Looking for cafés to write in Galway? Here are my favourite spots in the city for a laptop and a long coffee, plus how to be a welcome guest while you write.
There is something about a busy café that gets words moving. The hiss of the coffee machine, the murmur of other people's conversations, a window onto a wet street. At home I find a hundred reasons not to write. In a café, with a cup going cold beside me, I just get on with it.
Galway is a grand city for it. It is small enough to walk everywhere, full of students and creative people, and never short of somewhere warm to sit on a grey afternoon. Here are the cafés to write in Galway that I keep going back to, and a few habits that make café writing work.
My Favourite Cafés to Write in Galway
Coffeewerk + Press, Quay Street
Right in the middle of the Latin Quarter, Coffeewerk + Press is a coffee bar with a small shop of prints, books and design bits. The coffee is serious, and the upstairs seating looks down on the street, so you get the buzz of Quay Street without being in the thick of it. It is best early in the day before the crowds arrive.
Urban Grind, West End
Over the river in the West End, Urban Grind is a relaxed neighbourhood café with good coffee and food. It is a little away from the tourist trail, which helps on a weekday morning. I like it for planning sessions with a notebook as much as for laptop work.
Java's, Abbeygate Street
Java's has been a Galway favourite for years, known for its crêpes and long opening hours. It is livelier than the other two, so it suits a first draft rather than careful editing. Bring headphones if you need them.
+ Join Our Writing Community for FREE
Chain Story Online
Fun, free, flash fiction writing with writers just like you. You have ~100 words to begin a story or continue a story and make it yours.
Story Bible Studio
Digital space for writers to plot, plan, and build better stories. Designed by writers for writers. Your final draft awaits.
Cafés open, close and change their hours, so check before you go, especially in winter. And if you fancy a change of scene outside the city, the cafés along the prom in Salthill come with a sea view thrown in.
What Makes a Café Good for Writing?
The right noise
Complete silence can be as distracting as a racket. Most writers do best with a steady background hum. Find a café that sounds like that at the time of day you write.
A table you can stay at
A proper table and a chair you can sit in for an hour matter more than a fancy menu. Window seats are lovely, but a corner away from the door is warmer in November.
Power and Wi-Fi, or none
Some days you need a socket and Wi-Fi. Other days the best thing is a café with neither, so you can't wander off into email. Charge your laptop before you leave and decide which kind of day it is.
How to Be a Welcome Café Writer
- Buy something every hour or so. You are renting the table as well as drinking the coffee.
- Avoid the lunch rush. Mornings and mid-afternoons are kinder to laptops. If it fills up, pack up and give your table to someone who wants to eat.
- Keep your stuff tidy. One bag, one laptop, one cup. Don't spread across a table for four.
- Take calls outside. Nobody wants to hear your Zoom meeting with their scone.
Making the Most of Your Café Time
Go with a plan. Know which scene or chapter you will work on before you sit down, and set a word target or a timer. When you hit it, have a walk along the Spanish Arch or down to the Claddagh before heading home. Galway is full of stories, and you will usually find another one on the way.
Final Thoughts on Cafés to Write in Galway
The best cafés to write in Galway are the ones where you can settle, focus and leave with more words than you came with. Start with Coffeewerk + Press, Urban Grind and Java's, then find your own favourite corner. Be a good guest, buy the extra coffee, and enjoy writing among the buzz of the city.
If you write better with company, try a round on Chain Story Online, where you add one passage at a time to a shared story. And to keep your characters and notes in one place wherever you write, have a look at Story Bible Studio.
Related reading: Things to Do in Galway in Winter · Free Things to Do in Galway
Enda Storrie is a writer and the creator of Story Bible, the planning journal and app for writers, and Chain Story Online, a free collaborative storytelling platform.
P.S. Enjoyed this? Become an insider and I'll send you one of my favourite posts every couple of weeks.
