Rúibín Bar & Restaurant — Restaurant in Galway

I would have otherwise rated our food and drinks a 4 star, a solid meal but giving 3 stars because of the incredibly strange experience and lack of hospitality trying to get a table/spot at the bar.

We arrived with no booking but was told that the basement and bar have no reservations and are saved for walk ins. When we arrived the bar was full so we asked to wait for the bar and basically were told we couldn't. We even suggested we were happy to wait outside but that didn't appear possible either. We said we would try back... We walked around and 45 minutes later we arrived back, 2 people who just happened to show up right before us were able to be seated at the bar. Again, we asked if we could simply wait outside as it appeared several groups were wrapping up (food dishes cleared, drinks finished, etc). No one really acknowledged that would be possible or that anyone would simply flag us when something became available, so we just essentially waited by the door until the bar patron left. When someone did leave, I went to take the bar spot and was scolded and told it wasn't available. Color me confused as I thought that was all open seating and we had to fend for ourselves. The impression we got both times was kinda like, F-off we don't have anything, go somewhere else.

Basically, if you want to sit at the bar you just have to time it right because no one is going to be remotely helpful with giving you an estimate on timing, a suggestion that you could order a drink at the bar and wait outside and someone would grab you, etc. maybe it was an off night but the interactions were all very curt, unhelpful and inhospitable.

The only friendly and helpful person was the bartender who intimately...

We can not say enough about Ruibin! Richard, Alice, and Ruby recently catered a small wedding for our son and daughter-in-law. The hors d'oeuvres provided us with an indication of the perfection to come; Flaggy Shore Oysters with Yuzu & Chili, Crostini with Artichoke & Wild Mushrooms, and Bresaola with Horseradish and Parm. And then dinner: absolutely every course was exquisite. The appetiser was a Shiitake & Cabbage Dumpling, nestled in a Smoked Tomato Broth. The main: a Beef Fillet with Wild Mushrooms and Braised Shallots, cooked perfectly with a lovely Red Wine Jus, fell apart in your mouth. All the sides were included: potatoes served two ways, asparagus and broccolini. This was followed by a perfectly portioned selection of cheeses. The Warm Fig and Pistachio Tart was beautifully presented with Mascarpone Cheese which superbly balanced the sweetness of the tart.

Richard encouraged us to take our time which allowed us to savour each course and enjoy the evening. Alice and Ruby worked diligently to ensure that courses were timed so that each plate arrived freshly prepared. And as if all of this was not enough, late night snacks arrived - Hand Cut Chips, Nachos with Fermented Chilli Salsa and Guacamole and finally, Korean Fried Chicken with Honey Butter Sauce.

We all agree that Ruibin set the bar high; a world class restaurant that would easily rival those found in larger cities. We look forward to being able to visit this restaurant on a regular basis when times allow. Until then, thank you Richard, Alice and Ruby for making this a celebration...

I did not have a good experience at this restaurant. I ordered an egg, hash brown and greens dish. The menu said the egg came poached, a style that I don’t eat. I asked the server if I could get the egg scrambled, and was immediately told “no, the chef doesn’t scramble eggs”. Ok… i was taken aback by that immediate response but persevered. I asked if I could get egg whites instead. The server then had to go to the kitchen to “ask the chef”, and eventually came back and said no, the chef can’t do egg whites. I honestly would’ve left at this point because it was getting ridiculous, but I was with another (very) hungry person so I just ordered the dish with no eggs, as well as a kombucha. Based on the high reviews here, I thought I would be getting a house kombucha but it was just a bottle kombucha you can buy at the store. To make matters worse, when I tried to open the bottle it started spraying everywhere - it got all over my pants, stained my white shirt, got on my jacket, everything. My partner had to go ask for napkins. A little while later, a server came with a single blue napkin asking if I needed help and then said “yea those kombuchas can be temperamental” …. No apology whatsoever. As for the egg(less) dish… it was fine. The greens were sautéed in a style I could make myself at home. The sausage was fine, couldn’t tell if it was made in house or bought and cooked… the only star was the hash browns. Hence the one extra star for that. Honestly, I’ve had much better food and service in Galway so I’m surprised by...