four dishes were okay but not spectacular, and more salt than needed. There are better experiences in Galway to be enjoyed read more

Former Michelin star restaurant, but still great Italian food. Really enjoyed the modern Italian food with a focus on fresh fish, meat, and pasta. A very large Italian wine list, and also my favorite beer on tap, Birra Moretti. Service was a little slow, but i was forgiving due to the staff fitting us in without a reservation. read more

Il Vicolo - Pasta alla carbonara - Cafes Near Me - Galway, G

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My girlfriend and I had our Valentine's Day dinner at Il Vicolo this year. It was amazing! The scenery was beautiful and the ambience of the candles was perfect. The menus were set at the beginning of the meal, which is a speciality for the holiday. Just be aware if you visit for this occasion, that it's a rotating meal of dishes brought to your table for sampling. read more

Absolutely perfect restaurant, food, wine and ambience. I ordered the special appetizer and main (urchin pasta), delicious.

INCREDIBLE food, wonderful staff, beautiful interior! This is an absolute can't miss- you can only hope to be lucky enough to nab a reservation here!! read more

Inspired. What a special, special little place. An amazing find that, honestly, the pictures do no justice to. From the staff, to the plating, to the flavors, to the ambience with live music, WHAT a breath of fresh air. One if the best nights out my wife and I have had in QUITE some time. Coming from NYC, I would make the trip back to Galway JUST for this restaurant. A true gem. BRAVO! read more

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As we walked back to our hotel we were met by a irresistible smell of food. We had no idea what we was in store for us. Not only was it the best food we've had in Ireland, but also the best service. Jamie was attentive, friendly, and patient. He was extremely knowledgeable of the menu and gave us great local tourist recommendations. If you're in Galway do not skip this! Highly recommend!!! read more

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My oh my what a magical place this is. I'm so happy I stumbled upon it for our two year anniversary dinner. The atmosphere is littered with romance and historic old bricks and the warmth of wine in the air. The elegance of decor starts at the walls at the front door and is fluid all the way to their back patio. Sprinkled with wood details and charming seats along the running river. They had incredible music the Sunday even we were there. A local jazz band played for a few hours in the front room which allowed all guests to hear them at an appropriate volume. The food was also good. For appetizers we got the calamari, which was a little sad regarding the quantity but yummy and fresh! We also started with the meatballs which I didn't care for much. For entrees we ordered the risotto which was lovely and tasty and the carbonara which was alright. Overall the food was a bit hit or miss but no real big complaints, simply room for improvement. The service was a bit slow and forgetful. They were proper and friendly but we had to wave our waiter down a few times. Thankfully a neighbor waiter noticed this. He swooped in while we were waiting 20 minutes to ask for the bill. He was incredibly friendly and let us try a wine similar to the one we were drinking on the table. Thus, our scenario with poor wait staff may have been a one off. When I come back to the area I'll be sure to keep this restaurant on my list though. The atmosphere alone is worth the experience and the food I am definitely willing to explore more of. Lovely evening. read more

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Ahhh!! I ate the best gnocchi I have ever had in my life here(even better than gnocchi I have had in Italy)!!!!! The space: gorgeous!!! A wonderful outdoor patio where you can dine next to the bridgemill underneath the lovely twinkly lights. If it's too chilly or rainy, the dining room has a lovely ambiance- from the cozy bar to the open dining room. A bit off the beaten path, a quick walk away from the latin quarter, I highly suggest eating at this restaurant. They have a wonderfully curated wine list- I went with a glass of the nebbiolo and it didn't disappoint. Starters: - Aracini: Delicious-- Can't go wrong with fried cheesy rice balls! - Mozzarella with ham, hazelnuts and honey: UGH it was all so fresh an paired perfectly. It was darn good. Mains: - Gnocchi: PERFECT, the absolute best gnocchi I have EVER had. They were so pillowy/soft on the inside while having a slight crisp on the outside. OMG so flipping fresh, I couldn't even handle it. I had ordered the small size and immediately wished I went with large, not because it wasn't enough food but because I simply could never get too much of this gnocchi. - Tagliatelle: good, standard. No where near as mind-blowing as the gnocchi(my hubby had major food envy). Loved that the mushrooms were picked by a local guy in the area. Dessert: Tiramisu: yummy! Our waiter was amazing, food was insanely delicious, and the ambiance was perfect. read more

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So your walking around Galway and notice an Italian restaurant at the end of a building. You take the narrow stairs down to the basement and there you find Il Vicolo, a little gem underneath an old flour mill. This place has ambiance with it's ranging display of wine bottles, old timbers and the center piece is the water wheel that has been in operation since 1849. We were lucky to get here a bit early and the bartender pointed what is probably the best seat in the house overlooking the spillway through an arched window. It has to be one of the more interesting seatings we have ever experienced. So we are off to a good start with friendly help and really cool setting. The menu was delivered by server #1 and it has a wide range and interesting selection of meat, seafood and pasta. The entrees are all reasonably priced which was a nice surprise given the location. I expected much higher. The table was provided a carafe of water with lemon and mint which was nice touch to upgrade plan old tab water. We ordered the bruschetta as a starter from server # 2 which was well portioned for two when was delivered by server #3. It was a nice mild blend of garlic and basil as you would expect and the tomatoes were fresh. It was a bit more salty than we would have preferred but it did not diminish the plate. For diner, I ordered the pork and beef meatballs with a side of pasta and my wife ordered the muscles and clams. The meals were delivered in a reasonable amount of time by server #4 and the food was hot and freshly prepared. The meatballs seemed to be all meat and there was eight smaller than golf ball size as a portion. The meatballs were mild with not a lot of seasoning, at least that I could taste. I found the red sauce, although a rich meaty tomato paste, blah. There wasn't much happening with the palette on this plate. It was a decent portion but overall I was left wanting something else. My wife ordered the muscles and clams which looked delicious when it was delivered by server #5. She was pleased with the garlic and tomato broth but began to notice no claims. We asked the bartender what was up with the missing clams and he said he would check into it. We had to follow up a second time to learn that they were out of claims and that the waiter # who knows who should have mentioned that to us when we ordered. Somewhere between the bartender seating us and server #5, there was a loss of focus on our table. We waited longer and longer times for each element of service. We finally had to get up from the table and go get our check since nobody seemed responsible for us. No one checked on our meal shortly after it was delivered to see if we were satisfied. So overall, the place is a very special location and would be a hoot to visit on a warm day or evening. We may have hit at the beginning of the dinner hour so they weren't fully up to speed but the service did knock my rating down. This could most definitely be five stars but lack of a stellar red sauce for an Italian restaurant, goofy service arrangement and claims without claims leaves me ponder somewhere between a 3 and 4 star. But giving them the benefit of the doubt, I will tip towards 4. Also, no Yelp check-in deals. :-( read more

Il Vicolo - Muscles and clams without clams - Cafes Near Me - Galway, G

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A gem of a place! Found this while walking along???? and wanted Italian food. So glad we came here for a delicious and relaxing dinner. Had the lobster ravioli. Delicious. A surprise find read more

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Best meal service and ambience ever!!! I posted my review on Yelp page for former location. This hidden gem moved into Galways oldest building in June. If you are getting engaged look no further this is the place to do it. Book your Valentines Day reservation now for this delicious hot spot. read more

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Starters are amazing. Have been there twice and starters were amazing both times. Last time the fish special was really really good, today monkfish wasn't really worth the price, but all the sides and gnochi were very well cooked. Overall the food is amazing and I would definitely recommend it. The space is really nice and cosy, perfect for dates or even to small groups dinner. Service is definitely 5 stars. read more

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The charcuterie was decent. 3/5. The paperdelle was inedible, the meat was overcooked and the pasta was undercooked. Wine selection was mediocre at best. The waits for the food was outrageous. You should not come to this place. read more

Expensive, but delicious. Beautiful location right by the river. Why do I have to write more words before this gets posted?

Staff rude, wouldn't allow a party to serve their own cake despite the large amount of money being spent. Only interested in getting you in and out as quickly as possible. Hugely inflated prices. read more

Had dinner here last night. Great Italian tapas place in Galway. Very nice atmosphere, it is in a neat old building along a canal. Nice music playing too. Service was amazing. It is a group of Italian guys working there. They are very on top of things. I ordered mussels and clams, bruschetta, and black olive creme brûlée...which was very different but really good. They have a nice wine selection. I highly recommend this place read more

If you're sick of pub food this is the place to go. Fabulous modern Italian food with a great selection. Highly recommend the small cheese plate with wonderful cheeses, meats, olives and jam. The wine selection is quality and delicious. Overall, a great experience. read more

A lovely, peaceful setting on the terrace overlooking the river. The food was exceptional. We made a meal of starters - charcuterie tray, burrata, green salad and calamari. Everything was delightful. Service was poor at best. read more

Benny loves his restaurant and it really shows in their delicious food and the wonderful service. We had lunch there and it was awesome. We also hosted a family party there just the other day for 50 people and they served a wonderful meal to us. Everyone had something wonderful to say. A gem. Just go! Thanks Benny, Jennifer Ferry read more

Perhaps one of the best Italian restaurant i have gone to in the world. I have eaten all over Italy and across the globe. Amazing !!! read more

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Seriously EAT here!!! The location is over the top gorgeous. Every aspect of our dining experience was lovely. I suggest you make a reservation. Would be a lovely place for a special anniversary date. read more

Il Vicolo - II Vicolo - Cafes Near Me - Galway, G

Some of the best Italian food I've ever had in my life. Service was a little slow but the food was spectacular and the ambiance is wonderful. read more

I went here for a dinner with colleagues. What makes this place great is probably the atmosphere. Authentic italian decor and overlooking the river sitting in what feels like a wine cellar. A relaxed ambience, certainly if you need a romantic date venue, this is 100% your place. Call ahead and book the table for 2 right by the window. Hopefully youre gonna split that tab though, this place is not the cheapest around.. and of course as it goes in all classy restaurants you probably wont be too full afterwards.. portion sizes are delicate.. but if its a special occasion, then definitely splurge, you deserve it right read more

5 star atmosphere but 3 star food. Dishes tasted bland but would return with group for wine and tapas. read more

Il Vicolo - Cafes Near Me - Galway, G

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Cozy and rustic place with great food and wines. Live jazz was playing the night we were there. Would definitely suggest this place

I was staying in Galway for one night, sightseeing from Boston. I found this restaurant on YELP and it did not disappoint. Great food and wine list, very good service. I would highly recommend it, authentic Italian food in Galway, we were made to feel very welcome by the owner and staff. read more

Excellent food tucked away in a little space. Great atmosphere but a little warm inside.

I was on vacation from California and was directed here by the owner of my B&B. Being in the wine business I have lots of opportunities to eat in many great places and this is a major find in the beautiful city of Galway! Fantastic food, amazing wines and beautiful setting next to a flowing river! If you want a temporary escape from the pubs and the stew I would highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Without even a bite, I can tell you this restaurant is top of the line. Service, charm, wine selection...they excel at their craft.

Tried this place after I saw the reviews on Yelp. It did not disappoint. Where to begin....entering the restaurant we were greeted by the sight of a huge double bass, live jazz, what a treat! We were sat beside a huge bay window that overlooks a rushing river and inside the restaurant is a disused waterwheel. Ambience. Check! I was with 8 friends some of who had no idea what anything was I the menu and looked dubiously at me across the table but thankfully decided to trust me and stayed put. The food was absolutely gorgeous! There were so many Italian tapas to choose from, although calling them tapas seems wrong as they were great sized portions of deliciousness. The wine was all Italian and I was really happy with the one I choose. The service was great too. All in all a fantastic dining experience :) read more

I went to this place with my partner for a birthday and I was extremely disappointed. The restaurant looks nice and interesting from the outside but was seriously underwhelming. Both my stater and main dish were terrible, my main was swimming in so much watery sauce it could've been a soup, and a bad one at that. I didn't even eat it and they refused to take it back. The staff were very unhelpful. It only gets two starts because my partner got the calamari for his starter and it was very good, but that is it. read more

We ate here last night and sat outside listening to the water. Beautiful setting. Staff were very friendly and food delicious. Had the bruschetta and ravioloni. Two dishes plenty. Friends had flower zucchini (recommend!), polenta chips (delicious), scallops and pâté! Will be back!! read more