Restaurant Review - Hidden River Cafe, Brackenhill, Longtown, Cumbria

I'd heard a lot of good  reports about the Hidden River Cafe so was looking forward to going for the first time with my cousin Glen. It's name is appropriate, it is well hidden in the countryside east of Longtown, but we eventually found it ok with the aid of sat nav.

The setting is beautiful, the cafe is on a hill overlooking the wooded valley of the River Lyne. You can also see one of the gorgeous luxury log cabins that you can rent nestling within the trees. There is a seated area outside which would be a lovely place just to relax with a glass of wine.

 The cafe itself is quite small, modern-rustic in style. The menu was European fare, varied and different, it was hard to choose what I wanted as there was so much that tempted me.

In the end I chose the smoked salmon, burnt orange and walnut salad which was delicious. Glen had hummus, heritage tomato, feta and olive salad which was loved. For the main course I chose chargrilled herby chicken with summer vegetables and Jersey royals, it was very good. Glen had smoked salmon pasta and she also enjoyed her meal. For dessert we both went for tiramisu with pistachio ice cream, a treat for me on my diet, which was excellent!

The service was friendly and professional, the atmosphere was relaxed and it cost us £34 for three courses and an alcoholic drink each.  The Hidden River Cafe may be a bit out in the wilds but it is well worth the drive. 

Lake District Wildlife Park Keeper Experience

The other week my cousin Janet and I visited the Lake District Wildlife Park for their Keeper Experience. The drive was lovely, the Lake District looked so beautiful in the morning light of the sunny spring day with it's lush green foliage and spring flowers adding to the stunning landscape.

Zeke chilling

 We were greeted at reception by our keeper (I've forgotten her name but she was really lovely) and she told us a bit about the Park and how it plays an important part in animal conservation and works in conjunction with other zoos lending animals for breeding.

She then took us to meet the tapirs for their morning grooming session. We went in with Muffin and her son Zeke, they were very friendly and keen to be groomed. Both quickly went into raptures during grooming, first closing their eyes and then lying down, totally relaxed. Apparently tapirs are related to horses and hippos, I thought thy might be related to elephants because of their long, flexible nose. It was special to be able to be so close to an animal like this, they are so wonderful.

After grooming the tapirs we went to a hut to prepare fruit and vegetables for the meerkats and ring-tailed lemurs. It was a combination of bananas, sweet potato, apples among other things.

We had to get into the meerkat enclosure quickly as they get very excited at feeding time. There were fourteen animals, but only thirteen were out and about, apparently one female was due to have babies, the keeper said she was probably in her burrow having given birth. The meerkats were smaller than I thought they would be and quite flighty. After a while they plucked up the courage and jumped onto our knees and for the food, all the time chattering away.

We then went on to our final group of animals, the endangered ring-tailed lemurs. They were beautiful, with thick black and white fur and rings of it on their long tails, their faces reminded me a bit of a raccoon. They were a lot more confident than the meerkats and quickly jumped on our shoulders and arms. There were a couple of mums with their babies clinging to their backs, one with twins had one clinging underneath too. They especially liked the banana and would sift through the food you had looking for it.

And so that was the end of our Keeper Experience, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. We then looked a round the rest of the park and watched a bird of prey demonstration in which an eagle called Uni decided that she'd had enough and flew off to a tree for a while! Interestingly, during the demonstration a wild peregrine falcon flew over head being chased by two crows who must have been protecting their nest.

All in all it was a good day, the Animal Park is small and the animals look healthy and happy and well cared for and of course the conservation aspect of the park is vital nowadays. I would really recommend this Keeper Experience, it costs £35.00 and that includes the normal admission fee of £8.95. There are other animal experiences that you can do as well, all the same price.

Address:  Lake District Wildlife Park

                Bassenthwaite Lake

                Keswick

                Cumbria  CA12 4RD

Tel:          01768 776239

Website:   Lake District Wildlife Park

Restaurant Review - No. 34, Carlisle

Three friends and I recently decided to try the mid-week wine tasting menu at No. 34 restaurant, it was a bit different, I don't know of any other restaurant in Carlisle that does a wine tasting menu.

My goat's cheese starter

 The restaurant has a relaxed ambiance, the chairs were comfortable and the tables spaced enough to give some privacy. For my starter I had slow cooked balsamic onion and goat’s cheese tart with a crispy vegetable salad and they gave me Sauvignon Blanc, Panul, Lontue Valley Chile to go with it. I was surprised that the amount of wine (which is complimentary) was more than I expected. I love goat's cheese and loved my starter was delicious, as was the wine.

I chose grilled sea bass, roasted fennel, pomme cocottes, roasted cherry tomatoes, olive tapenade, samphire and a lemon and white wine foam for my main course and this was accompanied by a Pinot Noir, Reserva Vina Mar Argentina. Again the food was delicious, the generous portion of sea bass melted in the mouth. I scraped the olive tapenade off the fish before eating it though, I hate olives in any form. My friends all had pan fried corn fed chicken, rosti potato, pancetta savoy cabbage, celeriac puree,  baby onion and chicken cream sauce with La Brouette Rosé, Vin de Pays du Comte Tolosan wine, they too loved their meals.

Chocolate dessert heaven!

We decided to go the whole hog and have dessert too and mine was chocolate delice with chocolate soil, cinder toffee, orange jelly, orange crisps and mascarpone along with Corney and Barrow Tawny Port. For a chocoholic like m this dessert was wonderful, the delice especially was heavenly! I'm partial to port occasionally, and this one went really well with the dessert.

My friends Kath, Margo and me, photo taken
by Tania

The service was very good, friendly and professional. The cost was reasonable for such excellent food - their wine tasting mid-week special Tuesday to Thursday is two courses for £18.95 and three courses £23.95,


Address:  34 Fisher Street
                Carlisle

Website:  http://www.numberthirtyfour.co.uk/

Tennessee Williams at Theatre by the Lake, Keswick, Cumbria

My friend Jayne and  recently went to the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, Cumbria to see two plays by Tennessee Williams, Mr Paradise and Suddenly Last Summer. We liked the sound of all the plays being performed at the theatre this year but chose these because neither of us had seen a play by Williams before.

Mr Paradise was only re-discovered, along with some other Tennessee Williams one act plays, in 2000. A young woman comes to visit Anthony Paradise, who had written a small book of poems she found propping up a table in an antique shop. She read the book and was transfixed by the poems and just had to meet the author. The play consists mainly of two monologues, mainly about writing as an art, which portray the woman's boundless, youthful enthusiasm and the author's world weariness. The play was a good introduction to the main event.

Dr Sugar and Catherine
Photo from the Theatre by the Lake Website

Suddenly Last Summer is a powerful play about a dysfunctional family with secrets, power, control and mental illness. Violet Venable is an elderly widow, bitter and controlling who is trying to bribe (via funding for his hospital) Dr Cukrowicz (Dr Sugar) to perform a lobotomy on her niece Catherine, who she has put into a mental institution, and who she blames for the death or her son Sebastian. She will do anything to protect the reputation of her son and silence Catherine who knows the truth. The play is very powerful and disturbing,  and is basically a battle of wills between Mrs Venables and Catherine with the doctor trying to find out the truth. Initially Catherine seems fragile, domineered by the widow, but as she tells her story she becomes stronger and Mrs Venables weaker as she realises she cannot hide Sebastian's secret any longer. Catherine's role was played by Emily Tucker who really did a wonderful job in a role that could easily have become over the top, she played it to perfection.  I won't spoil it by saying what Sebastian's secret was and how the play finished.

Interestingly, the play has a strong auto-biographical content, Williams had diphtheria as a child and took a year to recover, and his mother was overbearingly protective of him. His sister Rose had schizophrenia and in the 1940's had a lobotomy (which was an accepted treatment at that time) that had disastrous results and she required care in an institution for the rest of her life.

I found the play enthralling, disturbing and riveting. It was performed in the studio and we sat in the front row and so were almost part of the scene being played so close to us. I can see why it is a one act play, any break would have totally spoiled the momentum, as the story was unfolding I felt drawn into it more and more. I would definitely see another play by Tennessee Williams and highly recommend this production of Suddenly Last Summer. It is in repertoire at the Theatre by the Lake until 4th November 2015.

Restaurant Review, Dempsey's, Carlisle

Last week a couple of friends and I went to Dempsey's for a meal. I hadn't been there for a long time and the decor was very different, modern with a bit of glitz provided by chandeliers. There was a mixture of booths and tables that were well spaced, giving privacy, and the seats were very comfortable.

My Chicken Caesar Salad

We had decided to have the Early Evening Menu which had a good selection for starters, I had a Chicken Caesar Salad and my friends had a small Cheese Tart with salad. We had quite a long wait for this, but the server did apologise for the delay. My salad was delicious, plenty of chicken and all the salad items were very fresh, my friends enjoyed their starter too.

For the main we all went for the Picanha Steak, with fries and salad (which was plus £1.00.) There was a chimichurri sauce (which I thought was Indian but it turns out to be Argentinian) made from garlic, olive oil, chilli and herbs that accompanied the steak but I did not have that as I do not like chilli. The steak was good and very tender, more medium to well done than the medium  I had ordered, but I can live with that. To accompany the meal we had a bottle of Prosecco which always goes down well, especially on a warm summer's evening.

From Dempsey's Website

We didn't have enough room for a dessert so just had coffee to finish. The service was attentive and pleasant and the atmosphere relaxed. The Early Evening Menu is either two courses for £15.00 or three for £18.00 which is good value (the a la carte menu had a great selection too and prices not too expensive.) The three of us had two courses, (plus the £3.00 extra in all for the steak option) three coffees and a bottle of Prosecco and the bill came to £73.00 which was good value.


Address:  Dempsey's Bar and Restaurant
                11 Warwick Road
                Carlisle
                Cumbria CA1 1DH

Website:  http://www.dempseysrestaurant.co.uk/

The Lakeland Bird of Prey Centre, Lowther, Cumbria

The Cafe

My friend Jayne and I went to visit The Lakeland Bird of Prey Centre the other week and had a wonderful time. The centre is located on the Lowther Estate just south of Penrith in Cumbria, which
 we found it very easily. We first went into the cafe which must have once been a barn and it was eclectic to say the least, every table and almost every chair was different and there were historical items on all flat surfaces. I loved it, I like places that are different and quirky. We had tea and a cream scone and I must say the scone was definitely homemade as they claimed, it just melted in my mouth.

Just after two o'clock we went to the field nearby to watch the show. We walked into a walled garden where the birds were, I was surprised by how many there were, and then out to the field. There were benches there and about twelve people already watching the show.

The falconer was called Paul Bevan and he definitely had the gift of the gab! He was very knowledgeable about the birds and also a stand up comedian! Sometimes though, I wished he had talked more about the birds and told fewer jokes.

Paul had Bernard the peregrine falcon out when we arrived. Then he showed us two white Gyrfalcons, two brothers called Dusty and Lefty. They were gorgeous birds and one was so stunningly acrobatic in flight that it took my breath away. The next bird to meet was Bob the Harris hawk and I got up close to lovely Bob! I put on the thick leather glove and Paul gave me a little treat
to place on top of the glove and then Bob swooped in for the treat and sat on my hand. It was such a privilege to be so close to such a magnificent bird. At one point Bob decided to relocate from my hand to my head - which we had been warned he might do! What a character, loved him.

One of the Gyrfalcons

After this we walked back in to the walled garden to meet Otto the eagle owl - who is very popular and has his own fan page on Facebook here. He was huge, there's just something so cute about owls and I was able to stroke him gently on his very soft tummy. Apparently the reason owls are so quiet in flight is because of the softness of their feathers.

We then walked to look at Tinkerbelle the bald eagle who was massive yet the sound she made didn't go with her size! She wasn't taken out of her cage unfortunately, would have loved to have touched her too.

Then the show ended, it normally runs from 2-4pm but it didn't finish until 4.30. Paul was obviously dedicated to these gorgeous birds and talked a bit about the conservation and breeding programmes he is involved with.

Paul and Otto

There was a little antique shop that we looked around before going back into the cafe so I could buy a piece of chocolate cake to take home (it was as yummy as it looked!) There is also a small shop there that we looked around before heading home.

In conclusion, I would definitely recommend a visit to The Lakeland Bird of Prey Centre for an informative, funny and very special afternoon, how often can you get close to such magnificent birds?  It's well worth the entry fee.

The centre is open 11.30-5.00 April to November. The adult entry fee is £8.50, however we got entry and tea and scones for two for £14 via a Travelzoo offer, brilliant value!

Address: Lakeland Bird of Prey Centre
               Lowther
               Near Penrith
               Cumbria CA10 2HH

Website: http://www.lbpc.co.uk/

The Stunning Tinkerbelle

Lodore Falls Hotel Pamper Day with Afternoon Tea

My friend Margaret and I bought an offer on Travelzoo for two treatments and afternoon tea for £55 each and took up this offer last week. The trip took a bit longer than expected and after an hour we arrived at the Lodore Falls Hotel. The setting can't be beaten with the hotel nestling at the foot of a tree covered mountain close to the shores of Derwentwater. The hotel is one of those slightly old fashioned Victorian hotels that I personally love, lots of wooden panelling, welcoming and warm.


We apologised for arriving late and were taken straight into the beauty salon for our first treatment, a back massage (we had a choice between this and a facial.) It was very nice and relaxing but not very varied in terms of the massage. It also felt a little hurried but I will not complain about that as we did arrive late.

After that we were taken into the spa where tea and fresh fruit was waiting for us which was lovely and refreshing. Then we were shown where to change, this room was very small with lockers a toilet and shower. I imagine if the place was very busy you would not be able to move. We went into the pool area where there were a few loungers and chairs, luckily we got the last two loungers available. We had to find someone to get towels. Again it was not a big pool but it was fine and we just chilled.

At 12:20 it was time for our slot in the outside hot tub. I noticed in reviews that some people thought having 20 minute time slots for this was ridiculous, but I think it is a good idea as it means that everyone gets a chance to have time in it. The tub was lovely and warm but boy it was parky (it was a cold day) when getting out, luckily it was right beside the door into the spa so we could dash in!

Now it was time for our afternoon tea (we could have opted for a light lunch if we wanted) and we had to wait only a short time for it to arrive. It was good except for the scone which was very dry and I would have liked some proper cream cakes, there were profiteroles, carrot cake and a lemon meringue tarts, but I always associate afternoon tea with cream cakes. There was also pannacotta that seemed very like jelly to me, tasty though. We took our time and enjoyed chatting and relaxing.

At 2pm it was time for our last treatment, a pedicure, (we could have opted for a manicure.) It said it could last for up to 50 minutes but it lasted 20, a short treatment but my toes look lovely! Stupidly I didn't wear sandals so the beautician got me some disposable shoes so my varnish would be able to dry.

All in all we enjoyed the day and it was good value for the money we paid. I have been to Oxley's at nearby Underscar and that is an amazing place and Lodore can't compare with the standard of facilities there. But for £55 we had a good day and felt much better for it.

A Moody Derwentwater

Review - The Watermill, Little Salkeld, Cumbria

Recently my friend Marian was visiting me and we decided to check out The Watermill at Little Salkeld. Now, for me this was a challenge, I'd tried to find Little Salkeld before and never found it, and I am good at directions, it is just not signposted when you approach from Carlisle. We found this had not changed, and were just about to give up hope when suddenly there was the sign saying "Little Salkeld" yes! Now to find The Watermill, but that was not difficult as the village is small. We drove through the complex to the car park at the rear. I'd read up about the site and reviews were varied, the main negative point was that the place was very untidy and I must agree with this, there was rubbish all over, even an old bathroom suite dumped in a corner of the car park! It did not create a good initial impression.

My meal at The Watermill cafe

We were hungry so we first went into the cafe which served organic vegetarian food. It was small but nicely decorated with a rustic atmosphere with old beams across the ceiling. They had their own flour etc for sale, plus breads and various other organic produce in the small shop area.

I chose to have the pizza and Marian had the mushroom quiche. We did not have to wait long for our food and both came with tricolour pasta, lentils and salad accompanied by three types of their own bread. The pizza was on a wholemeal base which was delicious and though thick was very light. Marian said her quiche was very good too. The bread was also lovely, I'm a bit of a breadaholic and this homemade organic bread was a treat - and also very filling.

We then explored the mill itself, it is the only working watermill in Cumbria. The present mill dates

from 1760 though there has been a building on the site for many hundreds of years. We went into the area where the flour was being ground and could see the finished product pouring out of the machine. It was noisy and dusty but fascinating, it felt ancient, like stepping into the past. I could imagine this amazing piece of machinery working away like this for over 250 years providing flour for the local community and now it is still working away and it's organic flour is being sent to outlets all over the country.

We left the room and walked round to the back where the two waterwheels were. They are powered by a millrace that is fed from a beck nearby and it had a surprisingly strong current. The water was turning the largest wheel at a very fast rate and the sheer power of it was palpable and awe-inspiring. The noise of the water and the wheel turning must have been a familiar sound in past times, again to me it felt like a window to the past.

I really enjoyed my visit to The Watermill at Little Salkeld. The cafe was lovely, had a pleasant atmosphere and served wonderful food. The actual milling area was fascinating and it is so good that it has been renovated and preserved to give visitors an idea of what a working watermill was like.

My only reservation about the place was the untidiness and rubbish in the outside areas. A lot of it just needs to be put in a skip and taken away, it really detracts from what is an otherwise great place to visit. However, I am aware that the mill has only recently changed hands and hopefully in time the new owners will sort out the outside areas and then it would be a perfect pace to visit.

Address:  The Watermill,
                Little Salkeld,
                Penrith,
                Cumbria CA10 INN

Website:   http://organicmill.co.uk/

Cafe Review - Orton Grange, Cumbria

Last Sunday my friend and I went to the cafe at Orton Grange for a late lunch. The cafe is part of a complex containing a shop, a branch of Cumbria's well- known Cranston's butchers, a hairdresser, a pool and holiday accommodation. The building is a converted farm building (Orton Grange takes its name from the working dairy farm next door) which has been tastefully renovated with the original stone walls and oak beams alongside more modern decor. The cafe is on two levels, the lower one with tables and chairs and the counter and upstairs a mixture of the same and comfy leather couches. We managed to grab one of the leather couches even though the place was very busy.

Photo from Orton Grange Website

We chose what we wanted and I went downstairs to order, there was a queue and it took a long time to get served, they could have done with more than one person serving. But after ordering we didn't have to wait too long for our food, I had the Soup Combo, a bowl of  vegetable soup and a ham sandwich. The soup was definitely homemade and absolutely delicious, bursting with all kinds of vegetables. I had chosen ham for the accompanying sandwich, as I'd hoped, it had thick slices of Cranston's roast ham in it and again was very good. My friend Jayne had a baked potato with tuna and onion and she enjoyed that very much too.

The cafe has a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere, upstairs especially and, if you want it, there is the bonus of free WiFi. We sat and chatted for a long time, it's the kind of place where you can take your time.

The prices are reasonable, my soup and sandwich with a pot of tea cost £7.50, and Jayne's meal was a similar price. The menu isn't big or fancy, but Orton Grange is an excellent place to go for good wholesome and fresh food. The cakes looked good too but we were good and resisted!


Address:   Orton Grange
                Great Orton
                Carlisle CA5 6LA

Website:   http://www.ortongrange.co.uk/

The Posting Pot Cafe, Wetheral, Cumbria - Review

Photo taken from The Posting Pot Facebook page

My friend suggested meeting for a late lunch at The Posting Pot in Wetheral just outside Carlisle. Indeed it was a very late lunch, 2.30pm, and when I arrived just before then they told me they stop serving food at 2.30 and close at 3.30pm. However they were very accommodating and said they would serve food to my friend (who arrived at 2.40pm - late as usual!) and me.

It is a small cafe, (the post office and shop are next door) in the centre of the village right beside the green. There were several tables and a comfortable looking leather sofa beside the large window, and the place had a homely feel about it.

There was a good choice of items on the menu and I ordered the minute steak with caramelised onions in a deli roll and my friend just went for a rather large plain scone. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch, the steak was tender, the onions tasty and the roll was very fresh. My friend said her scone was also very fresh and she enjoyed it.

The service was friendly and very quick, prices very reasonable and the cafe had a good atmosphere. A group of people came in a while after we were served our food also wanting to eat but were politely turned away, maybe being open a little longer would be a good idea? I think I heard the server say something about the cafe being open longer in the summer but wasn't really listening closely so can't be sure about that. In the summer you can sit outside and that would be so pleasant in the lovely village.

We will definitely be going back, but a little bit earlier. The opening hours are listed as 9.00 - 3.30 Monday - Saturday. The food is good, reasonably priced and much of the fayre on offer is homemade and you can't beat that!

Address:     The Posting Pot Cafe
                  Wetheral
                  Carlisle CA4 8ES
                  Cumbria

Tel:             01228 560 201

Facebook:   The Posting Pot Cafe (There does not appear to be a website)

Cumbria's Museum of Military Life, Carlisle Castle

My cousin and I visited Cumbria's Museum of Military Life the other week, it was the first time I had been there and I was looking forward to visiting it.

The museum is in  the Alma block within the courtyard of Carlisle Castle. It is a small museum that cover the history of Cumbria's County Infantry Regiment and other military units from 1702 to the present day. It also looks at the social and military barracks of the castle inself, the regiment has had its headquarters there since 1873.



The museum is on one level and you pass through the eras of the military history starting with the earliest days. One thing that caught my eye was a photo of  men marching to war in Water Street, Wigton, I knew that there would be relatives of mine amongst those men and it was quite moving to see. There were uniforms, drums, medals, personal items, a reconstruction of a WW1 trench, photos and lots more from campaigns all around the world. I was surprised at just how many campaigns the regiment had been involved in.

The museum was well laid out and its staff were very friendly and helpful. There is a cafe, but we did not go there so I can't say what it was like. The museum is small but worth visiting as it is packed full of fascinating militaria. It also has a shop which had reasonably priced items for sale.

It is £4.00 entry and there are various concessions. It is open every day, though the hours vary according to the time of the year, check the website for full details.

Carlisle Castle's Portcullis

Address:  Cumbria's Museum of Military Life
                Alma Building
                Carlisle Castle
                Cumbria CA3 8QR


Website:  Cumbria's Museum of Military Life

Review - Afternoon Tea at Dobbies, Orton Grange

I have always though that the British tradition of afternoon tea is one of our best, but Dobbies garden centre isn't the first place you would think of to go to for it, but if you go along and sample their tea you will be pleasantly surprised!

Our Afternoon Tea

Dobbies has a choice of four different afternoon teas and we went for the luxury one. There is an area that is separate from the main cafe which is solely reserved  for people having afternoon tea. Tables are nicely spaced out to give privacy but we did find it a little cold - it was a very cold day outside, and we had to move from our original table to one that was warmer.

We were served quickly and had a choice of sandwiches, we chose salmon and soft cheese and egg mayonnaise, and drinks and we did not have to wait long for our teas to arrive. The tea was served on the traditional three tiered stand. The sandwiches were freshly made, crustless and very nice. There were two large plain scones - so fresh they almost fell apart - with butter, jam and double cream. We followed this with the strawberries dipped in chocolate which were delicious. There was a good selection of cakes, a meringue with cream and raspberries and blueberries, a strawberry tart, a toffee eclair and a carrot cake, all very fresh and tasty. It was more than enough, in fact my friend took one cake home for her husband.

The service was pleasant and quick, though the tea spoons were forgotten and we had to get our own from nearby, but not a big complaint. 

In conclusion, this is a really good value afternoon tea. Prices start from £8.00-£20.00 for two, and our luxury one was £15.00 so it was only £7.50 each, which was an excellent price for what we had. They are available every day from 2pm.

Address:  Dobbies,

                Orton Grange,

                Carlisle CA5 6LB

                Cumbria

Website:  http://www.dobbies.com/

Cafe Review - Peter Sidwell@Rheged Cafe

My friend Marian was staying with me for a while and we decided to visit Rheged. We were hungry
so decided to try chef Peter Sidwell's cafe there. It was quite small, but inviting. The menu was good with some more unusual items such a frittata, Persian lamb and cullen skink salmon on it and was reasonably priced.

For a while we just sat at our table waiting to be served, however you have to go to the counter to order, it would have been helpful to have a sign or state that on the menu to avoid confusion. As we were going out for a meal that night we didn't want something too big so both plumped for the Red Pepper and Feta Frittata topped with a Tomato and Herb Salad.When it arrived it was huge, light and fluffy and totally delicious, definitely the best frittata I've ever had. It was so big we both could not finish it all. I looked around at the other dishes arriving at tables and the food was of generous proportions and looked very good.

To sum up this was a cafe with some unusual dishes most of which had local ingredients. No dish on the lunch menu was more than £9.95 (our frittata was only £6.95). The quality of our food was excellent and it was perfectly cooked, we hadn't really expected such quality here. If you are visiting Rheged, it's well worth a visit.

Review - Afternoon Tea at The George Hotel, Penrith, Cumbria *****

My cousin and I bought a voucher from Travelzoo for £25 for two for a Champagne Afternoon Tea at The George Hotel in Penrith. I am a big fan of afternoon tea, I think it is one of the best British institutions!

The Dining Room

We arrived at 2pm and entered via the mahogany rotating door which had gleaming brass bars on it. Inside is one of those typical Victorian hotels, lots of wood paneling, plush furnishing, many original features. I love these old hotels, they are cosy and haven't changed massively over the years and there is a real sense of permanence.

As we came in through the door and were immediately greeted and shown to a beautiful dining room to our right. It had ornate original stucco work on the ceilings and original stained glass in some of the windows. Yet it was also tastefully modernised, lovely light fittings and the most comfortable chairs! It was spotlessly clean and quiet and relaxing.

Our Afternoon Tea

We were served our glass of champagne and shortly after our afternoon tea arrived. There were lots of generously filled sandwiches (no crusts of course!) of smoked salmon and cream cheese, ham and egg mayonnaise. Fruit scones with butter, jam and double cream. There were also three cakes each, a custard slice, Victoria sandwich and a summer fruit cream torte, all lovely, plus a piece of millionaire's shortcake. And finally, a little glass of Eton mess which was light, tasty and absolutely yummy!

Service was excellent, staff made conversation with us and we were asked if we wanted our tea topped up and if everything was ok. They made us feel special and they were attentive without being annoying and I couldn't fault them.

So, in conclusion, I would highly recommend the afternoon tea at The George Hotel, everything was perfect, there was so much we could not eat it all and went home with delicious doggie bags.  With the Travelzoo offer the tea was very good value for money and we would definitely go again.


Address:  The George Hotel, Devonshire Street, Penrith CA11 7SU, Cumbria

There does not appear to be a website for this hotel.

Restaurant Review - The Salutation Inn, Irthington, Cumbria *****

My friend and I went to the lovely, small village of Irthington as few miles outside of Carlisle for a meal at the Salutation Inn there. We parked in the car park at the back of the pub and went round the front to go inside.

From the Salutation Inn Facebook Page

We entered into the bar area, which is a bit basic to say the least and it was a little disconcerting to have some of the locals there turn round and stare at us as we walked in! To the right of the bar is a pleasant restaurant area and we were shown to our table by a very friendly young waitress.

For starters I chose Garlic Mushrooms with Mozzarella, my friend chose the Cod Goujons. We did not have to wait long for them to be ready and both were delicious, mine had many herbal flavours in it as well as the garlic. My friend had a very generous portion of goujons and they were done in a very light batter which she said was wonderful.

For our mains I had Sea Bass in a Lemon Butter Sauce with Vegetables and Potatoes and my friend had the Shoulder of Lamb with vegetables and Chips. I have to say my sea bass was absolutely gorgeous, two good sized fillets cooked in a sauce that was perfectly balanced with the right piquancy of lemon to butter, it was

My Sea Bass - sorry for the shadows!

very, very good.  My friend's portion of lamb was massive and fell off the bone, the gravy was rich and tasty. She could not finish it all and so my dogs ended up with a nice little treat when I got home!

Unfortunately we had no room for dessert (of which many sounded lovely) and just had a coffee to finish our meal. Surprisingly, they only had filter coffee and I could not have a cappuccino as I would have liked, that is the only thing that was not perfect in our evening at the Salutation.

In conclusion, the Salutation Inn serves excellent food, the service is very quick and friendly. We had two vodkas and lemonade, one large red wine, two starters, two main courses and two coffees and the bill came to £55.00 which I feel is very reasonable considering the quality of the food served. It's worth the trip out of Carlisle, I'd happily recommend it.

Address:  The Salutation Inn
                Irthington CA6 1NJ
                Cumbria

Facebook:  The Salutation Inn (Unfortunately this page is way out of date and there appears to be no                                                          website)

Restaurant Review - The Plough, Wreay, Cumbria, French Night *****

I've reviewed  The Plough Inn before a few months ago here. But my cousin and I went to one of its Around the World Promotions, where on a Wednesday evening they have a tapas style meal from different countries. Last week it was French night, well no way could I resist that!

We were seated by a window and ordered our drinks and food.  The inn is a very comfortable place, a traditional pub that has been tastefully modernised in a small village just south of Carlisle. We did not have to wait long for the food which consisted of five small bowls with some garlic bread on a large plate. The bowls consisted of, beef bourguignon, chicken a la creme, bouillon de poisson, soup a la oignon and potatoes dauphinoise. The onion soup was delicious and came with garlic bread topped with cheese on top of it. Beef bourguignon is one of my favourite French dishes and this one did not disappoint, with a very flavoursome rich gravy. The bouillon de poisson came with pieces of cod, salmon and prawns in a spicy tomato sauce. It was a little too spicy for me, but that's me, I'm not into hot spices, my cousin loved it and fish isn't even her favourite food! The chicken a la creme was fantastic, my personal favourite, plenty of chicken and a creamy white wine sauce. The dauphinoise potatoes went with it all so well, the whole meal might have been too much meat without it, it was also very good. Finally, the garlic bread was wonderful, very garlicky as I love it.

I think it is a wonderful idea to have these tapas style meals from different countries each week. It gives people a chance to sample a few dishes from various cuisines for a reasonable price. One of the owners, Jane, is very visible and came to ask us how we enjoyed the meal when we had finished and she was also interested to hear some suggestions for other food nights from guests.

In summary, I cannot fault this meal, every dish was delicious, full of flavour and for £11.95 excellent value for money. There is a vegetarian option too. We'll definitely be back!

Address:  The Plough Inn, Wreay, Carlisle CA4 0RL
Facebook:  The Plough Inn  (There does not appear to be a website)

Restaurant Review - Keez Bistro, Carlisle *****

Photo from Keez Bistro Website

My cousin and I visited Keez Bistro last week to try it's mid week special offer - two courses for £15.00. The restaurant is in central Carlisle and located in a basement with stone walls that a repainted white. The decor is contemporary with a touch of the old - there was a fabulous original black iron grate in the room we sat in, The restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere and informal atmosphere.

Initially we we sat in a small bar area where we had our drink and perused the menu. Our order was taken and not long afterwards we were taken to our table. Our starter arrived quickly, so even though there was not bread at the table I did not really miss it (I do love bread lol!) I had Peppered Goats Cheese with a Peach Salsa and my cousin had Beetroot Pie with Creme Fraiche and Herb Salad. Both were delicious but i did have to remove some of the pepper from the top of my goats cheese as there was rather a lot and it was too hot for me.

For the main I had Duck Breast with Stir-fried Red Pepper, Bean Sprouts and Noodles and my cousin had Slow Roast Belly of Pork with Lentils and Cabbage Salsa. When I ordered the waitress said the chef serves the duck pink but if I wanted it more well done that would be no problem. I appreciated being told that as I'm not so keen on pink duck. It came just as I wanted it and was very tender and a generous portion. The noodles were in a tangy fruity sauce that I loved! My cousin really enjoyed her Belly Pork though she found some of the crackling a bit of a challenge to bite through.

Neither of us had room for a dessert (and I would have so loved to have had their Strawberry Eton Mess!) and finished with coffee. Everything had been excellent and it was very good value for money, a starter. main, coffee and a glass of prosecco came to £22 each. The £15 midweek two course special is available Tuesday- Thursday. They also do a three course special every night for £22.00. They are closed Sunday and Monday. If you want top notch cuisine at a very reasonable price I'd highly recommend Keez Bistro.

Address:  Cecil Street, Carlisle CA1 1 NT
Website:  http://www.keezbistro.co.uk/

Restaurant Review - Pompeii Steakhouse, Carlisle ***

Photo From the Pompeii Website

My friend and I went to the Pompeii steakhouse last week, both of us had been once before a few years ago. We had a friendly greeting from the waitress and shown to our table overlooking Carlisle Castle.

I ordered Creamy Garlic Mushrooms with brown bread to start and my friend had Pan-fried King Prawns with Garlic and Lemon and Salad. We did not wait too long but it would have nice to have some bread to munch on while we were waiting as I was really hungry. The starters were very good, though I did not get any butter for my brown toast and had some from my friend who got a large piece of butter to go with her small amount of bread. My mushrooms were delicious and it was a generous portion.

For our main we both went for the Dry Aged Rib-Eye Steak, my favourite cut of steak. It came with chips and a small container of vegetables. The steak comes sizzling on a red hot "volcanic stone platter." The steak was very tender and just melted in the mouth, very nice. My friend had the Blue Cheese Butter sauce which she loved and I had the Buerre de Paris (butter with herbs) sauce which was also lovely. But because the steak is served on the hot platter it continues to cook as you are eating it and, in my case ended up more well done than I like. I noticed that on an adjoining table they were given the raw steak and they just cooked pieces on the platter as they went along, we were not given this option.

We did not have a dessert, and, on my part, that was because this restaurant is expensive. We had the starters, two steaks and sauces and two glasses of prosecco and it came to £32 each. For me that is expensive, and though the food was good, I did not feel it was worth that amount of money. So, in conclusion, if you can afford it have the steaks at Pompeii, they are delicious, but if you are on a lesser budget I would go elsewhere.

Address:  Abbey Street, Carlisle CA3 8TX
Website:  http://thepompeiisteakhouse.co.uk/index.html

Restaurant Review - The Golden Fleece, Ruleholme, Cumbria

My friend and I wanted to try somewhere we had not been to for our meal out so we chose The Golden

Photo from The Golden Fleece Website

Fleece at Ruleholme near Carlisle in Cumbria.

It is a traditional country inn, with natural stone walls and wood beams. It has a nice outside area with tables and benches which would be lovely to sit at in good weather. Inside there is a bar, a small lounge where you are seated prior to your meal to peruse the menu and nibble on warm party sausages, toasted bread with a lovely pate and crisps. it was different and a nice touch.  I was pleased to see that this was a restaurant where you could get those small bottles of Prosecco, ideal if you are driving.

The eating area consisted of a few small rooms, with large tables (with old maps of Cumbria on them) and plenty of space between them ensuring lots of privacy. It felt cosy and comfortable. There was some bread and butter and a bottle of water on the table when we were seated.

I chose the Fleece burger, made from rump steak, topped with goat's cheese and red onion marmalade, onion rings, thick cut chips and garlic mayo. The meal was presented on a wooden platter. The onion rings were the biggest I've ever seen and lovely and crispy. The burger was tasty and juicy as were the chips and the portions generous..

My friend chose the gammon with pineapple, fried egg, and chunky chips. The pineapple was fresh and the slice of gammon huge and it was served on a granite slab. Like me she was very happy with her meal.

We were quite full as the portions were generous and could only manage ice cream for dessert. I had a scoop each of raspberry pavlova, chocolate and vanilla.  It came in a large cone sitting in a cone-shaped glass with a little container in which there was a small amount of sprinkles, chocolate pieces, hundreds and thousands and fizzing angel dust. The ice cream was very creamy and went down easily.

Our bill came in a little wooden chest accompanied by two decadently delicious chocolates. The service was friendly and efficient, and the food was served quickly. It cost us just over £40 for two alcoholic drinks, two mains and two desserts. Not cheap, but not over expensive either for what we had. We'll definitely be going back and if you want a pleasant atmosphere with good food try it, you won't be disappointed.

Review - The Plough Inn, Wreay, Cumbria

The Plough Inn is a place I have been going to for years, it is a country pub, with a warm ambiance and excellent food. Recently I heard that the pub had been taken over by new owners and tonight my cousin Glen and I went there for a meal - this was their first night serving meals. I must admit we were both a bit worried that it would not be as good as it had been previously.

The pub itself looks exactly the same, traditional with a modern twist and a pleasant atmosphere. The menu was much more extensive, but that's not always a good thing, it's easy to over-extend in this business. The menu told us that the chef was from the Seychelles and had 22 years experience.

We shared a pate starter, the pate was homemade and lovely. For our main courses Glen chose a chicken curry and I went for the duck marinated in cinnamon, honey and lime with mash, veg and red wine and red currant gravy.  My duck was tender with little fat and the subtle flavours were delicious and were like none I'd experienced with duck before. Glen loved her curry, in fact she said it was the one of the best curries she had ever had. Neither of us had room for a dessert!

The chef, Winston, came out to speak to everyone, he was very pleasant and seemed happy that we had enjoyed his food so much. Later one of the owners, Jane, came across to speak to us. She said that the pub would serve food  Wednesday-Sunday. Monday they would be open for drinks and homemade burgers and a quiz night. Tuesdays again it would be drinks with a live music night. So it sounds like there will be a good variety of events at the pub in the future.  I thought it was really nice personal touch that the chef and owner came out to talk with the clients like that. There are also going to be special nights with a Seychelles buffet which sounds like it will be brilliant.

Judging by the fare tonight I know that we will be continuing to visit The Plough regularly and I have  no hesitation in recommending it.