EXPERIENCE A TASTE SENSATION IN CUMBRIA & THE LAKE DISTRICT

THIS REGION IS A FOODIE’S PARADISE WITH A HOST OF FANTASTIC RESTAURANTS, CAFÉS AND PUBS – SO MAKE SURE YOU BRING A HEALTHY APPETITE

Hold onto your waistbands, because great meals out are Cumbria and the Lake District’s bread and butter. Michelin-starred restaurants rub shoulders with no-nonsense pubs, catering for every kind of appetite.

The region’s reputation for gastronomic excellence is largely down to the quality of local produce. Local dishes include Cumberland sausage, Grasmere Gingerbread, Herdwick lamb and sticky toffee pudding. Arrive hungry!

Sink your teeth into award-winning eateries worth writing home about. Ranging from the casual to the upper crust, your taste buds are in for a real treat around Cumbria and the Lake District.

Hungry for a real treat? Cumbria’s top restaurants present the perfect opportunity to wine and dine like royalty. The county is a breeding ground for top chefs, many of whom boast Michelin-starred eateries with waiting lists as long as the multi-course tasting menus.

L’Enclume in Cartmel is run by one of the region’s most celebrated culinary masterminds, Simon Rogan. His imaginative take on British food has resulted in L’Enclume earning an impressive three Michelin stars, as well as a Michelin green star for its efforts towards sustainability.

There’s no set menu – it all comes down to what seasonal goodies have been foraged from country and coast that day. However, Rogan has been referred to as the Cumbrian Heston Blumenthal, which should give you an idea of the levels of creativity on display here.

Rogan’s also at the helm of Rogan & Co, a relaxed bistro right around the corner from L’Enclume (don’t worry, it still boasts a Michelin star). Also in Cartmel is The Pig & Whistle. Once owned by Rogan, the pub continues to do very well without him thanks to its tasty dishes and simple charm.

Follow your nose to other five-star feasts at Forest Side in Grasmere, and The Samling and the Old Stamp House in Ambleside. Local produce takes centre stage at each and Michelin stars and other dining awards abound.

A hidden gem of a restaurant is concealed in the hills by Keswick, The Cottage in the Wood calls the spectacular Whinlatter Forest home and its sophisticated dishes are a true ode to Cumbrian ingredients.

In Windermere, Ollie Bridgewater, formerly of the Fat Duck in Bray, oversees Source restaurant at the Gilpin Hotel & Lake House. Come to be dazzled by fine dining tasting plates made with the best seasonal ingredients.

Seafood reigns supreme at Hooked, an unassuming yet drop-down-delicious eatery focused on freshly netted fish. The menu changes according to what’s been caught that day, but typical delicacies include pan-fried hake, langoustine and crab arancini.

Many of Cumbria and the Lake District’s best restaurants are pubs first and foremost. The Drunken Duck Inn grew up as a mere pub, but don’t let the cosy confines fool you. Its award-winning food, centred on British classics, are five-star restaurant standard. Located on a rural hillside between Coniston and Hawkshead, this mighty popular spot gets booked up months in advance. Get your reservations in, stat.

Tucked high above Windermere, The Punch Bowl is a quintessential village pub in Crosthwaite. Despite its middle-of-nowhere locale, the strength of its menus attracts hungry punters from miles around.

TOP-NOTCH CUISINE

The Hare and Hounds bursts with country character in the beautiful village of Levens. This 16th-century coaching inn welcomes dogs and muddy boots with open arms, but don’t mistake this informality for inferiority – the food is top notch.

The Masons Arms rests on a steep hillside with exceptional views across the Lyth Valley. Expect freshly cooked pub favourites like burgers and venison stew. If you’re popping by for a quick bite, the Cumberland sausage sandwich is a no-brainer.

From hillside to lakeside, The Pheasant Inn rests near the shores of Bassenthwaite Lake. All-day dining is on offer with a friendly bistro room and more formal dining room. There’s a dedicated children’s menu and dogs are welcome too.

The Dog & Gun in Skelton may look like a simple village pub, but it surprises with unpretentious Michelin-starred cooking that uses the best produce from local suppliers. Come and treat yourself to dishes such as chanterelle risotto and sourdough-crusted halibut – as well as some seriously sinful desserts.

With the Lake District on the doorstep, is it any surprise that Cumbrian restaurants serve up local ingredients on a platter? Allium at Askham Hall builds its menu around the plentiful produce harvested from both its kitchen garden and the sprawling Lowther Estate. From wild garlic to moorland pigeon, it’s a true celebration of the seasons.

Lake Road Kitchen in Ambleside has a Scandi-style tasting menu of foraged and home-grown ingredients – many native to Northern Europe. Pick between eight or 12 courses and bring your biggest appetite!

Locally farmed goods are also at the core of Heft.

Located in High Newton, chef Kevin Tickle (a Cumbrian lad himself) whips up carefully curated dishes designed to inspire. It received a Michelin star in 2023, and is a must-visit for true Cumbrian cuisine.

The people of Coniston can’t get enough of Steam, a small bistro restaurant that goes big on home-grown flavour. You’ll likely join the ranks of fans after a taste of daily-changing dishes like chicken alla Milanese and sesame tofu red Thai curry.

Culinary Delights

Nestled on the Cumbrian side of the Scottish border, the culinary delights at Pentonbridge Inn are supplied by the walled garden at Netherby Hall. It’s easy to see why it was awarded a Michelin star and three AA Rosettes as you enjoy terrific dishes lovingly prepared by head chef Chris and his talented team.

Cumbria may boast more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other English county, but posh nosh is far from all that’s on offer. Quaint tea rooms, casual cafés and vibrant newcomers make for exciting meals where glad rags are well and truly optional.

Cumbria and the Lake District are awash with charming cafés and tea rooms ideal for a quick lunch or afternoon pick-me-up. In Ulverston, Gillam’s town centre location is ultra-convenient. There’s a small patio garden at the back and great vegan options too.

Also in Ulverston, Fourpence Cafe & Shop is a great place to fill your bags as well as your boots. Many of the jams, chutneys and dressings you see on the menu are also available to purchase. Even the furniture is up for grabs! Vintage antiques adorn almost every surface and this quirkiness is a huge part of its charm.

The Chalet Tearooms, just outside Keswick, is rightly popular with walkers in need of a home-made slice of cake (or two!) after a vigorous hike over Catbells.

Stumble upon a hidden gem at Woodlands Tearoom near Holmrook. It serves up a smorgasbord of tasty treats (the cream teas are a particular hit) and the gift shop next door is just as delicious. Alternatively, in Uldale, Mae’s Tea Rooms & Gallery also has arts and crafts for sale and is located in a renovated Victorian school on the northern edge of the Lake District.

You know you’re in for a treat the moment you set eyes on Granny Dowbekin’s Tearooms in Pooley Bridge. The name alone is straight out of a nursery rhyme and it only gets better when you see the riverside garden and ample choice of freshly-baked scones available.

You’ll want to do exactly as the name suggests at Flock-In Tearoom in Rosthwaite. Set on a working farm in the middle of nowhere, the garden affords marvellous views of Borrowdale Valley. Plus, this is the only spot where you can stock up on Linda’s famous Herdwick lamb pasties!

The Square Orange in Keswick whips up stone-baked

“FEELING BRAVE? WASH DOWN YOUR BACON-INFUSED CAMEMBERT WITH A GLASS OF THE WORLD’S STRONGEST BEER. IT’S CALLED SNAKE VENOM AND COMES IN AT A STAGGERING 67 PER CENT ABV” pizzas and generous plates of tapas, alongside great beers and an even greater buzz. It’s considered one of the first venues to bring café-bar culture to the Lake District so you know you’re in safe hands.

Another must-visit in Keswick is Fellpack. The short-butsweet menu of this restaurant flits between the classics and international cuisine. Oh, and plenty of cocktails to boot.

Fabulous Cakes

Ambleside has a great many cafés. There’s The Apple Pie Café with its fabulous cakes, sausage butties and locallyroasted coffees, The Rattle Ghyll’s picnic-perfect takeaway menu and the famously friendly Fresher’s Cafe. Their giant quiches are out-of-this-world scrumptious and baked afresh with love every day.

Over in Windermere, The Crafty Baa is a higgledypiggledy haven of comfort food and craft beer. If you’re feeling brave, wash down your bacon-infused camembert with a (small!) glass of the world’s strongest beer. It’s called Snake Venom and comes in at a staggering 67 per cent ABV.

If it’s a little too early for Snake Venom, and you’re after something a bit more laid back, make a beeline for The Lakeshore Café at Windermere Jetty Museum where you can enjoy seasonal dishes with superb panoramic views across Windermere towards the Coniston fells.

Up in Longton, near Carlisle, the Hidden River Café is tucked away along a quiet stretch of the River Lyne. Dine on locally sourced Cumbrian dishes as you take in some spectacular views. You can even make a night of it by staying in one of their log cabins.

All manner of diets are catered for in the restaurants of Cumbria and the Lake District. However, some eateries champion veggie and vegan fare in a noteworthy way. Plant by Kat’s Kitchen in Keswick (try saying that with a mouthful of falafel!) is a 100 per cent vegan café where you can scoff sarnies, smoothies and hot snacks overlooking the River Greta. If you happen to be on the hunt for a mouth-watering vegan Sunday lunch in Cumbria, this is the place to find it.

Graze café in Bowness-on-Windermere isn’t exclusively veggie but the excellent vegan and gluten-free options set many hearts a-flutter. It’s big on coffee and cakes but it’s their flavourful fusion dishes, available to eat in or takeaway, that really hit the spot.

For elevated free-from dining, try Fellinis in Ambleside. This self-coined ‘vegeterranean’ restaurant serves up inspired plates full of Mediterranean flavour in slinky surroundings. The menu adapts with the season but each plate is a miniature work of art and the service is just as accomplished. Vegetarian fine dining, done right.

Feeling thirsty? The Lake District’s bars put the rum in scrumptious, with creative cocktails and bar snacks to line your stomach. Carlisle leads the way when it comes to boozy innovation and has seen a growth of trendy bars in recent years. In the heart of the city, The Last Zebra’s convivial atmosphere invites you to linger a while, supping craft beers and scoffing burgers ’til late.

Nearby in a converted monastery, the Thin White Duke is a stylish hangout with an atmospheric cellar restaurant. Other popular additions to Carlisle’s drinking and dining scene include gastropub Bar Solo and The Old Bank, where you can indulge in fine European food alongside your cocktails and beers.

Local Tipples

If you’re keen to meet the makers behind Cumbria’s spirits, you won’t leave disappointed. Whisky is the poison of choice at The Lakes Distillery near Cockermouth, although gin and vodka are also bottled here. A guided distillery tour takes you inside the renovated Victorian farmhouse for an up-close gander at the production process.

Beer is also a big business in Cumbria. Hawkshead Brewery uses local Lake District water to brew their batches. Swing by the excellent Beer Hall to sink a few and make sure to pair your pint with a Higginson’s pork pie – a match made in heaven.

Eat your way around the gastronomic heartland of England in Cumbria and the Lake District’s best restaurants. From tiny tea rooms to multi-course tasting menus dreamt up by top chefs, there’s a culinary blowout to suit all budgets. Your stomach is sure to thank you.