Review of 'Powers Thatch, Bar And Restaurant '

Staying in a Oughterard Bed and Breakfast we were looking for somewhere nearby to eat. Our hosts highly recommended the nearby “Powers” restaurant on the high street. It turned out to be a terrific suggestion.

The thatched restaurant is hard to miss though, to be fair, there are not a lot of shops in Oughterad but only one that is thatched. Inside it feels more like a cozy pub complete with wooden bar just to your left. On a Tuesday night at 7:30 it was very busy indeed with our having to be seated upstairs, initially alone but soon joined by a larger group at a neighbouring table. The walls were decorated with local pictures and in our corner there were even books and games to choose from. The reason it is busy is the amazing food and this very much in evidence after a quick glance at the simple menu which featured local ingredients but served in pub-style.

The evening menu consists of two pages split into two sections: Starters and Main Courses. So, simple enough. Prices are reasonable with most items below €20 with the steak being most expensive at more than €30. We were not hungry so opted to order off the “starters” menu.

I opted for the “Killary Fjord Atlantic Steamed Mussels” (€12.90; “Scallions, tomato concasse & fresh herbs in a white wine & roast garlic sauce”) which were absolutely wonderful - Plump, juicy with an amazing sauce that I soaked up using their equally amazing “Guinness bread” stollen from my counterparts plate (the staff were more than happy to bring us more). The mussels did not have far to travel with “Killary Fjord” being only about 45 km down the road.

My companion had the “Power's Seafood Chowder” (€8.90; “A cream based & hearty soup with chunky fish pieces & Dillisk seaweed with homemade Guinness brown bread”) which she found very good indeed, making sure to leave none of the broth behind.

We had to pay at the bar till near the front entrance where we had to wait for a few minutes but otherwise service was reasonable with the friendly staff pretty much leaving us to enjoying the relaxed but buzzy atmosphere alone.

The price is very reasonable and the food very good indeed. When we are next in the area we will look forward to trying the rest of the menu or even coming in for breakfast or lunch, with their separate menus. Very tasty indeed.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2023-09-12

Cuisine: Irish

Address: Main Street, Fough East, Oughterard, Co. Galway, Ireland

Location: County Galway (Ireland) - Oughterard

Map:

Telephone: +353 91 557 597

URL: https://localhours.info/en-view.php?seo=powers-thatch-bar-and-restaurant-750810