A sharing menu?” my other half raises an incredulous eyebrow. “But you never share.”

Now, this is not entirely accurate. When it comes to dining out, I can be convinced to part with a sliver of a starter or a mouthful of a main course, as long as there is, shall we say, fair trade.

(Dessert? That’s another story.)

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Still, I can understand why he may not have fancied his chances when Irish Country Living was invited to try the new sharing menu at The g Hotel in Galway. Would I devour everything on the tenuous grounds of research purposes? Perhaps.

Opened in 2005, The g Hotel, located on the outskirts of Galway city, has not lost any of its wow factor, from its corridor of Philip Treacy-designed signature lounges to its five-star ESPA and luxury bedrooms, such as the junior suite where we enjoyed views over Lough Atalia.

Head chef, Pauline Reilly, has recently relaunched the menu – or rather menus – at Restaurant Gigi’s, and the choice in terms of selection and budget is impressive – from the three-course Treat menu priced at €25 (or two courses €21) right up to the four-course Indulge menu at €55.

There are also more relaxed dining options available in the signature lounges, with clever combinations like a two-course dinner and ticket for the EYE Cinema next door for €29.50. Perhaps this is why there seemed to be a healthy ratio of locals to weekenders as we padded along the pink carpet to Gigi’s.

We were invited to try the three-course Share menu. If the word “share” conjures up images of microscopic tapas-style dishes (or, like my other-half, makes you think “starve”) rest assured there’s no scrimping here, and nor should there be at €99 for two people.

We started with the bites board with confit of duck leg spring rolls, Bluebell Falls goats cheese bruschetta and plump satay glazed chicken skewers with a selection of dipping sauces. This all paved the way for the main event: a chateaubriand of Donald Russell beef from Redmond Fine Foods in Longford, an Irish take on the traditional French dish pour deux, where melt-in-your-mouth tenderloin is simply served on a wooden board with a green peppercorn sauce, a halo of sweetly crisp onion rings, green beans, sautéed potatoes and a mini Caesar salad.

Such was the spread that a breather was called for before dessert: a sharing board with mini rhubarb crumbles, vanilla ice-cream, hazelnut parfait and chocolate fudge-style brownies. I felt that perhaps something lighter like a lemon posset would sit better on the board after such a feast, but maybe I’m just getting soft gluttony-wise in my old age.

Still, there was room for a cocktail before retiring for the best sleep we’ve had in ages. Overall? It seems sharing might really be caring. Well, at The g anyway.

The Share menu at The g Hotel costs €99 for two people. Other packages include Feelgood Friday with one night’s accommodation, a three-course meal selecting from the Indulge menu and full-Irish breakfast from €125 per person sharing, or a two-night package that also includes dinner and a complimentary visit to the ESPA thermal suite from €180pps. Call 091-865-200 or visit www.theghotel.ie CL