One of my favorite lunch spots by far was in Donegal Town, Ireland. Really you are in Donegal, but it’s called Donegal Town, as there are a lot of shops and it’s a very busy central area. I can not believe the traffic. Crossing the road is a feat on its own.
Our driver offered a few options, but I never listen, because those are already tried and true. I am more of an experiential gal and I tend to go where others don’t venture.
We got off the bus in the diamond (the heart of Donegal Town,Ireland) and headed straight for the church off of the diamond. Look for St. Patrick’s Church and you are on your way to a fantabulous find of a meal. P.S. before I forget, they handle food allergies here, so read on!
When tour buses let off, everyone clusters, not us. We go for the gold and walk a bit. Here’s where to eat in Donegal Town, Ireland. Just so you know the restaurant I will introduce you to, accepts, Euros or credit cards. Let’s eat!
Where To Eat In Donegal Town, Ireland
When you take the road most traveled, you get what everyone else has experienced. What does that mean? Everyone else went upon the suggestion of our driver, and while I so loved him, I don’t do that.
Too many people in the same place and no different experiences. Michael and I got off the bus and walked towards St. Patrick’s the big church parallel to where the buses stop. Walk towards the Four Masters Bookshop and keep on going, it’s on the same side.
You will find Marina’s Cafe and Wine Bar! Woot! Go in, what are you waiting for? We were famished as we had been outside watching Sheepdogs and sheep before we arrived. What a fun morning but now it is time to eat and explore.
We did not have but 2 hours here so we needed to eat, shop and adventure quickly! Marina’s Cafe proved perfect to eat and get in and get out of fast!
Stop And Go In
When you can see St. Patrick’s on the hill on your right, you should be at Marina’s Cafe & Bar. Stop. Go in. Wait to be seated. Now let the feasting begin.
We were seated immediately, even though it’s busy there’s always seats. I don’t know how that works, but there was a constant flow, and no one was turned away, everyone was seated and taken care of. Larger parties of 8-10 and smaller parties like Michael and I.
There are a lot of tables this is just one, and there are nooks and crannies and it’s set up so quaint you have to go and see. I loved the decor, it just was the right place.
Since we chose to eat somewhere differently, someone from the group followed us because they thought we had insight on the restaurant. Ha, we had no idea what to expect, we just like to venture and try.
Today’s Specials
Look at this list of specials. How does one even choose? There are a lot of good eats here so you will have plenty of things to decide on. Here’s the other thing, if you don’t eat meat, they have fish, if you don’t eat fish they have meat, you get it right?
Can you see the pricing? It’s really fairly priced in my opinion and it’s plated up nice too, you’ll see that in a minute. Just hold on and keep reading.
Michael ordered a beer and I ordered a wine and Water. Well the water never came, so, I did not bother pursuing it, but that is one thing I will note as a mark against the service, ever so slightly.
The Menu Matters
Here’s what is offered for side orders, and some of the drinks. Please note alcohol IS available and that is what we had. Also, take a look at the bottom of the menu, they do FOOD Allergies, is that cool or what?
Sure thing foodies. Here’s what the menu looks like. The menu is large, for the size of the cafe. There’s a lot to choose from and of course there is the special menu as well, so what will you eat? Do you want Mexican food? Maybe a burger? Or Chicken? This is crazy with all the choices and the prices are perfection.
Of course there are soups and salads, and garlic breads to choose from as well. Sandwiches anyone? Here’s something that I normally would not say but am going to because you need to know.
If you go away from Marina’s hungry that’s on you because this is the most diverse menu I’ve see in Ireland since we started touring over 9 days ago to be honest.
Food Pictures to Make Your Belly Hungry
The specials are great, Michael ordered Fish Cakes and fries with a salad. You can see how nice the food is plated and it tastes just as good. To be honest, we still have absolutely NO Idea what the orange bowl of sauce was. It tasted like a tartar sauce but no idea. It was good though and I dunked fries into it.
Pricing is fair for what the food is, and the portions are sizable. Do you see this? I do not understand why however, all the salads in Ireland are so small and on the same plate, we do not do that in the USA. I did find a great salad in Dublin, but we will go to that topic later.
Shrimp Scampi
My food is also one of the specials, it is Shrimp Scampi and the shrimp!!! Oh My Foodgasm fresh. Read on.
Shrimp Scampi is breaded shrimp not traditional scampi that we have in the USA, so I was surprised. It is delicious and really fresh. There were a lot of shrimp in that order.
No we did not have dessert, we were full and this was to be a simple lunch. The fries were almost like an American McDonald’s just for reference. So if you are looking for a place to go for lunch, don’t just go where your tour bus lets you off, walk a little and explore. Find Marina’s Cafe you will love it here! ~ DANA XO