Reviews in Cumbria and Lake District

An excellent cafe in a wonderful location just off the A6 in Brougham Hall. This family run cafe is worth visiting to enjoy fresh food and a range of teas and coffees in a warm and friendly atmosphere .

We ate here a couple of weeks ago on our way to Scotch Corner; our waitress showed us to our table and told us that there was no real ale at the moment. She returned a couple of minutes later and took our order which eventually arrived. The starters were served with coleslaw which smelled distinctly off and when we complained it was rancid, the waitress simply said we were wrong - the coleslaw was only made yesterday. The chef (Mick) sent us a message saying that no -one else had complained so it must be ok. The rest of the meal was at best adequate if not inspiring and definitely not up to the gastro-pub standard we expect nowadays. We all felt queezy after our meals and my wife spent the rest of the day complaining of stomach cramp. My recommendation of the Agricultural Hotel? Answer: Don't bother!

I wish the food was as nice as the place looks,only 2 veggie options and you can only have chips as the spuds r cooked with meat,i would rate the food 2 out of 10.

We had hardly eaten all day as we thought we were going to our favourite local pub for tea but having been turned away from two due to them being fully booked we had almost resigned ourselves to having beans on toast! We pulled up and my brother spotted Beswicks, the rest of us were not convinced as the wild wind and heavy rain beat down on the car windows. We eventually decided to go in, the best meal experience decision we could have made. Right from the start Joanne made us feel very welcome and accommodated our every awkward request. The food was outstanding, the atmosphere was intimate and the service was unbeatable. It is also excellent value for money. We cannot wait to our next visit, this is one place where you will want to eat at again and again....I have already decided what I am having next time! The Potts Family.

Deja Vu does everything right - really good food (and local food wherever possible), well cooked and served at an unbeatable price (3 courses for under a tenner). The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. Top spot for dining in Kendal!

We stayed in Windermere in September 08. We had evening meals at the Elleray. Plenty of places to wine & dine, but none to beat the Elleray. Good food in the restaurant, followed by good service in the bar area. Friendly staff. Lodgings were being refurbished at the time. But will definitely enquire when we next visit the lakes.

I visited "Lucy's on a plate" yesterday (02.03.09) with my family. We stumbled across it by accident when out for a mooch around the town! I was very disappointed. Firstly, the cutlery they brought was dirty, the salt & pepper mills were dirty and there were crumbs and slops/spills all along the windowledge. Not very appealing. Decided to eat anyway and give it a whirl as it seemed quite busy. After waiting quite a while to be served (it was busy though) we ordered and waited around 10 mins for food (nice and quick for a busy afternoon. Me and my Mum ordered the rarebit which was quite tasty but nothing special (just one piece cut into 4 with some salad in the middle). My dad however ordered one of the rostis. When it came you could see it was completely swimming in grease. My dad is not a fussy eater at all, but he really did not enjoy it and could only eat about 1/3 because it was so sickly from the grease. I tried a bit and was not impressed at all. OK it could have just been a bad choice but when the waitress asked if our meal was ok and my Dad said his was quite tasty but far too greasy to eat (he was very polite and was not expecting money off or anything) she was very short with him and said "well that's just a hazard of ordering fried food isnt it!!" She really seemed to take offence that he had criticized the food. I can forgive anything apart from rude staff and she certainly put me off going back. I always try to give restaurants the benefit of the doubt and think maybe we just ordered the wrong food but general uncleanliness and the attitude of that one particular waitress made me think I will definitely be giving Lucys a miss next time I am in the Lakes.

First time visit to Zeffirelis after a recommendation. Was wary at first (being a dedicated carnivore) as the menu is vegetarian but the food was excellent and a really nice atmosphere. Didn't do the meal/cinema offer but wish we had!

Having used this establishment for the past three years as a meeting place for a society catering for thirty members I was a bit non plussed to be asked for a deposit - especially as the food is average to say the least. They obviously do not need the business

A great family restaurant with excellent British cuisine and a warm and friendly atmosphere.

On a recent visit to Carlisle to see family and friends we arranged to eat at Keez Bistro Restaurant. I am always nervous about eating out as my daughter is a Coeliac (cannot eat any foods containing wheat, barley, rye or oats). I need not have worried, having called the restaurant in advance, they were well aware of the condition and proceeded to go through the menu with me and identify which meals would be suitable for my daughter. For the first time ever my daughter could chose more than one option on the menu! and they made sure she had gluten free bread and also a special dessert. This made it very special evening for my daughter, for the first time every eating out she could relax and enjoy herself without worrying about explaining her condition. A big thank you to Ian and Louise for all the effort and attention, wonderful food in a relaxing atmosphere, I would recommend Keez Bistro to any Coeliac sufferer and would suggest as we did they call in advance to go through the menu. Wonderful food, excellent value for money and will definitely be booking again. Thanks for a fabulous evening.

Completely souless, no ambience and another Lakeland pub that has gone for a sterile and souless theme. Definately not a traditional Lakeland pub, just another pub in the queue for okay food at bad prices for silly outsiders. When walking through the door into the stone and iron clad interior, one is met by a selection of highly-priced and bland ales. The food is okay, but why oh why is the Lake District being converted into a bland souless monotonous hole?

I have eaten here several times and the food has always been excellent, and the restaurant has nice decor

Had a great night at the Lakeside! Relaxed in the spa for an hour or so before enjoying a great dinner in the bistro. Breakfast was a feast too! I will be back.

We were hopeful of a good meal at Lucy's on a Saturday lunch time. We were shown to our table for two, a young waitress took our order and we waited for our drinks. The drinks eventually arrived, we started to wonder where our food had got to, eventually after 45 minutes we were told our order would be a few minutes, 10 minutes later it arrived and it was the wrong order! The waitress apologized and said they could send for the food again, it would only take a few minutes! All this for Soup of the Day and Cheese on Toast. We walked out in disgust after wasting an hour waiting for our lunch. Lucy you need to sort out your service problems or you will lose your customers. We will not be returning.

Lunch on Sunday - nice sandwich and side orders -after walking from Keswick along the railway line.

Lamb Shank - wonderful - even welcomed the dog in the bar area that is stone flagged. After a dip this place is back as one to visit as the welcome & grub - SUPERB - washed down with a Cumberland pint. Visit 23 Feb 2009.

Went to this restaurant on Valentines day. Its pretty much right at the end of main street. It has a relaxed bistro feel about the place. It was very busy as you would expect, but the service was very attentive without being over attentive. The meal was excellent & it was a very enjoyable evening. I would certainly go there again.