After 14 weeks of closure, the popular Lemon Tree Restaurant, Letterkenny, is finally reopening this Thursday the 25th June, introducing the new Lemon Tree to Go and Hatch services.

The Lemon Tree to Go, a new click and collect service, will allow customers to preorder online at www.thelemontreerestaurant.com for collection from the pickup hatch located at the front of the restaurant at the Courtyard Shopping Centre. The Lemon Tree to Go menu features picnic boxes, cheese and charcuterie as well as a selection of Lemon Tree signature dishes and new street food style additions. The pickup Hatch will also be open for on-street ordering, offering a street food style menu.
Sit in dining will resume on Monday the 29th June with the popular Early Bird and A La Carte menus as well as a new midweek lunch service.

“We are really looking forward to opening our doors again after the COVID-19 closure. We have decided to introduce a range of new services for customers including online gift vouchers, our website click and collect service, Lemon Tree to Go and our on-street Hatch service which will allow customers to order from a street style menu. In the next few weeks we will be also introducing a new express lunch service which will enable customers to preview the lunch menu, preorder their lunch and make a table reservation so that when the customer arrives for lunch, their table is reserved and their order is ready to be served, without delay. Renowned Carrigart chef, Ciaran Sweeney, formerly of Dublin’s acclaimed Forest & Marcy restaurant, will also be joining our team. It is great to have Ciaran on board bringing his experiences in many world renowned restaurants to the table,” said chef and co-owner Christopher Molloy.

Christopher acknowledged that while the global pandemic has been a challenging time for the hospitality industry, it does present new opportunities.  
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“After months of uncertainty, we are absolutely delighted to be reopening our doors and greeting our customers once again. We have worked really hard over the past few weeks to prepare for reopening, undertaking a range of measures to ensure the safety of staff and customers for when we resume sit in dining on the 29th June. Although the period of closure was a really difficult and testing time, and our seating capacity will be limited, it has inspired us to diversify and think about how we could offer something new. It has been a huge challenge but one that we want to embrace and make the best of.”

​You can preorder from the Lemon Tree to Go menu from this evening, the 22nd June, for collection from Thursday the 25th June at 12.30pm.


​To view the Lemon Tree to Go menu or for more information visit 
 www.thelemontreerestaurant.com
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For queries contact
 info@thelemontreerestaurant.com

Lemon Tree Chef Christopher Molloy briefing the guests

As part of their food event calendar, The Counter Deli, Letterkenny, hosted Lemon Tree Chef Christopher Molloy for a pop up Donegal tasting menu on September The 30th.

Christopher was joined by chef Ciaran Sweeney previously of Forest & Marcy, Dublin and Mark Barrett also of The Lemon Tree, Letterkenny.

The seven course menu featured some of Donegal’s best producers and was complemented with a selection of wines expertly chosen by The Counter’s Richard Finney.

The evening kicked off with a selection of delicious snacks including crispy fish skin with pea and tartare sauce and a mushroom cappuccino with crispy mushroom fritters. Fresh Italian bubbles made for the perfect accompaniment.

The next dish of fermented potato bread with cabbage and bacon was inspired by Ciaran Sweeney’s childhood memories of his Grandmother.

Christopher Molloy’s signature dish of beetroot salad with hazelnut and beetroot ice cream followed. The Counter’s Richard Finney paired the course with a Domaine Gayda Sauvignon Blanc from the languedoc region.

The next course was Donegal scallops in hay with a smoked mussel chowder, hazelnut and seaweed. This rich dish paired beautifully with Baron De Sabas Verdejo/Tierra De Castilla.

Next up was the main course of Donegal Venison with celeriac and elderberries. The dish was wonderfully complimented with Chalk Hill, MacClaren Vale Australian Shiraz.

To start the dessert courses, fresh blackberry aromas wafted through the air when blended with dry ice, for full dramatic effect. Richard Finney presented the final of the evenings wines, a Elysium Black Muscat from Madera, California.

Dessert kicked off with a warm chocolate mousse, prune and salted milk followed by blackberry panna cotta, blackberry sorbet and meringue.

A blackberry smoothie, an edible blackberry straw and blackberry jellies finished off the evenings dishes.

A Donegal tasting menu is available at The Lemon Tree Restaurant between Sunday-Thursday, for more information visit http://www.thelemontreerestaurant.com/donegal-tasting-menu.html or contact us to make a booking enquiry at http://www.thelemontreerestaurant.com/contact.html

​For updates on The Counter Deli future pop up events visit https://www.thecounterdeli.com/ and sign up to the newsletter.
All the wines listed above are available to buy at The Counter Deli, Letterkenny.

As part of his role as an Irish Food Champion, our chef Christopher Molloy took part in the Boxty Without Borders Event on Sunday the 15th of September at Belcoo Bridge. The Irish Food Champions are an assembly of seventeen professionals based around the island of Ireland who influence and represent all aspects of the Irish food and beverage landscape.

​The Boxty Without Borders event served as part of the Failte Ireland Taste The Island series of food events across Ireland with the objective of bringing people together in regions to celebrate Irish food. The event highlighted that food has no boundaries and the benefits of cross border tourism collaborations.

Boxty without Borders took place at Belcoo Bridge which connects Cavan with Fermanagh symbolizing the way that food connects communities. The long table event hosted 150 seated diners for a multi-course local food lunch showcasing the wonderful food and drink from the neighboring counties, focusing on the regional dish Boxty.

PAfter the delicious lunch, an artisan producers market opened to the public offering the very best of local food and drink. Local singer/songwriters provided the soundtrack throughout the day.

While this was a one off event, it is anticipated that it will inspire more regional celebrations of heritage and food culture around the island of Ireland.

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