Review
Galileos Italian restaurant is in Edenderry Co. Offaly. From the outside it has quite a traditional front, while inside it is bright and contemporary, with leather chairs in a light brown, with little studs. Frosted glass wall separates the entrance from the dining room, the kitchen is open plan and there is a take away next door where customers come to pick up pizzas or pasta to go.
Galileos is a family run business with husband Luigi cooking and wife Natalia out front of house. The menu features a selection of classic Italian dishes and Mediterranean influenced cooking. There is a choice of the A la Carte and during the week there is a special offer of two dishes for €16.95.
The menu is divided into Antipasti, pasts, meat and fish, pizza and desserts. Starters feature an antipasto, classic prawn cocktail, Caprese salad, a bruschetta, corstini or Minestrone soup. Prices are very keen, most of the starters are under €7, which seems like really good value.
The pasta include classics such as home made lasagne, spaghetti Bolognaise, Arrabbiata, Amatriciana, cannelloni or spaghetti al Cortoccio, a seafood dish served in wrapped foil and opened at the table. Again value is evedent with prices hovering around the 10 to €12 mark.
Main courses include a choice of steaks, some grilled salmon, a favourite of mine, Parmigiana de Malanzane; oven baked aubergines with tomato, fresh basil and Mozzarella cheese. There are also tow Italian chicken dishes and of course, there are a choice of homemade pizza. Main courses are priced in the teens, with the exception of the steak, which break the €20 mark.
After some indecision, Deirdre decided on the Caprese salad and a Capricciosa pizza, while I had the stater of gaots cheese parcles with spinach and beetroot, and followed this with a special of Saltimbocca; an Italian classic of veal rolled with sage leaves and parma ham served in a wine sauce.
Deirdre’s Caprese was spot on, sometimes this dish can suffer from the cold: it was left in the fridge and so the cheese is tasteless. This one came at room temperature, and the Buffolo mozzarella was excellent. My parcels were generous and the goats cheese in the filo pastry was a good misture of textures and flavours.
The Saltimbocca was excellent and came with delicious roast potatoes which went perfectly with the Marsala wine sauce. Deirdre’s pizza was thin and crispy, and packed full of good toppings, but she was tempted by mine, and we ended up sharing our mains.
We finished with more sharing; a slice of the home made Banoffi pie. Galileos is really very good, this is well made Italian food that is true to its origins. The Caprese and Saltimbocca were especially good, but add in a pleasing room and friendly service and you’re onto a winner. Recommended.
