We stayed in Keswick two nights and gave this pub a shot the first. It was so great we went back…read morethe second evening. Totally worth the walk for us, even from the other end of town. A proper pub, excellent food, great staff, and a lovely owner. Wish we could have spent more time chatting with her. Fish pie is a top choice. Sticky Toffee Pudding is excellent, I asked for a second scoop to get my preferred pudding to ice cream ratio. Arrive early or book a table well in advance. We got lucky with bar seating both nights. Dog friendly, which was so great, even though we are not dog owners. Looking forward to going back again the next time we visit.

Well definitely one of the best places to eat in Keswick. Possibly too popular. Although the food…read moreis very good it's no longer the great it once was. I found the portions have diminished over the years since I first went there. The steak pie is no longer brimming with content. It's still very good particularly for value. But it's crowded and eating feels rushed. The beer quality is poor not because of the way it's kept simply it's no longer great beer. Jennings beer just is no longer the beer I fondly remember. The staff are good though service cannot be faulted.

The Kirkstile is a gem, both as a pub and as an inn. The food is a really high standard--very…read morefresh and often very creative, and local. The rooms are so nice, clean and comfortable--and quiet--I had several fantastic sleeping nights. There are so many fine walks from the doorstep there is truly no need to get in your car. The staff is incredibly nice. And honestly...I can't see how it is possible to top a summer evening sitting at a picnic table on their lawn with an ale in front of you watching the light on fell change. I could park myself there for a week!

This is the best food I had in the Lake District!…read more A large group (11) of us showed up just before closing time and the staff was very accommodating. Everyone was helpful and kind. I had the Steak and Ale pie and it was just delicious. The mashed potatoes were perfect and the vegetable medley was just what I needed after all the fried food I had been having on the trip. I tried my friend's lamb and it was to die for. The only complaint I heard was about the chutney for the vegan curry. Save room for dessert. The sticky toffee pudding was one of the best desserts I've ever had; I'll be thinking about it for a long time.

Lovely Lakeland pub. Dog friendly. Great fish & chips (weird mushy peas!!!)read more

Fantastic service! Amicable staff. Clean rooms and bathrooms. Good food. Nice views from most rooms…read moreand restaurant.

Lovely place with beautiful scenery. Great beer garden good selection food and drink…read more The miserable unsociable staff let the place down. They should remember not everyone is a tourist that would never come back!

Nice local pub. Stopped in here for a pint after a cold damp hike and tour of the lake. Lovelyread more

Probably best place in Keswick to get a good range of real ale. Not tried the food. To be honest…read moreKeswick has nowhere where it isn't food focused. I personally think this place should just concentrate on beer because it would become a haven for those who just want a sociable drink without the Bain of suffering dinners. The real ale here is very very good.

You wouldn't think such a nice place was around here! Excellent selection of beers & ales…read more Reasonably priced food. Think pub-grub plus. I had a venison burger with chips and a salad. Really nice rustic chips. Friendly staff. And a nice view of the mountains / hills.

Came here to stay and was pleasantly surprised by the talent in the kitchen. Beer selection is…read moregood, with excellent real ales on cask. The lamb dinner was tender, tasty & fabulous, as was the gingerbread for dessert (get it with custard). Our room is pleasant, with an amazing view of greens hills dotted by sheep (you can hear them bleating). En suite is huge- window is very private which means we can leave it open for a nice cross breeze.

Best find on holiday ever!!…read more Set in a beautiful little village with a huge village green with loads of parking round and about (although im sure that on a mid summer sunny day parking may be somewhat difficult!). The pub has a bar area and a restaurant area - we only ever went into the bar as you could eat int here and it was really cosy (dogs are also allowed!). The staff were incredibly friendly and chatty (lets face it, Yorkshire, particularly North Yorkshire folk are possibly the most friendly on the planet - i challenge you to disprove this!). The food was INCREDIBLE. Nothing fancy pants, just really good food, VERY big portions (trust me on this, you dont need three courses - choose your weapon of starter or dessert to go alongside your main - we made the mistake one night and 1) couldnt eat it all and 2)pretty much rolled home). We spent an evening in the pub, had a meal and then sat playing card games - we felt incredibly welcome. So welcome that we ended up visiting three times in a week long holiday. You cant really get a better recommendation than that can you??

If you are attempting the HardKnott pass run, or returning from it then you must stop at this…read morefriendly pub. Nice garden to relax in (you need it after HardKnott). Good selection of real ales, my favourite Hardknott Black. Well worth a visit.

The Woolpack Inn is a rare find. It's a pub but also a micro-brewery (the Hardknott brewery) that…read morebrews its own ales for sale in the bar. Don't expect too much in the way of decor, it's a pretty rough and ready, basic sort of place but if you're after a warm welcome with great ales and a place to shelter from the rain when the Cumbrian weather turns nasty then this is the place for you. It's a favourite with fell walkers but also readily accessible by road so you don't need to be an outdoor type to enjoy its output. Don't worry if you're wet and muddy too - it's not a problem and well-behaved dogs are very welcome in the bar too.

After spending too much money at the Gretna outlet village, we headed to the Station Inn for a…read moregreat value lunch. Started with a large field mushroom topped with haggis and local Lockerbie Cheddar. Delicious. For my main I had the steak burger which was also tasty, the highlight being the side of handmade chunky chips. You don't see those available in enough places nowadays! The landlord Chris is a friendly fella and explained to us the lengths he goes to in order to select the best locally available potatoes. A couple of pints of Black Sheep ale made the meal complete. Others in my party had the Steak Pie (I sneaked a mouthful and was glad I did. The steak was fall apart in your mouth tender). The Chicken and Leek pie was well received with a very generous filling. Portions were satisfying all round with three large slices of thick cut Ham served with egg and those chips again for the final diner in our group. Only one had dessert, which was a Pavlova polished off very quickly. It's not what you'd call a country pub really, but the food and ales are excellent and the host offers a very warm welcome. I'll no doubt make a return visit when I'm next passing.

My wife, dog and I came here for a delightful afternoon tea to celebrate our first wedding…read moreanniversary. This place clearly was an old coaching inn and you can really sense the history and age of the place. There are many different rooms which cater for different things, a lovely bar, a larger dining room and some smaller ante-rooms for things such as afternoon tea which I would definitely recommend. Well worth a stop en route to Keswick!

Wonderful and amazing choice of whiskey. Cider choice poor. The food is good, small quantity, quite…read moreexpensive and the food is bistro/gastro pub. Would rather have had good basic food.