Keswick, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“Tasty and varied ‘fellpots’” – as dishes from around the world are called on the menu here – are the “reward” for a day running or hiking across the nearby fells at this flagship bistro for John Butterworth’s fast-growing Keswick operations. Last year he acquired Lyzzick Hall hotel and restaurant, three miles out of town, to add to his cocktail and burger bar The Round and boutique hotel Fellpack House (fka The Hazeldene).

2024 Review: On the lower slopes of Skiddaw, England’s third highest mountain, a luxury mid-Victorian Lakes hotel that “never fails to impress”. The restaurant has been relocated over the years to amplify the “wonderful views”, and it continues to please with its “good variety of dishes” (from Sunday lunch to salads and Cumbrian rarebit) that are also “exceptional value for money”.

“A truly magical Lake District setting” – “high in Whinlatter Forest with lovely views down the valley from the terrace and the dining room” – help inspire little but good vibes for Beth (GM) & Jack (Chef) Bond’s well-regarded coaching inn at 1000 ft (which they purchased in early 2024). The worst report this year said a meal was “good all round but didn’t wow”. All other accounts acknowledge it as an “exceptional” and “delightful” favourite thanks to its superb welcome and the “outstanding” cuisine, which at dinner provides seven courses for £120 per person (lunch is a somewhat pared down five courses for £75 per person). They alternate menus by the day, so that if you stay in one of their rooms, you have something new to go at!

A short stroll from Grasmere, the Manley clan’s warm and welcoming bistro-with-beds (plus cottages and glamping pods) has a self-proclaimed ‘muddy boots attitude’ in tune with its location on a converted sheep farm, slap bang in the middle of the Lake District National Park. The “really very good food all round” makes “excellent use of local produce where possible” (including eggs from their own hens and ducks) and is strong on hearty and nostalgic “Cumbrian favourites”.

‘The Dog and Gun Inn is not a ‘fine dining establishment’ confirms the website of Ben Queen-Fryer’s Lake District venue which goes on to note that it’s “a family-run business and families of all ages are welcome to book and dine with us” (including dogs in certain areas). Diner feedback confirms “there continues to be excellent food at this friendly, unpretentious Michelin-starred pub, where owner Ben is very much hands on and does most of the cooking”: “tasty and different dishes, in good sized portions”. Top Menu Tip – “Don’t miss his soufflés!”

“As a certain tyre company might say, worth a journey!” – Ryan & Craig Blackburn’s “hidden gem” in the Lake District provides “award-winning dining in a former Post Office” (where a certain William Wordsworth was once the local stamp distributor) and their eight-course tasting menu for £105 per person is some of “the best value fine dining to be encountered in the UK with an unfussy, relaxed ambience” to match. Its six-course lunch menu for £65 helps also make it “a brilliant local” too. Top Menu Tip – “The rabbit cannelloni is good, the steamed halibut superb, the hogget full of flavour and the rhubarb dessert delicious”.

“A stunning favourite” – James Cross consistently produces “absolutely faultless cooking” at his well-accoladed but “very friendly” destination in this Lakeland town, whose distinctive if sparse, wood-lined interior hints at the Nordic influences of his CV, which included a stint at Noma. The entry level option is five courses for £80 per person, but you can push the boat out with more elaborate eight-course and twelve-course selections (“so much food!”). “Each dish is carefully crafted with the best ingredients… don’t forget to mention the amazing bread that you get to take home!”

This famous Lakeland watering hole, a 17th-century inn at a remote crossroads with views to distant Windermere, has long been a favourite for hikers, tourists and locals (including Tom Barnes, former executive chef at L’Enclume, who has been quoted tipping its “cosy” interiors, “beautiful food and amazing beers” – the latter from its own microbrewery). The robust meals are priced to a pleasingly straightforward formula: at lunch, starters are all £15, mains £25, sides £7 and puds £14; dinner is £45 for two courses, £65 for three courses, coffee and petits fours.

2023 Review: Set in 27 acres, this country house hotel is one of the better-known luxury destinations in the Lakes and boasts a dining room whose floor-to-ceiling windows provide magnificent views of Windermere and the surrounding peaks, where chef Robby Jenks presides over the kitchen. It inspired very upbeat (but relatively little) feedback again this year, with nominations as an ideal romantic choice or for its impressive afternoon teas. For a full meal in the dining room, lunch is a four-course affair for £60 per person, and in the evening the sole option is a seven-course tasting menu at £115 per person.