Harden's survey result
Summary
In an “unusual setting” on the banks of the River Wyre by a historic toll bridge (“right down by the water with a pleasant walk before the meal”), the Beaumes’ rambling riverside inn combines views of the Lake District and chic lodgings ranging from a penthouse suite to luxury cabins. “A quiet lack of fuss presides over the whole experience” while on the food front, it “continues to offer probably the best food on the Fylde (that sticky out bit of Lancashire between Preston and Lancaster)”. “The food varies between simple or classic dishes done very well and a few excursions into experimentation (which sometimes work, sometimes don’t), so – split the difference – and say it’s very good”. Top Tips – “bargain three-course lunch for £27 per person”; it’s “well worth popping into the on-site deli”, TOTI (‘Taste of the Inn’), where you can pick up “a really splendid choux bun”; “you’ll never go wrong with their superb French Onion Soup, followed by an oxtail suet pudding”.
Summary
“An amazing setting – beside the River Wyre – by a historical toll bridge” sets the scene at “The Beaumes’ comfortable yet quirkily decorated pub, which continues to offer the best food on the Fylde (that sticky-out bit of Lancashire on the edge of which sits Blackpool).” The “mouth-wateringly good” cuisine is just the start of it at the 2024 AA Inn of the Year, with the site housing seriously stylish rooms (in the main building but also luxury tree-house style lodges), plus a deli, farm shop and gallery stocking homewares and jewellery. Top Menu Tip – “Meat, fish and vegetarian choices are all excellent. Cheese Beignet starter is mouth-wateringly good. Beef suet pudding is gorgeous”.
Summary
“A beacon of hospitality and gastronomy in the desert of the Fylde” – “the Beaume family’s quirkily decorated riverside inn” is “a great example of what can be done in a pub with rooms to make it interesting” (and incorporates a deli, art gallery, farm shop, plus greenhouses for all-year dining). Amidst the selection of hearty yet enticing dishes, “there’s lots of good stuff”. Top Tips – “the French Onion Soup is still the best I’ve had, and oxtail suet pudding is always impressive. And if you can get one of the tables with a river view, you may get to see the striking sight of the river changing direction when the tide starts coming in. If you are very, very lucky, you may even see the tail end of the Wyre Bore”.
Summary
“The indefatigable Beaume family put heart and art” into this “quirkily decorated boutique hotel and restaurant next to the toll bridge over the River Wyre”. It’s a “true gastropub” – “I’ve lunched in my jeans, I’ve dined in a dress, I’ve had beers at the bar and the welcome is the same” – and the “daily specials continue to be very reliable, while regular items like the oxtail pudding and French onion soup are things of hearty beauty”.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Cartford Inn?
Cartford Lane, Little Eccleston, PR3 0YP
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £27.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.50 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £8.00 |
| Service | 10.00% |
Cartford Lane, Little Eccleston, PR3 0YP
Opening hours
| Monday | 5:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 5:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 5:30 pm‑9 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 5:30 pm‑9 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 5:30 pm‑9 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 5:30 pm‑9 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑6 pm |
Best British, Modern restaurants nearby
British, Modern restaurant in Ellel
British, Modern restaurant in Lancaster
British, Modern restaurant in Clitheroe
Best similarly priced restaurants nearby
British, Modern restaurant in Ellel
British, Modern restaurant in Clitheroe
British, Modern restaurant in Newton-in-Bowland
