Exciting Changes at Alma Portuguese Restaurant in Galway

Alma Portuguese Restaurant in Galway city has been serving delicious food for years, and these changes are making us even more excited to visit again! Find out more here...

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From the moment you step through the door of this cute and cosy Portuguese restaurant just off Eyre Square in Galway city, you can feel the welcoming warmth of João and Márcia. Their passion for the cuisine of their home country can be heard in every word and tasted in every bite (and sip!). A husband-and-wife team, João and Márcia are what makes Alma so special.

Now, they have decided to make some changes to how their beloved restaurant operates, returning to the traditional roots of Portuguese restaurants. Alma will now be run by just two people, Márcia serving guests out front and João cooking in the kitchen. They will also reduce the size of the menu, which will change regularly depending on the seasons and availability of ingredients. To ease the flow of service they will host dinner sittings at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm. This stripped back approach will lead to a more intimate experience for the diner, and transport João and Márcia back to the rustic taverns of their youth in Portugal.

João beams as he tells us how much he loves to create “food that speaks Portuguese”, not just celebrating the staple dishes of his country but embracing the influences of travel that the food has soaked up over centuries of exploration. Macanese gastronomy, for example, is recognised by UNESCO as the world’s first fusion cuisine, blending Portuguese and Cantonese food to create something that remains new and exciting to this day. On the weekly menu at Alma, expect to see unctuous creations such as Chicken Breast in homemade Piri-Piri Sauce, Cod & Corn Crumble, Pork Belly, Prawns & Clams Rice, Duck, Couscous, and more. One week, the menu even featured dishes from the Indo-Portuguese cuisine in Goa.

This new way of operating gives Chef João more freedom and space to show off his flair for flavours. Make sure you follow @alma.galway on Instagram to discover the new menu each week - the menu runs until it runs out and then there will be a new one!

Alma means “soul” in Portuguese and a visit to this Galway restaurant will certainly do yours good. Alma Portuguese Restaurant is open from Wednesday to Sunday serving Dinner from 6-9pm Wednesday to Saturday and serving Lunch from 12.30-3pm Thursday to Saturday, and 12.30pm-3.30pm on Sunday. Reserve your table now via their website.