Maddens Bridge Bar & Restaurant

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#4 of 29 Restaurants in Bundoran€€ - €€€, Irish, Bar, Vegetarian friendly

+353 71 984 1586+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

12:30 - 20:00

Mon

14:00 - 20:45

Tue

14:00 - 20:45

Wed

14:00 - 20:45

Thu

14:00 - 20:45

Fri

14:00 - 20:45

Sat

14:00 - 21:00

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.0

575 reviews

#4 of 29 Restaurants in Bundoran

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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CUISINES

Irish, Bar, European, Pub

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Breakfast, Dinner, Drinks

features

Location and contact

West End, Bundoran F94 PC58 Ireland

+353 71 984 1586

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Does this restaurant have live music

Yes

Unsure

Details

Manage this business?

About

Gastro Bar & Restaurant. A Surfers Paradise & Walkers Delight. Views of Donegal Bay and World-Renowned Surf Spots! Guestrooms in a lively 1908 pub and Irish restaurant offering live music and firepalces.

CUISINES

Irish, Bar, European, Pub

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Breakfast, Dinner, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Street Parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Mastercard, Visa, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music, Family style, Gift Cards Available

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4.0

575 reviews

Excellent

311

Very good

136

Average

Poor

Terrible

Joanne C

Crumlin374 contributions

Simply stunning

Jul 2021 • couples

With no reservations the super friendly team sorted us out. Great looking menu, a little pricey but the quality of this style of this cooking you can see why. With fast table service & staff always at hand we munched on the complimentary hot flat bread with sun tomato oil, nice touch. The vegan Thai curry was Unreal, generous amount of fresh veg, & baked cod was a hit with the hubby, followed by the most delicious homemade pavola. We got lucky dining here. Great job guys thankyou

Written 13 July 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

malachyjosephwilson

Banbridge37 contributions

Fabulous eating house!

Aug 2020 • none

Having arrived in Bundoran after a long drive my wife and I decided to visit Maddens for a meal having had a good exoerience here a few years ago. We requested an upstairs table and this was no trouble to the professional staff member who couldnt have been more helpful. The meal which followed reiterated that we had definitely made the right choice! I picked fresh whole mackerel stuffed with coriander etc (which the waitress remarked "was a good choice"). She was not wrong and it went down a treat! My wife had a beautiful traditional Turkey and ham and thoroughly enjoyed it! Maddens is one of the best resraurants we have ever eaten in. We are considering booking into their B&B but might be tempted to stay indoors and eat continously lol

Written 7 August 2020

Tadgh

2 contributions

Great atmosphere

Aug 2021 • none

My girlfriend and I spent two nights in Bundoran at the end of our Wild Atlantic Way trip and dinner and drinks at Maddens was the best way to round off our trip. Though the food was pricey, the drinks were very reasonable, €5.00 for a pint of Guinness is bang on! The food was also well worth the price. My girlfriend had the fillet steak and I had lamb skewers. The portions were enormous and everything on our plate was so so tasty. We had a number of servers attend to us throughout the evening. Each one was as lovely as the next and we experienced quick efficient service. The atmosphere in the outdoor dining area was lovely and relaxed, and we didn't have to wear our jackets thanks to the heating which was a plus!

Written 22 August 2021

Christine P

2 contributions

Not happy customers.

Jun 2021 • friends

We booked a table for 6 people and 2 dog's for dinner,had to pay 25 Euro per person up front for reservation which was 150 in total. As we arrived at the restaurant we got told they are not dog friendly and we couldn't bring them in but we won't get a refund for the 150Euro deposit. They offered that one of us can wait in the carpark with the dog's while the other 5 can enjoy their meal. It's absolutely disgusting how they treat their customers. Now we have to file a case with the small claims court to get our money back. So be CAREFUL booking that place if you don't want to lose a lot of money 💰💰💰💰💰

Written 13 June 2021

Declan M

This is incorrect, you booked a table for 21.15 sitting, you called less than one hour before to request bringing dogs, we offered a solution for your dogs to be nearby but not in the restaurant, we were left with an empty table and lost booking. We have 60% less capacity because of outdoor restrictions and have been left with no option except take deposits for evening sittings. We are very reasonable and would never keep a deposit unless we are left with an empty table. You booked the table at 2pm so you had all day to check if it was possible to bring dogs, not less than an hour before your sitting.

Written 21 June 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mary M

1 contribution

The WORST experience in a bar I’ve ever had!!

Jul 2022 • family

I have been deliberating for a week about publicly sharing my experience in Maddens Bar, Bundoran. On the 30th July, myself accompanied by a family group of 12 had been out for dinner and decided to call in for a few drinks. We were met by a very pleasant waitress who went out her way to accommodate us by getting enough seats for the group and making sure we were comfortable. I then went to the bar and that is where things changed. During the course of the evening we ordered 3 rounds of drink and on all three occasions, the bar person who was a young man with glasses, was extremely rude to 3 separate members of our party. As we were in after dinner, it was not a wild night and our group were sensible and sober, yet this bar person when he had gotten our order wrong twice in a row questioned a member of our group on how much he had had to drink that night and then charged us for the extra drinks we did not order. This same bar person then refused to serve our table as he said that a member of our party had been rude to him on the round before. When I asked what the member had said to him he said, “that that man had told him that he was not happy with the bar service and it was not the first time our table had been unhappy with the service tonight”. If he had quoted our party being rude towards him I would have completely understood and apologised yet clearly he did not. This same barman also said to my nephew who was sober, that if our group had been a group of 3 lads, we’d have been put out. There were a couple other instances of rudeness that are too long to include in this review but equally as unacceptable. My nephew had no alcohol and witnessed all three of the altercations with the same bar person, and at one stage the barman also questioned what he had had to drink to in order to try and validate his rudeness. Our group was spending a large sum of money but were made to feel that our custom was not valued even though the bar was not busy. Regardless of that you would expect to be met with some form of respect and pleasantry other than passive aggression. I have been in Maddens many times before and each experience has been pleasant however this was by far my most disappointing experience in a bar and I will never be back. I have noticed that they do not respond to reviews on any platform but such is my discontent, I intend to contact the manager and ask for either an apology or an explanation.

Written 7 August 2022

CLARE M

1 contribution

Easter Dinner

Apr 2022 • family

Not one for writing reviews but avoid this place like the plague. If I could give a zero I would. The man that serves is very passive aggressive and is not child friendly at all! Very overpriced food for the very very poor quality . Desserts were an absolute joke and priced at £6.50 ! The toilet facilities are like something from the dark ages. Do yourself a favour and try the Alignham Arms Hotel literally a two minute walk from this house of horrors a different class altogether!

Written 18 April 2022

Maedhbh K

1 contribution

Lovely food, excellent staff

Jul 2021 • none

Visited Madden's recently for an evening meal with two friends while staying in Bundoran and couldn't recommend highly enough. Covid compliance was great. We were seated in the front outdoors section, which looks onto the road but has a lovely seafront view. We went all-out - chicken wings to start were ridiculously delicious; two of us had steak (perfectly cooked, generous portion, nice choice of sauces) and one had the beef short ribs (really lovely); and a selection of desserts (the cheesecake and the panna cotta were great). While the food was all delicious and beautifully presented, we were especially impressed with the quality of service in a bustling restaurant. The staff are polite, attentive, and expertly trained. One of the younger staff members who served us (we think his name was Mitch?) was particularly good at checking in, made sure that we felt looked after, and was overall just a total credit to the establishment. Would recommend Maddens to anyone looking for a meal in Bundoran - you won't be disappointed!

Written 11 August 2021

Voyager57647260188

1 contribution

Good for Lunch, Evening menu falls short.

Jul 2023 • family

Being a regular patron over the summer months and a positive advocate for the restaurant in general, unfortunately this particular visit was a little disappointing! Arriving as a party of 5 with 2 adults and 3 teens, we booked a outdoor table which was ready on arrival. Having benefited and greatly enjoyed from the lunchtime menu on several occasions over the last few weeks this was an evening dinner visit, the first since February. Unlike February when a diverse menu of options was presented this particular evening menu was very narrow on variation and options. So much so our teens decided to go for options of the children's menu and from the evening menu we chose the ham hock and surf and turf burger. The surf and turf burger was advertised with prawn which turned out to be two prawns on a standard burger, the ham hock was advertised as "fall off the bone" which was actually as tough as leather, the accompanying pineapple salsa had little taste and the white of the poached egg was quite undercooked. While the side of fries arrived scalding hot, the main dishes were tepid or cold and arrived to the table seperately over a 5 minute period. It was a warm sunny afternoon and generally on these occasions the outdoor area would in my usual experience have suitable atmospheric music playing but on this occasion there was none. Through no fault of the individuals, it appeared some of the staff on the day are perhaps new and inexperienced which may have lead to confusion over the timely delivery of the order. While the orders of the childrens menu met the expected standard, the other evening menu orders did not meet the expectations of the price point if €24.95 per dish. For what was a burger and a ham and egg dish at this price one would expect a premium dish - what was received unfortunately fell quite a bit short as described. I am a fan of the restaurant and have enjoyed many visits year on year so I will not allow this experience to influence my decision to return - but instead maybe restricting visits to lunch and avoiding evening reservations. I feel that that perhaps the kitchen is currently not meeting the ethos and standards the restaurant has set itself over the years.

Written 21 July 2023

Jason M

Mullingar34 contributions

Excellent Food and Service

Oct 2022 • family

Went here with my family for an evening meal on a Friday night. The food was exceptionally good. We all had different starters and main courses and everyone's food was beautiful. The staff were also very friendly and helpful. We liked it so much that we went back in for Saturday lunch and yet again it was gorgeous. I couldn't recommend this bar/restaurant highly enough. It might be slightly more expensive than some other bars/restaurants in the area, but trust me it is great value given the quality of food and service. I look forward to my next visit.

Written 22 November 2022

AlanEdwardChambers

Moy163 contributions

Really, really good….

Mar 2022 • couples

Six of us were in Bundoran for the weekend and we booked a table for 4.30pm (early so we could have a siesta before hitting the bar) and we all had diluted steaks. All six of us loved our meals, great to have the extras all included in the price. Great meal with a couple of beverages. I’ll be back….

Written 7 March 2022

1 contribution

Disappointed

Aug 2021 • couples

Not one to write reviews on this but We are exhausted .Stayed here for one night . The food was nice but extremely over priced with the cheapest main on the menu being a burger at €20 . We had a street view room as it was the only one left and it was the dearer room . We did not get any sleep as it was like trying to sleep on a run way it was so noisy between traffic , people walking upstairs sounded like they would come through the roof , people talking or should I say roaring outside our door which only got worse in the morning with the cleaners ! and what sounded like a boiler or toilet system nearly bringing the place down every half an hour . Staff were lovely tho . All in all nice place just over priced and not worth staying if your looking to sleep .

Written 30 August 2021

Suzanne

Athlone45 contributions

Excellent

Aug 2021 • couples

We had a lovely time here in Maddens. The menu had something for everyone and the food was served to an excellent standard. The service is very professional and the waiters were absolutely brilliant. We liked it so much for lunch that we came back for dinner. Cannot recommend it highly enough. At the moment they require a €25 deposit per person for booking and you can only book online so beware before you go. It’s worth it though.

Written 10 August 2021

Paul H

4 contributions

Top quality Food

Jul 2021 • family

We were a family of 2 adults and 3 children, our reservation was for 9pm on a Friday night. We received a very friendly welcome at the entrance and were shown to our seats promptly. The food here is a little more expensive than other places in Bundoran, but it was by far, the best place we have eaten anywhere in a long time. It was well worth paying that extra little bit. Both adults and kids food was top quality. The staff were very friendly and attentive. I can't wait to get back there.

Written 17 July 2021

TWoodcock

County Dublin27 contributions

Expensive

Jul 2023 • family

Dublin restaurant prices in a pub, very expensive. The food was decent, the portions are small. The chowder at €8.50 barely covered the bowl, it was veering on being lukewarm by the time the soup spoon arrived. A chicken dish at €23 is very punchy, my wife enjoyed it. The menu had no mention of a service charge but 10% was applied to the bill. This left a bad taste, rip off Ireland is alive and well!!

Written 9 July 2023

PABO

Sligo320 contributions

Sadly Disappointed

May 2022 • family

After insisting we headed to what was my favourite haunt in Bundoran, I felt disappointed for my family members including myself, who were far from satisfied on this occasion. The young staff members were very pleasant and the outdoor seating is very accommodating. The let down was in elements of the menu, for example one of our party had the dressed salad and had they not requested to add chicken it would have been naked, no almonds, basically a bowl of lettuce. I had the Big bridge burger which was deceptive as it must have been the bridge was large , and not even a bit of garnish to dress the plate. On a week which hospitality have been granted an extension of the vat reduction, I would appeal not to skimp on plate sizes. As a regular visitor to Bundoran, future recommendations will be more cautious. I hope this experience was an exception.

Written 16 May 2022