The counters in Galway worth queuing for: bread, pastry, and the morning ritual.
Bakery counters in Galway worth queuing for: levain breads, laminated pastry, regional bakes and the morning ritual.
Magpie Bakery in the Cornstore on St Augustine Street Galway bakes sourdough in tiny batches; wild-yeast croissants and rye sell out before 10am most days.
Worth the queue: Country sourdough with Connacht wheat and long cold-ferment
Gourmet Tart Co in Salthill Galway bakes quiches and pastries using Connacht dairy; the sea-view terrace and daily baked goods make it the best Salthill stop.
Worth the queue: Caramelised onion and Cashel Blue quiche
Le Petit Delice on Mainguard Street Galway bakes French-style croissants, macarons and eclairs; the best Galway option for a classic continental breakfast pastry.
Worth the queue: Butter croissant made with Irish churned butter
BakeBox on Abbeygate Street Lower Galway bakes Polish-style pastries, paczki and sourdough loaves; a reliable artisan bakery open daily in the city centre.
Worth the queue: Makowiec poppy-seed roll, baked fresh each morning
GBC just off Eyre Square has been a Galway family bakery since the 1930s; the ground-floor counter sells fresh-baked breads and confectionary daily.
Worth the queue: Daily-baked soda bread and traditional Irish fruit scones
Dela on Dominick Street Galway bakes dark rye and sourdough daily from the on-site bakery; the bread is also available to take away from the front counter.
Worth the queue: Dark rye and treacle loaf with Connacht butter
O Connors Traditional Bakery on Francis Street Galway bakes Irish soda bread and brown loaves; the most traditional Irish bread counter in the city.
Worth the queue: Wheaten soda farls and butter-glazed fruit scones
Sheridans Cheesemongers on Churchyard Street Galway stocks artisan bread from local producers; the cheese-and-bread counter is the best Galway food pairing.
Worth the queue: Seeded sourdough made to complement the cheese counter
Galway Saturday Market bakers supply sourdough and Connemara-grain loaves; the best breads at the weekly market come from small Connacht artisan bakers.
Worth the queue: Seeded wholegrain country loaf from Saturday-morning bakes
Coffeewerk and Press on Quay Street Galway stocks rotating guest bakery pastries with a World Top-100 espresso; the morning croissant is the Galway ritual.
Worth the queue: Cardamom knot baked fresh each morning in-house
Ard Bia at Nimmos on Spanish Arch Galway bakes soda bread and seasonal loaves daily; the bread basket with cultured butter is a defining Galway lunch ritual.
Worth the queue: House-baked brown soda bread served at every table
High Cafe on High Street Galway bakes Moroccan-spiced pastries and almond croissants daily; the specialty goods make it the most distinctive bakery in Galway.
Worth the queue: Tahini-swirl morning bun using long-ferment dough
Kai Cafe on Sea Road Galway bakes daily bread from Murphys Moycullen farm grain; the morning bread counter is a West End Galway ritual before the restaurant.
Worth the queue: Seasonal vegetable tart made with produce from the Murphy farm