Mountain Ventures Hostel

Try the food at Mountain Ventures!

Anna -- Aug 04, 2010 12:14 pm
We were so pleasantly surprised by MV hostel when we stayed in mid-July 2010. A) It was not hard to find. When you get to Donal, I think, the closest village, there is a sign at the only intersection (a sort of fork in the road) - easy to follow. If you aren't driving, MV hosts will do pick-ups at the bus station. B) It's charming. An old cottage, but the interior is remodeled, fresh, bright. Each unit has a separate entrance and our private double was perfect. Basic, but roomy, clean, modern. In the back there are picnic tables - a nice outdoor dining area. The common room is very comfortable with a fireplace, nice couches, dining area. Kitchen is modern and large - industrial style for multi-users, but for some reason we barely caught a glimpse of other guests. Out hiking I suppose. C) The setting is gorgeous. Wicklow is one of the most beautiful areas in Ireland to my mind. There are tons of hikes close to the hostel, which itself is surrounded by trees and greenery. D) The hosts were great. Very helpful, friendly, responsive, always around. D) The FOOD. It isn't widely known that MV serves dinners, on request, but I would hazard to guess their kitchen serves up the best fare in the area. We checked out the pub in Donal - pizza and chips only - before we asked Aaron if he could accommodate us for dinner. It was a bit late, but he agreed. (Typically you would put in your order for dinner by 7 and be served by 8). There were about four entree choices listed that evening (these vary, I take it, day to day), all served with desert and either salad or seasonal veg. I had vegetarian "moussaka" (sort of like a ratatouille, with chunks of sweet potato and a bit of grilled goat cheese on top) and my husband had shepherd's pie. It was really delicious - absolutely homemade, healthy, flavourful, and the side of steamed veg (new potatoes, peas, carrots) were from their garden. This was followed by an insanely scrumptious fruit pie with real whipped cream, which I intended to only sample but devoured whole. I believe all this came to about 13 euro each, all in. Compared to a restaurant, excellent value.
I intend to go back to stay longer at MV if we have the chance to return to Ireland.