7 Restaurants In Dunfanaghy Where You’ll Get A Tasty Feed Tonight

If you’re in search of the best restaurants in Dunfanaghy in Donegal, you’ve landed in the right place.

The scenic little town of Dunfanaghy is a great base to explore from. Home to the stunning Killahoey Beach and Tramore and close to Marble Hill, Horn Head and much more, there’s plenty to see and do.

And, your belly will be glad to hear, there are several brilliant restaurants in Dunfanaghy where you can grab a tasty post-adventure feed.

Our favourite restaurants in Dunfanaghy

The first section of our guide is packed with our favourite places to eat in Dunfanaghy – these are places that one or more of the team have visited and enjoyed.

Below, you’ll find everywhere from the Rusty Oven and Muck n Muffins to plenty more highly reviewed Dunfanaghy restaurants.

1. The Rusty Oven Pizzeria

The Rusty Oven Pizzeria is one of the most popular restaurants in Dunfanaghy for good reason. Tucked in behind Patsy Dan’s Pub, this place offers authentic wood-fired pizza with genuine Buffalo mozzarella cheese.

Step inside this not-so-secret garden and enjoy everything from the Green Goat (sweet peppers, Five Mile Town goats cheese, caramelised onions, slow roasted tomato sauce) to the Truffle Shuffle (truffle oil base, Irish mozzarella, seasonal mushrooms, mascaropne and parsley) and more.

The pizza dough and bread is made fresh and they use the finest ingredients when preparing their wares.

2. Muck n Muffins

Situated inside a beautifully renovated three-story building, Muck n Muffins is a pottery studio, café, and a gift shop that’s been in operation for 22 years!

After finishing Ceramic Design at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, two Sisters, Deborah and Emma Moore decided to open one of the most unique restaurants in Dunfanaghy.

The gift shop is where visitors will find Deborah and Emma’s pottery and a wide range of fair trade gifts like candles, scarves, and jewellery, while the pottery studio can be found on the ground floor and offers everything from sculptural pieces to tableware.

Upstairs, the cute café overlooks the square and is a great place to enjoy coffee and hot chocolate, as well as tasty foods like salads, fajitas, wraps, soup, and sandwiches.

3. Lizzie’s

Lizzie’s Diner is one of the more popular places to eat in Dunfanaghy and it attracts both locals and tourists alike and they’ve racked up rave reviews online.

On the menu here you’ll find everything from salmon and king prawn fish cakes and pear and walnut salads to crispy chicken wings, roast beef, apple pie and more.

The prices here are reasonably pocket friendly and, when you consider the quality of the dishes, great value (especially the super tasty seafood chowder!).

4. Arnold’s Hotel

If you’re looking for Dunfanaghy restaurants that make a great base for a night out with friends, head to Arnold’s Hotel where you’ll have your choice of Arnolds Restaurant, Arnolds Cocktail Bar and Arnou Cafe & Gourmet Burger Bar.

During my last visit to Dunfanghy, I mad a pitstop at the Burger Bar and had a seat in one of the pod things outside. It overlooks Sheephaven Bay and the menu boasts everything from freshly blended soup of the day to a delicious salt and chilli chicken pitta pocket.

If you visit later in the day, nip into the cocktail bar and have a sip while soaking up views on the bay. Or, if you’re looking for places to grab food in Dunfanaghy for a special occasion, the recently refurbished Arnold’s Restaurant is a solid sit-down option.

Other popular places to eat in Dunfanaghy

Now that we have our favourite restaurants in Dunfanaghy out of the way, it’s time to see what else the town has to offer.

Below, you’ll find everywhere from the brilliant Patsy Dan’s to the very popular An Chistin.

1. Patsy Dan’s Bar

Right, so I know the photo above won’t do much for your imagination, but bear with me – Patsy Dan’s is one of those pubs that you’d fall in love with the moment you set foot inside.

Great Guinness, a cosy, traditional setting and a roaring fire during winter make this a tough spot to pull yourself away from. 

Now, it’s been a while since I was here last, but I recall them only doing pizza (a search online seems to somewhat confirm this).

However, don’t let that put you off – even if pizza isn’t your thing, this is a might spot to kick-back in for an hour or two.

2. An Chistin

If you’re after casual Dunfanaghy restaurants, An Chistin is another good shout (we could find any photos of the food that we could use!), and you’ll find it right on the main street in the town.

On the menu here you’ll find everything from fish and chips and seafood chowder to cheese burgers, salads and plenty more.

Review rave about the host, Angie, and there’s a breakfast and lunch menu on the go packed with comfort food to keep you going!

3. Starfish Café & Bistro

If you’re in search of restaurants in Dunfanaghy that knock up a very tasty brunch, make your way to the Starfish Café & Bistro.

The French toast with bacon, maple syrup, bananas and natural yoghurt is delicious and it’s the signature dish on the menu.

The décor is cosy and has a nautical vibe which is not that uncommon for eateries in this part of Ireland.

What Dunfanaghy restaurants have we missed?

I’m sure that we’ve unintentionally missed out on some brilliant restaurants in Dunfanaghy in the guide above.

If you have a place that you’d like to recommend, let us know in the comments section below.

FAQs about food in Dunfanghy

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘Where’s good for an evening meal?’ to ‘Where does a great pint?’.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.