Everything about the Punchbowl will delight you! The rooms are superbly decorated, spacious and…read morecomfortable. The food is special (you might as well book dinner for every night you are there IMHO). And the staff is fantastic--friendly and accommodating. I'd return in a split second with any opportunity!

The food, service, and atmosphere were all superb! I had a…read moredelicious cheese soufflé, which was out of this world.

This is the highest five-star rating I can possibly give, and it's strictly for the restaurant…read moremenu. The food is just out of this world. As starters go, the salt and pepper calamari and beef carpaccio are PERFECT. Fisherman's platter is large and well prepared, and certainly worth a go to get your meal started. The duck breast is perfectly cooked, and prepared in a complex blend of cauliflower puree, spinach leaves, potato, jus and spices that requires careful eating to ensure that you get a bit of everything in every bite. Thank god it's a menu constant - I'll be going back just for that dish. This weekend's beef special was, well...special. Again using a butternut puree together with a blend of the typical beef-required accoutrement, just roasted and spiced to a mouth-watering breath stealer. Ok, this is getting a bit intense. Let me calm down a little bit before we get to the deserts... The pub burger was just OK - nothing otherworldly - and the onion rings are a complete miss. The "aged" cheddar on the burger is unidentifiable to the taste buds, the bun was sloppy and easily fell apart while eating, and though the beef was quite good and cooked just right, the spice was boring and kind of just like you'd expect a pub burger to be. After everything else, this was a shame - should have been much more interesting and elevated as well as being meaty. Wine selection was decent, and plenty of the basics on tap and behind the bar. Avoid the restaurant side of the place and just sit in the open-seated pub to ensure that you don't get a side of unwanted pretension along with your steak (and save the 12.5% service for an extra wine, of course!). Now, the desert... The rumours are true, and the sticky toffee pudding is undeniably the best desert on the menu. The pool of sugary syrup that covers the bottom finger of the bowl is plenty to have every bit swimming in the stuff, and the cake is the right kind of wet-spongy to make you lose your head. Baked Alaska - interest and complete. But wow, waaaaay too much sugar by desert number two to palate that last 1/4 of that. Just to be clear, had I eaten the sticky toffee last and got to the last quarter with the same amount of sugar in me, I would have made the effort and finished off the sticky toffee...not the case for the Baked Alaska, however. Disappointed that the ice cream throughout the desert wasn't better - it certainly didn't match the quality of the rest of the restaurant - but if that's the major error on the desert menu, I'll still go back there 10 times out of 10. This place, by itself, will bring me back to the Lake District time and time again. I've not had such wonderful food on vacation in my entire life....oh, to be those lucky locals who get to eat here every evening... Hats off to the chef and his team.

The Swan at Newby Bridge sits on the edge of the river Leven which runs out of the foot of Lake…read moreWindermere. On a hot day it's the perfect place to laze with a drink. I must admit that my round came in at twelve quid for 4 drinks, 2 of them cokes for the children. I could easily been tempted by the gorgeous looking scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, being consumed at the next table, but L decided that it was too hot for that.The Swan is also a hotel, with a nice looking dining room.

We visited the Brown Horse Inn during our stay in the Lake District. It's a great friendly,…read morewelcoming warm pub. The place was quite busy, so popular with locals and tourists. We had booked a table, so after a quick order of drinks at the bar our table was ready. The food was great and service was excellent. If you are staying around the North Lakes, we were based near Ullswater, so it wasn't too long a drive I would recommend a visit to the Brown Horse for a spot of good food and a drink in a friendly pub. Plus they have Wi-Fi which is a must on any stop when you visiting the Lake District.

Third visit to the Strickland Arms, and the place never disappoints. Great, real pub atmosphere,…read morefriendly attentive service and superb food. My wife had the pork roast dinner, I had the nut roast dinner and both were very good indeed. Caffetiere coffee, and ample parking. Highly recommended.

The Strickland Arms is situated on the very old main road, just before the entrance to Sizergh…read moreCastle. There is a large beer garden and the Pub/restaurant is situated in a country setting about 5 miles outside Kendal. The food is locally sourced and superb. A bit more pricey than pub food but well worth it. Also they have guest ales and it is nice to sit outside with an authentic pint of bitter. Well recommended

The drunken duck is a favorite of our friend who has come here for 40 years, starting with golf…read morebuddies, then with family and best of all to celebrate weddings, and great moments. Relax here, the staff is ready to make this luxury even better with whatever you need! Directions to many local hikes or hot coffee on the picnic tables. So much fun to have, there are gardens, strolls, patios and quiet libraries too. This is the most beautiful place I've ever stayed because I can get some rest, unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. Yesterday there was a local marathon- yes!- great runners charged past into the local town of Ambleside. Hikers and dog lovers are here too. National parks close by... what a get-away we are having!!

Such a charming pub and inn right in the middle of the Lakes District. There's a glorious view…read moreoverlooking the mountains right in front of the venue (with picnic tables if you'd like to sit and enjoy it with a pint). Brunch, lunch, dinner, and bar snacks are served at the Drunken Duck, and I'd only really recommend booking for dinner. The beer and cider are mostly local I believe. We did the curry bowl to share (vegetarian and VERY tasty - kind of wish I could get the recipe), scampi, fries, and tartare sauce (those fries are to die for!) and the lamb kofta, hummus, flatbread, and mint yoghurt (great for sharing and noshing). There's plenty of parking on the side of the inn. The inside is decorated beautifully (very insta-worthy), so maybe consider renting out for an event. And yes, you can bring your dog to dinner/drinks.

I could say that the food was divine andfot for the gods and the staff waited on me like a king,…read morebut let's face it, its a pub and you get what you pay for. The food like most Cumbrian pubs was very good, the staff were polite and helpful. I would go back again but with so many places to try out ill probably try somewhere else first. I like variety. One good thing to note about the pub is that in the summer it will get a lot of sun outside

Such a warm and welcoming place! Excellent food, excellent service, excellent beer!!! We plan our…read morevacations around their beer festivals and have returned time and time again. HIGHLY recommend!!!

Great Pub, we just arrived in Windemere and went in for some Food and a Pin... Result: Great Food,…read moreand one of the Best Guinness outside Of Ireland

After a thoroughly enjoyable few hours wandering in Grizedale Forest, we stopped here for a pie and…read morea pint on our way home. It's located on the country road about a mile south from the visitors' centre so is super convenient and thankfully wasn't too busy so we could park on their small car park too. The building is a former farmhouse from the 16th century, so expect a couple of low ceiling beams, working fireplaces and whitewashed walls. There's plenty of character here. The menu is mainly Great British fare, with their selection of pies being the most tempting. The Wild Game Pie (venison, pheasant, rabbit, juniper berry and red wine) was filled to the brim and served with mash and vegetables. It was good, but I thought the portion size was a tad small for the price (£12.50). Opt for fries instead of mash if you have an appetite. All of the beers served are brewed within 20 miles of the pub apparently. Get yourself a Cumbrian Legendary Ales' Loweswater Gold as a treat after your woodland trek - it's a particularly lovely pint! They have a beer garden out the back if the weather permits; all round a decent spot for lunch. Tip: as you'd probably expect in this neck of the woods, the pub is dog friendly.

The Eagles Head is in Satterthwaite, which is the middle of Grizedale Forest. This lies between…read moreLake Windermere and Coniston Water. The bar serves two beers brewed specially for it by the Moorhouses Brewery (amongst its other real ales and lagers). These are Grizedale Ale and Eagles Head. Food is served from 12 to 2.30 and 7 to 8.30. No food is available on Mondays except for Bank Holidays and School Holidays. There are seats for 40 inside and 40 more in the new outside seating area. I found it a bit expensive, but a lovely setting.

Lovely welcoming pub in a superb location. A good and changing selection of real ales, food isn't…read morebad - a tad over priced, but I guess that's the location - after a bracing local walk it's difficult to think of a greater pleasure than sitting in front of the log fire with a pint of real ale or two!

Unfortunately cannot recommend this one…read more Had to move a chest of drawers to find a socket in my room to plug my phone in to charge. Sent back the dessert in the restaurant as it was so solid (a brownie) that when I tried to take a piece with a spoon it went flying off the plate all over my shirt. Didn't get an itemised bill until after I'd paid and was still charged for it. When I asked for a refund on it, the 'manager' told me he'd have to take all my bank details and phone number and call me tomorrow once he'd been able to arrange it. Yeah, right!!! Won't be staying here again.

Visited for lunch in October, 2015. This pub has lots of charm - with a comfortable dining room,…read morewood fires, characters ordering pints with their obedient dogs - one cannot go wrong stopping here. Menu featured traditional English pub items, cooked nicely, everything done properly. Many local ales are poured; wine list had enough going for it to be interesting. A 'no worries' service approach from start to finish. All in all, another atmospheric, real pub to visit in the Lake District.