We were in Galway for a Beaujolais masterclass, and it went well. But folks need to eat, and so we made a reservation at Aniar, the town’s Michelin-starred restaurant, opting for the 6 course tasting menu (it’s tasting menu only here). How was it?

In short, fabulous. Aniar means ‘from the west’, and the source of the ingredients is the west coast of Ireland, with lots of local and foraged ingredients. Indeed, the menu changes depending on what’s come in that day.

The cooking here is intensely creative and clever, in a Scandi sort of way. The dishes are very pretty, but they also taste good. The six course menu, of course, comes with lots of embellishments and extra courses. I don’t like gimmick cooking, but this wasn’t gimmicky: the flavours all worked.

To drink? The list here is pretty good, and quite eclectic, although it’s also quite concise. We chose a Rhône white, from Eric Texier.

Eric Texier Adèle 2017 Côtes du Rhône, France 
Fresh, textured and quite fine with nice citrus and pear fruit. Richly fruited but with freshness. Supple and expressive, finishing with some baked apple depth. 91/100