Location: Buncrana
Top Restaurants in Buncrana
Best Irish food near Buncrana, County Donegal, Ireland
Discover Restaurants offering the best Irish food in Buncrana, County Donegal, Ireland. Buncrana (/ˈbʌn.krænə/; Irish: Bun Cranncha, meaning "foot of the (River) Crana") is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is beside Lough Swilly on the Inishowen peninsula, 23 kilometres (14 mi) northwest of Derry and 43 kilometres (27 mi) north of Letterkenny. In the 2016 census, the population was 6,785 making it the second most populous town in County Donegal, after Letterkenny, and the largest in Inishowen.
Things to do in Buncrana
10. The Railway Tavern & Firebox Grill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 448 reviews
Our restaurant is located on the shores of Lough Swilly, at Fahan, Co.Donegal, in the premises of The Railway Tavern which was formally the Station House of the Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway Company (L&LSR)..Our Main course dishes are cooked to perfe
Reviewed By GaryBelfast
Having visited The Firebox on a fairly regular basis years back when friends had a holiday home in the area we were looking forward to returning when staying in Derry last weekend. Given that we now have three children this restaurant would normally be out of our budget these days but when checking the website I was pleased to see they still do the early bird two courses for â¬19.99 offer. Being the cautious sort and given that the website may not have been updated for a few years I emailed the restaurant directly and asked if they still did the early bird and if so was it available on Saturdays. I received an almost immediate reply telling me yes it is still on and available on Saturdays until 6pm and asking would I like to make a reservation which I duly did for 17.45.We arrived at the restaurant and everything was as I remembered and we were warmly greeted by staff and given a great table right in front of the âfirebox grillâ. The menu looked great and when ordering I asked what dishes were included on the early bird menu only to be told that it was no longer available and hadnât been for some while. Firstly I remarked that I had checked the website which confirmed this offer was still available but this was quickly dismissed by the waitressed who stated that it hadnât been updated in years and we would have to order off the main menu. I then recalled that I had emailed to confirm this offer was available and had been told it was. The waitress then informed me that we could indeed avail of the offer but I would need to show them email. This created an embarrassing situation as my we were left in limbo not knowing what to do. I was unable to initially access the email as the wifi was poor and the 4g unavailable and only was able to access it whilst walking around the car park in the rain to get a signal. When I returned to the bar I was approached by the senior waitress who told me that even now that I had located the email they would still not be able to honour the early bird menu. She informed me that she had been speaking to the âoutside managementâ and they told her that under no circumstances were we to receive the early bird offer email or not. She was polite and efficient and said she was embarrassed on our behalf as it was clearly false advertising. She brought me to the duty manager who again was polite and understanding and said we should email a complaint to management as unfortunately his hands were tied. This was now very embarrassing as my children were hungry and tired and my wife was very embarrassed. At no time was any alternative offered it was just a case of order off the main menu or leave. I felt that given that we had already had drinks and were sitting in a prominent table it would have been very embarrassing to get up and leave giving us no choice but to order of the full menu and go considerably over our budget.I have no complaints about the food, it was delicious and although over our budget it was reasonably priced and similar to other restaurants of this calibre. Neither do I have any complaints about the staff on duty. It was obvious that they were not given any autonomy to deal with this and their jobs depended on doing exactly what they were told by the off site management. I donât expect to receive any reply or explanation from this review but I see the website still has not be updated so I am merely leaving this as a warning to others to prevent an embarrassing evening.Dear Gary,Thank you for your review. We appreciate all forms of feedback and it allows us to continue to build on and improve our product. I am extremely sorry that you experienced such poor customer service. The premises has recently changed ownership and some of the older offers and promotions are no longer available. I totally understand your position and you should have received what was advertised and subsequently promised to you via email. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter with you in person and if you could please contact me at [email protected] regardsClaire
9. The Red Door Country House
Overall Ratings
4 based on 512 reviews
Renowned for relaxed dining, luxury accommodation and breathtaking views, The Red Door Country House is nestled on a 4 acre site overlooking Lough Swilly in Inishowen, Co. Donegal in the North West of Ireland.Built in 1789, the tradition of a country hous
Reviewed By 749aislingm
I recently went here to discuss me and my partner's wedding and I was very disappointed to be told that the the vegetarians which would include me (the bride) the maid of honor, our brother, my sister in law and at least 5% of other guests would have a meal "dependant on the available vegetables". I repeatedly asked for an example and did not get one. In comparison to the meat eaters, who were given a variety of options, I found this completely unacceptable. Needless to say, we booked somewhere else.I then ate in the red door a short time later. There was one vegetarian option: a risotto. I think in 2019, we could potentially have more than one option. I asked for the arancini which obviously would be easy from a risotto, and i know they make midweek, but i was told the chef refused.The risotto was simply inedible. Bland with frozen vegetables. I ate the chips and left 80% untouched. The waitress didn't even ask was it ok.I emailed the red door weeks ago with this exact message and the didnt even bother to reply.Dear 749aislingmWe're sorry to hear you didnât enjoy your recent visit to The Red Door, however, there are a few issues we would like to address.Firstly, at your wedding meeting in 2018, you stated you were not given advice on vegetarian options which is entirely untrue, instead, you were offered options with a suggestion of providing your own choices which you were told that the chef would do his upmost to accommodate.On your recent visit you stated that only one vegetarian option was available, however, we have several options suitable for vegetarians as well as always being open to any requests. You also stated that you know we had arancini available, contrary to this, there was no arancini available on the Sunday evening of your visit, being that we tend to run out of our fresh produce earlier on a Sunday evening.We're sorry you didnât enjoy your risotto, but as you were checked by our restaurant manager we can only assume it was fine. As for the frozen vegetables, apart from frozen peas (which we find in general to be a better product), all our vegetables are brought in fresh daily from our local supplier.Should you decide to return and request something special/specific we would be delighted to assist.Kind regards,The Red Door Team
8. Tank and Skinny's Seaside
Overall Ratings
4 based on 65 reviews
Reviewed By john m
Went here with family, first visit, great location, beautiful views, very attentive and helpful staff, quick service, nice selection of food, really nice tasting food, leek and potato soup excellent, as was all our food, very reasonable, definitely worth a visit, they also do afternoon tea
7. The Harbour Inn Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 86 reviews
The Harbour Inn offers 30 en-suite bedrooms with various views over Lough Swilly, Northwest Golf Course and the surrounding area. The hotel offers spacious rooms including; family rooms, double, twins and triples, all equipped to a high standard. In the b
Reviewed By ann m
Had dinner at the Harbour Inn after playing golf, so were very hungry. The appetizer ribs were very substantial, and the curry chicken entree was good. Chili beef nachos decent. Tons of chips came with the meals, so hearty appetites will be satisfied. The salmon dinner was ok but not really memorable. The beef filet was better than the sirloin steak. Service good, decor kind of industrial and bland. An ok spot but hardly fine dining.Dear Guest,Thank you for taking the time to review your recent visit to The Harbour Restaurant. I am delighted to read you enjoyed your visit overall. We will take all of the above comments on board, we do our best to ensure that everyone enjoys their time at The Harbour Inn.We hope to see you back again in the near future.Best WishesPatricia
6. Lake of Shadows Hotel
Overall Ratings
4 based on 106 reviews
Reviewed By littleowlivia
Huge portion sizes for breakfast and great value for your money. Breakfast is served until 12:30pm on weekdays. Good quality, fresh ingredients and very friendly staff. For â¬8 you get sausage, bacon, black and white pudding, tomato, a hashbrown, beans, a sunny side up egg, toast and coffee or tea - we could hardly finish it. We havenât tried the rest of the menu but will be back to try other things.
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5. Fisherman's Wharf
Overall Ratings
4 based on 35 reviews
Fisherman's Wharf, coffee and sandwich bar is an ideal place to enjoy fine speciality coffee and great food! Choose from paninis, wraps, baps and a large selection of fresh breads. Treat yourself to delicious cakes and traybakes and enjoy our award winnin
Reviewed By Seamus M
I stopped off here for a coffee while in Buncrana.This is a nice coffee shop, and the Bakewell tarts are Delicious.The staff are so nice and helpful regarding allergens etc. My coffee and Tart was very reasonable. It was a nice day and I had my coffee "all fresco". There is limited parking across the road so you may have to park around the corner. I will be back for more another day.
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4. Oscars Cafe Bar & Resturant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 257 reviews
Reviewed By Jeremy H
Stopped here for a small lunch with a friend and we both ordered the very reasonably priced Chicken Quesadilla which was served with a few chunky chips on the side. The staff were friendly and the surroundings really are gorgeous. This is an old ladies clothes shop which has been restored in itâs original art deco style but with modern touches and it was fantastic to sit inside. The food was very well priced and if passing this way again I will definitely return.
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3. The Lily Rose
Overall Ratings
4 based on 175 reviews
The Lily Rose is a beautifully decorated cafe right in the heart of Buncrana's bustling Main Street. Serving only the finest of locally sourced ingredients and the nicest coffee in town, it is the perfect little retreat from your normal daily life. Breakf
Reviewed By Malbec57
Being at this lovely quaint cafe b efore I brought my sister for the first time. Had tea and cake served lovely. Then not even there 5 minutes had to move to let the corner table out. That was fine. One minute later had to move to let the next tea goers in. Then within 30 seconds had to move again to let the waitress in to clear the same table. I told her this is the 3rd time I had moved in 5 minutes her response " I need to clear the table". I figured I am going to have to move to let her out and move again for her to bring the tea in . 5 times that would be. I wanted a relaxing and well deserved cup of tea. Wasn't getting it here so decided to leave . The waitress not understanding at all. Gone down in my estimation. Such a shame
2. Drift Inn
Overall Ratings
4 based on 301 reviews
The Drift Inn bar and restaurant Buncrana is one like no other, set against the windswept banks of the Lough Swilly it stands out as a main vocal point on entrance to the town. The Drift Inn has a history which many will agree compares to no other bars in
Reviewed By Bozeman-Dublin
Lovely pub this one. We went in for food but they don't serve on a Tuesday. Nevertheless we stayed for a few drinks. The Guinness is magnificent. Lovely and quiet with a really homely, cosy atmosphere. Love the low light, so relaxing. Very quirky decor. Good fun and a great outdoor area at the back.
1. Ubiquitous Restaurant and Bar
Overall Ratings
4 based on 275 reviews
Reviewed By caravaggio2018
Sunday early evening family meal. Very friendly and chatty with nice relaxed vibe. We had both of the specials that were on the board. The sea trout and pork were both good, the kids options were the usual fair. 3* for the food, 5* for the service so 4* over all.
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