In Ireland, beer and coffee are the popular choice but since I don't care for either Fancy Hot…read moreChocolate has become my go to on a chilly day. Walking along window shopping brought me to Hazel Mountain Chocolate. Their store is like a museum displaying all the handmade chocolates but my eye was drawn to the menu on the wall. They took great care in crafting my hot chocolate and what I was presented with was beautiful. The temperature was perfect for drinking and the flavors were well balanced. I absolutely loved this treat.

Locally made chocolates and hot chocolate. This high end chocolate shop has small truffles for…read more€2.50 each, full sized chocolate bars for €9 or a nice cup of hot chocolate for €5.50. There are several varieties but we chose the classic and it was perfectly sweeter, rich and creamy.

Clearly you are on your way to the Cliffs of Moher or perhaps over the choppy waves to one of the…read moreAran Islands. Otherwise what would you be doing here on Fisher Street in the seaside hamlet of Doolin in County Clare? There's a row of little shops and of course, Gus O'Connor's Pub, on this street overlooking the babbling Allie River. This was actually my second time in this area but the first where I had enough time to enter this charming chocolate shop where you see a feast of fudge in front of you in the display case (photo: http://bit.ly/2f0kM0a). It's hard to resist such sweet handmade treats so why bother resisting? Sample away as the kindly owner is more than happy to share her fudge with you (photo: http://bit.ly/2f0oRkK). There are also plenty of chocolate, caramel, and cookie crunch bars to choose from (photo: http://bit.ly/2fszI9Q) as well as pre-packaged artisan fudge treats from the nearby Wilde Irish Chocolate Factory (photo: http://bit.ly/2eIrokX). As you can see, I went to town and bought a bag of the Hazelnut Milk Chocolate and my personal favorite, the Peanut & Pistachio Fudge (photo: http://bit.ly/2e0gZgu). There was even a customized bag of Chocolate-Covered Peanuts which were purely addictive on the bus ride back to Galway (photo: http://bit.ly/2eIo0Xm).

5 stars for the cutest chocolate shop in one of the cutest little towns…read more My friend and I were on a tour to the Cliffs of Moher and the wee town of Doolin was one of our stops. After lunch we walked around the area and this chocolate shop was one of our stops. The lovely owner was manning the front and greeting everyone as they walked in and out. We had a quick conversation with her and she told us that she and her family make all the chocolate themselves. Awesome! If you like chocolate, you'll be in chocolate heaven. There are so many different flavours and varieties for you to choose from - dark, milk, nutmeg, strawberry, orange, almonds, raisins, and so much more. You can get chocolate bars, lollies, or chocolate covered treats. The options are really endless here. Did I mention that they also sell a variety of chocolate fudge chunks? I picked up a few chocolate bars for my dad and brother since they are huge choco fans. I was also happy to support this awesome local business. I'm now back in Canada and have opened up one of the chocolate bars and damn, are they good. I should've picked up more!

Heavenly Hazel Chocolate Mountain. My goodness, what a delightful stop on a beautiful drive over…read moreHazel Mountain. Hazel Chocolate Mountain Burren Chocolatier is a lovely little shop and I believe there's a little cafe on site as well though we didn't stop in there. The chocolate shop serves up delicious and beautiful chocolates in a variety of ways. When we were in, we were happy to explore the shop as well as hear a bit about the business and their approach to chocolate from one of their lovely workers. We took home some pretty truffles for gifts as well as Irish whiskey truffles for ourselves (a delight!). Definitely worth the stop. One note: The cafe is in the front and the chocolate shop is through the outdoor arch toward the back. Get to it!

A cute, little chocolate shop that offers some delicious, pure chocolate treats. While they do make…read moretheir goods here, it's much smaller than what you're thinking when they use the word "factory." It's essentially two rooms and you can watch the chocolatiers at work. The lady who was working the store did a small sampling with us and gave a quick backstory. It was a nice, local business to stop in and support on our way to Galway.

Leonidas is a very small Belgian chocolate maker right on O'Connell St. (Note that the chocolates…read moreare not made on the premises.) Despite the small size, you are certain to find your favorite chocolates here for yourself (ask for a bag) or as a gift (ask for a gift box). From truffles to chocolates flavored with nuts, alcohols, fruits, etc, to children's chocolate lollies to marzipan treats, there's sure to be something! They have a good mix of milk chocolate versus dark chocolate and if you're feeling confused, the ladies behind the counter are more than happy to help. In our house, my husband loves the vanilla-infused chocolates, and I'm partial to the dark chocolates with lemon or the dark chocolates with the hazelnut center.

I can not say enough wonderful things about this shop. The chocolates are to die for. The customer…read moreservice is wonderful. The shop is well kept - very clean and eye catching. I just love this shop! You can get an array of things from a few chocolates in a bag to chocolate spread - which is to die for! You can pick out what chocolates go into your box from a massive selection. The ladies behind the counter are so very accommodating. There is a great personal touch as the same few ladies (four I believe) are there all the time and they are so polite. If you have not tried it yet I highly highly recommend!

Michelle was great, welcoming, knowledgeable , and really seems to enjoy her job. The food and…read moredrinks were really delicious and everything had incredible flavors and so much variety. If only we didn't have a dinner reservation that night, I could have likely eaten and drank even more! It was more than just a tasting at each stop, a lot of food was served, and everything was good.

We did the Mystery Food Tour on Halloween with Michelle! It was a wonderful time and one of the…read morehighlights of our time in Galway. We got to try 5 different spots, all within walking distance. Everything was delicious! We loved learning about the local spots and learning a bit about Galway's history. Michelle was a wonderful guide and great storyteller! The company asked for any food allergies over email a few days before and those with allergies were accommodated so no one felt left out. Highly recommend and hope you'll keep doing the Mystery Food Tour for Halloween!

PANDORA BELL (May 10) Irresistible. Walked into Nash 19 last…read moreTuesday morning and didn't get past the very first display in the shop: a stand of tempting colourful lollipops from Pandora Bell. Grabbed a bunch and went to work on the tasting. I'm a big kid now but these lollipops - or suchettes as the French suckinctly call them - are big enough. You get quite a few licks for your €2.50. They come in various flavours: strawberry, lemon, orange and mint and all colours and flavours are natural. Beautiful. But then I expected nothing less from the Limerick confectioner Nicole Dunphy. Already she had tempted us with her honey nougats and salted caramels not to mention her Easter special: gorgeous real shell chocolate eggs. Keep up the sweet work, Nicole. PANDORA BELL My sweetest thing this Christmas? Pandora Bell's honey nougat. Sense-ational. Picked up a couple of packets at O'Keeffe's (St Luke's). Gorgeous. No wonder the Bridgestone Irish Food Guide has named this new Limerick confectionery label as its Newcomer of the Year. Bridgestone's John McKenna says of Pandora Bell, "You want to see and taste perfection? Here it is, again. Nicole Dunphy's salted caramels and nougats and lollipops are of a standard no one in Ireland has ever achieved, and she has just started her Pandora Bell business, so what awaits us in the future? We can't wait." Neither can I.

I always stop in here for a coffee when visiting Limerick. Love it - staff are friendly and helpful…read moreand the coffee is made just how i like it. It is never bitter or overly strong. I don't think I've ever got a 'bad' coffee in this place and I've been going there for 10 years. They also use 'real' freshly whipped cream unlike many other places where it's from a can. Selection of all plant milks too - soya, oat, almond. Food is good, nice selection of cakes, gluten free is also catered for. It is a pleasant place to sit and soak up the atmosphere of the bustling pedestrian street. Comfortable inside and also large outdoor seating area - great in summer, but there are also heaters in winter. Owners are very hard workers, I hope they keep going for many more years. Only minus is that it's not open on Sundays.

This spot looks great so I decided to try it for morning coffee & a toasted sandwich. It was rather…read moredisappointing & blah. The staff were great & more than helpful but.. The sandwich was tasteless & the coffee just blah. I would definitely not return here.