Colleen R.
Yelp
Hooked is absolutely worth a visit if you're in Galway and wanting super fresh, delicious seafood. Fish, lobster, oysters, octopus, and chowder, this gem is putting out some great food in a cute, charming atmosphere.
Our table ordered a variety of appetizers to start - the shrimp/cheddar nachos, the crab/chorizo croquettes, and the Galway oysters. The oysters were definitely the star of the group with a super fresh, briny flavor. Basically they tasted fresh of the sea. Delish! I would skip the nachos (stale chips but good shrimp) and croquettes (good but not great) next time.
I don't think you can go wrong with any of Hook's entrees. The fish and chips I had was outstanding. This fresh fish (cod I think) was prepared and cooked perfectly with a light, crispy batter that puts almost all others to shame. Truly great. My friends may disagree, but the second best meal at our table was the seafood risotto. It had a perfect ratio of seafood to the creamy risotto and had a beautiful, delicate flavor. It was exceptional. I can't remember exactly what everyone else ordered (some fish, a lobster roll and something else), but I had bites of all of it, and everything was delicious. I also enjoyed the quirkiness of the seaweed flakes on my friend's french fries.
The restaurant has a nice, simple selection of wine and various Irish beers as well as desserts. I enjoyed the house sauvignon blanc. It was a perfectly crisp and cool accompaniment for our seafood meal. The sticky toffee pudding is good as was the creme brûlée. Not exceptional, but definitely good.
Although located in a residential area about a ten minute walk from the Latin Quarter, most of the patrons enjoying Hooked the summer evening we were there were Americans. The restaurant's 4.5 stars rating on Yelp is well earned and could have something to do with that.