Aniar
Aniar, which means "from the west" in the Irish language, opened its doors in 2011. Established by chef and restaurateur JP McMahon, Aniar was founded on a unique concept – to showcase the very best of Irish produce and ingredients in a contemporary, innovative manner. The restaurant's dedication to highlighting local flavors and traditions would set it on a path to culinary stardom. From its inception, Aniar aimed to redefine Irish cuisine by focusing on seasonality and sustainability. Chef JP McMahon and his team worked tirelessly to source the finest ingredients from local farms, waters, and artisanal producers. Their commitment to using indigenous Irish produce paid off, earning them a Michelin star in 2013. The Michelin Guide recognized Aniar for its dedication to showcasing the diverse flavors of Ireland's west coast. The restaurant's tasting menu, which changes with the seasons, features dishes that celebrate the abundance of Galway's surroundings, from succulent seafood to wild herbs and foraged delicacies.
Aniar is in a very unsuspecting building, it blends in to the store fronts and I will admit we did pass it. As soon as we stepped in we were greeted and had our coats taken. The restaurant was quaint with only about 10 tables. The décor was simple, sleek and inviting. I unfortunately did not get any photos of the interior as it was small and it felt a little invasive to get a picture of the tables. I can say though that every person we met was great, they all were very knowledgeable of the cuisine. You could ask any employee what was on your plate and they could tell you everything on the spot.
The tasting menu was huge and each dish had a very vague definition of what you were looking at. If you wanted to know more you need only ask. I decided not to go over each dish as it could spoil some stuff, so I picked through and found some highlights.
lobster, roe
This was a great way to start the dinner, the lobster and roe were simple but delicious. It not only combined the hardiness of the lobster, but the lightness of the roe. The chew was incredible, the outside cone created a crunch and combined with the meatiness of the lobster and burst of roe it truly covered all bases for texture.
lamb, beetroot
Tasting Menu
The lamb and beetroot was a very straightforward dish, but it was a welcome one. Au jus, lamb, and beetroot took center stage on the plate. The lamb was perfectly cooked. The beetroot was creative, the back one is a real beet, and the front one is a beet puree molded into the shape. Beets earthiness compliment the prominent flavor of lamb, and the au jus adds savory acidic notes.
meadowsweet, honey
This was a really lovely dish, most desserts you eat have very common flavors. I think we all know what I’m referring to, chocolate, caramel, jelly, sugar and etc. Now I emphasize sugar because there is either a sweet dessert or a rich one, this was neither. The honeycomb was a gelatin mold which I believe was made from a whipped honey (I’m assuming whipped based on the color, as it doesn’t change the flavor much) and meadowsweet. I have no idea what the mousse was on top but it added a sweet umami do the herbal honey dish. It was light and refreshing, but that mousse lingered making you want more.
oyster, wrack
Now I’m going to be honest here, this was really gross. This beautiful display in front you of you is oyster ice-cream. Yes they heated heavy cream with oyster meat to extract the flavor and proceeded to make an ice-cream. We were told at the beginning that we probably wouldn’t like this, which was actually the second time we were told this about a dish. So why give us something we won’t like? As crazy as it sounds, the experience. I feel like a sound pretentious, but its something that comes up often in our many conversations. It is probably the dish we remember most out of any place we have eaten.
In my honest opinion this was probably the best experience I have had in a restaurant. I can’t say “at a Michelin star restaurant” because I have only been to two. The only other Michelin restaurant I went to felt.. cold. As in, you eat your food, you pay, you leave. While at Aniar I felt like a welcome guest, as if my presence was what they wanted and not what was in my wallet. I need to clarify, Antiqvvm was not at all terrible, but if you compare the two it is night and day. After the dinner the head chef came out and spoke to each guest personally for 5 minutes or so. He wanted to know who was coming to his restaurant, why they were there, and what they enjoyed. I would highly recommend booking a reservation >website< because I can confirm it is well worth it.