Brown soda bread is the bread of Galway and all of Ireland; bicarbonate-leavened, made with buttermilk and wholemeal flour, it arrives warm at every table in the city.
Soda bread became the staple bread of Ireland after baking soda reached Irish kitchens in the 1840s, coinciding with the Famine when yeast was scarce and ovens were rare. The western Irish version uses wholemeal flour from locally milled grains and buttermilk from local dairy, producing a dense, nutty loaf. The Saturday Market bakers and the farmhouse kitchen tradition across Connacht sustained the Galway soda bread tradition. O Connors Traditional Bakery and the Galway Saturday Market bakers are the best places to buy authentic Galway soda bread.
4 editor picks for Brown Soda Bread in Galway, ranked by editorial score. All Galway signature dishes · Brown Soda Bread across every city.
Galway Saturday Market ★ 4.8
latin-quarter · Church Lane, St Nicholas' Collegiate Church, Galway, H91 C7V4
Galway Saturday Market at St Nicholas Church runs 130 stalls including hot food from Connacht farmhouse producers, the finest weekly food event in the west.
McCambridge's ★ 4.7
latin-quarter · 38-39 Shop Street, Galway, H91 HX2W
McCambridges on Shop Street Galway is the city deli with the widest Irish artisan range; the cheese counter, smoked fish and baked goods are best-in-class.
Ard Bia at Nimmos ★ 4.4
spanish-arch · Spanish Arch, Long Walk, Galway, H91 X3CP
Ard Bia at Nimmos is Galway's most atmospheric venue at the Spanish Arch, serving North African-influenced Irish menus in a medieval stone building.
Dela ★ 4.3
westend · 51 Lower Dominick Street, Galway, H91 E3F1
Dela on Lower Dominick Street Galway runs seven-day brunch from a Moycullen-farm kitchen, blending Modern Irish produce with Nordic and Asian notes.