Reviews in Cumbria and Lake District

We made a spontaneous visit last week for a late lunch after we had visited the Beacon exhibition, whilst on holiday in the Lake District. There were no tables free but the lovely staff brought in one of the outside tables for us. The food was delicious. I had their homemade vegetable soup with a cheese scone (fresh, light and cheesy!); my husband had a made-to-order bacon and egg roll. The staff were only too happy to accommodate his desire for crispy bacon (and lashings of ketchup!). This was followed by caramel shortbread - the best I have ever had. We recommended the cafe to our friends who visited the next day with their 3 children. They were also suitably impressed. If we lived in the area we would definitely be regulars. This is a fantastic place!

What an amazing place to eat! My wife and I stumbled across this lovely looking building whilst looking for somewhere to have our evening meal. The best places often seem to be the tucked away ones, and The White House is such a hidden gem. We had no idea what to expect when we got there, and were immediately pleasantly surprised by the decor and relaxed vibe of the place. We were taken care of constantly from the moment we arrived with drinks offered, canopes brought and coats hanged up for us. And as for the food, well it was without doubt among the best we've ever tasted, cooked to perfection and brought swiftly. It was one of those memorable meals that you look back on for many years to come, positioned well above the average, mediocre and forgettable that seem to be so commonplace. The standard of service was brilliant too with us being tended to consistently throughout our time there. Our table was somewhat tucked away, and as a result in some restaurants we've sometimes felt forgotten about. That was not the case with The White House as we were made to feel very valued as customers from start to finish. We left with a very pleasant exchange with the warm and friendly staff, promising to put our comments on Sugarvine, and vowing to return. Well the Sugarvine comments are on, and now we're so much looking forward to doing the other bit, going back to this amazing hidden gem.

Enjoyed an excellent Ploughmans platter for lunch at this country pub. Would like to return at night and sample that menu too!

Overpriced even for the lake district.The coffee cup was a tiny teacup & only half full(£1.75! that's £3.50 for a full cup), the guy serving expecting you to fill up the other half with milk. Also the toasted teacake i was given (£1.95) was no bigger than a rich tea biscuit. Should have known when we entered, only one couple were in there & a man sitting down, He was the guy serving. When we left approx 7 mins later the place was deserted. We were both completely underwhelmed & still in need of sustenance & a caffeine kick. Not two minutes later we were outside a place called Greens which was almost full. We got the last table & had a proper teacake & the coffee was in a cafetiere with almost 3 cups in. There's too much competition in that area to think you can get away with taking advantage of people... We will never set foot in The Cumbria Cafe again.. Well done Greens for saving the day, What a fab place.

Excellent traditional pub food, I found the service fantastic, with a great deals on the food. Large portions with locally sourced produce a must visit in Kendal

Fantastic restaurant. Chilled atmosphere (very Italian) child friendly (again, typically Italian) excellent menus, with traditional italian meals. (No Chicken Jalfrezi Deep Pan muck here!) and the friendliest staff in Cumbria. I've eaten in many places in Italy from Venice in the north, down as far as Palermo in the south, and this is the closest I've seen the experience replicated in this country. If that's not enough, the £5.95 PIzza/Pasta and glass of wine deal is an absolute bargain. If I was to be really picky, I would just say that it's a shame they don't open on Sundays all year round, but hey that's a small price to pay for living near the best Italian restaurant for miles around. Give yourself a treat and visit soon.

Me and my boyfriend went the prince of india on valentines night and we loved it. All the staff were very friendly and helpful, the menu price stayed the same on valentines day as most places put the prices up, I had chicken korma and it was lovely the service was quick the the prices were very good, I also got a red rose! There was lots to chose from on the menu and there was a great desert menu. We will be going again if we stay in windermere.

My boyfriend and I ate here on Saturday 13th Feb 2010 for both our anniversary and valentines day. We had a 3 course meal with a bottle of wine. I have to say it was one of the best meals we have ever had. The service was excellent, the food sublime and the wine delicious. I would definitely recommend this restaurant and would give it 10/10.

1 night stay Sept. 2009 hospitality very good breakfast excellent,room very good.

Best pub in Keswick, well run, good beer, fab food, recommend the pork chops or steak

We went for a 'Special' meal at Oilys. We asked about seating and were directed by the waitress to armchairs totally unsuitable for dining. We asked if we could move to dining chairs further in the restaurant. We were told we could sit in two places but they were the same. The place was virtually empty as it was a sunday evening. We did later move ourselves when a nearby table with dining chairs became vacant. As I have a slipped disc it was great to be comfortable eating. My friend's meal was great he had the rump steak with mushrooms, tomatoes, mushrooms, onion rings, sauce and a salad. I had the aubergine stack listed under 'Something Special'. Our meals were the same price of £8.95. Mine was very like the restaurants name 'Oily'!! I had 3 slices of aubergine and 4 mushrooms with cheese on. It was listed as vegetarian yet the mushrooms had been cooked alongside my friends' steak and tasted strongly of meat. The vegetables seved with this were chopped turnip, cauliflower with tomato sauce and red cabbage. I ate what I could of this food as it was meant to be a special night out, and suffered extremely bad indigestion afterwards. It was very poor value in comparison with my friends meal and poor as a 'vegetarian meal. No one came near to ask how our food was. I did tell the waiter that the food was not good and was extremely greasy and tasted of meat. There was no reaction. I normally only eat strictly vegetarian and if a restaurant states a food is vegetarian , then it should not come into contact with meat in its' preparation or cooking. This restaurant really needs to address its vegetarian menu and cook the food without contact with meat. I was so disappointed and not happy to feel unwell afterwards!!

This establishment is very welcoming, the staff are friendly and very helpful. The appearance is warm and cosy. The food is delicious and looked mouth watering. I would recommend this fine establishment to all country lovers. It is a very child friendly place.

Good home cooking , Very clean and very friendly service . Will call again on our next visit to the lakes .

One of the Lake Districts little gems..... Get yourself to the next beer festival!!!

This riverside cafe was charming and Toni and her staff were friendly and helpful. I need to eat gluten-free and so I was in heaven because they had several GF choices (including bread). I had Cassoulet, a French style bean stew, on a jacket potato with three salads. My husband had Turkish Pilaf with lentils and rice. Both dishes were terrific! They used fresh ingredients, and the food was cooked and spiced perfectly. We're from California where vegetarian food is all the rage. Waterside has some of the the best veggie cuisine we've ever had.

homemade chips, great portions really really good meal. Best meal we've ate in keswick for some 15 years of visiting. Advice to future diners here look beyond the slightly dated decor and you won't be disappointed

homemade chips, great portions really really good meal. Best meal we've ate in keswick for some 15 years of visiting. Advice to future diners here look beyond the slightly dated decor and you won't be disappointed

We ( a party of 8) have just spent our 4th new years break here. Once again the staff have come up trumps. The New Years Eve meal was fabulous. The service was excellent and the ambience of the hotel still remains friendly and welcoming.. Its a great place to stay and even a better place to eat. Miss it miss out