Hooked

This is an alright restaurant. Wine and butter mussels: pretty nice, good flavour. A BIT above average. Deep fried squid: pretty hard and dry. Below average. Chowder soup: taste better after we put salt. Average. Seafood risotto: the rice was super soft, far from "al dente", a bit mushy. Although the fish was pretty nice, I'm so disappointed about the rice. Way Below average. Oyster: they were fine. Average. Staffs are friendly and the environment was good. A lot of space between tables.

First night in Galway was looking for a solid place for fish n chips, found this place with high ratings so came to check it out and it did not disappoint! Walked in without reservation, was seated in about 15 mins, small space so defo recommend to book ahead next time. Ordered an appetizer with salmon and fish n chips with the daily catch fish as they ran out of cod. Both dish was very delicious, fish was tasty, fresh and you can tell it was definitely daily caught, the fish meat sticks nicely in one piece. Love the sauce and chips. Server was very friendly and efficient with great recommendation and pensionable!

Everything I had here tasted amazing! Got the risotto and grilled fish n chips and every bit of seafood was cooked and seasoned to perfection! Very popular slort so I would recommend making a reservation as I had to wait 45 minutes as a walk-in. Oh! Forgot to mention that I got the receipt in this cute little treasure chest! Very fun

Very tasty. We found this restaurant by chance, as there were simply no seats in the center. But we were pleasantly surprised, firstly, by the delicious and fresh seafood, and secondly by the presence of air conditioning. Just super in the heat of +29°. Special thanks for this. I really liked the local beer. Surprised. I recommend it to everyone.

It's a small restaurant so I advise making reservations ahead of time. We were lucky to get a table for 5 but did have to wait about 30 minutes outside in the drizzle. The food was pretty good everything was fresh. The service wasn't bad but wasn't good by any means. We had to ask our server to remove plates where missing food dishes were etc. She never inquired about more drinks or dessert we had to flag her down to ask.

Omg I had one of the best fish and chips ever had (cod) but I have to take one star off as the portion was small. I’m a small woman and I still left feeling hungry after but ordering more would have been too expensive. The fish and chips was $19.40 euro. Protip ask for an extra piece of lemon!

Nice quiet spot walking distance from Quay St. Great fish and chips, 4 of us shared two plates and also tried the mushy peas. Enough to fill us up for a bit until we found the next local gem we wanted to try. Staff was very friendly and the dining area had a cute coastal charm.

First of all, I must express my disappointment with the service, which I found to be rude, unwelcoming, and generally unpleasant. The staff member with ginger hair (glasses) displayed a negative attitude when we inquired about the possibility of being seated 15 minutes earlier than our scheduled time. Regrettably, her responses were not welcoming, and she allowed us to leave the premises despite the pouring rain. Secondly, I found the food to be rather watery and, in my opinion, overrated. However, I must acknowledge that the seafood was fresh and of acceptable quality. Thanks.

Was recommended to try by a local and it was a delight. Seafood is fresh and affordable. Comfortable design with a nautical theme. Easy to walk to but away from the crowds of the Spanish quarters. Service was attentive but not over bearing.

Hooked came highly recommended so we decided to give them a go. We took a chance and walked over without a reservation so we waited quite a long time (close to an hour outside, as there wasn't a good place to wait indoors) so I recommend making a booking if you can. We were eventually seated at a communal table which did end up being a lot of fun as we met two sisters traveling together and a young couple on a birthday trip. We had a lot of fun talking with everyone and comparing travel notes. Service was fast and the food was good... fresh and tasty... but I did think that portions were a bit small for the price. With the exception of dessert which was quite a lot and good for sharing.

Classic and satisfying. I had the fish sandwich and chips. Tasty and well-cooked (sauce has some flavor to it) and the chowder was good (no bacon in chowder which is a great thing for me). I arrived near to opening and afterwards a large group came in, the server was nice and took my order but I notice that the larger group who ordered after me got their main meal before me. Feels like a popular spot. Good fish n chips place in Galway.

It was tough to get a reservation, just like anywhere in Galway, but we were seated within 10 minutes of our booked table. Staff was efficient and friendly, but took quite a while to come and take our food order. There aren't many options for non-fried or non-creamy dishes, but we enjoyed the prawn feta salad and the seafood soup with a clear broth. They have a decent wine list, although were out of a couple of our top picks. Not a fast meal, but decent and tasty.

Great find and a great Italian restaurant in the middle of mostly pubs in Galway. The place is bright and clean. You need to book a reservation in advance because this place is always packed. The foods were excellent especially the sauces and fresh seafood. They were able to accommodate my lactose intolerant with a nice red sauce. Our server was very nice and proud of its elevated Italian offerings in Galway. We are definitely go here again the next time we are in Galway.

This was some of the best fish I've had to date! The food was very fresh and flavors worked wonderfully together. The service was pretty fast as we were one of the few people in the restaurant. I loved the nautical decor is was very aligned with the area. I can't wait to visit again!

Seafood was delicious. The pan seared octopus starter had great flavor and is great for two. The half dozen oysters were fresh and not too fishy at all - one of the better ones I've had so far. Fish and chips weren't too heavy and flavor was nice. Has a few bites of the Seafood Linguine and that was seriously amazing - the sauce was perfect and lots of seafood to pick from. We went at 6:15pm on a rainy Friday evening and were able to sit immediately. It started filling out later in the evening and their take-out seemed like a popular option too.

There was already a full restaurant and a few parties on the wait list when my husband and I arrived. It took a while before we weren't able to flag staff down to add our name on the waiting list. Once we added our names, we went down the street to have a couple of beers at a nearby bar. The restaurant is small, so the only place to wait is outside. We were seated after returning, which was about 45 minutes later. After being seated, the service was attentive and quick. We ordered three starters, which were all delicious. The butter kissed octopus tentacle portion is probably more fir one, but 2 people could share a couple of pieces each. The raw oysters were Pacific, which confused me a little sinceIrelandis on the Atlantic side. They were fresh and delicious. Food in Ireland has been on the blander side but not at Hooked. The fisherman Stew was full of seafood and flavor, and so was the risotto. I recommend it if you are looking for fresh, flavorful food.

Wickedly delicious and fresh seafood dishes. Could've kept ordering more but eventually my stomach was too full and I was too jolly to continue. Definitely coming back the next time we're in the country. Lovely nautical themed interior as well.

I went here last month with some friends and it was one of the best restaurants I have eaten at in Galway.

Was on the hunt for the best gluten free fish & chips in Ireland and Hooked is top of the list. Was a bit off the beaten path but gluten free chowder & fish was delicious & staff was great. A bit off the beaten path but worth the walk. My travel partner also said this was their favorite fish & chips of the trip (they are not gluten free).

Friendly crew very educated on GF cooking and serving. Best GF fried fish! Nice neighborhood and close to the river

A local friend that lives here recommended this place and I'm glad I came Everything was good I ordered half dozen oysters and the muscles with garlic butter sauce Everything was super fresh and I loved the oysters My friend got the fish and chips and they were also delicious

Excellent place! Well with the wait (which we passed the time walking the canal) Wait staff was engaging and welcoming. The cooks were hard at work. Thank you!

My wife and I spent a couple weeks in Ireland and while in Galway at a wonderful cheese shop we were told to check this place out as the locals love it. Truly amazing Irish seafood, I had the fisherman's stew, seriously recommend. My wife had a salmon special while she fell in love with. Can get busy so go on a weekday if possible.

A lovely lunch experience. I wanted seafood and this truly delivered. I went in with high expectations -- got the risotto and truffle oil chips -- and those expectations were met. Friendly staff and moderate prices resulted in a pleasant time. Would absolutely recommend this place and would return. Only thing is nothing on the drink menu really jumped out at me, but that's alright, there's plenty of pubs in Galway for that.

Fabulous simple seafood. Long wait for a table but worth it! Service was attentive even though the joint was jumpin'!

Quaint place with very affordable prices, fresh seafood and excellent service. Our server was very attentive and friendly. A few menu items are listed separately since the fish of the day changes. The fish (halibut) and chips were delicious; so crispy! Galway Bay oysters were a bit fishy tasting but Tabasco sauce and lemon helped. Limited seating so get there early or be ready for a wait.

You guys. I'm having a hard time not swearing while writing this. I've never written a review while eating at the place but like woah, this is so bomb! The mussels...hello?! So so good made me feel like a cool girl that's like, " yeah I like sea food" the risotto and FISH AND CHIPS!? How can something be buttery yet flaky crunch? Bless y'all! You're doing the damn thing xoxoxoox

Great: Fresh, perfectly cooked seafood, friendly attentive service, appropriate prices!

Sorry for just the three stars but I can only go by my experience. I had the special. I had monk fish cheeks and they were extremely tough. I'm not sure if I got the right chef or not but no bueno. I basically ate mash potatoes and mushrooms and the rest of the garnish. And pushed the cheeks aside. The service was "interesting" they sat us down....gave us water....and then? See you later. I walked up to the counter had to order my food had to grab my own wine.....I was my own Waiter. At the end of the day I think this place is good. May have been just an off day.

Amazing food. Great service from Mary. I would love to come back to this nautical themed restaurant with fresh fish. Mac and cheese was so good as well.

Let's start by talking about the horrendous service. Just like other reviews, we shared the same experience. We were already sat down at our table and still waited about 15 minutes to place our order. A couple came in shortly after and had their order taken within 2 minutes. When my boyfriend walked up to the counter and asked if we could place our order, the waitress told us to just wait so she can submit the other couple's order in first (remember they came in 15 min after us). It took another 5 minutes for someone to even acknowledge us. While all of this waiting was going on, our waitress was just walking around and occasionally cleaning random tables even though there was no line waiting to be sat. 0/10 for service. The ambiance was alright, the tables were dirty but there were some cute decor that I enjoyed. The only reason I give this restaurant one star (besides the fact that I can't go lower) is for the food. The food was overall 9/10. Oysters were delicious!! Tasted super fresh and were a nice size. Mussels were pretty spectacular too. Baked Mac and cheese was light so didn't have us feeling sluggish. Food was phenomenal, service was the worst I have ever seen.

The food was so fresh and fabulous - you could tell everything was of high quality. The service was also so lovely and the servers were very patient and attentive. We dug in too fast to remember to take a photo first, but like their wall says, one taste & you're Hooked!

6/17/2019- Another WONDERFUL meal in Ireland. We were staying at an Airbnb near by so we decided to walk there. We had not made any reservations, so when we arrived and say a line outside, we figured we were in trouble being that it was five of us. The hostess told us it would be a 15 minute wait. We were pretty hungry so we decided to look at the menu and be prepared once we were seated. The wait was not long. We were seated and ready with our orders. I ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc right away because I was ordering the Baked Wild Silver Hake, Spiced quinoa & Connemara seaweed crust, pickled vegetable salad. We did order a few appetizers for our table to share. We ordered the crab croquettes, shrimp nachos and the Galway oysters. I did not try the oysters. The croquettes were pretty good but the shrimp nachos were a total miss. The chips were stale. It wasn't anything special, I would skip this all together. I did try my friend's seaweed flakes on her French fries and I would totally order this as an appetizer. My hake was perfection with the Connemara seaweed crust. I've never had this before and I would totally order it again. It's such a unique flavor. The pickled vegetable salad was delicious! For dessert, we all shared the sticky toffee pudding with a scoop of ice cream and the guava crème brulee. Both desserts were outstanding. Our walk back to our airbnb was a good one after this unforgettable meal. It is true, One Taste And You're Hooked!!!

We were staying in an Airbnb next door to Hooked so we had to try it! Food was great (Fish and chips) and the service and ambiance top notch!

We chose Hooked for dinner on the one night we were in Galway and were so happy we did. Located in a residential area it was only a 10 minute walk from our AirBNB. When we arrived there were about 10 people waiting outside the restaurant but they told us it would only be a 15 minute wait and they were pretty spot on. The restaurant isn't very large but it is decorated adorably in various sea themed decor. We ordered the shrimp and cheddar nachos, crab and chorizo croquettes and 1/2 dozen oysters to start. Everything was amazing. The oysters were so fresh. Probably the best I've ever had and coming from south Florida, I've tried a lot of oysters. The croquettes were really tasty with an amazing flavor. For dinner our party of 5 ordered fish and chips (the best tasting batter we had on the trip), seafood risotto (order this. It was AMAZING! I had food envy), Seafood tagliatelle (lots of seafood), baked wild silver hake (had a tasty seaweed coating) and a lobster roll. My entree was the lobster roll. They make it with a mayo and ketchup sauce which is a favorite of mine but I've never had it on a lobster roll. It was unique and really good. The included fries were seaweed salted and tasty. Even after all that food we still ordered dessert: sticky toffee pudding and passion fruit creme brûlée. Both were really great. From the fresh and delicious food to the cute decor to the amazing staff this place deserves ten stars. I would eat here weekly if I was a local.

I highly recommend the fisherman's stew, it was absolutely delicious! And the cider was fantastic too! I will definitely go back! Worth every penny of mine!

Fish and chips were good. Enjoyed the Irish bread. Fun place good stop when in Galway

Great little place over the bridge from Eyre Square. 8 minute walk. Fantastic seafood

We were in Galway for 3 days, and the best seafood we found was at Hooked. Great Fish Pie, and Seafood Stew. Highly recommend!

Delicious! Tucked back from the busy bar scene. Unfortunately very noisey when we were there but due to two large groups of 20 something guys, having a good time. Not a deterrent though because the four was excellent, the seafood chowder was delicious!

Wow! Found this place on a Google search. We just had one of the best meals ever! The fish we had was "plaice". Never heard of it previously. It was the best fish/fish dish we have ever had! Server on a bed of risotto that was also quite simply amazing. We also had spicy shrimp macaroni and cheese, also, "amazing"! We were only "tourists" in a packed restaurant on a Wednesday night, so the locals know where to go! If you're ever in Galway and don't go to dinner here you missed an incredible dining experience! Can't say enough good about this place to fully explain our overall experience. Just got incredibly lucky finding this place.

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.

After spending a week in Ireland, dinner at Hooked was the best meal we had... by far. At the suggestion of my traveling bestie Angie S. we came to Hooked on the Monday we were visiting Galway. Just a short walk from our little neighborhood AirB&B the five of us arrived around 7:30ish for dinner. It's quite a small place so be prepared to wait a bit for a table. We waited maybe 15/20 minutes and without a reservation it honestly wasn't too long. While we waited we checked out the menu to decide what to eat. Once sat at a large window table we were served right away. We all ordered various beers and wines and started with the croquettes, shrimp nachos and I got the 1/2doz Galway oysters. I honestly wasn't impressed with the shrimp nachos; while the shrimp was good the chips were stale and the whole thing together just wasn't really worth ordering. The croquettes were quite good. Being from south Florida I've had all different kinds of croquettes from Miami to south beach and the seafood take was quite refreshing considering they're usually made with ham/pork. The oysters however, straight fire! These were definitely super fresh and local caught - not too salty and had perfect flavor with the squeezed lemon and hot sauce. YUM! For dinner I ordered the seafood risotto. There's another review here that states to stay clear of the risotto... IGNORE IT. Growing up in south Florida literally eating seafood since birth and being a hardcore foodie... the Hooked Seafood Risotto is one of the best I've ever had. Risotto is my favorite and I will automatically order if it's on any menu, this seafood risotto was amazing! It was perfectly creamy and had delicious parmesan flavor and the right amount of each seafood. I only wish the portion was bigger, mostly so I could have continued eating it but I honestly considered ordering a second to take to-go. While I didn't try all the other foods that were ordered at the table everything looked amazingly fresh and I loved that they add the seaweed seasoning to their fries - nice touch. Service and overall experience at Hooked was fantastic. I love little places like this and the small/local feel with the amazing experience we had earned them a spot on my "best of the best" list. I hope to return to the emerald isle in the future and would come out of my way to have another meal here again.

I have never written a review like this but I do feel that it's necessary. I have also never had such a negative experience at a restaurant, and the fact that it was here in Ireland is a huge disappointment. We've been here for a while and never once encountered anything like this, everyone has been so friendly, so kind and lovely. Usually I will try my best to see the best in people but no matter my trying to be patient or positive there are just no excuses for how we were treated. We agreed to be seated in the corner of the restaurant because the hostess said that that was all that was available. The strange thing? While we waited outside in the cold for twenty minutes a couple walked up and were seated in the front straight away even though like us, they had no reservations. Their table could have seated four, we had three in our party. Oh well. We waited 10 minutes for our hostess to come offer us drinks, as none of the waitresses would make eye contact with us. It then took another ten minutes to be served those drinks, just for that waitress to realize we had been given glasses for water, but no water. She brought us water and then avoided us. Our appetizers were finally brought to us and we were so hungry we didn't say anything, just tucked into our food. My oysters came, and I was happy. And then I realized that the description was oysters with lemon and Tobasco, but there was no Tobasco. Again, no one would make eye contact with me the same hostess finally came over and brought some to me. I had ordered a main that was to come after my starter. Nothing came. Nothing. We were done with our appetizers and sat there and watched while they waited on other patrons, patiently showing and offering the specials menu(we were never offered) came back continuously to check on each table around us while avoiding our table and another table that was across from us directly by the toilet. So, I did not mention it in the beginning because as much as I tried to think that possibly it could be something else, I unfortunately came upon the conclusion when there was no other reason that could have made sense. We are three women of color. The table across from us were people of color. They had asked to be moved because they were placed in front of the toilet. They were told very rudely that they had to stay there because that table was already taken, even though both parties had made reservations and were the same amount of people. But the people that showed up for the reservation later were white. Wow. And when I say directly in front of the toilet I'm not kidding. Please go look for yourself. They were also not offered the specials menu, and were ignored mostly too. It is a shame that an establishment that has such high reviews was such a let down.

This restaurant caters to caucasians. We were excited to eat here and unfortunately the service was terrible! I have never completed a review and blamed bad service on racism. However, this is the first and in Ireland of all places! The red head and short haired blond in this Hook restaurant need to be unhooked! They suck! Worst display of racism. We were seated in the corner and another group who looked to be middle eastern were seated right in front the restrooms. I heard them ask if they can move to the next table and the red head rudely told them no, another group was arriving & will sit in that table. There were 5 caucasians to the 6 middle easterners that were already seated in front of the restrooms. We noticed all the great service provided to all the other white patrons and not us or the other group. We were seated in the worst seats in the restaurant and left with no service. 10 minutes to get our drink orders & food. Another 15 minutes to receive our drinks, 20 minutes to get appetizers and entrées never made it almost 30 minutes later because we left. We noticed that the other colored group did so too. The appetizers we did receive was mediocre at best. Too much aiole and not enough cheese sauce. See the seating arrangements from our vantage point? Gobdaw!

Excellent food and service amazing seafood and oysters were delicious! Do recommend booking a table as small and fill up fast for service.

Walked quite a ways to come here I passed it on my way on the bus and it looked too good, walked up right when they opened and ordered half a dozen oysters, monk fish cheeks, and the shrimp taco. Boy oh boy was it delicious and hit the spot perfectly. I really enjoyed it and this place was another beautiful restaurant. Loved the bathroom. The door mechanism and the sink. Definitely a must visit while your in Galway.

After two unsuccessful nights to get a table at Hooked, we tried a third and what would've been a final time. To our luck, the universe was on our side. We indulged in appetizers, mains, and beverages. Personally, I had the Hooked Fish Taco. An exquisite cross between Mexican cuisine and Irish fish. The ambiance of Hooked was a modern spin on a fish tavern. All in all, a very tasteful adventure and well worth the multiple attempts to get a spot.

This was my second time at this establishment and I wasn't disappointed. The place is small and the seats fill up fast so if you're in a pinch for dinner call before you walk over to see if they have room for you. I got the chowder this time and previously I had the fish and chips, both were delightful.

Dinner was sooo amazing... we had the oysters, mussels and seafood linguine. Ridiculous!! Our waitress was so kind and helpful and the restaurant was clean and welcoming!

This was by far my favorite restaurant in Ireland. It was recommended to us by a local. Everything on the menu was delicious in large portions. The atmosphere of the restaurant was great and the staff was very accommodating. It was packed so we had to wait a little for a table, but it was well worth the wait. We started off with the squid, fish taco, monkfish cheeks, crab and chorizo croquettes, and oysters. Everything tasted fresh and hit the spot. My favorites were the fish taco and the croquettes. I ordered the seafood tagliatelle and it was amazing! I loved all of the seafood and it was a simple yet elegant and tasty dish.

We felt the person behind the counter was rude. She spent a very long time explaining there would be no table for us and then sent us to a restaurant 3X as expensive and very tricky to find. Dismissive tone.

I visited their restaurant multiple times. I tried fish and chips, chowder, mussels, risotto, and linguine. All of them were great. The only issue with their restaurant is the table booking system, you can not book anything in advance. And their system of writing the names and calling the numbers would not work if you have a US number. So other than annoying waiting, the foods are awesome. You can order anything and you won't be disappointed.

Great off the beaten track restaurant. Amazing and fresh seafood and very friendly staff. They have a large menu which is a blessing and a curse, there was so many things I wanted to try. A local bartender recommended we go here and I'm so glad she did! Best calamari and lightly battered fish and chips.

Came here for dinner on a Friday night and the place was packed with people! We were seated right away for our group of 9 people. I ordered the shrimp tacos as my appetizer and it was so fresh and delicious and came with 3 pieces of shrimp with slaw and some really good sauce. A lot of people in our group got the Seafood chowder which they loved and they do offer an option to choose from the small or large cup option. For the main entree I ordered the Seafood Risotto which I wasn't really feeling since it was way too creamy and had a mix of different fish in it but I wouldn't say it was bad. The orange jelly garnish on top tasted like marmalade and I didn't really like the sweet touch added to the risotto. The Parmesan crisp and arugula toppings were good though. A lot of people in our group got the fish and chips which they were please with and they give you a hefty serving of fish and chips. One person got the Seafood pasta which was absolutely delicious with a good helping of clams. One of my friends got the fish burger which to her disappoint didn't come with any fries. Oh and the calamari is also good here. I would definitely give it another chance but stay clear of the risotto.

My group and I just left and I must say this was the worst dining experience we've had so far on our trip here in Ireland. My group was seated in the corner of the restaurant (which we originally agreed to). However, we did not expect that with us being placed in the corner, that meant we would not be serviced or helped THE ENTIRE TIME. The staff came to our table only to take our order, and then to bring our food and drinks. So 3 times in total. After receiving some of the groups food, no staff member came back to our table to check on us. However, the staff serviced and checked on all of the other tables MULTIPLE TIMES, and it felt as if they wanted to forget we were there or they were actively trying to avoid us. One person in our group didn't even receive her food. Also, I do want to point out that the two groups with colored people (our group included) were placed in the corners of the restaurant. The other group of colored people was placed right in front of the restroom, while all of the white groups were placed elsewhere. They can say it was due to space or whatever, but it was BLATANTLY obvious that our two tables were not being serviced or helped the way the other tables were. Lastly, we watched another group come in and be taken care of immediately and receive the specials menu from a server (which we never received) and yes, they were white. In conclusion, the service here was terrible. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone of color.

A wonderful crispy salt and pepper squid as starter, delicious salmon burger, an original non battered but grilled fish and chips for a change and the best fries we've had in Ireland. This with a very good local beer and a soft price and lovely service. Don't ask, go there!