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Recommended Reviews - Il Vicolo
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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!
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.
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!
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!!!
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.
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.
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. :-(
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.
1 month ago
28 days ago
Wonderful atmosphere, creative menu, delicious and fresh seafood, great service. Hotel desk recommended this restaurant and we could not be happier. Would totally go back! Great experience! read more
5 months ago
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
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
2 months ago
Food was great and atmosphere as well. Would recommend it, sitting outside on the patio would be really nice I imagine read more
9 months ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
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
1 year ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
5 years ago
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
3 years ago
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
7 years ago
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
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
11 years ago
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
12 years ago
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
9 years ago
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
7 years ago
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
9 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
11 years ago
8 years ago
11 years ago
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
11 years ago
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
7 years ago
9 years ago
9 years ago
9 years ago
5 star atmosphere but 3 star food. Dishes tasted bland but would return with group for wine and tapas. read more
9 years ago
7 years ago
7 years ago
9 years ago
10 years ago
10 years ago
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