Il Vicolo

ben.schlomo

With all the negative foodie stories on here i said id put up a positive one. Tried Il Vicolo(where Cafe Luna was) on Augustine St today and they have the best coffee i've had since i was last in Italy. We had a piadine aswell which was fresh and tasty. Nice small menu with some lovely sounding breakfast, lunch, mains, salads and desserts. Definitely will be going back again and again.

inisboffin

I just missed it the other day, presume it doesn't open too late. Will give it a lash next week!

ben.schlomo

inisboffin wrote: »

I just missed it the other day, presume it doesn't open too late. Will give it a lash next week!

Yeah i think they close around 7or8, i know i've seen them gathering up the outside seats around then when i was passing by last week. Might be judging the hours on custom for now too though.

Das Kitty

ben.schlomo wrote: »

With all the negative foodie stories on here i said id put up a positive one. Tried Il Vicolo(where Cafe Luna was) on Augustine St today and they have the best coffee i've had since i was last in Italy. We had a piadine aswell which was fresh and tasty. Nice small menu with some lovely sounding breakfast, lunch, mains, salads and desserts. Definitely will be going back again and again.

Going to check it out next week, thanks for the heads up.

bobbytables

Sorry for digging this up, but....

Short of this place having it's own website, from the Intarweb I'm a little confused as to what this place is. I heard from a friend recently that it's a wine / tapas bar for night time chillout with friends sort of place. However from this thread and their Facebook page it really doesn't look like that.

Especially if it closes @ 7 or 8pm, as was previously mentioned

Can anyone clarify? also is there a PDF of their menu floating about?

ben.schlomo

bobbytables wrote: »

Sorry for digging this up, but....

Short of this place having it's own website, from the Intarweb I'm a little confused as to what this place is. I heard from a friend recently that it's a wine / tapas bar for night time chillout with friends sort of place. However from this thread and their Facebook page it really doesn't look like that.

Especially if it closes @ 7 or 8pm, as was previously mentioned

Can anyone clarify? also is there a PDF of their menu floating about?

Nothing to do with tapas.
Its a wine bar/cafe/restaurant. They do a breakfast and Sunday Brunch menu, they have daily specials usually pastas and salads, they have soups, and its great for coffee and cakes etc. It opens late on Fridays and Saturdays, lot of the time it gets booked out with parties though. Dont think theres a menu anywhere online.

topcat77

Place is fantastic addition to Galway!!! I ate there on the Friday of Paddys weekend. Me and the lady turned up with no booking around 9pm. Lucky for us a table was just being cleared and free. Had a large meat and cheese plate and a bottle of wine. service was fantastic and the food equally so. Would love to be selfish and keep this under the radar but it's not me. Try you'll enjoy

bobbytables

ben.schlomo wrote: »

It opens late on Fridays and Saturdays, lot of the time it gets booked out with parties though. Dont think theres a menu anywhere online.

When you say "opens late", do you mean this is a suitable night time venue (stays open after midnight for wine), or is it just a place to get a late cafe bite circa 9pm. Basically guys, could I chill out in here (late in to the night) like I could in the likes of Java's if I wanted to?

It certainly sounds like an impressive place, which Galway certainly needs a few more of, but these guys are seriously losing marks for their lacking web presence. Having just a Facebook profile & a few directory listings is real low grade stuff. However all the reviews seem to be positive, so they must be getting plenty right.

Eviledna

It's true, I was trying to find info on the place and their facebook doesn't offer much info. Is it an alternative to the much missed BKs or just a cafe?

Nice to know javas does wine and nibbles now too, love that spot, but it's a cafe too. Anyone recommend a true late night wine bar in Galway?

Mrs OBumble

bobbytables wrote: »

... but these guys are seriously losing marks for their lacking web presence. Having just a Facebook profile & a few directory listings is real low grade stuff. However all the reviews seem to be positive, so they must be getting plenty right.

Good cafes don't need web-presence. Phone number on facebook and a few good reviews in TripAdvisor does trick on-line, and word-of-mouth does the rest.

In face, I'd go so far as to say that the better the web-presence, the worse the cafe.

Eviledna

JustMary wrote: »

Good cafes don't need web-presence. Phone number on facebook and a few good reviews in TripAdvisor does trick on-line, and word-of-mouth does the rest.

In face, I'd go so far as to say that the better the web-presence, the worse the cafe.

Don't "need" a web presence? Well let's take this example - here are a few interested potential customers wanting to find out more information about what type of business il vicolo is. It's Friday afternoon and people are in work or not in a position to make a call. I heard the word of mouth, but want more information. I search for their website, I can't find one, so I assume (a) they are too small to invest in one or (b) no longer in business. Then I see their Facebook which has minimal info and pictures, and does not create a good impression of the restaurant. I'm a persistent person, so I naturally turn to my beloved Galway form to find out from the horses mouth, but il vicolo could have closed the sale for me with a simple, good website promoting their business, or at the very least their opening hours listed on their Facebook. Because of the lack of this, me and possibly many others may not go there tonight, or any other.

So I must respectfully disagree with you there JustMary, I think a business shouldn't be putting barriers in the way of people being aware of it and it's services. Probably the same reason you set up Galway transport info - awareness of a service is half the battle.;)

ben.schlomo

Eviledna wrote: »

Don't "need" a web presence? Well let's take this example - here are a few interested potential customers wanting to find out more information about what type of business il vicolo is. It's Friday afternoon and people are in work or not in a position to make a call. I heard the word of mouth, but want more information. I search for their website, I can't find one, so I assume (a) they are too small to invest in one or (b) no longer in business. Then I see their Facebook which has minimal info and pictures, and does not create a good impression of the restaurant. I'm a persistent person, so I naturally turn to my beloved Galway form to find out from the horses mouth, but il vicolo could have closed the sale for me with a simple, good website promoting their business, or at the very least their opening hours listed on their Facebook. Because of the lack of this, me and possibly many others may not go there tonight, or any other.

So I must respectfully disagree with you there JustMary, I think a business shouldn't be putting barriers in the way of people being aware of it and it's services. Probably the same reason you set up Galway transport info - awareness of a service is half the battle.;)

Rubbish. They have great pics of their various dishes from breakfasts to lunches to the wine to desserts, they update it most days and more than once some days. I think most people get a lunch break or coffee break that they could make a phone call during too. Maybe they should have a website but with it being a small independent establishment the costs for me would outweigh the benefits. They are always very busy Friday and Saturday nights from what i've seen and experienced too so i doubt they are crying over the lost custom of people who need a website for every little detail.
Re:Bobbytables, i think they open until maybe 12 or 1am but its not like BK's used to be.

_Whimsical_

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Rubbish. They have great pics of their various dishes from breakfasts to lunches to the wine to desserts, they update it most days and more than once some days. I think most people get a lunch break or coffee break that they could make a phone call during too. Maybe they should have a website but with it being a small independent establishment the costs for me would outweigh the benefits. They are always very busy Friday and Saturday nights from what i've seen and experienced too so i doubt they are crying over the lost custom of people who need a website for every little detail.
Re:Bobbytables, i think they open until maybe 12 or 1am but its not like BK's used to be.

Care to provide a link to the fb? I looked for it but I can only find a page for it with 68 likes that contains only their location,no other information and no pictures.

I agree with Eviledna here. I'm just idling here online for a while and hadn't heard of the business and I'd be interested in having a look,I'd be more likely to remember that I intend going there on the strength of these reviews if I had a visual on it. No business can afford not to maximise advertising opportunities,I'm sure they wouldn't be refusing custom just because theyre busy Friday and Saturday.

ben.schlomo

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Care to provide a link to the fb? I looked for it but I can only find a page for it with 68 likes that contains only their location,no other information and no pictures.

I agree with Eviledna here. I'm just idling here online for a while and hadn't heard of the business and I'd be interested in having a look,I'd be more likely to remember that I intend going there on the strength of these reviews if I had a visual on it. No business can afford not to maximise advertising opportunities,I'm sure they wouldn't be refusing custom just because theyre busy Friday and Saturday.

Its a small place, when they are full they are full, we have gone on a couple of Fridays and couldnt get in the door as it was full so they are turning people away.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Il-Vicolo-Cafe/178429315566631

Eviledna

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Rubbish. They have great pics of their various dishes from breakfasts to lunches to the wine to desserts, they update it most days and more than once some days.

To be clear, it's the lack of info that I said was creating a bad impression, in that they don't list their opening hours, menu or wine list, which are some basic requirements. It's true the food looks lovely.

They are always very busy Friday and Saturday nights from what i've seen and experienced too so i doubt they are crying over the lost custom of people who need a website for every little detail.

That's a bit silly to insinuate I'm someone that "needs a website for every little detail" - do you work there Ben? It's kind of a strong reaction! And we have all seen businesses going from the pretentious I-don't-need-your-business attitude to shut down in this town recently. Simple information supplied online makes it easier for them to be even more successful!

Anyway, I gave them a call, they are open till 12 tonight and tomorrow, and were really nice and accommodating over the phone.:)

inisboffin

Eviledna wrote: »

It's true, I was trying to find info on the place and their facebook doesn't offer much info. Is it an alternative to the much missed BKs or just a cafe?

Nice to know javas does wine and nibbles now too, love that spot, but it's a cafe too. Anyone recommend a true late night wine bar in Galway?

Ah yes BK's - missed indeed.
Front of Rouge is nice if you nab a couch, hopefully they will go ahead with the expansion to the old chemist across the road.
Javas is nice too, and people do go to Ard Bia for just a bottle, but another wine bar would be good.

tphase

been in there a few times now and definitely recommend a visit.

Coffee is excellent (make sure to ask for a double shot in your americano) and food is tasty and reasonably priced except for some of the evening specials which, in my opinion, were a little too pricey for what you got (but they were very tasty).

The Salice saletino is a decent wine at 3.50 for a regular glass. They also do medium and large glasses - when I worked out the price per ml, (I had time to kill and nothing to read...), the small and large are the same, the medium was more expensive. Don't know if this applies to the rest of the wine list.

Service can be a little bit slow at times, not surprising or unreasonable when it's busy considering the size of the kitchen. However I've seen people left waiting an unreasonably long time for a menu and then be ignored for so long, they got up and left - it was not particularly busy at the time. Overall, the staff are very friendly and accommodating (including the guys in the kitchen) and would make you feel like returning. The wait staff need to work a little bit on being more observant (same as many restaurants) but it wouldn't put me off going back or recommending the place.

So, a thumbs up but be prepared to make yourself noticed:cool:

bobbytables

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Rubbish. They have great pics of their various dishes from breakfasts to lunches to the wine to desserts, they update it most days and more than once some days. I think most people get a lunch break or coffee break that they could make a phone call during too. Maybe they should have a website but with it being a small independent establishment the costs for me would outweigh the benefits. They are always very busy Friday and Saturday nights from what i've seen and experienced too so i doubt they are crying over the lost custom of people who need a website for every little detail.
Re:Bobbytables, i think they open until maybe 12 or 1am but its not like BK's used to be.

Cheers for the info.

Let me weigh in here though on the web presence thing because I seem to have opened a can of worms. What I was getting at is that in this day and age, there are some basic questions that anyone would ask of any place that serves food / drink as a potential customer.

• What sort of place are you / what can I expect?
• What do you serve?
• Where are you?
• How much?

The first one is hugely important, because for example I could be organizing meal with friends or just looking for a place to chill out. People know at this stage (because they didn't open recently) that Java's isn't really a place you go to for a sit down meal, it's more casual than that. So my original question here is, basically is this the sort of place where I can order a couple of bottles of wine and cheese platters, etc, and just hang out, or not. This place although "looks" lovely, it's hard to figure out what they are.

It should never be difficult for the customer to find out how a business can sell to them. Also there is a massive difference between phoning a business to find out something and finding out via a website.

1. I have to go online anyway to find the phone number.
2. The call will cost me money.
3. It's not appropriate for me to interrupt my colleagues while I place such a call during the working day.
4. I have to think of the questions to ask in advance.
5. I do not want the awkwardness of being pressured to buy something by the person on the other end if I discover their place is not what I'm after.
6. If I call a business restaurant, the person in the restaurant usually find it's hard to hear you on the phone with all the noise around them (which means you definitely can't be calling them from work).

I don't know any business that would have the luxury of people calling them up asking, "so eh, what sort of place are ye?". People typically don't get that ball rolling unless they have some intelligence on the issue first. I would be well peeved if I ended up making reservations for me and friends and ended up in a place where we had completely misconceived notions of what to expect.

Even...
Me: Hi, do ye guys do wine and tappas?
Them: God no, nothing like that!
Me (feeling stupid): Ah cool, sorry about that, all the best.

An online menu, would have completely saved someone from that sort of unnecessary communications.

This thread is certainly going to generate some curiosity in their direction though, it's just a pity that we are the ones left documenting the answers to genuine questions.

Mrs OBumble

bobbytables wrote: »

Cheers for the info.

Let me weigh in here though on the web presence thing because I seem to have opened a can of worms. What I was getting at is that in this day and age, there are some basic questions that anyone would ask of any place that serves food / drink as a potential customer.

• What sort of place are you / what can I expect?
• What do you serve?
• Where are you?
• How much?

The first one is hugely important, because for example I could be organizing meal with friends or just looking for a place to chill out. People know at this stage (because they didn't open recently) that Java's isn't really a place you go to for a sit down meal, it's more casual than that.

Cool people (and trust me, Il Vicolo is a very cool kinda place) just know - they don't NEED to ask.

I would never judge a place's suitability for a group dinner etc by what they have in the web: any schmuck can make a good looking website, but there are no guarantees that any of the info is up to date.

ben.schlomo

bobbytables wrote: »

Cheers for the info.

Let me weigh in here though on the web presence thing because I seem to have opened a can of worms. What I was getting at is that in this day and age, there are some basic questions that anyone would ask of any place that serves food / drink as a potential customer.

• What sort of place are you / what can I expect?
• What do you serve?
• Where are you?
• How much?

The first one is hugely important, because for example I could be organizing meal with friends or just looking for a place to chill out. People know at this stage (because they didn't open recently) that Java's isn't really a place you go to for a sit down meal, it's more casual than that. So my original question here is, basically is this the sort of place where I can order a couple of bottles of wine and cheese platters, etc, and just hang out, or not. This place although "looks" lovely, it's hard to figure out what they are.

It should never be difficult for the customer to find out how a business can sell to them. Also there is a massive difference between phoning a business to find out something and finding out via a website.

1. I have to go online anyway to find the phone number.
2. The call will cost me money.
3. It's not appropriate for me to interrupt my colleagues while I place such a call during the working day.
4. I have to think of the questions to ask in advance.
5. I do not want the awkwardness of being pressured to buy something by the person on the other end if I discover their place is not what I'm after.
6. If I call a business restaurant, the person in the restaurant usually find it's hard to hear you on the phone with all the noise around them (which means you definitely can't be calling them from work).

I don't know any business that would have the luxury of people calling them up asking, "so eh, what sort of place are ye?". People typically don't get that ball rolling unless they have some intelligence on the issue first. I would be well peeved if I ended up making reservations for me and friends and ended up in a place where we had completely misconceived notions of what to expect.

Even...
Me: Hi, do ye guys do wine and tappas?
Them: God no, nothing like that!
Me (feeling stupid): Ah cool, sorry about that, all the best.

An online menu, would have completely saved someone from that sort of unnecessary communications.

This thread is certainly going to generate some curiosity in their direction though, it's just a pity that we are the ones left documenting the answers to genuine questions.

All covered in their FB page really.

Eviledna

JustMary wrote: »

Cool people (and trust me, Il Vicolo is a very cool kinda place) just know - they don't NEED to ask.

Aw no, I didn't realise it was the self-aware level of pretentious! They won't let me in so...

any schmuck can make a good looking website

Lol. Oh jeebus, well that's a debate for another forum.

Ben, if you do know the owners, might be worth pointing them to this thread, would seem their fb isn't cutting it for a few people

ben.schlomo

Eviledna wrote: »

Aw no, I didn't realise it was the self-aware level of pretentious! They won't let me in so...


Lol. Oh jeebus, well that's a debate for another forum.

Ben, if you do know the owners, might be worth pointing them to this thread, would seem their fb isn't cutting it for a few people

I dont, maybe you could contact them as its yourself that has the issue.