The nights are drawing in, the rain is coming sideways off the bay – and Galway’s restaurants have decided the answer is to feed us. Blas na Samhna, the city and county’s month-long November food festival, is now into its final fortnight, with chefs, cafés and producers running one-off dinners, tastings and workshops right up to Monday, 30 November.
The festival is run by Blas na Gaillimhe – A Taste of Galway, the food network set up by a group of city restaurateurs, with the support of Galway City and County Councils, to promote Galway’s food scene all year round. It’s the autumn sister of the May festival, Blas na Bealtaine.
This year’s programme began on 26 October and teamed up with Gaillimh Ah-Boo! to give the opening events a Samhain flavour, before moving into November menus that also draw on food traditions from around the world.
What’s been on so far
The first half of November has given a flavour of how varied the festival is:
- Aniar hosted a foraging and fermentation workshop on 8 November with Ivonka Kwiek of Sage and Lovage, where everyone made a drink to bring home.
- Grá Chocolates ran a hot-chocolate tasting at the Korner Café in the Latin Quarter on 10 November.
- Alma marked Magusto, the Portuguese autumn festival of chestnuts, storytelling and music, on 13 November.
What’s still to come
- Thursday 19 November, 7–10pm – Tom Sheridan’s, Knocknacarra: a four-course seasonal dinner with wine pairings.
- All month – Aniar: a November family offer for diners aged 7 to 15, who must be with an adult. Conditions apply, so ask the restaurant.
There’s no single festival ticket. Each event is booked directly with the venue, and prices vary, so check the menu and terms before you pay – and if you have an allergy or dietary need, ask before you book.
Why Galway’s food scene is worth shouting about
Blas na Samhna lands in a big year for Galway food. Gary Harty of Galway Gourmet Oysters won the Contribution to Irish Food award at the 2026 Irish Food Writers’ Guild awards, as reported by The Irish Times. Aran Island Seafoods took the Water award at the 2026 Euro-Toques Ireland Food Awards, according to Euro-Toques Ireland. And Inis Mór’s Aran Island Goat Cheese was named a finalist for Dairy Producer of the Year at the Good Food Ireland awards, Agriland reported.
Closer to home, south Connemara’s organic smoked salmon has been crowned the country’s best organic export – read the full story here.
Why it matters in November
For restaurants, November is one of the hardest months: the tourists have gone home and Christmas parties haven’t started. Festivals like this one are designed to get locals through the door in the quiet weeks – which is exactly when an independent kitchen needs a full table most. If you’ve been meaning to try somewhere new, this is the fortnight to do it.
For more around Galway and Connemara, check our what’s-on guide for this weekend. Event listings are on Discover Ireland, and the full programme and bookings are on the Blas na Gaillimhe website, atasteofgalway.com.
Sources: Go To Ireland festival guide; Discover Ireland; This Is Galway; The Irish Times; Euro-Toques Ireland; Agriland.
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