Mountcharles is an attractive little village just a few minutes' drive from Donegal Town, and well worth visiting to see Elizabeth Temple's famous Salthill Walled Garden - and to enjoy some good food at this hospitable tavern.
A handsome stone building in the centre of the village, it was once a Royal Irish Constabulary barracks and is said to date back to the 1798 Rebellion. Today it's an atmospheric place, a genuine Irish hostelry where visitors are always made welcome and there's the cheer of an open fire on chilly days.
Proprietor-chef Enda O'Rourke is passionate about the local area and likes nothing better than introducing its highlights - and, especially, the superb local seafood - to as many people as possible.
Although there are traditional elements, menus give an ethusiastic nod to newer trends, by including a range of 'small plates' on the afternoon menu, for example. Specialities include a good seafood chowder and freshly baked wheaten bread, the house fish pie ('finished with a splash of Sambuca'), prawn & monk gratin, battered fish, and their 'signature seafood tasting board'. The Captain's Table set menu is exclusively fish and seafood, except for desserts, so the à la carte would be better for anyone looking for vegetarian dishes or wanting a wider choice,
If you're not driving, make a point of investigating some of the great range of Irish craft beers and ciders on offer; a recent phenomenon, craft brewing and cider a making has undergone a massive revival in recent years and the range stocked here is outstanding.
