Harvey's Point Country Hotel

Lakeside Hotel & Restaurant

The Story of Harvey’s Point begins in the early eighties when Jody Gysling, on vacation in Ireland, visited Donegal town and travelled a couple of miles to a pretty lake called Lough Eske, framed by the Black Stack Mountains. He immediately fell for the stunning scenery, the Irish wit and the famous welcome of the locals and returned time after time until eventually he found a little house inhabited by two elderly brothers who were happy to sell and help his dream begin. Those brothers were the Harvey’s and there the eponymous hotel had its roots. What started as an intimate guest house grew in name and reputation and today Harvey’s Point is one of the most beloved spots in the country, hosting guests from all over the world and delivering a fantastic offering of Irish, local food.

What is most evident when we check in, is that none of the original dream has been lost. The intimacy with which Jody Gysling hosted his guests in those early years is still extant in every area of the hotel. Jody’s brother Marc and his wife Deirdre are the custodians and developers of that legacy of personal service and attention to detail. Our arrival, which was late in the afternoon, is greeted with warm smiles from staff, an efficient check-in and a suggestion that we take afternoon tea in the delightful cocktail lounge. This is truly the heart of the hotel and we sink into the sumptuous chairs in front of a blazing fire housed in the original cottage fireplace! A fabulous, tiered cake stand arrives piled high with an array of home-baked cakes, pastries, tarts and savouries and we pair our feast with a couple of glasses of chilled vintage Champagne. 

Dinner later that evening is served in the elegant restaurant overlooking Lough Eske. The room is sophisticated but welcoming with fresh flowers, starched linen and sparkling crystal glasses. Chefs Paul Montgomery and Joe O’Hora lead a competent team of professionals and the cooking is firmly rooted in the locale but with classical French overtones. We start with a dainty amuse of whipped local goat cheese and follow it with a sliver of seared foie-gras, quiveringly pink with caramelised pineapple and a light white onion mousse. Afterwards, a loin of mulled wine marinated Finnebrogue venison is rich and flavoursome and cleverly paired with chestnuts, red cabbage and a chocolate sauce.

The famous ‘free-roaming’ chicken from Fermanagh’s Kettyle Irish Foods is wonderfully plump and succulent and sitting atop a mound of turnip and vanilla purée and homemade gravy…delicious! Afterwards, a perfectly yeasty Rum Baba is heavenly, served as it is, with rum and raisin fudge and coconut ice-cream. The cheese trolley is also a triumph with an real emphasis on Irish artisan cheese and an impressive selection. Service is efficient and smart but still displaying that personality so in evidence throughout the hotel.

Retiring to our bedrooms, after dinner, is a real treat. The rooms range from courtyard adjacent to executive suites but the same attention to space, comfort and detail has been lavished on each. The bathrooms are spectacular, with large Jacuzzi baths and Italian marble floors and the products, décor and design sensibility are all in keeping with the personal yet elegant ethos of the hotel.

After a wonderful sleep and a chance to relish the stunning views, breakfast is another triumph of local produce. McGhettigans sausages and bacon, local smoked salmon and organic eggs, grilled Irish kippers as well as cereals, pastries (try the cinnamon rolls!), breads, Bailey’s porridge, fruit and yoghurt are only some of the spectacular offerings on the hot and cold breakfast menu. Hot food, cooked to order, is a real treat at breakfast time these days and Harvey’s breakfast team serve food in the morning with as much passion and detail as that of the night time crew.

Sunday lunch at Harvey’s Point is an institution in Donegal. The team have been developing and expanding the menu and the current buffet of hot and cold starters, traditional roasts, fish and trimmings is a stunningly delicious array of local suppliers wares. The setting is glorious, in a light-filled room and the service is peppered with the warmth and efficiency that we have now come to expect from the staff! The new stir fry station is a wonderful addition, as is the tempting dessert counter and the children’s menu is healthy and full of hearty, local ingredients. The room is full to the brim and buzzing with happy diners, birthday parties and local folk celebrating or just here to give the house cook a well deserved rest!

Harvey’s Point is a very special place. The staff, from front desk to housekeeping to catering to porters are all brimming with pride and their training only adds to what is obviously a real passion for hospitality and a genuine love for their jobs. The food is delightful, well sourced and well executed, the rooms are comfortable and the design of the hotel, thoughtful and detailed...a real sanctuary and a really special place. Check in immediately!

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Contact Details

To Contact a Member Directly, please click on the email or website below

Lough Eske
Donegal Town
+353 (0)74 97 22208
Email: stay@harveyspoint.com
Web: www.harveyspoint.com

 

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