Blacksmith Arms in South Lakeland

Whilst trying to amuse my two young son's on a recent visit to Cumbria I took them to the vintage farm. And while that itself is great the real highlight was The Chicken Shed cafe on the site. The food is lovely with the homemade cakes being among the best I have ever tasted. The lady who runs the place is a great host and when my 9 year old cheekily asked for a beer she passed him a bottle of child friendly shandy that made his day. There's also a wide variety of homemade ice cream available which was music to the ears of my 6 year old (and me). Even if you don't fancy visiting the farm itself the food and hospitality at The Chicken Shed is worth seeking out.

Wow! What a fabulous experience from start to finish! We visited for my friend’s 40th and everything was perfect! Location, service and food- just beautiful! I have coeliac disease and they were so attentive and careful and went out of their way to ensure I didn’t miss out on anything. I even had different kinds of bread- believe me, this is wildly unusual for anything GF and I felt so special! All of the food was divine. I ate the lot, but totally regretted the sugar rush later on when I had a two hour drive home :-) Everything was perfect - the best afternoon tea I’ve ever had!

We were looking for somewhere to stop for a bite to eat on our way up to the Lakes. We came across the River Bela cafe and certainly weren't disappointed! A lovely little place with friendly hosts and delicious food. All this and dog friendly too, which is a must for us. We had the lovely home baked, hand carved ham sandwiches. On the way back home 2 days later we couldn't resist calling in again, this time for a lovely cooked breakfast - scrumptious! We will definitely be returning and recommending to friends and family.

Staying locally and last day treat a fab cooked breakfast. Cooked fresh, lovely service and atmosphere. Would recommend a visit. Thanks.

So I’m not normal one to leave a review, that being said overall I was hugely disappointed with the meal I had at the Knipe Grill at Gilpin Lake House. Firstly - we were show to our table and and iPad dropped on the table. Yes this is a menu and yes I can work and iPad. But with the hotel boasts 5 stars I expect a little more interaction. -With an experienced chef David with many an accolade, unfortunately I was underwhelmed. You quote “My food is fun, there’s always a bit of a story behind it, a bit of nostalgia and playfulness” Sadly there was no story no fun. This was primarily down the the service and the lack of engagement, talking us through the menu, championing and highlighting locality, seasonally and recommendations. The level of service we received for the price paid just wasn’t up to standard. - and finally whilst I know this is a hotel with a hot tub, there is something about having a group of people in bath robes walking through the restaurant heading to the hot tub a little strange. I wouldn’t expect this from a restaurant in a 3 star Spanish hotel, let alone a 5 star very expensive hotel/restaurant in the lakes In summary the restaurant's inexperience staff led to poor service, which significantly impacted the dining experience. The lack of knowledge and attentiveness resulted in frustration and dissatisfaction. While the food showed potential, it ultimately fell short of the expected standard considering the price paid. Overall, the combination of what seemed like inexperienced staff and underwhelming food quality makes this restaurant a less than satisfying choice. Sorry for this review but unfortunately this is a true reflection of my/out experience.