Pancakes just off the motorway? Yes please! We arrived at the Filling Station on route back to Brum…read morefrom Ayr. It was recommended to the BF on Twitter for coffee but we're hungry! As, I suspected, it very much looks like an old school diner and so immediately I want pancakes rather than lunch! Pancakes I had, stacked up high with a sausage on the side for 'real food.' The boyfriends had a burger and all is very satisfying, including the lovely homely service. We never got around to coffee as milkshakes and orange juice seemed more appropriate! Worth a detour for this place! Note: check if they take cards - they didn't last month!

Blink and you'll miss it, so don't. This tiny little diner (only 4 tables) is worth the stop on the…read moreway to the Lake District. Beautifully decorated with biker memorabilia, it used to be a car dealership, then a service station before its present incarnation. A small but tasty menu from which I ordered the full Cumbrian breakfast - bacon, Cumberland sausage, blood sausage, mushrooms, baked beans, fried egg, hash browns and grilled tomatoes. Sounds like a lot but it was really tasty, not to mention great fuel for hiking up the mountains in the district. Do yourself a favor and tank up at this family run American-style diner. You'll thank yourself after.

This is a brand new McDonald's and I recommend you take a look, from the stunning open seating area…read moreto the overpowering play area this place has it all. I began my morning by waking up at 9, after I was ready I stumbled across to Stricklandgate and waited a full 30 mins in the line to get in. Dead on 12 the door swung open to a "new paint" smell and to 3 members of staff eager to let us in. We all ran to be first in line but then stopped to admire the fine architecture from the tiled walls to the sandy oak wood floor, I felt welcome and the staff seemed to enjoy serving me too. Now... on to the food. I ordered the big tasty burger and I have to say it impressed me a lot, the bacon was crispy yet not over cooked, the lettuce had a distinct crunch which complemented the onions ever so well and the patty was so big I could not eat all of it and so I took some home for the dog. My one gripe with the food however was the fact that the fries lacked the crunch that I have became a custom to, but I think that may be because the oil in the fryer had been changed. I believe that McDonald's are leading the fast food industry into the future and this restaurant is one of the best I have seen so far

Probably the most enjoyable McDonald's experience I've had in over a decade. I am not a McDonald's…read moreregular, but i got stuck in Kendal after almost everything else was closed. I have to say, im glad i did. The serving staff were very friendly and went out of their way to be helpful. The food was slightly above the expected McDonald's quality (or perhaps the quality staff just made it seem that way?). The service was very fast and efficient. And, though several people left their tables and floor area in a terrible state while I was there, the lady cleaning the tables was so lovely, tirelessly cleaning up people's messes in spite of customers with bad manners. Seriously exceeded expectations. I'd give them 6 stars if i could. I was there just before 8pm on Tue 20 June. McDonald's ought to give the whole shift a bonus. If every McDonald's staff was as good as these guys, I'd probably become a McDonald's regular again!

Nice breakfast / lunch ... at the gateway to the Lake District? Had English breakfast n American…read morepancakes.

Good food. Nice atmosphere. Well prepared Illy coffee . Our coffee stop of choice in Kendalread more

It was only about 15 minutes off the M6 freeway to the Hawkshead Brewery in Staveley, Cumbria. The…read moreroads weren't that windy and were wide and well-paved so this is faring better than expected already. We arrived to where the brewery showed on my map, but it wasn't there. The brewery was slightly up the road within a small shopping inlet next to a coffee shop. We parked and approached the brewery and were pleasantly surprised with how impressive the set-up was. The building was large and beautiful with large wood beams, huge windows, and comfy leather seats. It was so quiet in there I didn't know how much noise we could make without being rude, so we opted to sit in the corner so we could strategize about which beers we wanted to try and how much time we wanted to spend off the road. I ordered the Lakeland Lager which is a 5%ABV Lager/Pilsner and Sean had the Cumbrian 5 Hop 5%ABV Golden Ale. I really liked the Lakeland Lager because it was crisp and refreshing with a great hop flavor on the back-end. Most of their beers were "real ale" style, but the lager wasn't. It was a nice change from all the real ales available. I also really enjoyed the Brodie's Prime with is a dark porter-style beer and is 4.9%ABV. It has a very smooth mouth-feel and is extremely drinkable. We sampled almost their entire beer selection and overall their beer was very good. The styles were done well and the beer was clean and clear and cheap! We were there around lunch time so we went ahead and ordered some food before they stopped serving. Sean ordered the beer cheese soup and I ordered the mushrooms with Stilton blue cheese on toast. The soup was served with large pieces of sourdough bread and butter so it was very filling for a good price. I tried some of the soup and it was really good. The mushrooms were sautéed in butter and the cheese was melted on top of the toast so it was damn delectable. I savored every bite of that toast. The soup was something like 2 pounds and the toast was 4 pounds. I think we walked out of there spending about 10-15 pounds total? Pretty decent if you ask me. Also, they refused to accept our tips. I am accustomed to giving tips always, but they politely declined my offer. Great service, delicious food, cheap and amazing beer and no tip?! It was one of the highlights of the trip.

I'm often in Windermere for the weekend, and having a pint at the Hawkshead Brewery in Staveley…read moremakes for a great start to it. It's a big venue, with a large downstairs area next to the bar, and further seating on a mezzanine upstairs. There's then a further bar (only open sometimes) through the back. There's large glass panels to let you see into the actual brewery itself, so it's interesting just being in the place. There's outside seating too, in the car park, so it's hardly picturesque, but it's fine too when the weather is mild or if you want some peace and quiet away from the buzz indoors. It's a good atmosphere, very laid back and friendly, with plenty of dogs. Staff are pleasant and helpful, and know their beers well. The beers are good - all sorts from your pale ales through to your dark stouts, and last time I was there I had a raspberry sour. It wasn't great if I'm honest, but you can't win them all :-) Hawkshead seem to be quite an adventurous brewery, so there's always something new to try. My favourites are the stouts. There's a range of food too which seems to be mostly traditional 'Northern' food - Shepherd's Pie, Yorkshire pudding, Venison burgers - mostly very meat heavy, so I've never tried anything, apart from the chips. The chips are good! They do a fantastic beer festival. We went this year for the first time, and it was brilliant, we had such a good time. You get a menu, and can just work your way through the ones you fancy the sound of. They're categorised into the different bars, so it makes it quite fun to work your way about trying different ones. They had a massive marquee when we were there, with a crazy and very entertaining jazz band. It's a family atmosphere, with kids there too, so the adults are sensible and nothing gets too out of hand. I'm hoping we can go every year! With regular weekend checks ins until next year.

The higher end of average cocktails, lovely staff, I didn't have cake, but they looked of a…read morepatisserie valerie type. There's outdoor seating, inside is a little dark, especially on a grey day. I think my main issue with it, is that it seems to attract a particular type of clientele (no offence to customers- bitchier versions of my Mother (also, no offence to my lovely Mother)) which can be a little off putting.

My wife (American) struggles to find any bartender who really knows how to make a dirty martini…read morehere in the UK. Finally, whilst vacationing in the lakes, we found the Fizzy Tarté which sells itself as a champagne and pastry bar, however... their cocktails are worthy of attention too. The service was certainly attentive and we enjoyed our short break from souvenir and clothes shopping (OK I was mainly there to carry the bags!) Pop in sometime and see if you can put the bartender to the test... I think you'd be pleasantly surprised!

Fantastic food and service right up the road from the church in Ambleside. Try the sweet Duck Leg…read morewith Mash when you get the chance, with a glass of red wine. It's to die for! A warm atmosphere and with great music - I loved it. Will return in future!

In need of a meal on a Saturday evening we ended up at Smashburger. Not cheap, but the burgers were…read moreexcellent and so were the sides of loaded fries. Well worth coming back to if the focus is on quality rather than cost.

Definetly reccomend this burger place there was a a create your own burger section which was…read moreabsolutely great concidering im picky with my burger choices. There was even reriffable drinks which is always great!!! I was very full after my meal but it was very tasty! Thankyou for a great service :)

Good pizza and spaghetti. Kids like the spaghetti very well. Would like to try the grill next…read moretime. no parking place, must go to the parking lot in the town.

Avoid at all costs. The pizza here is subpar but worst of all had metal in it. The staff claimed…read morethey would "lose their job" for giving more than a measly discount. Quite an awful experience, claiming it wasn't their fault...