The Lake District Restaurants

Lakeland restaurants increasingly reflect a growing British awareness of good food. Local sourcing and international influences are common, and even old Cumberland favorites are being creatively reinvented. Pub dining in the Lake District can be excellent—the hearty fare often makes use of local ingredients such as Herdwick lamb, and real ales are a good accompaniment. If you're going walking, ask your hotel or B&B about making you a packed lunch. Some local delicatessens also offer this service.

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  • 1. Henrock

    $$$$

    An informal restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan, Henrock is a superb addition to the dining scene in Bowness. Much of the fresh produce is grown on Rogan's farm in nearby Cartmel, and all of the dishes are seasonal with strong roots in British cooking. In addition to lunch and dinner, Henrock also has an imaginative afternoon tea menu with sweet treats such as chocolate and passion fruit tartelette and pink pepper, raspberry, and rose choux buns.

    Crook Rd., Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 3JA, England
    015395-87766

    Known For

    • Local ingredients
    • Creative afternoon tea menu
    • Michelin-starred chef

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed. No lunch weekdays
  • 2. L'Enclume

    $$$$

    The village of Cartmel has earned a place on England's culinary map with this ambitious Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms. Chef Simon Rogan's innovative food incorporates long-forgotten herbs and cutting-edge techinques. The restaurant is in what was once a forge, now converted to a bright, contemporary, and airy space with dark wooden beams, stark white walls, and splashes of color. The set menu comes with up to 16 courses and includes delights such as dry aged Herdwick lamb with fermented cabbage and fennel sauce, and a fritter of Duroc pig and smoked eel with lovage. L'Enclume's 16 elegant rooms are in three different buildings around the village.

    Cavendish St., Cartmel, Cumbria, LA11 6QA, England
    01539-536362

    Known For

    • Fresh seasonal ingredients
    • Carefully chosen wine pairings
    • Decadent tasting menus

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Mon., Reservations essential
  • 3. Old Stamp House

    $$$$

    The quality of locally sourced and foraged food has been raised to a new level by this Michelin-starred restaurant, which, together with the Lake Road Kitchen, has given Ambleside unexpected status on the British gastro map. Chef Ryan Blackburn has created a menu anchored to Cumbrian traditions but at the same time mouthwateringly creative and contemporary. Look for hand-dived scallops with pumpkin, braised daube of beef with smoked celeriac, and Cumbrian gingerbread with rhubarb soufflé. The restaurant has an unprepossessing setting, down steps in a dim room, but there's history in the whitewashed, rough-hewn walls: Wordsworth once worked here as "Distributer of Stamps.” A tasting menu is also available at lunch and dinner.

    Church St., Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0BU, England
    01539-432775

    Known For

    • Creative seasonal menu
    • Celebrity chef
    • Excellent wine list

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Tues., Reservations essential
  • 4. Heft

    $$$$

    Husband-and-wife team Kevin and Nicola Tickle run Heft, a superb fine dining restaurant in the village of High Newton, just outside Cartmel. An imaginative set menu with dishes such as oxtail and thyme custard and a Shetland mussel kebab glazed in cucumber garum is served at lunch (£45) and dinner (£95), and there's a separate Sunday menu available until 6 pm. The building was a 17th-century inn, and the Tickles have preserved many of its original architectural features. Heft also has five double bedrooms.

    High Newton, Newton-in-Cartmel, Cartmel, Cumbria, LA11 6JH, England

    Known For

    • Historic building
    • Locally sourced ingredients
    • Good value tasting menus (especially at lunch)

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed.
  • 5. Lake Road Kitchen

    $$$$

    Cuttlefish shells piled in the window and a Nordic-style wood-paneled interior give a clue as to the culinary style of Lake Road Kitchen, quite possibly the most awarded restaurant in Ambleside. About 80% of everything green on the menu is foraged; the remainder comes from the highest-quality, mainly local suppliers. Every dish is creatively conceived and expertly put together, creating food of the highest order. There are two set menus (eight and twelve courses) each night, or a shortened five course menu. Wine pairings are available and they can cater to most dietary preferences. Reservations are essential as there are just nine tables.

    Lake Rd., Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0AD, England
    01539-422012

    Known For

    • Homegrown and foraged produce
    • Mouthwatering set menu with wine pairings
    • Small space so reservations necessary

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch, Reservations essential
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