Danny Minnies Restaurant

Danny Minnies, what a gorgeous name for an equally gorgeous restaurant, situated in the picturesque Gaeltacht town of Annagry in Co. Donegal. It is an award winning restaurant and having tasted their amazing food, I can see why! They have won awards for Best Restaurant in Donegal as well as best Chef and even best customer service, so that’s saying something. The minute you walk into the homely and comfortable surroundings, you are made to feel so very welcome and led straight to bar/​lounge/​waiting area. Here you can relax in the lovely surroundings, even in front of a blazing fire, and enjoy a drink before dinner and before you are led to the actual restaurant close by. While you sip your pre-​dinner drink, the waiting staff give you plenty of time to relax and browse over the dinner menu, following which they take the order. This means that by the time you get seated in the restaurant, there is no hanging around and the service is quick and seamless. They will give you plenty of time too between courses if you so wish as they space out their dining times to about two separate settings per night. There is an a la carte menu as well as a set dinner menu and prices vary with starters around € 10 and the same for desserts and dinner from about € 18 upwards. They pride themselves on home grown vegetables and salads and locally produced and sourced fish and meats. The specialty would appear to be locally caught lobster and crab from the surrounding rugged coastline. Most of us chose the set dinner menu which was okayish value at € 40 per head, for 3 courses including tea/​coffee. All dishes were exquisitely presented, piping hot and tasted so so good with all the different flavours coming though. I would especially commend the chicken and chorizo starter, the mains of medallions of monkfish and prawn skewer, and a difficult one to choose the dessert, but perhaps the chocolate trio or the almond and orange tart would get my vote. Plenty of extra vegetables were provided for the table, but I’m deducting a star for the garlic potatoes which had no taste of garlic at all and appeared to be just a buttery type mash — very disappointing, as was the bread and butter pudding — very stodgy, not a raisin or sultana in sight but made instead with stewed apple — not a good combination — Chef please take note! The wine menu was very extensive with a fantastic variety and price range. Overall, a wonderful dining experience in lovely cosy and comfy surroundings, but top marks of the highest order to the staff who have to be the most friendly and warm that I have ever come across — this is despite running an extremely busy and packed restaurant — must be the damp Donegal air!

I went for a meal here last weekend. I had been here before a few years ago. The place has a great reputation and people come from miles around to eat here. I had a pint in the bar while I was waiting and it was so bad I returned it only to get another equally bad. The bread we got for a starter was stale, the main course was very good though. The price of the meal was quite expensive for what we got. All in all I wouldn’t go back.