Cava Bodega — Restaurant in Galway

Do not believe the stars rating. I’ve tried to give 2 stars my reviews wasn’t allowed to be posted my husband booked a table (after reading mostly good reviews about this place) our experience (in case it helps, I have some Spanish blood & tapas are a very familiar thing to me, I have family & a home in Spain, so, the opinion I will share will be based on my knowledge of Spanish tapas & the overall experience at the bodega) Arrival: We arrived around 4:50, my husband spoke to a waiter wearing a white shirt & dark Jeans & said that we had a booking for 5PM, the waiter didn’t bother on saying a thing other than point towards the basement and say “downstairs” in a rude & rushed manner, my husband tried to clarify if our seats were downstairs, just to be rudely interrupted by another “downstairs!!” (so, no good evening, no I will show you to your seats, no you are both welcome, overall no manners or a sign of good service) We then went to the basement (where there is a seating area) We were greeted by a Spanish waiter from Galicia (to be fair he did come across as more friendly than the previous rude guy, but hey! After one of the driest & rudest receptions I had in a very long time, any fake smile & exaggerated enthusiasm would do right? :-). We were given a tiny table in the middle of the floor (& the place looked busy) I inquired if it would be possible to take a corner table that was empty as I felt nervous & worried about someone dropping something on me (after a long explanation about how long the restaurant was open & the owners) followed by “I will be looking after you tonight” (which came across as insincere after the lecture) I was told that it wasn’t possible, even though the table was free. After a few minutes there was a change of mind & we were told that we could get the table I asked for on the 1st place, later on I came to the conclusion that we were given that table just because a large group having a hen party dinner were seating to our right. The tapas: we had 6 tapas : Croquetas de jamón: croquettes with Spanish Serrano ham (well, that is what we’ve ordered) what we’ve got: 2 small saggy deep fried croquetas wannabe WITH NO TRACES OF SPANISH SERRANO HAM. Absolutely none yes! I looked for it carefully. A total let down, to make matters worse, it was served over a very strong sauce with English mustard (I mean English mustard sauce?! Maybe if it was served with an alioli sauce I could say ok, there is something Spanish here, or nothing at all just maybe a little bed of salad leaves) Patatas bravas (the worst I ever had, the sauce which was supposed to be a tomato sauce with onions, garlic, pimentón dulce (sweet paprika) and a bit of heat, the sauce we were served was a creamy sauce that resembled a ready made taco sauce (with a pinch of paprika) so, another let down. Duck with plums: the duck was cooked nicely just lacked favour. Pork belly: that was the only tapas that was worth eating. The chicken skewer: dry with an overpowering taste of turmeric. The oxtail Paella: that was a terrible choice here is why: there was zero beef oxtail on it, I do believe that the paella rice was cooked in some oxtail stock that was the only connection that paella had with beef oxtail. It was topped with some tomatoey/ ketchup like dollops & some Yellow dollops. Please add the beef oxtail to that paella! Maybe have pieces of it at the top of the dish. Desserts: we’ve ordered 2: the churros were presented nicely, it tasted okay, the sauce was like ready made/ shop bought. The basque cheesecake: they weren’t joking! It was a cheesecake (it tastes like a block of Brie on the plate, it just tasted like cheese nothing else not even sweet) Atmosphere: the place does resemble a typical low key tapas bar in Spain (a very casual one)maybe, play some Spanish music perhaps it may add to the atmosphere (it would help with the ambiance, as over played English songs gave the place cheap touristy vibes resort kind of place). PS: to add to the bad service a waiter kept on bringing us wrong dishes. I...

Run don’t walk to this absolute treasure of a spot in Galway. I’m quite literally writing this review as I finish my glass of wine after having one of the most amazing meals of my entire life. I just could not wait that’s how good this place is.

Atmosphere 10/10, service 10/10, FOOD 1000000/10. My tastebuds had the time of their life. I ordered two savory tapas items, and one dessert that changed my world.

Goat cheese and sweet potato croquettes with saffron mayo: the perfect bite size piece of heaven. The tanginess of the saffron mayo paired so well with the creaminess of the goats cheese. The fried savory and sweetness of the sweet potato really brought this dish together.

Confit pork Belly with apple compote and thyme gel: WOW, just total gobsmacked wow. The pork belly was cooked to absolute perfection. Tender enough to melt in your mouth on the inside and crispy on the outside. The apple confit was spiced so well and was the perfect addition to this pork. The thyme gel threw me off slightly. The flavor was great and complimented the pork in a way I was not expecting, but the cold consistency was unexpected. Regardless, I would order this dish again without a doubt,

Crema catalana, vanilla ice cream, almond crumble: this was the pièce de résistance, the absolute showstopper, and a dish that I would quite literally want every single night for the rest of my life. The nuttiness of the almond crumb was the perfect match for the sweetness of the vanilla ice cream. And then when the flavors collided with the crema catalana my world changed. I’m at a loss for words to describe the experience it was eating this. I was actually sad when they took it away because it meant the experience was over. If I was in the comfort of my own home I would lick the bowls clean with zero shame. And I might just do that the next time I order it.

All in all, I have a new favorite spot in my favorite city in the world. I look forward to the journey I’m about to embark on to try everything this amazing place...

I’ve never been to Spain so I can’t speak to the authenticity of the tapas but compared to what I have had, Cava was leaps and bounds above the rest (sorry Dilworth Tasting Room, I still love you).

Ambience: this is your quintessential cozy, romantic restaurant. Definitely perfect for dates. The space is small but I loved the decor and vibe of both the upstairs and downstairs parts.

Service: our waitress was very nice and extremely helpful in making suggestions since the menu was a bit overwhelming. We told her some of our preferred flavor profiles and her recommendations were spot on.

Food: we ordered 6 tapas for 2 people, per our server’s suggestion, and we did not leave hungry - it felt like a good amount. We ordered: organic mushrooms x2, Catalan ratatouille, Kenmare smoked salmon, Chorizo with potatoes and red wine, and tomato bread with Serrano ham. Yes, it’s pricey but we felt the price for the quality was well worth it as each dish was amazing and filled us up. For me, the mushrooms were the best I’ve ever had so I had to get a second order.

One of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to, Cava did not disappoint. It looks like they used to have a Michelin star, too? I’d highly recommend making reservations and keep in mind that they’re strict about the 2 hour limit per reservation. Thanks again, Cava, for a...