The best restaurants in Donegal

08/12/2025: I really love this cozy cafe) especially the view from the window

25/10/2025: Excellent Full breakfast avocado was ok. Service atmosphere and price all good.

27/04/2026: A wonderful restaurant with amazingly delicious and beautifully served dishes

08/04/2026: While eating our meal yesterday evening which was Good Friday I witnessed a young girl walk through the downstairs restaurant into the kitchen area holding a small dog. When I mentioned this to my partner he said the girl was talking to the restaurant manager for a brief minute before bringing her dog through the restaurant and into to where the food comes from so we can only assume she is staff. Why is this allowed? Is this common practice at Maddens to allow animals into the kitchen area? This is absolutely disgusting and unsanitary!!! Be aware that I have emailed the food safety authority with the date and time of this incident and I hope that Maddens won't delete any footage as this needs to be addressed and dealt with asap!! The wait staff were lovely however we won't be returning, EDIT - I am editing my review as there has been a reply from the manager Oisin. It seems Oisin is outright lying as when we asked a staff member what was through that door we were told it was the coffee and kitchen area, this alongside the fact that food was going out from that area as we could see it directly from our table. There may well be an office there too but for you Oisin to not address the fact that you let someone you obviously know carry a dog through the restaurant while people were eating is very telling of your attention to cleanliness and defending that action as it was for "less than two minutes" is an absolutely disgusting reply and attitude!!!

03/08/2025: We had a wonderful evening at ginley’s , good selction of drinks and beers, we also had the chance to enjoy some amazing traditional music. The guys were very good. As always we love Ireland and Irish people. 🇮🇪

06/05/2025: Great wee spot in Letterkenny for a few drinks, very friendly staff. Easy to get a drink

12/02/2026: Great restaurant with excellent food and service. Couldn't be more complementary about the staff here. They were so attentive and friendly. The food was of a high standard, with the goats cheese and scallops starters being a particular highlight for us. Whilst it is an expensive menu, it absolutely delivers.

06/01/2026: I recently attended a corporate event at Lough Eske, and it turned out to be a genuinely memorable day in a setting that feels both luxurious and warmly Irish 🌿✨. From the moment we arrived, the staff were welcoming and the venue had that calm, polished atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re in good hands. We were served a set menu, and the selection was surprisingly impressive for a large group. For starters, we had a choice between a classic vol-au-vent — buttery, flaky, and filled with a rich, savoury mix — or a cream of vegetable soup that was smooth, comforting, and perfect for the season. You could tell the kitchen puts real care into even the simplest dishes. For the mains, the options catered to every taste: Roast Hereford sirloin of Irish beef, tender and full of flavour Traditional turkey and ham, beautifully carved and festive Baked fillet of Atlantic salmon, cooked just right with a lovely freshness Although the service took a little longer than expected ⏳, especially between courses, it honestly felt worth the wait once the food arrived. Everything tasted freshly prepared rather than rushed, which I appreciated — quality over speed any day. Dessert was the highlight for many of us: the Best Ever Castle Festive Plate. It lived up to its name 🎄🍮 — a generous, indulgent selection that felt like a celebration on a plate. The perfect sweet ending. Outside, the car park was spacious, easy to navigate, and well laid out, with plenty of room even during a busy event. I also noticed the wheelchair-accessible spaces and pathways, which is always reassuring to see — accessibility done properly makes a big difference 🚗♿. Overall, Lough Eske delivered a polished, enjoyable experience with great food, a beautiful setting, and thoughtful facilities. Despite the slightly slower service, the quality made it worthwhile. I’d happily return for another event or even a relaxing meal — it’s the kind of place that leaves a lasting impression 🌟.

06/05/2026: Great food and a great atmosphere!

06/05/2026: We had a lovely lunch sitting outside enjoying the nice weather. The staff was friendly and the food was good. No reason not to come here.

22/02/2026: Great pub serving locally brewed craft beers and solid Guinness

20/04/2026: Great staff and the food is great. The rooms were very spacious. Quite reasonably priced

13/04/2026: Rooms big, beds very comfy, staff very friendly food was good.

07/09/2025: Fabulous, very sorry to hear its closing down. Fabulous food staff where great.

16/08/2025: Good menu and food was excellent. They found us a table for two despite being fully booked.

04/04/2026: Excellent food. Place doesn’t get enough credit. Highly recommend.

24/03/2026: Had dinner here one sunny thuraday while walking about bundoran. Ordered 2 steak baguettes and 2 pint bottle of bulmers. The steak baguette was a joke. It was real tough beef sliced up small and covered in peppersauce. Not good enough charging 26 euro and calling it steak when its poor quality tough beef strips. The food came out in roughly 5 minutes which is very poor sign when your hoping to get a nice fresh meal. The pint bottle of bulmers cost 7.95. The owners of this premisis musy believe they are in the middle of templebar dublin. Such extortion for a pint bottle of bulmers. Atleast 2 euro too expensive. However Staff were good bar not getting my order right which can be annoying. Never going back agin. And would not recommend

26/10/2025: Had a delicious brunch. Beans were really delicious! Didn’t have to wait long for the order to be ready. Friendly staff and good food!

25/10/2025: Really love the coffee from there, very tasty, also the milk they used, I don't know the brand but was very good as well, super creamy. The scrambled eggs were super tasty a well and my boyfriend for the Irish breakfast and he said it was wonderful, specially the beans and the mushrooms. Staff was super gentle, the girl who served was was very gentle and service is very fast.

09/05/2026: Lovely food, good choices on the menu and the staff are friendly and attentive. Enjoyed the atmosphere and hospitality

13/04/2026: Lovely food and Guinness. Nice decor and good value for money. A few of the staff could do with a ‘good people skills awareness course’ for beginners. They look a bit lifeless

15/08/2025: Wow, our expectations were more than exceeded. We received a very warm welcome and immediately felt at home. Choosing what to eat was quite difficult because there were so many delicious dishes to choose from. We opted for the Classic Burger and the Hot Rub Chicken Escalope, along with chips and garlic potatoes. The portions were really large, so we ended up sharing a sticky toffee pudding. Our conclusion: great food at fair prices, and the staff were cheerful and very accommodating. Thank you for a great evening.

02/08/2025: This review is for the restaurant, as Google only shows the inn as a hotel. The food is great, especially the steak, which was perfect—the best ribs I've ever had, and as a starter, so cheap! I should have ordered it three times. Absolutely worth it.

05/08/2025: Very welcoming great atmosphere lovely bar staff will return again my next visit to ballybofey

27/07/2025: Great friendly bar. Efficient service and good atmosphere. Didn’t eat here - not sure if they serve food.

17/07/2025: Best guinness in Donegal . Great pub

29/03/2026: Very accommodating staff keeping us warm outside

09/02/2026: Tried all the pubs in the village but always settle on a favourite. Great atmosphere with locals but mostly tourist visitors. All the pubs dog friendly and felt very relaxed bringing in our dog. Excellent pints at reasonable price. Really enjoyed the music on Friday evening.