Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Cumbria

OpenTable

Updated November 05, 2024

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems in Cumbria? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Number 11 Market Place

4.9

4.9 (1069)

£25 and under

Tex-Mex

Whitehaven

About the restaurant

Welcome to Number 11 restaurant and bar,
You will be treated to delicious locally sourced home cooked food in a relaxed and chilled setting where you can wash down your food with a fantastic choice of wines (including our own Number 11 label wine), locally brewed beers and hand crafted cocktails.
Huge range of Gluten Free options and we are always more than happy to cater for all dietary requirements.

Top review

Kathleen

Dined 3 days ago

This is one of our favourite restaurants! We went for a birthday celebration. As usual, staff, service, ambience, and food are perfect Excellent Christmas menu, we ighly recommend.

Crooklands Hotel - the restaurant

4.8

4.8 (795)

£25 and under

British

Kendal

About the restaurant

The Restaurant
Our main restaurant is modern with a lantern light ceiling which allows in plenty of natural light to flood in. A great piece of real architectural design. The restaurant boast some wonderful bespoke ironwork along with a vintage industrial feel . This restaurant offers a modern ambiance an ideal place to catch up with family and friends and enjoy our mouthwatering local dishes.

The Inn
The Inn is full of old world charm with little hidden nucks for dining. This restaurant is full of character and is used at lunch times primarily, but in the evenings, it offers a cosy ambiance lit by candle light ideal for a more casual approach to dining.

The Inn also offers an afternoon tea which is simply divine. Served between 2pm-5pm by prior bookings only.

The Bar and Snug is a relaxed and super cosy space sticking with the old charm of the Inn which this part of the building offers. It has an impressive wood burning stove and is dog friendly.

Top review

Aimi

Dined 4 days ago

Lovely setting, nicely done for Christmas. Lots of choice on the main menu, several specials and desserts to choose from. The staff are friendly and the right amount of attentiveness. Usual price for mains, desserts more pricey but worth it as they're delicious.

Greenhead Hotel

4.8

4.8 (329)

£25 and under

British

Carlisle

About the restaurant

The Greenhead Hotel was taken over in June 2020 by local proprietor Jordan Dodwell & his partner Anna Pearson. After a complete refurb they opened the doors on the 14th August 2020.

Head Chef, Dan, & his young, eager team use the finest ingredients available using local butchers, suppliers and even forage in the nearby woodland. During the shooting season we source game from the local shoot which features on our specials board.

Situated on the Northumberland and Cumbrian border, with Hadrian's wall on our doorstep, the hotel offers a cosy drinking area with locally sourced ale, a chic restaurant serving homemade classic pub food with a modern twist and 7 newly refurbished dog friendly en-suite guest bedrooms, alongside a 45 bed Hostel, providing the perfect base for your trip.

Top review

John

Dined on Nov 22, 2024

Great home made food with lots of choice. Staff very friendly

The Cavendish Arms

4.7

4.7 (1883)

£26 to £40

British

Grange-Over-Sands

About the restaurant

Please note we cannot guarantee specific tables when booking on line or at busy times.

The Cavendish Arms is a 450 year old Coaching inn set in the heart of Cartmel. With Simon Rogan and his famous Lenclume restaurant we have some very high standards to maintain. Our food is fresh and sourced locally to ensure the freshest ingredients are on your plate at all times. Our menu changes often and is always being developed by our very talented Head Chef and his team. Along with a great food offering, we are challenging boundaries with our selection of 25 gins, 10 whiskeys and many more superior sprits, we always try to have an alternative rather than using main stream brands behind the bar, ensuring our guests receive the best possible value for money we can provide whilst experiencing a better than expected product. In short our aim is to make sure you leave having had a memorable time and be wearing a huge smile.

Top review

Robert

Dined 2 days ago

Excellent service and food out of this world. Will definitely be back

Plough Inn Wreay

4.7

4.7 (311)

£26 to £40

Pub

Carlisle

About the restaurant

A country pub in the picturesque village of Wreay near Carlisle

Top review

Anna

Dined on Nov 8, 2024

Really lovely evening meal, the staff are really friendly.

The Highland Drove Inn

4.7

4.7 (28)

£25 and under

British

Penrith

About the restaurant

MONDAY & TUESDAY is 2 courses for £25 p/person
WEDNESDAY is Pie and Burger night
THURSDAY to SUNDAY is our locally sourced main monthly menu.
We’re a 17th century dog friendly coaching inn run by husband and wife team Tom and Claire. There isn’t a straight line in the place and we’ve kept the old character of the pub while injecting some more contemporary charm of our own. Our monthly menu showcases the best the local area has to offer featuring things like hogget reared in the village and wild garlic picked from local woodland. Our bar is stocked with locally brewed hand pulled ales, a wide variety of spirits and a good selection on tap with bar snacks alongside at the weekend. New for this year we now have a beautiful outdoor seating and dining area where you can catch the afternoon and early evening sun while trying to spot every one of Tom’s 32 fish (they’re not on the menu though!)

Top review

Jan

Dined 1 day ago

Excellent service and food we will definitely eat here again. I had pork Sunday lunch which was delicious, my husband had duck which was cooked perfectly. The staff are very well organised and attentive and so friendly. Thank you Highland Drove!

Merienda

4.6

4.6 (391)

£25 and under

British

Keswick

About the restaurant

Keswick is one of the most scenic parts of the Lake District – which in itself is up there with the most scenic parts of the United Kingdom – and in the very heart of the town, you can find Merienda on the Main Street, whose food is about as beautiful as the surroundings. We offer wholesome, uncomplicated food in a homely ambience, and you can enjoy it any time of day, from a quality morning pick-me-up (We are serious about coffee and use quality Merienda's exclusive espresso blend from Darkhouse Coffee Roasters, Keswick) and hearty breakfast, to a range of delicious cakes and filling sandwiches, to a scintillating evening dinner menu accompanied by a range of fine wines and quality beers. Fresh, seasonal ingredients are the focus of a menu filled with British classics and dishes inspired from around the world – reserve a table and head on down.

Top review

Jeanette

Dined on Nov 23, 2024

Food was lovely service was quick and friendly will definitely return.

Avanti

4.6

4.6 (282)

£25 and under

Mediterranean

Kirkby Lonsdale

About the restaurant

Our casual restaurant and bar focuses on authentic dishes from our favourite regions of Spain, Italy and Portugal. We hunt out only the finest quality ingredients and serve them in the same way the locals would in the regions they originate. We believe in letting the quality of the ingredients shine through by trying to keep things as uncomplicated as possible. We are a dog friendly restaurant in our garden and downstairs bar area. Please ensure you mention if you are bringing a dog as we will ensure the correct area is allocated. Thank you for your understanding.

We are now open on Mondays, serving our homemade stone baked pizza during lunch and in the evening.

Full menu available Tuesday to Sunday during lunch and in the evening.

Our suppliers are amongst the very best in the UK, importing regional delicacies used by the finest restaurants in the UK. Our fish, seafood, fruit and vegetables are all delivered fresh each day from local suppliers.

Top review

nicky

Dined on Nov 16, 2024

Lovely restaurant,great food and fabulous service,lucky to have such a nice place to dine on our door step.

The Ivy House Restaurant

4.5

4.5 (649)

£25 and under

British

Keswick

About the restaurant

Located in the centre of Braithwaite village, within the Holiday Property Bond Hotel, Ivy House Restaurant offers its guests contemporary Cumbrian classics, in a breathtaking Lake District setting. From succulent Cumbrian classics to modern European delicacies – the team have designed their daily changing menu to delight and inspire. Just 2 and a half miles from Keswick and 10 minutes from Bassenthwaite Lake- the elegant restaurant and peaceful village of Braithwaite, is the perfect location for a relaxing evening meal out, after a exhilarating day in the Lakeland Fells.

Top review

Terry

Dined on Nov 23, 2024

Excellent from start to finish, excellent meal full of flavour, pudding to die for sticky toffee pudding

OPA Greek Restaurant

4.5

4.5 (23)

£25 and under

Greek

Windermere

About the restaurant

Family run small restaurant offering homemade greek dishes,grill and lovely cocktails