Set your expectations correctly
Donegal is not a fine dining county and pretending otherwise sets visitors up for disappointment. There are no Michelin stars here and there probably should not be.
What there is: Killybegs is the largest fishing port in Ireland, the oysters and mussels come out of clean cold water an hour from the plate, and the lamb off the Blue Stack hills is as good as anything in the country. Eat accordingly.
The dining rooms worth booking ahead
Cedars at Lough Eske Castle is the most ambitious kitchen in the south of the county and the room is genuinely handsome. Book it for one night rather than three.
Harvey's Point does a long, generous, old fashioned dinner that regulars fly back for. The Tap Room at Rathmullan House takes the country house garden and cooks it simply, which in Donegal is the correct instinct.
- Book ahead
- Friday and Saturday from June to September, and any night over a bank holiday. Two weeks is usually enough.
- Dinner times
- Kitchens close earlier than Americans expect. Aim to be seated by 8pm outside the cities, and by 7.30pm in villages.
- Sunday
- Sunday lunch is the main event in rural Donegal, and many kitchens close Sunday evening entirely.
Harbour seafood, which is the actual point
Killybegs is a working port and the seafood bars around the harbour are unglamorous and excellent. Order whatever was landed, not whatever sounds most impressive.
Greencastle and Moville on the Inishowen side do the same job on the eastern coast. In Downings and Rathmullan, look for Mulroy Bay oysters, which are among the best in Ireland and almost never leave the county.
Pubs where the food is not an afterthought
Nancy's Barn in Ballyliffin has won national awards for its seafood chowder and there is nothing performative about the place. The Rusty Mackerel near Teelin is the right stop after Slieve League.
In Ardara, the pubs on the main street do music several nights a week without a poster or a schedule. Ask at your hotel what is on rather than searching for it online, because it will not be online.
Practical things Americans get caught by
Tipping is 10 to 12.5 percent for good service and many places add a service charge to larger tables. Check the bill before you double up.
Card is accepted almost everywhere, but carry 30 or 40 euro for small harbour cafes and rural pubs. And do not assume a village has a restaurant open on a Monday in February. Ring first.