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Overview
The Yellow Pepper Restaurant, located in Letterkenny, is a welcoming, family-run establishment led by Carol Meenan and Kieran Davis. This restaurant prides itself on offering a casual dining experience with a strong emphasis on local and Irish produce.Dining
The Yellow Pepper Restaurant in Letterkenny offers a dining experience built on fresh local produce and warm Irish hospitality. Family-owned and well managed, it has become a favourite for both locals and visitors seeking quality food in a welcoming setting.
Starters set the tone with scallops served with a chorizo crumb, vegetable crisp and garden pea purée, beautifully presented and full of flavour. The Kincasslagh crab claws in chive cream with homemade brown bread were another highlight, perfectly cooked and deeply satisfying.
Mains included a surf and turf of Cajun-spiced sirloin with spiced coconut cream and rosemary jus, paired with a half lobster cooked to perfection. Instead of dessert, the Croithli whiskey tasting provided a memorable finale, showcasing three exceptional whiskeys from the restaurant’s own distillery – a feature that makes The Yellow Pepper truly unique.
Menus are extensive yet carefully priced with specials that impress, from shellfish platters to Donegal lamb shank and oven roasted hake. Much of the produce comes directly from the owners’ garden with local suppliers proudly listed on every menu. Staff are professional and knowledgeable, service is attentive and the restaurant itself is lively and well maintained.
The Yellow Pepper succeeds in offering value, variety and a true sense of place – a restaurant that celebrates Donegal food and drink with pride.
A nod to Letterkenny’s heritage runs through The Yellow Pepper, set in a former shirt factory on Lower Main Street. Original stone walls, timber floors and cast iron beams from the 1800s give the building a character all of its own, while the family-run team have built a reputation for warm hospitality since first opening in 1994. The restaurant has grown steadily over the years, yet always remaining true to its roots as a welcoming place to gather and enjoy good food.
The Yellow Pepper’s food and drink offering is rooted in Donegal’s landscape and traditions. Menus bring together fresh seafood, local meats and seasonal produce, supported by an impressive specials board and an extensive à la carte. Diners can enjoy everything from shellfish platters and lamb shanks to lighter plates and vegetarian dishes, alongside house specialities. A unique highlight is their own distillery, producing exceptional whiskeys that sit proudly alongside local beers, ciders and juices. With its mix of history, atmosphere and flavour, The Yellow Pepper captures the essence of dining in Donegal.
Their Menus:
Dinner Menu
Blackboard Specials
Value Menu
Dessert Menu
Download All Menus Here
Services
- Lunch service seven days a week with a wide choice of dishes to suit all tastes
- Dinner service available from Monday to Saturday evenings
- Multiple dining spaces
- Private dining options for groups and special occasions
- Extensive à la carte and daily specials menu showcasing seasonal produce and local suppliers
- Licensed bar featuring local whiskey, alongside local beers, ciders and juices
- Centrally located on Lower Main Street with convenient access to nearby parking
The Yellow Pepper Restaurant has been family-run since 1994 and is dedicated to offering quality, value and warm hospitality.
Whether visiting for a relaxed lunch, a special celebration or to enjoy a unique whiskey tasting, The Yellow Pepper provides a welcoming space that reflects the best of Donegal dining.
Sustainability
The Yellow Pepper has long held sustainability at the heart of its philosophy, shaping not just what arrives on the plate but also how the restaurant operates. From the very beginning, this Letterkenny favourite has worked closely with trusted local farmers, growers and fishers to ensure that every ingredient is as fresh and traceable as possible. Vegetables, herbs and fruit are harvested from their own organic gardens, fish is collected straight from the piers at Killybegs and Greencastle, and crab and lobster are brought in from Ballyheerin Pier at Fanad Head. Beef, pork and poultry travel only a short distance from farms in the Finn Valley and neighbouring Monaghan. This approach doesn’t just deliver outstanding flavour – it supports local livelihoods and keeps food miles to a minimum.
Their commitment has been recognised with Bord Bia certification, confirming the use of Irish and locally produced ingredients across their menus. Even the building itself tells a sustainability story – the restaurant is housed in a carefully restored 19th-century shirt factory, with its stone walls, wooden floors and cast-iron beams lovingly preserved. By embracing adaptive reuse rather than building anew, The Yellow Pepper highlights how heritage and hospitality can blend seamlessly. Together, these choices showcase a restaurant that values the environment as much as the dining experience, offering guests the reassurance that every meal comes with a lighter footprint.
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