near boot inn in Carlisle

Always have a home-from-home experience here. Delicious food and drink, well served, especially the cheesecake and scallop starter (in reverse order!). The staff are constantly warm, welcoming and attentive. Thank you!

Stopped here a couple of times for the carvery on way back home after weekends down south. The carvery is the best one I've ever had, the flavours on the veg is outstanding and there is always a great selection of perfectly cooked meats. Our dog even got a wee chipolata which kept her happy and quiet under the table! The staff are always super friendly and it's a cosy wee atmosphere. Thoroughly recommend.

Dont often do reviews but I loved this wee place so feel I owe them one! Stopped here after buying a dodgy Volvo as me and my friend hadn't eaten lunch. When we arrived the manager had a laugh talking about how she saw me pull in and about her volvo needing work. We sat for a drink and asked whether they'd recommend us waiting till food service started to which she replied, they eat the food themselves and there is nothing on the menu they don't like. I could tell she was being honest. I ordered the Steak Pie, my friend ordered the Chicken Burger and we were both amazed. The steak pie was delicious and so was the mash! I don't usually eat the vegetables that come with food, but they were cooked perfectly with beautiful presentation and dipping them in the lovely gravy made me feel like maybe I should eat veg more often! The staff were super friendly throughout our dinner and we decided to try squeeze in some dessert. I got Belgian Chocolate and Grand Marnier pudding which was absolute heaven and my mate got the Sticky Toffee pudding, which I tasted the sauce of, whilst he was at the bathroom. Made me wish I had ordered both! After emptying our plates yet again we were stuffed yet absolutely delighted. Could not recommend a place more. One of the best places I've been to. The staff were delightful and had friendly banter, the food was amazing and well priced and the atmosphere of the place was just lovely. Will be back again, hopefully when my volvo is less dodgy!

Best Sunday Lunch for miles. No stinting on the meat and everything is cooked beautifully. We travel down from Dumfries regularly on a Sunday just for the carvery. There is often quite a wait to be called up for service though. It might be better if they took bookings at regular intervals rather than just having fixed times at 12 & 2. That doesn't detract from the food though.

Very disappointed all round. Too many issues to go into too much detail. • Food allergy confusion in the whole team that wasn’t rectified or understood. Total disregard and terrible levels of education through the team, but appreciate this isn’t their issue. As an FYI to provide context: food allergy includes cross contamination of your food and for reference please see photo 1/33 on @TripAdvisor of your “Gluten Free” beef that is covered in Yorkshire puddings, containing wheat flour, that was shared by your team on the 3rd time of asking. Please be cautious when visiting with an allergy as this is what is “on show”, so what happens behind the scenes would now worry me more. • Appalling attitude of the owner who declared: “I am the licensee and I can be as rude as I want to be” “I don’t recognise you, so you don’t come in here regularly” This was as bad as I have ever seen customer service wise, which all came around from them wanting our table back at 13:50, after taking additional drinks & dessert orders at 13.35, whilst the children were still eating the desserts, and for an added bonus, we were never given a ‘require table back by…’ upon arrival. We live in the local village and we won’t be back. Food was okay, but to spend £160 on 90 minutes, I don’t appreciate the disgraceful tone and manner in which we were spoken to. . People skills need severely looked at. This was from a group of 8, with ties to the local area and 4 of the group were under 7. They are lucky i couldn’t award 0 stars on the review. I am really hoping this doesn’t affect their performance in ‘The Best Carvery in Cumbria’ play offs when the tournament starts again. Please don’t contact me as I am not interested in coming back or discussing this further. Disgraceful in all honesty.

Staff knowledge of food allergies was very poor. A member of my family was told the carvery is gluten free with the exception of Yorkshire puddings, but on his arrival at ‘the best carvery in Cumbria’, there was Yorkshire puddings (which aren’t gluten free according to staff) draped all over all the meats. This is simply not acceptable and a total disregard to all food standards I would expect of a restaurant supplying this service. I won’t return and would advise anyone with other allergies, to be very careful. If this is how they deal with allergies on show, I dread to think what is acceptable in the kitchen, if cross contamination isn’t considered when ‘on show’ for all to see.

Second leaving do, in this place. Great food and pleasant staff.

4 had carvery. A small dinner plate which you had to pile food on, even for just a little of most things. None of us enjoyed it very much. The other person just had a chicken burger which she said was tasteless. Service was abysmal, tried to order extra drinks three times, then just went to bar to order. Checked bill, drinks on that weren't ours and they knew as soon as I pointed it out. Will not be back.

We have visited the Near Boot many times and were looking for somewhere for a family meal for our daughters 18th birthday. There were 18 of us eating and honestly not one of us could fault the food or service. We were seated in an area that was almost private for us. We had pre ordered and the food arrived in just the right amount of time. Everyone agreed the food was beautiful. We were so well looked after and wouldn't hesitate to come back for a family event. I know they get a lot of praise for their Sunday lunches but the main menu food is absolutely spot on too.

14 family and friends for lunch for 50th wedding anniversary, we had cavery,a little slow in getting us to servery meat excellent 3 choices,veg a little overcooked,hard to cut roast pots,enjoyable meal tho

Fourth visit, generally good but tonight will be my last visit to the near boot. My friend and I gave feedback re the price for the pudding we received, 3 staff members arrived at our table, I would suggest a customer service refresher for all 3! Due to this reaction I did not dare mention the undercooked roast potatoes or lumpy mashed potato.... nor the green plastic attached to my slither of overpriced cheesecake. I have no issue paying for good food, this was not good food and was matched by the dreadful customer service. Would not recommend, poor value for money too.

Popped in for a fish finger chiabata Thurs lunch. Beautiful !! Staff great & I'm now a convert to the fish finger butty 🙂😋🙂

Just moved in to the area and was greeted with a nice warm smile 😃 service was good and friendly . We have had Sunday lunch here before which was really tasty, so were looking forward to trying more off the menu.

We pulled off the highway to fill up and spontaneously discovered this restaurant for a quick lunch. Absolutely delicious, good price-performance ratio and very friendly service. I can only recommend it!

Popped in for drinks only with friends. Busy, nice staff. Will come back to try the food.

Went here on a recommendation by a friend that we try the Sunday carvery. Never been before so first time. Staff were excellent, friendly and attentive. I have an allergy to egg and they assisted me with what I could and couldnt eat. Carvery was absolutely fab. Loved all aspects, especially the meat itself and the califlower cheese. Despite feeling very full we ended up trying the cheesecake which was also great. Chef came round after the carvery had finished to check everyone enjoyed their meals which I thought was a lovely touch. Have recommended to family and friends who live local as I do not. 5/5

Lovely family dinner here, fab Sunday roast buffet, very reasonable.

Fantastic Sunday lunch (carvery) Couldn't fault it, piping hot, plenty to choose from, loved the crushed potato's. Lovely staff, well organised Definitely be back xx

Great little find while caravanning in the area. Good menu, very tasty food & dog friendly too. Also has a large beer garden with plenty seating outside. Excellent, friendly staff & a lovely, comfortable, homely atmosphere. Wish we'd found it earlier, will definitely be back!

Cycled out arriving 7.40 pm on a pleasant friday evening in July and they tell us they ve stopped serving food!!!!. Told after serving drinks.😞Seems a hit and miss facility. Didnt appear busy. We have to be better at customer service in this city.

Excellent food and very welcoming

Carvery is fantastic, staff are so friendly as well. Dog friendly too which is great 🐶

We recently visited the near boot during our mini break away to the area as a party of 6 for family celebrations. We found the pub to be very welcoming and staff friendly and helpful nothing was too much trouble. Good selection of meals to choose from. We went for an evening meal on the Saturday as a party of 6, all choosing different meals from each section of the menu. No one had any complaints! Everything was lush! We then went back for Sunday lunch and again this did not disappoint either! We would highly recommend the near boot in, we found a lovely touch being the owners of the pub who came around to the tables to interact with their customers. We will most certainly be returning!

Outstanding Sunday Lunch probably the best we have ever had and what a lovely place and fantastic staff Book in advance this place is amazing

Food was ok, nothing special and wouldn't rush back based on this. Service was friendly, no complaints. Did have to get our own condiments however. Food didn't take too long to come. The atmosphere was non existent, might be because it was lunchtime but no one else was in. Pint of neck oil, which is my favourite tasted stale. Not sure if it was an old barrel? For 2 burgers, a coke and 1 pint, £45. So it wasn't exactly cheap.

Very busy/popular for Sunday lunch

Great traditional pub on the edge of the city, and just a mile or so on the M6 motorway in the north of the city with loads of easy parking in the back. Outstanding quality food and great real ales. Staff are very friendly. Plenty of seating inside and lots of great seating outside for families and groups.

Great place; good food; friendly people!

We have been here a number of times over the years, and we do plan on returning one day, but if the same thing happens again we will not be back. Friday 10th May, glorious sunny day so a walk to the Near Boot to enjoy their garden area, which is exceptional for enjoying the nice weather. There was a few people about already however quite a number of empty benches outside and minimal people inside. The intention was drinks and dinner. After a couple of drinks, we tried to order food with the bar attendant however this was overheard and refused by another waitress behind the bar stating they weren’t serving any more food and had to prioritise their other customers (It was 6:40pm) Annoying but we will take it on the chin and just have some drinks instead. Frustratingly though, whilst waiting to be served another drink, another person who was sitting outside placed an order for food without an issue, the food arrived at their bench some 15/20 minutes later. I asked again when getting our next round however was told no again and to book a table in future. They made no attempt to inform people that food had stopped being served, menus were left on the bar which people were picking up and taking out after ordering drinks, almost as though they wanted people to buy the drinks and then get the disappointment when trying to order. Despite the above, it was a lovely evening sitting in their garden area, which has been done up really nicely. You could see the other customers were having a great time too, some with dogs and some with children, all having a fab time. They had a great selection of drinks behind the bar and on tap, and the menu seemed appetising. We will one day venture back to (hopefully) get our Prime Burger and Lasagne! We drunk up and left and stopped in the co-op for a meal deal on the way home.

Been wanting to try this carvery for so long. So yesterday evening we did. We’ve eaten here before so know the food is excellent. But the carvery was just something else. Even managed a starter cause we knew how good they were. Absolutely delicious. And what a variety and portions. The Yorkshire was amazing and the gravy! Wow! Cannot wait to go back. Staff always so friendly and helpful and such a lovely warm friendly atmosphere. Thank you for a lovely evening.

Great Sunday dinners and awesome staff !

Best carvery we've had, very friendly and excellent service, can only imagine how good rest of menu is, a must try.

Beautiful, pub with probably the most exciting, different menu I have seen for a long time. Best food I have seen.

Finally found a lovely country pub, great food, drink and atmosphere with a friendly welcome and a nice country walk to get to it. Large car park and outdoor seating for the Summer X

Held my dad’s Wake here, Paula and the team were fantastic, they made us feel very welcome. The food was delicious, and plenty for 2nd’s. Would highly recommend them, nothing was a problem. ❤️

We were greeted like friends. Table for 8, carvery plus the boys had different food from the menu. 8 clean plates. Great food. Plus, dog friendly. Outstanding. If you fancy it, I would book, it's always busy.

Lovely place. Food was good Friendly owner and gorgeous puppy Cruise.....

Absolutely superb food - won’t find anywhere better for a Sunday dinner in Carlisle than the Carvery, beautiful meat and huge selection of veg as well - highly recommended 👍

Came for Mother’s Day. Fantastic organisation on such a busy day. Carvery was absolutely beautiful and the service was unreal. Paula could see we had our hands full with 2 small children. Completely took one child off our hands and helped him plate up them took him to our table so he could get started- you don’t get service like this anywhere else in Carlisle!! Thanks you so much!

This is our local and we enjoy popping in every now and then for a drink! Today we had the Sunday carvery and it was delicious! Lovely, tasty, freshly cooked food and faultless service. Well worth a visit. The new owners are doing a wonderful job!

Had an excellent Sunday Lunch. The chef was very helpful with information on gluten free food. The carvery was exceptional. The only reason I have not scored 5 is no sweets were gluten free….perhaps one to resolve … thanks

Brilliant food and service , highly recommended for service and price. I had been to a few establishments prior to entertain family but this was by far the best .

Great pub food, very friendly staff well worth a visit.

Been too the near boot many times before and tonight we went for my daughter’s 18th birthday meal with family and as usual it was absolutely awesome, there was 15 of us and couldn’t fault it at all. Many thanks too Paula and her team👍

We have been to the Boot for a Sunday carvery many times since Paula and Garry took over, but it just keeps getting better and better! The recent reintroduction of the real log fire is a wonderful addition, and I understand the other two will be recommissioned very soon - perfect, especially at this time of year. The food, it goes without saying, was amazing, and the welcome as warm as the fire. Highly recommended.

A lovely warm welcome as always 😊 We came for the set Xmas menu and it did not disappoint 😋 Food was delicious, freshly cooked and piping hot not like other carverys 😉 Service is always great your hard work pays off 🥰

Had the Xmas carvery it was delicious, great service, lovely decorated for Christmas which added to a great atmosphere 🥂🎄

Gorgeous as usual!! Chicken Suedoise is amazing 😍 Definitely the best pub north of the river!!!!!!

It was a special day...One of life's beautiful souls retired from ASDA after 10 years serving customers.... for them. Gillian chose The Near Boot to celebrate with her family (and me....as I have known her since she was an hour old!) The meal was served by a beautiful fun loving Scotsman.....the banter was lovely and his meal was fab! We had the buffet "beef, ham and turkey....all beautiful! The staff were out of this world and joined in! I was the old lady of the party and enjoyed every minute! Gillian's retirement got off to see flying start! Thank you one and all.....

Popped in on way home to Durham shortly before 2pm with my parents and their dog. Lovely staff greeted as soon as we came in and the landlady gave the dog treats while we waited for food. Excellent food, service and better still, dog friendly. We came here last year for Sunday lunch which was excellent which prompted our visit this time round as we were in the area. 100% recommend this pub for food, service and atmosphere. Can’t wait to eat here again next time we’re in the area.

What a great find on our random travels! After a long day travelling down from Scotland and looking for somewhere to eat, we found the Near Boot Inn on Google. The view from the main road belyes the warm welcome and very pleasant surroundings inside. Sundays and Wednesdays are carvery, and we opted for the large. Thank god we didn't opt for a starter, the portions are huge (not for the faint-hearted). Unlike other carverys where the meat is like leather and veg overcooked, the meat was fresh, moist and tender with perfectly cooked veg, I can't recommend it enough. To top it all off, they welcomed our dog with open arms. What a perfect way to end the day.

Great food at a very fair price with good service. My wife has celiac and she was given excellent choices from the menu.

Could not fault anything. Lovely warm welcome. Food amazing . Nice atmosphere

A lot better this time .Nice food and friendly staff and dog friendly

Been told and heard a lot about this place so thought me and the hubby would give it a try and what more can I say absolutely amazing from the first steps though the door to leaving, staff were happy and welcoming the pub it self looks amazing and clean, carvery out off this world, we even got a tour off the whole place and did not disappoint us, Paula and Gary you are doing amazing job and all the staff thanks again for making us feel comfortable and happy.Louise Ron

Absolutely amazing!! Been meaning to go for a long time. Definitely did not disappoint. From stepping foot in the door we were welcomed with a smile and the amazing friendly customer service continued until we walked out. We all had a carvery and each and every item of food to choose from was fantastic! Amazing atmosphere and great prices too. Lots of free parking at the rear of the building. Lots of outdoor seating areas for those days of good weather. Lots of choices of both foods and drinks. Something for everyone. IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THEN YOUR MISSING OUT!!! Thank you all for an amazing experience and the perfect Sunday roast 👍👍👍

The carvery was excellent service was good and made to feel welcome

Great Sunday carvery! Lovely staff!

Had Sunday carvery today! Booked late and the last sitting at 6pm - the food was fresh and plentiful! The staff were attentive and efficient! Loved the lighting too! Great ambience and buzzing!

Excellent food, excellent service and very reasonable prices. Enjoyed the Sunday carvers far too much.

Best carvery ever and also dog friendly. Here on holiday and gave this place a try, not only was the carvery excellent their speciality sticky toffee pudding was awesome 👍

Lovely Sunday carvery worth every penny. Lovely chef and staff very helpful and efficient. Three choices of meat , you can have one of each plus Yorkshire, chipolata, stuffing and veg. Huge selection of tasty veg and lovely gravy. Thank you so much. Place was busy, word has obviously spread about how good it is. Meat was cooked perfectly, only criticism was Yorkshire were too crispy today.

Gary, Paula & all their staff are so welcoming & friendly, the food is always beautiful, our favourite local place for Sunday lunch

First time trying the Sunday carvery today. Absolutely beautiful food & friendly staff. Would recommend to anyone wanting a good homely Sunday roast!

Saw us with no appointment awesome food awesome service

Lovely food in a relaxed atmosphere with friendly staff, they are also dog friendly 🐾❤

We visited for Sunday Carvery, and it was superb a selection of meats, a large range of vegetables, lovely selection of homemade sweets. Staff were excellent. Highly recommend.

First time visiting today and it won’t be the last very friendly helpful staff had the carvery it was delicious Gary and Paula do a great job can’t wait to go back and try the main menu

Our 1st time here and what can I say? Totally EXCELLENT. Food was outstanding and the service and staff are brilliant. Will definitely be back. Highly recommend 👌

I had family visiting and we went to the near boot for an evening meal . I had not been in The near boot for a lot of years but have to say it was well worth the visit. The staff were very friendly and welcoming and were never far away if needed. The food was well presented and good sized portions in comparison to some other establishments I’ve been in recently. I would definitely recommend going hear for good food and surroundings .

Party of 12 just been for a evening meal, and got to say we will definitely be back. The staff were welcoming and friendly, nothing was to much trouble, and the food was so tasty and delicious. A big thank you to Paula and the staff working tonight 23/9/23

It was for us. We had a smashing night out , good food and very friendly staff and nice people to talk to.

Amazing food. Be prepared to wait. Food takes a while but everything is fresh and cooked amazing. If you are in a hurry it is not a place for you.

We had Sunday lunch and the food was first class.

Thanks for a great dinner the food was very nice the staff were very good and helpful the next time were up from Sheffield we will be popping in again

Excellent food helpful staff but be prepared to wait for food at busy times, it's cooked fresh

Having been thoroughly put off by previous management we hadn’t visited for a long time. Heard that new owners were now in place so decided to visit and am so happy we did ! From entering the grounds it was apparent things were very different. Walking in you could literally feel a change in the atmosphere and surroundings. Nothing was too much trouble, staff were friendly and happy. The food was exceptional (and a lot of it too, I couldn’t finish mine!). The landlady couldn’t have been more open and friendly if she tried and it was genuine too, not an act. We will definitely be back and will be recommending the Near Boot to everyone. Thank you for a pleasant experience and for making the 26 mile round trip worth it!

The food here is lovely, and the Sunday carvery is amazing would recommend to anyone to try this place. But make sure you book.

Visited with partner in August. This is a local pub and we have loved popping in, however the experience was really disappointing this time. We waited nearly half an hour to order and when we eventually asked if we could order, we were told that we’d have to wait so the kitchen orders were staggered (understandable for the chefs but not a nice experience given that we had booked - surely the pub should be spacing out the bookings better?). I then tried to order lasagne (they had none). So I opted for Cumberland sausages (was told they also had none). The waitress was very polite and apologetic though. We were told there would be a wait for food but we didn’t think it was too long a wait in the end which was good. Partner had to go to the bar to get drinks as we couldn’t catch the eye of the staff. Food was mixed - partner liked his steak pie. My halloumi burger could have done with more flavouring. Ordered the bill and there were two desserts on there that we didn’t order so had to ask for yonder to to be removed. The saving grace was that the staff have a lovely manner (as they always do, I’ve found) and that’s appreciated - it’s such a shame about everything else as it doesn’t do them justice.

Food and service were excellent. Paula and Gary go above and beyond to make your visit special. Will be returning in a couple of weeks

Had a lovely time here on Sunday, the staff are fantastic and a credit to the pub. Food was lovely and dogs are really welcome. Thank You

Had a lovely time here on Sunday, the staff are fantastic and a credit to the pub. Food was lovely and dogs are really welcome. Thank You

We came here being told that this was one of the best Sunday Carvery restaurants. Our expectations were high. To be fair the staff were very pleasant and the food was OK. There was a Scots fellow at the Carvery, who made a point to...

Lovely carvery, served by a friendly chef. There was beef, ham and turkey, cooked to perfection. The roast and mashed potato were delicious and a great variety of vegetables. The cauliflower cheese was very tasty. The gravy topped it all off nicely. And where else...

By far the best carvery! Been twice now with husband and the kids, and can’t fault it. Staff are very accommodating and friendly. Very warm and welcoming pub! 5stars ⭐️ from us!

Excellent carvery and the BEST Gravy, friendly helpful staff. Plenty of choice, will definitely be back for carvery and to try the main menu:

Lovely place. Clearly very committed staff working on a very busy day. Good food. Lots of choice. Staff very polite.

Fab Sunday lunch. V popular but great food! Will be back. Nice to see you making such a good go of it. Came Wednesday and had fantastic Fish and chips.

Seated at a table for two, asked if we want drinks and then asked to leave and told the place is fully booked. Honestly no words. Get reserved signs or reserve admission with details at the door.

Lovely friendly pub with a great outside area.

Staff super friendly, pub is lovely, great value for money and food was excellent. Highly recommended and will definitely return 👍

We decided to come to the near boot on Sunday for a drink. The staff member on the bar was so unwelcoming it was borderline rude. We arrived at 8pm on 2/7/23 which is a reasonable time but we were rushed out after one drink...

Unfortunately I'm leaving a lacklustre review purely because of the seating/bar service situation. We pre-booked a table for 2. There was a 5-10 minute wait at the bar for drinks so clearly more staff needed. This wasn't a huge issue, but as we were sat at our table, we were pretty appalled at how close the 2 tables seating were. There is literally about a 2-3ft gap in between the 3 tables, in a horizontal line, making it impossible to sit with the other tables (we were in the middle of the 2 other tables) without feeling as if you're all at a 6 seater table and listening to other peoples conversations. It was very uncomfortable all round (the other tables agreed!) and frankly spoiled the occasion. My advice would to be that the tables be separated further, perhaps not cramming in 3 tables and just have 2 tables in the same space. Unfortunately, unless I was dining a group, I would not attend again as a couple.

Nice amicable pub with lovely staff. Must come again in the evening to sample the food..

Beautifull sunday lunch and ham.was perfect

What can I say? Absolutely fabulous! We visited a couple of weeks ago for drinks in the stunning beer garden and promised we would come back to try the food. After dreaming about it all week, it didn't disappoint. Firstly Gary, Paula and all the...

Came for a Sunday Carvery after being highly recommended & did not disappoint .. the food was so good and plenty of choice for meats and trimmings. The desserts that came with the kids meals were brilliant the effort put into the kids meals was...

We came for the first time for Father’s Day for the Sunday carvery and all I can say is WOW!! The staff and service was just amazing and the food was incredible.. we normally don’t do carvery’s as we find the meat to be quite...

Best fish and chips I got on my journey through England and Scotland. Very nice service and a great atmosphere

Very friendly welcome and the was followed by a wonderful meal. Very wide choice and the Grilled Halloumi Salad was amazing