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. 

Restaurant Review, Lunch at No. 34, Carlisle

Bijou was always one of my favourite restaurants in Carlisle, it had a lovely atmosphere and excellent food. It has now been transformed into No.34 but still run by the same owners. My friend and I decided to try it out for the first time one lunchtime last week. We arrived at 1pm and it was quite busy but we found a table for two. Just after 1pm a server came and asked if we would like a drink and we ordered one. The tables and seating is similar if not the same as it was for Bijou, so it is comfortable and roomy, but the decor was very different, dark walls covered in pictures, it was ok but I must say I preferred the airy elegance of the old restaurant.

We waited to receive our drinks and place our order, and waited some more. Eventually at 1.20pm the server came, without any apology for the lengthy delay, with our drinks and to take our order. We both had The Fish One, a fish burger in a roll with spicy raisin coleslaw and salad. At 1.40pm we received our meal, good job we weren't in our lunch hour.

I'm sorry to say I was very disappointed in The Fish One as was my friend, it was almost tasteless and we both ended up leaving some which is a rare occurrence for me as people know! I did not like the spicy coleslaw but I do not like that kind of thing anyway. My friend said that it was needed to add some flavour to the burger. We finished with a coffee. Two meals, two alcoholic drinks and two coffees cost us £27.00

It's a shame that I have to write a bad review for this restaurant at lunchtime, but I have to be honest about how I felt. Maybe another dish would have tasted much better, maybe service would have been better if they had not been busy, I've never before had that complaint about Bijou which was always outstanding lunchtime and evening. I'll try out the place again as this may have been a one off.

Address:   No.34

                 34 Fisher Street

                 Carlisle 

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

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/

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/

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