Cumbria, Italian Restaurant Guide

“Another ex-boozer I remember from adolescence, with patterned carpets and glowering locals now replaced by worshippers of the Michelin divinity” – and by all accounts Ben Queen-Fryer’s gentrified rural gastroboozer (est. 2017) “merits the star” it has held since 2022. “The food never disappoints with quality, quantity and interest” – all the more impressive given that this is a one-man band.

“Such a pleasant place to eat with lots of customers who don’t even realise they’re in a vegetarian restaurant” – this Lakeland fixture of four decades’ standing is part of a town-centre complex incorporating a cinema and jazz bar. Pizza and pasta are staples of the vegetarian Italian menu, and for £28.95 you can book a complete evening out including a two-course dinner and reserved cinema seat.