Crown and Thistle in Eden

Excellent menu choices of good (well sourced) quality food. The pies and veg were gorgeous. Great ambience and friendly efficient service too. Busy early on a Wednesday evening a very good sign. We will be back.

If you are looking for a cute cosy pub in the autumn this is absolutely ideal. I took my dog as travelling alone and this wasn’t an issue in the slightest. Sat near a toasty log burner and unknowingly by the parents of the local pub managers. I was given the warmest welcome, friendliest service and most sensational Mac and cheese I have ever eaten. Some may say “Mac and cheese in a Cumbrian pub?”. Cumberland sausage and bacon makes this what should be an award winning dish. I enjoyed it so much so I came back for lunch the next day and had the French Dip (a roast beef sandwich with caramelised onion and a dipping gravy). For the sweet tooth the crème brûlée is a must and the aranchini to start is also delicious.

I love the Crown and Thistle. It’s one of the few places in Carlisle that offers good service and quality food at realistic prices. Unfortunately my main dish wasn’t that great this time round. It was good, but nothing more. Usually I cannot fault the food but this time I was left a little disappointed. I had the chicken breast wrapped in bacon with haggis and a whiskey sauce. I found the dish to be a bit tasteless. The haggis wasn’t a nice flavour. It was dry rather than having a creamy texture. The whiskey sauce was really disappointing too. My husband had a steak with whiskey sauce a while back and that sauce was phenomenal. I raved about it in a previous review. Sadly since then, we have dined here twice more and chose this sauce. Both times it has been nothing like the first time. Instead it seems ‘dirty’ ( like a tinned sauce) and lacking richness, flavour and depth. All the flavours on the plate were just average. Nothing seemed to elevate the dish. On a positive note, the chicken was cooked to perfection. My husband on the other hand was so pleased he chose to have the lamb minted pie, which was excellent! The dessert was just amazing. We had the chocolate Fondant. Highly recommended!! We’ll be back, of course!

Decided to visit here for lunch with my hubby. Glad we did as the staff were lovely, the service was excellent & the food was absolutely delicious. Will definitely return.

Our first visit and hopefully not our last. Excellent service and wonderful food. Thank you all for a really lovely lunch.

Driving south from Scotland to Harrogate looking for a nice lunch, not a motorway services. Found this delightful country inn on the internet, phoned, got a table 30 mins later and had the most delicious lunch. Only a few minutes from the main road. What a find! Would highly recommend the twice baked cheese soufflé and the steak pie!

Regular visitors to this beautiful pub. Outstanding in every way. Attentive and knowledgeable staff. Beautiful food and excellent service. Book to avoid disappointment as it's no good complaining that you can't get a table. Will be back soon

On a short little glamping holiday and seeing the popular reviews given to this restaurant,it certainly matches the good food,quality service by Jonathan. Certainly pleasant surprise and thank you for accomodating us last minute. Many thanks jonathan

Great food with lots of choice including Gluten Free options Friendly staff We will be returning the next time we’re in the area

Party of 5 and I have to say that we were expecting a lot more. The starters were OK apart from the soup which was Luke warm and lacked any flavour apart from tasting like sea water. The fish for the main course was dreadful, it looked like they had forgot to gut the fish, but apparently that’s how it comes according to the waiter and kitchen staff. The fish and chips weren’t great, the fish was like mush and so much grease in the batter, the chips were ok. New potatoes were still hard and like they’d just come out of the ground. The waiting staff didn’t seem to care and their response was the kitchen said it’s how the food comes. Won’t be back.

We ate here yesterday the food is sublime I honestly couldn't fault a thing. Some of the most delicious food I've eaten in a long time what a Credit to the area! The pub was extremely busy and the staff were clearly stretched but so lovely and professional and worked so hard. We will be back again soon thank you for all you do. The prices are great value for the food quality. Keep up the fantastic service. The children were welcomed and I felt totally at ease and the decor and setting was just wonderful.

Had a wonderful birthday lunch at the Crown and Thistle. Service was attentive but relaxed, welcoming and friendly, couldn't fault it at all. The meal was absolutely delicious. The stars being off the special menu. My husband really enjoyed his partridge starter and loved the main of venison ! Tender, beautifully cooked and delicious accompaniments. He stated it was one of the best meals he has had in a very long time ! I had the seabream, also from the special menu and it was morish !! The wine, a bottle of Pinot Voir, was mellow and perfect for our lunch. Would highly recommend this venue. Thank you and well done to all the team. Xx

I have not been to this hotel for a number of years, but what a wonderful surprise, it was lovely, the staff and the meal was great, there were 4 of us and we all had something different to eat, and everyone in my company thoroughly enjoy our visit, I’ll be back.

This place is so popular, booking is a must. Eight of us had some beautiful tasting starters from King Prawns to mushrooms to goats cheese which were seriously good and our main courses were equally as good. The beef medley was noted as the best ever, the luxury fisherman’s pie with fresh vegetables was incredibly tasty and the chicken dish was also excellent. It was a 30th Birthday celebration & the staff brought out our own cake which was a nice touch in a very busy environment. Every member of staff we encountered was a credit to this restaurant. Not one issue or complaint from the 8 of us and looking forward to returning soon. Thankyou

Beautiful food with exceptional staff. Food enjoyed by all. Gorgeous surroundings inside and out. Looking forward to revisiting soon!

What a amazing find. Me, Husband, 2 kids and our dog all went for an evening meal as we were staying local and I have to say it’s one of the best steaks I’ve ever had. The pub itself is done out lovely so is outside, the staff were all extreamley friendly and helpful and there is not 1 thing I can say bad about our experience here.

What a delightful hidden gem about 10 minutes off the M6. If you plan a personal refuel around the Gretna/Carlisle area you could so a lot worse than come here. Immaculate and tastefully finished inside with decent staff and a menu that was much more creative than a traditional pub menu, though they had traditional staples too. We had a great looking homemade mushroom and truffle soup, excellent piri piri prawns, followed by a steak pie and a coronation flatbread with a side of fries. Could have been tempted with dessert too - but didn't. Everything to like. Easy to drive past the steep entrance. Try not to!!

Not our first time and the food was exceptional once again food . Definitely one of our favourites as the dog gets to come too! The duo of rhubarb was quite extraordinary, beautiful balance of sweetness and tartness, and love how local the rhubarb is! A fantastic time, we’ll be back again!!

Four of us visited on a Friday evening having booked, which I recommend as the restaurant was very busy. Having been shown to our table and our drinks order taken we perused the menu. When it came to taking our food order, we had a couple of people with allergies and our waitress was a pain to ensure there would be no issues by checking direct with the kitchen and advising us what was “off limits”. We opted to forgo starters and go straight to main courses. When the food arrived it was well presented, served piping hot and was certainly very tasty as revealed by the clean plates returned to the kitchen. After a short rest we were all able to indulge in one of the great deserts on offer. All the staff were really friendly and helpful and we will certainly be back when again in the area.

Lovely staff, great choice of food. Visited with a friend I hadn’t seen for ages and we never stopped talking. Had 3 of the nibbles as a starter. Anchovies. Balsamic onions and bread. All lovely. I opted for the crab and prawn linguini my friend the macaroni cheese. Both lovely but TBH I couldn’t taste any crab at all. Desserts fab, a vanilla panacotta with cherries and a blackberry sorbet and a taste of raspberries. Both lovely. Will return in a heartbeat but please a little more crab next time

We had last visited this pub over 30 years ago, but decided to go for a family dinner as the menu looked good online. We were not disappointed! The staff were very welcoming as soon as we arrived, the place was busy but with a great atmosphere. The menu was really good, the six of us ordered different dishes but all were excellent and everyone enjoyed the food very much. We liked the emphasis on local produce, it is obviously working well for them as they were very busy all night. I would highly recommend this lovely pub for great food and good friendly service, we will definitely return.

Well didn’t disappoint lovely staff and great food couldn’t give a negative about anything well done to you all amazing

Just had a lovely meal at the Crown and Thistle, Rockcliffe. A party of 11 catered for with care and politeness throughout, the food was exceptional and great value. I can personally vouch for the meatball starter, which was delicious and on our next visit I hope I can find these as a main meal with pasta. The Sunday roast chicken with the unusual addition of a sausage, was spot on, the vast amount and variety of veg was also nicely cooked. My wife had the beef and Eton mess for a sweet, both 10/10 Others in the party had, Mac and cheese, Mushroom ravioli, and a King prawn starter, all left empty plates. Couldn't recommend more highly , go and eat, drink and enjoy.

Visited on Saturday evening for a birthday meal with my husband. Due to the lovely weather the pub was busy both inside and out. We were quickly shown to our table on arrival and handed menus. I require gluten free and was really pleased there is a completely separate GF menu with plenty of options - really gave me confidence that they knew what they were doing and my meal would actually be GF. We chose to share the meatball starter. For mains husband had the Duck and I opted for the beef featherblade. We also had onion rings to share. The manager explained all their batter is gluten free so for the first time in years I was able to enjoy proper onion rings! It was all absolutely delicious! Good portion sizes (glad we shared the starter!) and we both thoroughly enjoyed our meals. We had the lemon posset and raspberry and white chocolate Eton mess for dessert. Again both superb. Service was fantastic too. Friendly, attentive staff and food was prompt. It was our first visit but we will certainly be back

We came in for lunch today on our way from Scotland back to Cheshire. We had a really lovely lunch. The children enjoyed their food, as did we. The staff were all so helpful and attentive. Thanks so much. Nice touches - nice bathroom facilities and also water bowls outside as we sat out with dog.

Visited today for Sunday lunch with family. Pre booked a table for 6. Really friendly atmosphere and service. 3 course fixed food menu prices at £23.95 per head. Had a starter, main meal and dessert. Between the group we all ate a variety of all...

The food, service and ambiance was excellent. The interval between courses was just right. The food quality and presentation was first class. The restaurant was busy even though it was mid week but the table service was good without being over baring. The decor is...

Me and my son had Sunday lunch here today. It was FABULOUS from the service to the food and whole pub ambiance. The price and value for money is great, such quality food and amount of food is easily worth the price. Staff are ALL...

Back at crown and thistle today food was amazing and service second to none .if you want to eat here book in advance because so busy would not go any where else in this area food was brilliant and service brilliant

Just had a lovely meal at this pretty pub. We haven’t been before so decided to try it out for my husbands birthday based on the good reviews. Service was good. We didn’t wait a long time to be seated or to order etc… staff...

We stayed in the carlisle area for a holiday over Easter we went to the crown and thistle on the Sunday with 4 others the Sunday roast menu was excellent lots of choices and a specials board the service was great and the staff very...

Visited here on our last night of 3 at a nearby cabin in Longtown. The pub layout is really nice and furnished well. We actually sat next to Paul and his wife whose family worked there. Really lovey couple. The food was amazing, toasted bruschetta...

Fabulous food, service and overall customer experience, caring staff with good skills, lovely atmosphere and cosy, not surprised it was busy but service and food still excellent, highly recommend and will return

Another relaxing lunch - great food and great service from the ever helpful and friendly staff despite being fully booked on a very busy Thursday afternoon.-

This place is impressive on all fronts. It is well designed and an attractive building. The food and drink were good , but what was most impressive were the staff. Our party was looked after by Vicky and Jonathon, supported by Laura on the bar....

We called in here on a Thursday evening and were very warmly welcomed as we hadn’t booked and it was surprisingly busy!! I’m so pleased we did, the food was beautiful and one of the best bar meals I have had for some time. The...

Managed to get a table only for 2 ,was quite busy .seated straight away and drinks wasn’t long for order to be taken ,both had garlic prawns for starters then steak and I had pheasant for mains everything cooked to perfection as always I had...

A dog friendly pub on the banks of the River Eden. 14 of us for dinner and all of us came away extremely satisfied. The staff were attentive, knowledgeable and friendly showing a flexibility and humour lacking in many establish menus. The food was superb,...

Emailed to make a reservation for a family of 7 including 2 children, response was no children after 7pm advertised as a family friendly pub? family friendly until 7pm then children under 12 aren't welcome, will look elsewhere for a family friendly restaurant that won't...

Have eaten here many times and the pub grub, like fish and chips, is hard to beat. But the Christmas menu wasn’t up to scratch and so ended up being poor value for money. The selections of all three courses weren't great. The staff weren't...

We reserved online for 8pm with professional email response. We arrived 7.30pm so we obviously waited and enjoyed nice drinks with a Spanish(Bilbao) waitress. Our table wasn’t ready until 8.20pm we waited 30minutes to order slow service but good. The food was Luke warm but...

Advertised on Website as £25 per person for 3 courses it is actually £25.95 when you are handed the menu. The Soup (vegetable) was very oversalted so much so it was hardly edible. The Turkey seemed to be of the processed meat variety, definitely not...

Stopped in on a recommendation, and what a find! Service was top notch, roaring fire and the excellent food! Cannot recommended highly enough. Will certainly be back when in the area, couldn’t fault it!

Birthday lunch for a friend. Excellent food, i had the prawns friends had the Westmoreland mushrooms. All excellent. Mains, confit duck with a cassoulet, fish pie, ( a little over salted) and chicken . All very good. Two beautiful crème brûlées and a few cocktails...

Hidden Gem in Cumbria. We are constantly looking for somewhere to eat travelling back and forward between Scotland and England and have finally found this amazing Restaurant two miles off the motorway👌 Food was amazing, staff were excellent and we have now eaten here twice...

looked for a pub with good food somewhere just North of Carlisle to have lunch with a friend from Scotland. the reviews for the Crown & thistle looked good so we booked a table for lunch there. We were welcomed and quickly shown to our...

From the warm greeting on entering the restaurant through our whole evening we could not fault anything. The ambience of the restaurant was good warm open and well appointed. All the staff that we encountered were very helpful and friendly and genuinely smiley. We has...

100% recommend this place food is amazing best steak around. Staff are friendly and attentive. The pub is lovely inside too.

As always excellent service, fabulous home cooked food and superb wine choice. The menu is loaded with amazing choice and accommodates Gluten free fabulously. Despite being 45 mins from home this lovely, cosy & welcoming pub is becoming our ‘local’ …. Worth every mile ❤️...

What a beautiful meal tonight at the Crown & Thistle. The food, service and ambiance was the best we’ve had in ages! Well done! So many places do not have these three qualities (the Lake District pubs & restaurants could learn a lot!), first time...

Four of us had a great lunch with the usual friendly helpful service, in that ever relaxed atmosphere.

Thoroughly enjoyed our meal here, our party of six all ordered different meals and each one looked fantastic. I had the lamb rump, delicious! Can't recommend this eatery highly enough, especially the accommodation of one of our party with a wheelchair. The service was smooth...

Heard so many good things about this place. So we Popped in for lunch. We phoned ahead to ask if they had a table for two. Was lovely to see hoe busy they were. This place has a nice and friendly atmosphere and staff and...

I've given one star because I want to star in my review. The staff and service were great, seen too as soon as we stepped in and taken to our table, soon after with drinks so 5 stars there, ordering our food was excellent also....

Great pub with a nice setting inside. We arrived on a busy Sunday without booking a table and they managed to squeeze us in for a table of 3. The staff were very pleasant and are good at what they do. There is a good...

Probably the best Sunday lunch I've had in a pub, super staff, super food and great value Perfect ❤️

Myself and my partner went 2nd July- he had the fish and chips and I had the bang bang chicken both meals were absolutely gorgeous - the staff are so lovely and warm really nice people - they even allow dogs in the pub which...

Glad we booked a table! Staff were friendly, and even though it was very busy still made time to discuss food options. The vegan options were impressive. Hubby had pate to start, I had tomato bruschetta, both fresh and lovely. For mains hubby had rump...

First visit to the Crown & Thistle and well worth the trip. Table for 4, we arrived earlier than our booking but we were shown to our table and drinks soon followed. A great menu - lots of choice too. The food arrived and was...

So we visited on Wednesday 8 June, for a friends birthday, there was seven in our party. We had booked the table as others in the party said it was fantastic and I can’t knock the food or table service, all extremely good. But the...

We were welcomed as soon as we walked in and shown to a table. We ordered drinks and were given plenty of time to look at the menu. The food was of a very good quality and service first class. Highly recommended. We were seated...

This pub is a little out of the way but well worth a trip. While there were some folks drinking at the bar this feels like a resto housed in a pub. I had two courses off the specials menu. A well executed mackerel pate...

Never been for couple months always booked up lucky to get in tonight wife had garlic prawns I had macaral pate then fillet steak and surf and turf rump steak cooked to perfection can't recomend this place any more briliant service exelant. Thanks to crown...

We have visited the Crown & Thistle several times now, and have always enjoyed our meals. The food is excellent, the menu varied, the pub has a nice friendly atmosphere, there is plenty of room around the tables and the service is always friendly and...

Again another great lunch at the Crown & Thistle good food good staff and a great pub atmosphere superb. What we do like is that they serve lite bites so you have a choice, today foe example my OH had lite bite Fish & Chips...

We booked Mothers Day lunch for 5 without any issues and was really happy with the food and particular the service the staff are amazing ! I have some food intolerance and although it was a set meal they worked round this for me !...

We went as a a party of 5 and everyone of us really enjoyed the 3 course Sunday lunch all cooked perfectly fab and friendly service we will be back

Went to this restaurant yesterday for lunch. I ordered the French onion soup to start. It was the best I’ve ever tasted & I thoroughly enjoyed it. On their specials menu I opted for the homemade chicken,ham & leek pie, chips & peas. The pie...

Absolutely delicious meals, really well made food, would highly recommend. We booked and gave a meal choice plan as there was 12 in our family, and they were very accommodating. Lovely setting.

Stopped in here initially for a late lunch and was so impressed went back a few days later for dinner. Absolutely love the food here - especially my American wife, who is extremely picky with Brit food. In fact, she regrets we are headed off...

Food was lovely, although there was a lot of items missing from the menu as they had run out or there was only one portion left. From going into the pub, standing at the bar for 10 minutes, being seated etc everything was very slow,...

We got to know the owner ( Chef) & his wife & her father quite well & they always had a chat with us on our visits. On this visit we only saw the two waitresses who were very busy. We found it was the...

We visited the Crown & Thistle for a late lunch. Despite being busy we found the service attentive and friendly. Great menu and the selected meals were all excellent.

What a wonderful place to dine, even if you’re GF and veggie. I am GF and my wife is veggie but the Crown managed to make it a very special occasion. Unlike many restaurants, there’s a couple of GF/veggie dishes, here you are treated to...

We visited The Crown and Thistle on a busy Saturday evening, but despite being busy the food and service were all excellent! This is one of the best gluten free menus we have found in the local area and we will definitely be back again...

We have eaten twice here recently. We loved the place, very typical country pub with log fire. Food was delicious and hot. Extensive menu with specials board too. We had a lovely meal with drinks but this was greatly marred by the hospitality owner allowing...

Our family of 8 had the most amazing Sunday lunch. 3 wonderful courses for£20 a head, all very good indeed. Very busy, bustly, great atmosphere, great service and very accommodating with children. Couldn't fault it!!!! Well done, we will return!!!!

A really good experience for a Coeliac, two gluten free beers on the bar, I tried to try both but one went off just as they started to pour (Tirril’s). Extensive gluten free menu, I had the fish & chips which was delicious. The linguini...

The staff here were so warm and welcoming to our large party...nothing was too much trouble, food amazing and service exceptional. Well done and we'll be back....maybe not all at once though!!! Fantastic!!

We booked on a recommendation from a friend while we were staying nearby for a few days. What a delightful experience! The ambience, decor, service and food were absolutely first class, with the food being supplied locally. We had a warm welcome and very friendly,...

Wow. Lovely little pub with superb choice of food. I got the seafood pasta and it was the best I've tasted since being abroad. Mac cheese and fish and chips were enjoyed by the others. Good potions at a reasonable price. Staff extremely helpful and...

Nipped out to Rockliffe for a late lunch and blown away with food and service. Located close to where the River Eden meets the Solway Firth the Crown and Thistle has been tastefully refurbished to create a cosy welcoming pub atmosphere. The food options were...

Family Sunday lunch to celebrate my partners 50th Birthday. Food was delicious and plentiful, 7 year old grandson and GF 18 year old both well catered for (I did call in advance re GF options) . Lovely atmosphere, contemporary but cosy feel. We were not...

Only £15 for 2 courses - great value with the usual attentive service, despite the restaurant being very busy.

Food was varied and a lot of special items it was so good with a gluten free menu for my husband staff were amazing knowledgeable and helpful even offered my husband to taste the draft gluten free beer (as he was driving this time). Every...

Nice surroundings polite staff good service food not so good we had beef in a brioche roll and the famous club sandwich!!.. Hardly any beef in the roll. Fries were rubbery. Unfortunately we will not be rushing back. However some of the main meals that...

Popped in for lunch after seeing the reviews, pleased to say we weren't disappointed, it is everything a pub should be, good fresh food, pleasant and attentive staff without being intrusive, nice atmosphere. Certainly, another one in our book of we've got to go again.

Booked this for our anniversary, and we couldn’t have chosen any better, beautiful pub, lovely friendly staff, and the meal was superb, fine dining with good pricing, we will definitely return and I would say fairly soon, I have informed family to pay a visit...

A really first class family meal and great service. Fresh cooked and prepared food and all enjoyed from starters to desserts. A great specials board. Really friendly welcome and service. Highly recommended if you’re in the area. Fantastic start to our holiday. Well done and...

Lovely little pub, fantastic food and service in a cosy environment. Close to the motorway but tucked away in a quaint village. Catered brilliantly to my weird and wonderful dietary requirements and all the family had a great meal. Will definitely return any time we...

Stayed a couple of nights in Rockcliffe and they squeezed us in for an early evening meal. The food was absolutely delicious and the service was superb. Would definitely go again if I was in the area.

After a chance visit to The Crown & Thistle for drinks we returned for a family meal and weren't disappointed. Soufflé was as good as we've tasted (comparison to award winning Wellington Arms in Baughurst), mains were excellent (steak, macaroni & pork... not on same...

We ate here twice on our visit to the area and both times we were very happy with our meals. Everything was fresh and tasty with an interesting menu and a selection of daily specials. The icing on the cake is the staff who are...

We had a celebratory meal on July 24th for my birthday. There were 4 adults and 3 children, aged 12, 10 and 8, Everyone was satisfied with the menu choices, and the food was well presented, generous portions and very tasty, The staff were excellent,...

Because of lockdown not been able to get here .have to book in advance to get in says it all ,can't fault this place for food service friendly staff great cant wait to go back

First gathering with my brother and his wife in 17 months was made all the more special by the great food and friendly service here on a glorious summer afternoon

Had the most delicious meal. The pork taster is to die for. Absolutely delicious. Lovely surroundings and staff. Best in the area

My wife and I recently moved to the area and have passed The Crown & Thistle a number of times and thought, it would be nice to call some nice sunny day and sit outside. We dropped in midweek a couple of weeks ago and...

Meal was good. Just enough choice of varied dishes. Chicken was good but Risotto a bit bland. Fish and chips and burger looked really good.

Had the most delicious meal! The service was brilliant and the food amazing.We were showed too our table and in no way was the covid restrictions not adhered too. Our server was very friendly and professional and nothing was too much trouble. We would definitely...