Black Bull Hotel in Eden

We met up with friends from a nearby village to Kirkby Stephen. The Hunter’s Chicken was very tasty with just the right combination of cheese and bacon on top. The Landlord beers were very good. The ladies both had fish and chips. The only minor quibble was that both left their mushy peas as they thought they tasted odd. Perhaps they are just done to a different recipe.

Great place to come for a few drinks and a fun and friendly pub quiz. Bar staff we were friendly. Quizmaster was funny and engaging. Had a great evening!

Very friendly and welcoming. Cosy areas to sit. Seemed very clean and tidy. Really quite but great spot for a rest with the pup

Sticky tables, 45 minute wait for mediocre food and a pub that needs a good clean. We used to go into the Kings head a lot before it was taken over, this was the first and last time we have been in for a year. I would recommend you avoid and go to the Taggy man along the road. Whilst waiting what seemed like forever for lunch we saw eight people come in and then walk out as they got fed up waiting or did not like the look of the place, I wish we had. Also a bit advice to the man behind the bar. When you do eventually wipe the tables, remember they have corners and deserve more than two swipes with a damp cloth.

Ordered Fish and chips and Steak pie and chips - along with 1.5 pints of cider. £34 and some pence. Fish was so wet the batter underneath was mush and inedible, the “chips” were fries, cheap frozen ones. Apparently the steak pie was good so that earned you 2 stars. There was no salt to be found anywhere but an uncleared table and that was so wet it wouldn’t come out of the holes (I took the bottom off and tipped it into my hand) I went in to tell them how unhappy I was with my meal, but the one lad who had been serving had gone and nobody covering.

Room clean, bedding lovely. Room wasn't serviced for the 3 nights we were there but I wasn't bothered by that although it would have been nice if the hospitality tray was replenisd without asking. Didn't appreciate having to go to the public bar to ask for toilet rolls. Don't pay for bed and breakfast in advance as when they don't have a breakfast chef and breakfast isn't available they don't refund you even if they say they will. Stayed in April 2024 and still awaiting breakfast refund!!

Had been walking nearby and popped in for a drink and some lunch. Lovely lady behind the bar, very friendly and couldn't have been more helpful. Good selection of beera, other half had a pint of Neck Oil which he enjoyed. Decent food menu. Weren't waiting too long and we had no complaints at all, very tasty food. Overall a very pleasant experience, would happily come here again.

Booked a one night stay 2/4/24 Room 1 was allocated to us on arrival. The room was dingy and small . No light bulbs in the bedside lights and the room was grubby. We filled in our breakfast menu for the next day and headed down to the bar at 6 pm ish ,only to be told that there was no chef and so they couldn’t provide breakfast. ( The staff member had not told us this on check in). Very poor service. No one around at all in the building when we checked out. No refund of £29 yet for the non breakfast, even though we’ve called them a few times. Avoid this place

Myself and 5 of my friends visited Kirkby Stephen to go walking and complete the 9 standards Friday and Saturday to return home Sunday. We went into the black bull on the Friday and had drinks and also the Saturday afternoon. Most of the party ordered starters and mains and awaited the food coming out. We were super hungry after 4 hours walking and were just looking forward to eating. The food came out and was of a really poor standard because of the below 1. The barbecue sauce was missing from the burgers we ordered (the burgers were really small) and the chips portions were like a child portion. 2. The nachos came out cold and hadn’t been heated. 3. The sausage and mash tasted like a microwave meal. 4. The prawns covered in batter just fell apart when you tried to eat them as they weren’t cooked properly. So at the end of the meal the bar lady asked if the meal was ok? And we answered honestly and instead of taking on board feedback and reducing the bill / apologising she just argued back. We didn’t stay at the hotel so can’t comment on the rooms etc but food is very poor and customer service even worse. Don’t ask for feedback if you can’t accept it! Stay away for food. They don’t care as long as you pay. We all went down the road and bought more food after and went to the Taggy Man instead.

Nice, warm and cosy. Food was very good, my soup was amazing. 10 of us visited Kirkby Steven for one of our friends 70th Birthday. Thank you.

Very good bar staff - shame about the food - am not one to complain but waited 40 minutes but ok as we weren’t in a rush but food was awful - frozen veg mixed with fresh veg - other veg burnt to a crisp , meat tough and inedible - this was the worst meal I’ve ever been served anywhere. Bar staff were apologetic- many others also complaining but we were all dealt with politely and the cost of the food was refunded

We arrived at 18:30. Ordered food and drinks. We were the first into the restaurant. After one hour we were informed the fish my wife ordered needed to be changed and re cooked. After another 15minutes the food arrived. The fish was raw and still frozen in the middle. My steak looked like shoe leather. The peas were shrivelled and the chips were stone cold. It was inedible. We refused the meal and said we were leaving. The lady behind the bar said not to pay for the drinks. She was trying her hardest under the circumstances. Another group of people also witnessed the incident and decided to leave as well. I would not really award any stars but you have to give a minimum of one. Would never return and advise others not to as well

Crap food, crap service, don't bother! Overpriced drinks and food, my pint poured was all head and warm too, because that's what I need in summer heat... Was left stood around waiting for a table after booking in advanced. Then guided to a table cluttered with plates, cups and screaming children running around! What a great atmosphere... Food came out in about 5 minutes, reheated of course, with us being served without cutlery! Ordered chicken and pork double and expected a fair plate full, think I got more when I use to have it as school dinners! A slither of pork and hardly a cut of chicken. Left as soon as I could.

Great efficient service with a welcoming friendly ‘can do’ smile. Thanks Jack who seemed to cover front of house singlehanded! Food was awesome- generous servings at great price 😊

I arrived on Sun 18 Jun as I am on a training course close by. Apperently Breakfast is not included at this plavce, even though the MOD booking agency booked it B&B. I asked for breakfast at 07.30 but was told that they didn't start until 8.00. OK So I came down at 08.00, everything locked up, hammered on the doors and even rang the hotel...................nothing, Luckilly there was a bakery opposite doing bacon rolls. On Wed evening I had to ask whether someone could go into my room and replave a used cup and glass and replenish coffee etc..............."oh we don't do that every day" came the reply. They hadn't done it any day since I arrived. Overall I was extremely disappointed with the cleanliness, or lack of, and the service, or lack of. I will be making a recommendation that the Black Bull be taken off the list of hotels used mt the MOD Service Booking Agency. I wouldn't keep a dog in there, simply grotty!

Visited yesterday lunchtime, asked for lunch menu which stated drink for £1 with food. Ordered drinks which had to pay for. Went outside to decide on lunch, returned to order, mentioned offer but was told had had to order food at same time as drink ( this was not mentioned when ordered drinks).Told no discount. Food was very poor, supposed to be on toasted bloomer, it had not been toasted & was soggy from filling. Won’t be returning although fairly local.

I organised a lunch for 22 bell ringers. The Black Bull was excellent, coping easily with changes up to a day or two before. When we arrived we were soon seated with drinks, and the food arrived very promptly. It was all very efficient and friendly, and the food was very enjoyable too.

Visited for a Sunday roast dinner with my husband and parents. Both my husband and my mum were violently ill after with food poisoning. I contacted the establishment to report this, and my claim was immediately dismissed. Overall poor service, below standard food, and to top it off it made us ill! I would highly recommend going absolutely anywhere else!

We ate here whilst staying at the Pennine Hotel just down the road as the menu here looked much better for us. Couldn't fault the food, I had the mushroom and bourguignon pie with mash, highly recommended. We had a few drinks here, it felt very much like a pub for locals, the atmosphere was jovial, the fire was lit and we enjoyed our visit. The guy behind the bar was really friendly despite being clearly run off his feet!

Swede and Parsnip soup with sourdough turned out to be half a bowl of tinned tomato and dry baguette. Added smoking fire just alight that had not been cleared out. Pretty awful experience but lovely girl behind the bar.

Had a lovely lunch here whilst passing through, the food was great and very tasty. The pub was really busy and the lady on the bar was rushed off her feet as she was the only member of staff on, but she did a tremendous job.

My family and i recently had the misfortune to come across this establishment on a stop off recently, we called in for a coffee and a break during a long journey, from the outside this quaint looking pub seemed perfect and on entering everything seemed fine, it was lunchtime and rather quiet with only one other customer at the bar, i proceeded to order our coffees and this is where our nightmare began !! The other customer i referred to earlier now began a tirade of abuse towards me in front of my wife and family for absolutely no reason at all !! It was obvious that the guy was completely deranged but what was even more surreal was the fact the barmaid made zero attempt to either say anything or do anything to intervene at all and just left us all stunned at the situation unfolding before us, I've never come across anything like it before and hopefully never will again, so anyone who isn't familiar with this hell hole please be warned before venturing in that your safety may be severely compromised..... Be warned

Came here as a party of 10 for Sunday lunch at 12.45pm. No normal menu options available other than 3 roasts - beef, turkey or Gammon. Meals arrived with no roast potatoes or mash - and looked NOTHING like the roast dinner photos on here!...

Passes the Ronseal test in that it does what it says in the tin. A pub hotel where the room is clean and nice and far enough away from the pub that we’re can’t hear the noise. If your closer to the bar it might be different - but well priced and does the job.

We were rang the night before and were told Sunday roast would not be available. Fair enough. Chicken pie was dry and seemed like powdered potatoes with it. Concealed gravy warm peas. Dirty fries with southern fried chicken - chicken was moist and tasty however...

Pub/hotel looked ok from outside but basic inside. Staff couldn’t care less about decent service. Waited 1.5 hrs for a lunch that never appeared!! Got a refund and walked out. Feel sorry for anyone staying there.

Booked because website menu looked great got here to find a limited choice, at bar was told trainee chef on ordered the chicken and ham pie it was under cooked and tasteless also waited a long time for it will definitely not return

We stayed 3 nights at the Black Bull thinking that it would be a good place to stay. it wasn't, although room was clean and comfortable bed. We found a leaking toilet and no hot water; we tried to raise this with staff the following...

We stayed here in May as part of our coast to coast walk. The information in the bedroom promised a warm welcome, hearty breakfast and packed lunches. None were available. The staff member checking us in was indifferent at best, the stairs and corridors leading...

Absolutely awful, lots of things were “Sorry, we have run out of that”. I ordered Ham and skin on chips, it arrived with fries, “Sorry, didn’t they say we had run out of skin on chips!”. My wife’s fish cakes were inedible, we complained, but...

My husband went in to order drinks waited ages then 2 locals walked in and young barmaid, ignored my husband and asked the 2 men that walked in what they wanted, so he walked out, then I went in the barmaid was missrable and messed...

Needed a stop over and got this on Booking at the last moment. The room was clean, well provisioned and comfortable. They did breakfast, but there's places over the road which provide something more local. There's no parking, but the street at the back is...

I was on holiday in Kirkby stephen and decided to call in at the black bull and was not disappointed, firstly I have to apologise to the lady behind the bar , I'm from Nottingham and every other word is duck or love !! Myself...

Called in at 2.20pm for late lunch. After 1.5 hours the partly cooked food came. The chef wasn't able to cook for more than one table at a time obviously. When food returned - it was no better. Young lady on bar gave us a...

The pub is very welcoming. Friendly staff and an open fire on a cold day very much appreciated. We had lasagne and Cambodian curry for lunch. Both excellent. Toilets sparkling clean.

Friendly atmosphere, newly opened with friendly staff. Vast improvement from the last manager that was in before the restoration. I would recommend this place to anyone wanting a child friendly place to eat

Called in for lunch on opening day. Wow! Food was excellent, large portions and fantastic value. The new landlords deserve to do well

At the moment, the pub isn't open Mon-Wed and we checked in for one night on a Wednesday. Brian was welcoming and friendly and made some good recommendations for places to eat. The rooms are comfortable and good value. The breakfast room looked like it...

This was a very unpretentious pub but with a fairly relaxed bar area and a more formal dining room. This area was pleasantly decorated though felt slightly bare, but this may have been due to Covid restrictions. (We note that the photos on Trip Advisor...

Rang the Black Bull yesterday to see if I could have a Sherpa bag delivery there whilst on the coast to coast walk. No issues, they didn’t even question and were more than happy to help me out. The gentleman who gave me the bag...

Stopped for dinner. The food was delicious! I had a steak which was amazing, extremely tasty abs cooked to perfection. Service was fabulous

Warm welcoming Absolutely fantastic service We had starter, main and dessert I have to say finger licking fantastic I would definitely recommend here.

Booked a table for the first Saturday after the lockdown restrictions were lifted. John, Brian and all the staff provided excellent service with John providing good banter and humour. The food was good pub food at a reasonable prices. The garlic mushroom start was one...

Myself, husband and our doggy booked in just for one night to get away before lockdown as it turned out. We really wish we had had had longer to stay at this lovely place and are likely to return. We relaxed the moment we got...

Stopped on route to Blackpool for some lunch, what a great call. We were seated in the rear dining room and we were attended to very quickly and attentively. When the food arrived it was amazing and really fresh. The fish Goujon sandwich was unbelievable...

Location, food, room, service and value all great, made for a great mini break in a lovely little town.

My wife and I were stopping locally for a few days and drove into Kirkby Stephen for dinner. We chose the Black Bull and very glad we did. They have good Covid-19 precautions in place and the service at the table was friendly and prompt....

ate here on our stay nearby , table service and very strict covid regulations which was gd to see . i choose the black bull burger which was very gd and my g/f had scampi which was equally gd . good service and nice food...

Had a day out in the town and popped into the hotel for lunch, at first glance it does look a tad tired but it more than makes up for my first impressions as my partner and I chose from the lunch menu and could...

Fantastic food, lovely atmosphere and owners. We stopped by chance and so glad we found it, food so good we asked for the recipes, warm and friendly, highly recommended! Also lovely and clean :)

On our way back from Windermere we called into The Black Bull having rung prior to enquire if the were serving lunch/dinner. Usual COVID restrictions apply and on arrival signed in and scanned QR code then we were seated in the front window. Lovely and...

Excellent lunch with two young pups. We were made to feel really welcome including a bowl full of dog nibbles. The host was very friendly and attentive and quickly took our drinks order. The pub is well laid out for Covid rules and we scanned...

We visited for lunch with family and we were all very impressed with the quality of the food, it was delicious and very well presented - well done chef! The dining room was somewhat minimalistic but I guess there has to be compromises in these...

Three of us holidaying in Kirkby Stephen and needed comfort food on wet and windy 1st Sunday of holiday, can't praise the food here highly enough especially at the prices charged. Starter of creamy mushrooms in toasted brioche roll followed by tenderest roast beef and...

Fantastic humus and sun dried tomoto sandwich. The presentation was superb and served by extremely friendly staff. So good to have so many vegetarian and vegan choices.

I understand the necessity to adhere to COVID rules. And I respect a businesses choice to enforce them however they want. However, being barked at to sanitize our hands and sign in isn’t the nicest welcome I’ve ever had to a pub. I may have...

An excellent pub with great pub food and a lovely host/barman making everyone feel welcome. Stopped here for lunch on our road trip and it’s great when you find little gems like this..... loved it 👍

We were very well looked after & enjoyed good beer with some excellent food. Outstanding garlic mushroom & haddock fish cake starters!

Stayed for one night this week, we had a great stay with our little dog Oreo. We were made very welcome, plenty of room and self distancing. Evening meal in the beer garden was great as was the waiter service, made even better with £20.00...

We were staying at Augill Castle just down the road and opted to head into Kirkby Stephen to grab some dinner. They had recommended the Black Bull as a good option for dinner. We opted to eat in the bar rather than the restaurant because...

to call the black bull a hotel is misleading ,we found it to be nothing more than a shabby pub with bedrooms of a similar standard.after trying their breakfast we were pleased we had decided to go out for a evening meal.the only staff member...

We overnighted here NY eve and the room was superb. Dined here also with 14 of us in the party .Outstanding staff in the restaraunt every request was no problem for them and they appeared happy to be there.We had a bit of banter fun...

Decent pub with good range of drinks, but the bitter was a bit inconsistent, good the first time we went in somewhat flat the next time. Food looked good but maybe a bit on the dear side and there didn’t seem a lot of choice...

Nice food,cracking pint of black sheep, very cosy,loved it..dog friendly as well..what's not to like ?

Stayed on a Friday night whilst on the C2C walk. This pub/hotel is central in the town. Room was spacious & clean, if a little dated. We had evening dinner in the bar nice food, well presented. Breakfast was well presented with a good choice,...

We ate here on the last night of our holiday. Me I looked good and I chose the Cumberland sausage and mash. Looked amazing when it came to the table and I tucked in but the mash was awful. It was lumpy, dry and tasteless....

Even though they were busy, they managed to fit us in and we ate alfresco in their lovely beer garden. There was a long wait for the food but once it arrived, it was hot and delicious. I had the Cumberland sausage and my husband...

We visited here for a spot of lunch family with our dog and would highly recommend a visit. The food is lovely and plentiful and is completely dog friendly. The staff were attentive and service was quick. A very nice place to eat.

Came highly recommended , the food was alright as standard pub food . I was expecting better. Beers good.

Four of us enjoyed a delicious meal here . The featherdale slow cooked beef was delicious , served with horseradish mash and greens . Service was friendly . Great pub food after a long day walking .

Great little hotel in the middle of Kirkby Stephen. Location makes walking the village very easy. Nice clean room with a view of the main street. The owner could not have been nicer. The staff made our visit very nice. The bar and dinner were...

We ate on 27th April and the food and service were both excellent.My partner had chicken in Stilton cream sauce and says you can't get better than delicious. I had haddock and chips both of which were cooked to perfection. Best book as it is...

Lovely place to relax after an invigorating hike! Friendly staff, great range of real ales, great food.

Great pub dog friendly and families welcome. Good selection of beers and food. Hannah was really welcoming as were all the locals. Will definitely return.

Great pub, great beer, great food great staff, great locals who make you feel welcome....landlord and landlady great also... Will be back Chris Joy St Annes

Never had a bad meal here. Always quality dishes with fresh produce and made with care and attention. Highly recommend!

The food was hearty, beautifully cooked and reasonably priced for the quality. The waitress was friendly, efficient and lovely. A welcoming place with everything you look for. The Gin was yummy too as were the desserts

This was our second time of visiting Kirkby Stephen when walking long distance trails, previously C2C and this time Lady Anne’s Way. We have given all of the hostelries in town a try and have found this one to be the best - very good...

Great food and service. Staff were very accommodating and helpful even when they were very busy. Tasty, well cooked food

We ate an evening meal in the lounge/pub area, so there was quite a bit of local comings and goings, with a mix of visitors/walkers, it was more pub-like than restaurant-like in atmosphere and overall was friendly. While the menu offerings try to give some...

Norden ramblers descended on the Black Bull for a weekends walking in the area. Accommodating a group of 14 is never easy but the staff at the Black Bull managed it with ease.... The place had a really warm and welcoming atmosphere. The restaurant was...

We ate the first time we visited here on a Sunday lunchtime, very good Sunday lunch. There is a friendly atmosphere, staff are helpful, beer is well kept. Ladies loo is a nostalgia fest, ladies disappear for ages!!! Recommended.

We were a party of five plus 1 dog, when we visited the Black Bull we had an extremely warm welcome. The food was perfect, great atmosphere with a mixture of locals and walkers (and dogs!)

The hotel restaurant was recommended by our B&B owners & other guests were pleased so perhaps we were just unlucky. I had the small portion & my fish was OK but the chips just lumps of potato unevenly cooked & stuck together. My husband had...

The staff here are excellent and very accommodating for people’s needs. They provide a friendly service and nice pub food well done

This place does very good pub food. It is probably best to book during high season. The staff are very pleasant and friendly. It is clean and the food is delicious. The prices are reasonable.

I had dinner on my own at this hotel last night. I had a feta and tomato salad and the haddock. The food was brilliant. Highly recommended.

Great atmosphere (lovely staffy in with owners for company) quality pud. Busy for food so chose to eat In the bar menu looked good and food did not disappoint in any way 10/10 was stuffed thank guys well done

We visited one lunch time last week. The pub is dog friendly but we chose to sit outside in the lovely beer garden. The lady that served us was friendly and welcoming. The food was absolutely delicious and excellent value. The sausage and mash was...

Firstly, ensure you book in the summer. Kirby Stephen is on the coast2coast route and is busy pretty much every day. Staff nice and friendly and the food is so much better than traditional pub food! The meal I had would have been a proud...

Good food in a friendly atmosphere served with a smile. I'd recommend it for good value and service.

Staff great looks like any other pub from the road side but the food was spectacular. A must for food.

Ate here whilst staying in Kirkby Stephen. This is a very busy pub so essential to book if wanting to eat. We had the penne pasta (a special) and the ribeye steak. Both were excellent. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. Overall thoroughly recommend...

We were advised to book. Good job we did! Meal was lovely, I had the Rainbow trout which was on the specials. Good service and good food

We arrived with our dog and had a friendly welcome. Usually you a bit of a raw deal when you take a pet on a break but not at the Black Bull. The room was spot less.There were the usually tea and coffee facility's and...

We’d read the reviews and on a previous visit had been unable to get a table so we made sure we booked in advance if our trip. It was worth the wait! We shared antipasti to start and it was delicious. The lemon and black...

What a find, my mum & step dad were staying here for 1 night & we are camping down the road. We only booked a table that afternoon & they managed to squeeze us in. Firstly the service was so so friendly & helpful -...

Have been here a couple of times on C2C walk and not been disappointed. Meal was more like a 5 star restaurant being beautifully presented and tasting superb. Good pint of beer too with equally efficient, friendly service. Many thanks.

Last day of our holiday and we visited this very friendly pub. Nice fish and chips served on hot plates, something that other places seem to neglect. Waitress was lovely. Wish we had called in earlier in the week as well. Maybe a little TLC...

Called in twice for a evening meal whilst visiting Kirkby Stephen last week. A traditional country pub where walkers & dogs are welcome. Clean with pleasant decor situated on the main street . Lovely cheerful friendly staff & locals. The food is outstanding, no ordinary...