FREDDY’S, Galway’s much loved Italian restaurant, opens its doors following a challenging year to unveil a new look after embarking on an extensive refurbishment and rebranding exercise. With a tempting new menu created by a talented new team, Freddy’s is firmly positioning itself as a top casual dining destination in the city.
Located on Galway’s vibrant Quay Street, in the heart of the city’s Latin Quarter, the restaurant has been owned and operated by the Coyne family since 1990. Formerly Fat Freddy’s, the new vision for Freddy’s is backed by son Dara Coyne and his partner Sophie McLaughlin, whose joint desire to take over the family business and inject new life into the city, has been the driving force behind the restaurant’s new look and offering.
Speaking about the relaunch, Dara Coyne, Owner of Freddy’s said, “We wanted to create a space that retained the warmth and heart that was so inherent to the character of Fat Freddy’s, while also appealing to a new customer base that might not have grown up visiting the restaurant.
Freddy’s is a fresh take on what Fat Freddy’s did so well for so long. We want to welcome customers old and new to experience the modern comfort of Freddy’s, to enjoy great, quality food, wine, and beers with friends and family, all lovingly prepared and served by our brilliant new team.“
The new design has been created in collaboration with Galway-based architect and designer, Juan Sotoparra. Sophie has a natural interest in design thanks to her mother Ann who had a successful career as an interior designer and had a clear vision for the direction she wanted to take Freddy’s. Housed in one of Galway’s oldest tenement buildings, it was important to both Sophie and Dara to retain the character while being sympathetic to the original building.
Speaking about the design, Sotoparra said, “The inspiration for the new design came from merging the comfort and casual atmosphere of a traditional Irish pub and Spanish taverna combined with an Italian pizzeria where the cooking action is on display and a new copper pizza oven takes center stage.”
“The new fit-out incorporates warm rich textures of natural native larch timber, which is complimented by the exposed stone from the original building and new concrete floors. All perfectly balanced by gentle, warm lighting and soft furnishings with a colour palette of deep blue, ochre, and orange.”
Head Chef, Ivan Marchitto, originally from Naples (the modern birthplace of pizza), developed the new menu with a passion for authentic Italian cuisine which stems from his time spent cooking with his family from an early age in Italy.
Freddy’s satisfying lunch menu consists of a delicious selection of freshly made sandwiches featuring Italian focaccia bread that has been fermented for 24 hours and baked fresh each morning, with a variety of flavoursome combinations using delicious Italian meats and cheeses. Freddy’s focaccia sandwiches are available from the hatch Wednesday to Friday and to dine-in at the weekends between 12-3pm. Locally ground coffee and baked treats are also available from the hatch from 10am-12pm Wednesday to Sunday.
The evening menu embraces a range of classic Italian dishes, using the finest locally sourced ingredients. It includes great small plates, perfect pizzas made fresh with cold fermented 48-hour dough with classic and eclectic toppings as well as freshly made pasta and elegant Italian desserts.
The small plates menu is comprised of classic Burrata Salad with Italian Burrata, Local Cherry Tomatoes (€10), Bruschetta with Homemade Bread, Datterini Tomatoes (€8), Freddy’s Fries with Secret Seasoning (€4.50).
The Pizza menu includes a mix of the old classics and new combinations. The signature pizza base recipe was developed by Dara during his time spent in lockdown. Speaking about the process, Dara said, “We would make up to 30 pizzas a week, sometimes eating them for breakfast and didn’t stop for almost a year until we were happy with the final result.”
The pizza dough is slow fermented for over 48 hours and cooked at 450 degrees to create a light and airy pizza base. Highlights include: Spicy N’duja with San Marzano Tomatoes, Fior Di Latte Mozzarella, N’duja Sausage, Cashel Blue Cheese, Honey and Fresh Basil (€15.95), Vegan with San Marzano Tomatoes, Peperonata, Vegan Mozzarella, Red Onion, Vegan Pesto, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Rocket (€14.95).
From the pasta menu, expect classic Rigatoni Arrabiata with fresh chili, garlic and spicy Italian tomato sauce (€14.50), Linguine Bolognese with slow-cooked beef and pork ragu (€16.50) as well as Seafood Linguine, using fresh locally sourced mussels, clams, squid and prawns in a white wine tomato sauce (€18.50)
For dessert indulge in a classic Tiramisu (€6.50), Cheesecake of the week (€6.50), or something a little lighter, Chocolate Mousse €6.
A new drinks menu includes a selection of Italian wine and beer as well as a choice of local beers and ciders from (€5.50).
