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??

The road to get here is tricky but worth it. What a magical place. Food was great and cozyread more

We so enjoyed the scenic ride up to the highest Pub in England! The views are amazing and the…read morehistory of this pub interesting. Enjoyed the famous Kings Pit Ale.

We just stopped for a beer after a long hike. It was very busy and filled with locals. Pleasant…read morestaff. Good beer. The food looked good, but we did not try it.

What a grand unspoilt little pub with little rooms and open fires. If you thought the little…read morecountry pub had died a death get yourself here, theres not been a smell of fresh paint here for many a year (thankfully) off the beaten track but well worth looking for, ideal for walkers looking for a beer and bite to eat, Hardraw Force Waterfall is situated at the back as a added attraction.

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

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.

We were staying in a caravan park just down the road and needed a place to eat in the evening. We…read morecame across this delightful pub within a few minutes of searching. We spent the remainder of our holidays here, every evening. Nestling by a brook full of eels. The pubs dog, Jasper, loved to just stand in the cooling water on the hot evenings that we experienced this July. Sufficient room to sit outside with plenty of tables. Service is second to none. Professional, efficient and, more to the point, friendly. Great selection of real ales, my favourite was the Cromwell. Now to the reason for frequenting this hostelry, the food. A reasonable menu taking into account the position of this pub. A good varied choice of fresh seafood, burgers, curries and steaks. We tried most of them and they all were extremely tasty. All cooked to order. Great mussels in white wine. Behind the bar is a blackboard describing their Naga 'Viper' curry made with, 'officially', the hottest chilli pepper. Underneath is written 'Curries ordered 528, curries eaten 400' LOL. I love hot curries but, even I, would not attempt it. We hope to make a return visit next year. Many thanks to the 'guvner', his wife, the staff (especially the chef and kitchen staff) for making our short holiday break a total delight. See you again.

This place is awesome! If you are looking for an authentic British pub with alot of character and…read moregood ale you gotta come here.

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.

Middle of nowhere, casual dress, Michelin-starred…read more My husband and I went out of our way to eat and stay here. Was it worth the 3 hour journey from London (2-hr train ride, 1-hr by car) to make our reservation from 6-months earlier? Absolutely. Courses are small, but plenty. Staff are immensely courteous and thoughtful (they made a custom menu for our dietary needs and even had the chefs sign it before we left). And the setting couldn't be more idyllic. I'd suggest getting the wine pairing as it really completes the meal. Go ahead and stay the night as breakfast is included the next day. Just make sure to work out your travel from the train station to the restaurant. It really is out in the sticks.

An absolutely fantastic experience enhanced by the charming and beautiful countryside that The…read moreBlack Swan at Oldstead is nestled within - an area that I wouldn't have visited otherwise but am grateful for having done so. Make sure to make a small detour to Kilburn to see The Kilburn White Horse which stands firmly in the hillside. The Black Swan is a beautiful picturesque old pub full of warmth and charm. Upon arrival you are welcomed into the bar area for aperitifs where a log fire crackles and glows. Make sure to notice the Robert Thompson mouse carved into the bar. Great selection of small batch gins - I enjoyed a glass of Sir Robin of Locksley from Sheffield with tonic. Amuse bouche are served here before moving upstairs to the restaurant. The Smoked Eel and Apple Tartlets were light and well balanced in their flavours whilst the Chicken Dumpling was rich, satisfying and would sit well on the finest of dim sum plates in Hong Kong. The restaurant is more modern in decoration with an "open kitchen" where some of the dishes are prepared with a clear artistic love and attention to detail. Service is friendly, knowledgeable and attentive without being intrusive. Good selection of wines for most palates and wallets. I had the 10 course tasting menu which, at £85, felt like a bargain compared to the price of Michelin starred food in major cities. To start, a Mussel with Oyster Leaf canapé - so perfectly decorated that it felt wrong to eat it, but so tasty. Next up Langoustine with Caramelised Whey, served like a lollipop with a twig to hold it with - lovely textures and cooked to perfection. Venison Tartare followed - a small dish but rich in flavour and beautifully prepared and decorated. Sour Bread and Sour Butter was distinctive and a good filler in preparation for the main courses. The Monkfish with Asparagus and Onion, although delicious, was probably the weakest dish. The sauce tasted like heavy sweet soy sauce and was a bit overpowering in its saltiness for the delicate flavour of the fish. Still very enjoyable though. The Slowly Cooked Crapaudine Beetroot was the star of the menu. Cooked in beef fat (I believe), the beetroot takes on a heavier composition and is chewy and almost glutinous with all of the accompanying decorations providing broad and bold flavours. Absolutely fantastic! Scallop Cured with Rhubarb was another standout with the smoothness of the slightly charred scallops countering the tartness of the rhubarb, all tied together with a rich and balanced sauce. Herb-Fed Chicken with Wild Garlic from this Year and Last was another amazing creation with a blanket over the chicken in the form of a garlic leaf. The chicken was more warm than hot but extremely tasty. The first dessert was ice cream (or iced yoghurt?) Lollipops which were wonderfully innovative with their unique flavours. The Sheep's Milk with Douglas Fir Oil was also an memorable dessert with natural tastes of the season. The final dessert, served with coffee was Cake made from Artichoke, Chicory Root and Thyme. The combination worked well although the chicory root (?) was slightly bitter. A great end to a fantastic meal and experience. For most who visit The Black Swan at Oldstead, a significant journey will be involved but don't let that put you off...It's well worth the effort and will be one of those great food experiences.

The Red Lion is amazing! Would highly recommend staying here. The service was amazing, and everyone…read moreis very nice. They breakfast comes out very quick, and servers are awesome. We stayed in a cottage and a room, and it was great! Will be back!

Set in a beautiful location, but if you go in summer expect lots of children. Food in the…read morerestaurant is subpar and you could tell it was all highly microwaved. We sat in the dining room area and it was very tired and worn, sit in the Pub area instead. Outside seating is very smoky. No A/C or even ceiling fans especially since we were in the new set of rooms. No one opened up the windows prior to our arrival and it was literally like an oven. As secluded as it is there is another hotel/restaurant nearby which we enjoyed better.

We rented a cottage across the road from the only open restaurant/pub in the village and were blown…read moreaway by the excellent food, service and ambience. Every morsel on the plate was delicious. We are super impressed with everything about this very charming restaurant. Be forewarned that although they close at 10:pm (FF or the pub) the kitchen closes properly at 8.30. The first day we arrived in the village we got in around 8:pm and when we arrived at the restaurant at 8:40, the kitchen had shut down and had to drink ales and eat peanuts for our dinner. We sampled the local ales and all were quite delicious! Highly recommend the King Head.