The Pins Bar and Bistro at The Twelve

Last summer while lounging in the sunshine on the boat (oh how I can not wait for that again) and reading Wine Spectator, I discovered that The Twelve, a hotel outside of Galway city that we had passed many times, was listed as having one of the best wine lists in the world.

With Aer Lingus tickets already booked, I penciled a visit to The Twelve into our itinerary; I couldn’t miss out on this award-winning wine list!

One sunny afternoon after a walk on the Prom in Galway, we decided to drive along the coast to Barna to grab some lunch and to relax with a glass of wine.

When we arrived we took a little look around, decided it was way too cold to sit outside, and made our way into the stylish Pins Bar and Bistro.

You might be wondering about the hotel being called The Twelve and the bar and bistro being called Pins. . . or maybe not but I am going to tell you!

Connemara in the West of Ireland is host to twelve mountains called pins or, in Irish, Bens. We spend as much time as possible taking in these mountains; they truly help to define Connemara and make it like no other place I have been.

Our visit to Pins was on a bright and sunny but chilly day. Since they were featuring a beautiful French rose, I decided on that.

Since we had eaten yet another full Irish breakfast, we decided to share a couple of light menu items.

{TARTLET of GOAT’S CHEESE Mushroom, Leeks, Local Leaves and  Cashew Nuts on a Bed of Wild Rocket}

{GALWAY SEAFOOD PLATE , Smoked Salmon, Joe’s Crab Meat, Sardines on Toast, Sundried Tomato Tapenade and Fine Greens}

Our lunch was a perfect example of new Irish cuisine; after years of being known for not-so-great food, Ireland is coming into its own and using the abundance of fresh ingredients they have year-round. Due to their moderate climate and to being surrounded by water, they definitely have some great ingredients to start with. These dishes were simple, clean, and light and paired absolutely perfectly with a big, comfy chair and a glass of wine.

Barna is a beautiful little stop outside of Galway city, and though there’s not a ton to do, I would definitely recommend heading out of Galway for lunch by the sea one day.  O’Grady’s on Barna Pier is pretty much the perfect place to come in out of the Irish rain and enjoy some award-winning seafood dishes. For a tiny town, Barna certainly offers some delicious dining options!