THE FLEET INN, KILLYBEGS

Upstairs restaurant of The Fleet Inn, Killybegs

We have eaten in the Fleet Inn in Killybegs before both in the restaurant upstairs and the bar downstairs where bar food is served daily and have always enjoyed the food and ambience there.

In April we were down in our holiday rental home in nearby Dunkineely for a couple of days decorating and getting ready for the summer season and on the Sunday evening decided we would treat ourselves and dine out instead of bothering to cook.  We headed to Killybegs, a short journey of only 5 miles (8km) from Dunkineely.

We hadn’t realised the restaurant upstairs would be open given the early time of the season and had thought we would be eating in the bar but as it turned out the restaurant was indeed open.

We had decided on the drive over that we would just have a main course and head back to Dunkineely for a couple of drinks in Mac’s, the bar which is only about a dozen steps from Daisy Cottage so naturally “our local” when we are in Dunkineely.  That and the fact that the owner, Damien, is great craic and always there to help when needed.

So, back to the Fleet Inn.  The food aromas on our assent to the restaurant were delicious and had us looking forward to our food.

The restaurant is warm and comfortable and well laid out ~ diners are not squashed in and have plenty of room and privacy to enjoy a meal without listening to, or being listened by, the guests on adjoining tables.

We were greeted and seated immediately and given our menus.  There was a gentle buzz of conversation from diners already in the restaurant and the music being played was not intrusive but well chosen and added extra ambience.

Our previous idea of having just a main course went out the door when we saw the starters available, and also because it turned out that the Fleet Inn restaurant was running an April special which was a 3 course meal and a bottle of wine for two for only €59.  We decided our visit to Mac’s would have to be postponed until a little later in the evening!

We were brought a bottle of water and our drinks (gin & fizzy water ~ new drink of choice, the tonic having been dropped by me, and a malt whiskey for himself).  We chose a bottle of the red house wine to go with the meal and asked for the cork as we would have to take it home with us after a small glass each.  

The Set Menu of €59 including a bottle of wine had the following choice of starters: "Homemade Soup of the Day", "Creamy West Coast Seafood Chowder", "Bruckelss Bay Mussels stuffed with Garlic and Breadcrumbs", "Norwegian Prawn Cocktail coated with Marie-Rose Sauce", "Bruchetta:  Garlic Bread topped with Mushrooms, Red Onion, Cherry Tomatoes and Melted Brie", and "Garlic Bread with Cheese served with Seasonal Salad". 

My bruschetta

I chose the Bruchetta:  "Garlic Bread topped with Mushrooms, Red Onion, Cherry Tomatoes and Melted Brie" and my husband chose the "Creamy West Coast Seafood Chowder".

The creamy seafood chowder in The Fleet Inn

After a short wait the starters arrived and we were so glad we went for the set menu instead of just a main course as both starters were delicious.  I love brie and garlic and indeed all the ingredients used in this bruschetta starter and the little salad served with it was dressed with a very tasty dressing.  My husband’s chowder was indeed creamy and packed with plenty of fish ~ delicious. 

  

The choice of main courses were

All the desserts are home made (I find it so annoying to have to point that out ~ surely EVERY restaurant should be making their own desserts but sadly many buy them in).  We don’t normally have dessert but the home made profiteroles tempted me.  My husband chose the “Special” of "Lemon Tart with Fruit Compote".  

Perfect profiteroles

The desserts arrived on pieces of slate, which seams to be a very popular way to serve desserts nowadays.  My teeny little profiteroles were perfect: light and delicate with a topping of dark chocolate sauce.  My husband’s lemon tart was suitably zingy and the fruit compote was fabulous.

Lemon Tart & Fruit Compote

It took a while to let all that food settle and as we relaxed the other diners started to finish up and leave which was great as it gave me the chance to bring you a photograph of the inside of the restaurant which as you will see (in the photo at the top of this post) is very attractive with it’s black, cream and white colour scheme.

THE NITTY GRITTY

Opening times:  7 days per week in the summer

Opening times at the time of writing (April 2013): Restaurant & Bar Food Thursday ~ Sunday 6pm – 9pm

ACCESS
The bar is on the ground floor so dining there for those with limited mobility is not a problem.

ENTERTAINMENT
Live music in the bar on various nights of the week.

CONTACT
Bridge Street, Killybegs
TEL: + 353-74-9731518
facebook page: HERE

GREAT FOOD AT EVEN BETTER PRICES

Hugh O'Donnell has done it again and created yet another great dining experience in Killybegs which offers his usual fare of fresh, locally sourced and home-made food.  He has upped the ante and is serving main courses for only €10 whichever you choose.  This is hard to beat value even had he been using bought in food/frozen food but Hugh has done it using fresh ingredients all of which are prepared on the premises.

The new venture is "Hughies Gastro & Piano Bar @22 Main Street" and is located at Hughies bar in Killybegs in the area of the premises where previously he had his 22 Main Street restaurant.

Hughies New Gastro & Piano Bar @22 Main Street

I had heard great reports of the food and of the value offered and had planned to visit to see for myself so as we were having a family weekend in our holiday home nearby we took the opportunity to try Hugh's new menu for ourselves last Saturday night, the 15th of June 2013.

We have been in the place many times before, both as it is now and in it's previous 22 Main Street layout and decor.  It is a large room with a feature central bar surrounded by well spaced tables for diners.  As is always the way there, there was a warm friendly welcome from the staff and as it was yet early we had a choice of tables.  We opted for one by the large fireplace and settled in to enjoy our promptly served drinks order.

The menu is on a chalkboard and has a choice of two starters, eight main courses, and five desserts.

The starters (at €5 each) are either "Baked Quiche Filled with Goats Cheese & Sundried Tomatoes, Served with a Green Salad" or "Ravioli Stuffed with a Gorgonzola Cheese and a Creamy Tomato & Garlic Sauce & Served with Garlic Bread".  My husband & I were the only ones to opt for a starter and chose the latter.  They arrived in bowls with a big chunk of garlic bread on the side to mop up the delicious tomato sauce after the little pockets of ravioli were eaten.  The portions were generous but we were starving so appreciated that.

For our mains my husband and my mother went for the "Baked Cod on a bed of Mash Topped with a Lemon Sauce & Served with Fries", I chose the "Killybegs Seafood Pie Topped with Mashed Potato and Cheese & Served with French Green Beans" and our eldest grandson chose the "Posh Burger Served with an Apple Wood Cheese Sauce & Fries".

Our other grandson, possibly the worst eater in Ireland, and who survives happily on a diet made up mostly of carbs, upon hearing there was no pizza (and in particular not his choice of pizza which consists of pizza base with tomato sauce topping, no cheese), he was allowed to go "off menu" and they kindly made him up a plate of plain pasta and fries.  The children's menu consists of a choice of: kids burger and fries, gougons of chicken and fries, small cod & fries, or pasta and comes in at €5.

The other choice of main course were "Philly Steak Sandwich with Mushrooms, Onions & Fries", "Baked Quiche Filled with Goats Cheese & Sundried Tomatoes, Served with a Green Salad", "Ravioli Stuffed with a Gorgonzola Cheese and a Creamy Tomato & Garlic Sauce & Served with Garlic Bread", "Supreme of Chicken on a Bed of Mash Topped with Chasseur Sauce", or "Chicken Linguini Topped with a Trio of Cheese".

Whilst waiting for our food we got chatting to a couple on the next table who had finished their main course and were awaiting their desserts.  They told us they were delighted to have Hugh serving such great food at these prices in their town and said they eat there often ~ as would we if we lived there all the time!  The lady told me her favourite was the Philly Steak Sandwich.

Killybegs Seafood Pie & French Beans

My Killybeg Seafood Pie was served in a large bowl and topped with a golden crust of mash and melted cheese.  Inside was packed with all sorts of fish and crustaceans (salmon, whiting, prawns etc.) and there were enough French beans to share with my husband and mother.

Cod with Lemon Sauce & Mash

My husband and mother's cod was two big chunks of cod on a bed of mash with lemon sauce.  The cod was perfectly cooked and set off by the zingy lemon sauce.  I tasted a tiny bit of our grandson's burger and it was real mince (rather than a frozen burger) and had a lovely charcoaled taste to it.  The accompanying fries are real chips and not the aerated frozen things which sadly have become almost the norm now.

Chunky real chips

Having had a starter before our main course neither myself nor my husband could even think about a dessert, but my mother, queen of the desserts, had to have one.  The desserts are all €4.95 each and she had a choice of about five desserts including vanilla panna cotta, warm chocolate fudge gateaux, creme brulee, tiramisu, and toffee apple crumble.  She opted for one of her favourites, the apple crumble.  I sit in dread from the time my mother orders dessert until she has had her first taste ~ she would really live on desserts (and still remain very slim!) and is very fussy about them.  Her dessert arrived, warm and served with ice cream and I breathed a sigh of relief when she declared it delicious.

We finished off with an Americano coffee for my mother and I and an espresso for my husband ~ all perfect coffees.

Had we been on our own without the grandsons, we could have sat on to enjoy the live music on the piano which commences at 9.30 pm ~ we'll save that treat for the next time we are in Killybegs.

THE NITTY GRITTY

OUR BILL
FOOD
2 starters, 4 main courses, 1 child's main course, 1 dessert, 2 Americano coffees, 1 espresso = €65.95
DRINKS
1 gin & sparkling water €6.10, 1 glass of Heineken €2.50, 1 50ml carafe of wine €10, 3 Cokes & 1 Club Orange €10, 1 brandy = €28.60
TOTAL BILL (for 5 adults & 1 child & excluding optional service): €98.65

OPENING TIMES
Friday & Saturday 6-10 pm (last orders)

Music from 9.30 pm on the piano

Free car park to the rear (approached via the shore road just past the pier).

Mobility: the restaurant is all on the ground floor so access is not a problem.  There are no disabled toilets.

The restaurant also caters for private parties, corporate dinners and so on.

CONTACT
22 Main Street, Killybegs, Co Donegal.
Tel: + 353-74-9732876
email:  info@22mainstreet.com