Penny Blue in Carlisle

Booked a table for drinks after the pandemic reopening. Arrived to be told by the guy on front of house oh you’ve booked outside. Explained no I hadn’t I’ve booked the high top tables. I was made to feel as though I’d changed my mind as the weather wasn’t great (freezing). Had to get my reservation out to prove it. No apology just oh I’ll fit you in (it wasn’t particularly busy). Sat down - here’s the app order your drinks and pay on it. No offer of table service given. Everywhere else we visited that night either offered table service or table service & the app. Then when you order from the app it automatically adds a tip on each time which you manually have to remove! Very presumptuous considering there’s no actual service happening!

Fabulous food, lovely environment and fantastic staff makes for a wonderful dining experience.jan And James are fabulous hosts! Love this place and will be back again and again! Hello can proceed

Penny Blue is a fabulous restaurant, we couldn't have enjoyed the experience more. The food was fantastic only to be topped by the superb service we received from Yann and Kezzy who were so friendly, efficient and helpful. We will definitely be returning in the new year!

Both my mam and I had the fish and chips and it was lovely.The presentation of the food was really nice and the staff where very kind and helpful.

Ate here with family to celebrate my mother's 80th Birthday, while staying at The Halston above. Everything was superb and Yann and his team are to be commended for making it a thoroughly memorable occasion - from discussing my plans in advance through to delivery. Very well done!

Really enjoyed our visit to Penny Blue! The food was so good, especially the flat iron steak, it was cooked to perfection! The service was very good as well, one of the better places we have visited during the current situation! Felt really comfortable and safe, thanks Penny Blue!

Booked this last minute while staying locally to visit family. Everything was 5 star! Great welcome on arrival, nice menu, amazing food, both cooked and presented perfectly. Dealing with and adapting well to Covid 19 restrictions. Finally, great value for money. Will definitely return when in the area again. Thank you.

Everything about Penny Blue looks like it will be amazing.How wrong I was.Service was terrible. Orders were wrong. We had another tables drinks delivered to us.Steak was bland. Chips were cold and raw inside. Peppercorn sauce tasted like they’d forgot the peppercorns.Background music awful - makes you feel like you’re at a funeralStaff have low hygiene (bar staff picking their nose) and I could hear them talking about my daughter.Horrible place to be. Never again.

Came to catch up with friends and wasn't disappointed. Food was lovely, even if my steak was over cooked for me, it was still tender, juicy and seasoned perfectly, The katsu curry was a definite hit and its all reasonably priced too. The cocktails were very nice, and the serving staff was second to none, couldn't do enough for you. Only downside, was no track and trace information available to log into, given current guidelines on this matter, its a huge thing not to have available and I hope its implemented on my next visit.

Stopped by when unexpectedly in Carlisle and needing some lunch. Glad we did. The food is really good and the service was great. Don’t resist the desserts 😋

Excellent food and great service, the staff are lovely. Never been disappointed in all the times we have been.

Well, I am reluctant to give an ‘excellent’ rating to anything, but I must say this was one of the best suppers I had this year. Absolutely scrumptious. The social distancing and sanitising procedures worked out fine; staff were wearing screens before their faces. The decor was a tad on the ‘hipster’ side, but I can see the appeal of that. All in all, it was a most satisfying Saturday night.Cheers, and hope to be back some day.

Visited here with my wife on Tuesday 18th August as part of the Government Eat Out scheme, but really we should have visited it earlier. I have been in for a drink before but this was the first time for food. I have to say that I was sceptical of this venue as a number of places in Carlisle tend to get amazing reviews due to the latest fashion, but I can hand on heart say that this one deserves it. The venue is accommodating, the food excellent and the arrangements in place for the Covid situation did not distract from the night at all. I had the buttermilk chicken burger and it was one of the tastiest burgers I have had in Carlisle. I also had a taste of the chicken Katsu curry that my wife had and this was also excellent.I have to make a particular mention of the maitre d' who performed his role superbly. He stated that he had not been at the restaurant long, but I hope he stays as he is by far the best host I have experienced in the city - other venues could take note!Although it was our first visit I do not think it will be our last. Impressed.My only issue (and not enough of a one to reduce the stars I have awarded) is that the restaurant did not open until 6pm, when we were booked for, and we could not get in until that time on the dot. This resulted in us, and another party, standing outside in the rain. Perhaps they could open 15mins before the first seating to allow people to at least take a seat and perhaps have a drink. It's a minor point as we were early and we take some of the blame for it!

Service was fantastic, the food was great! All in a nice laid back atmosphere! Will definitely be back!

Enjoyed a wonderful lunch - excellent chicken Katsu - and felt totally safe. This restaurant followed ALL Covid safety rules operating a one way system, utensils brought in container, order by barcode or sanitised menu, Waiters all wore masks as did the chefs (phew they must be hot) . Recommend this restaurant highly and can’t wait to go back.

We had a great meal this evening, good menu and good service. Mark was particularly helpful, definitely recommend eating here.

Ordered the Sunday roast dinner for my family to takeaway. Very easy to order online and lovely girl called me to sort out pick up time. The portions were well sized including the children’s! Beef and chicken both delicious with really good gravy in a pot. The puddings were also excellent - we had a selection of all three with a free tub of ice cream! Great value and will definitely order again!

Penny Blue is the best place in Carlisle for a classy, reasonable priced delicious afternoon tea!You get a fantastic choice of sandwiches, sausage rolls, scones, macarons and cakes. Everything was delicious and you get a huge amount for such a reasonable price. The atmosphere is very nice, staff are friendly. Excellent afternoon tea

Went for lunch with a few friends. I had the tagliatelle with seafood and chorizo which was the best pasta dish I’ve had in a long time. Friendly service and stylish as ever! My favourite spot in Carlisle.

We where in for a friends wedding do on Saturday we had fish and chips that was great had a room separate room away from the main bar area which was a bonus and the lad serving us ( Liam ) was quick at serving us our drinks also great customer service from him :)

The service ambience and quality of food here was exceptional. Good choice of wines and cocktails too,

Went for the special Valentines meal. Have to say this was excellent value for £35. The food was of the highest standard! The whole evening was very well organised with great service and amazing food!

My husband booked a table here for our Valentines meal and OMG I couldn’t have asked for a better place to spend our night in! We came in a bit early but straight away been welcomed by a lovely girl with ginger hair. She sat us down and talked us through the menu, we were amazed by our options and found it hard to make our decision! A girl with bright red makeup (didn’t catch her name) was an absolute gem, she was always available if we needed anything! All the food we received was absolutely phenomenal! Hats off to the chefs! The glass of fizz was a very nice touch to end the night! Overall we were very happy with everything and we are definitely coming back and We’ll recommend this place to our friends and family! Thank you ever so much for a great night!

Amazing sunday roast, large portion size and very tasty! Also love the Haggis Bon Bons & Yorkshire Pudding.

A few couples meet up every 6wks , so decided on penny blue and it didn’t disappoint at all , the food was lovely plenty to choose from especially when a couple of us are fussy , the desserts are to die for and the service was brilliant too ,the staff were on the ball at all times , will definitely be back , Sunday lunch next time I think .

Took my wife for lunch today so pleased we decided to see if they had a free table , the food was delicious especially my steak , my wife loved the katsu chicken curry too then we had desserts and we loved them , from walking in and been greeted from friendly staff , the food and the service from staff through out our meal there is nothing that we could fault , definitely will be returning.

Had lunch with some friends which was lovely! I had the quinoa salad with prawns which was really tasty. Beautiful decor, immaculate toilets and lovely staff, would definitely recommend.

Went for food in Penny Blue on Sunday & I have to say the food was divine. I had the 3 meat roast with a Yorkshire pudding. Best Sunday dinner I’ve had in a long long time! Would recommend.

It's honestly difficult to pinpoint a certain aspect of the experience at Penny Blue that was anything less than perfect. Arrived slightly nervous as I was on my own, just looking to have a few drinks on the post-Christmas wind down. Was greeted with a smile and shown to the bar, the bar staff were great, getting drinks out to a high amount of customers quickly but to a very high standard. Was very impressed with mine, thanks to the guys!The three floor staff that night were exceptional, as I sat in my own world I noticed just how busy they were, but all three of them worked great as a team, making sure every table was seen to regularly. The girl with the darker hair and the Scottish gentleman were model employees, and a special mention to the girl with pink hair, she regularly came to see if I needed anything, and was one of the nicest staff you could hope to meet.I only got to see what I assume to be the manager a few times on the night, but she is an absolute credit to the name Penny Blue for orchestrating a team of fantastic people. I can imagine her job isn't always easy, but she seemed to have such a demeanour of assured confidence, and runs the whole establishment extremely well.I have already recommended Penny Blue to several of my workmates and will continue to do so whenever anyone is looking for an upmarket yet affordable dining or drinking experience, with the highest level of customer service you could ask for. Thank you to everyone for such a wonderful night.

Came here last month for a meeting with a few colleagues after having such a good meal back in December. We all had food and continued to order soft drinks throughout the day. We took our time and at no point did we feel rushed so I really recommend going in the day as there are less drinkers apposed to night time. I have to say all the staff were very attentive and we all enjoyed ourselves. We enjoyed ourselves so much we returned for dinner at night time. And yet again it didn't disappoint. We had a variety of food. I had a steak but noted that one of my vegan colleagues mentioning plenty of choice for her. The wine selection was nice but slightly pricey to continue on too many bottles. Night staff again were brilliant and really felt team work between them, all the way from the management to when we were politely told the bar was closing by a lovely waitress with a name I unfortunately cannot remember.Highly recommended but feel its about when you go that can make all the difference.

staff could do with waking up or summat.Came on saturday after work n tried ordering a bottle of beer. staff looked at me blank and confused as though im speaking a foreign languageliterally had to point in the fridgecant really rate a place when the staff dont know the product there sellingalso amazed that even when tables are free staff block your path and stop you from sitting ther

We had Sunday Dinner here this evening after receiving a gift voucher for Christmas. It was a great gift as we may not have tried this place otherwise. We arrived early as we were happy to have just a drink first without a table but we were seated immediately. Mineral water was provided straight away, which is a nice touch. The staff were accommodating when we explained we wanted to have a drink first whilst deciding. Prosecco by the glass was a reasonable price, as was the House Red. Our orders were taken before a large table arrived, which was good timing and hopefully planned by the waiting staff to ensure that we weren't waiting too long. I ordered the Vegetarian Sunday Roast, which was a nut roast and my partner had Roast Beef. I usually am not too keen on nut roast as I'm not overly fond of nuts but I'm so glad I ordered this dish - best nut roast I've ever had. It was cooked so perfectly that all the nuts were soft and I've never had that before. My partner said his roast beef was so lovely it was almost like steak. Portion sizes were just right. Our waitress, a blonde-haired girl with glasses was a gem. Nothing seemed too much trouble and she was always available if we needed anything. We will definitely be back with friends and family.

Popped in when through Carlisle shopping for the day for a spot of ‘quick’ lunch. Although it wasn’t overly busy meals took 45 minutes to arrive and there were only 2 of us. No apology or mention to the fact that this was a rather long wait. Food was ok but not substantial portions or quality for £15 for chicken and mash with a frozen Yorkshire pudding.

Great food and great cocktails Couldn’t fault it and service was brilliant Drinks are fairly pricey but great service

I was recommended by a friend to come to penny blue for a meal and a few drinks. I can honestly say it wasn’t a disappointment! Food was amazing, service was excellent! My wife had the mushrooms to start then the fillet steak, she commented how it was the best steak she’s ever had! I choose the haggis Bon Bon’s to start. Then the pork, honestly one of the best meals. Two girls served us that night, one had pink hair who took our order, very bubbly and polite. Another had dark hair didn’t catch the names, but she wore all black, both very professional and attentive to us, we never asked for drinks, they came to us as soon as they saw our glasses were nearly empty, then we moved to the bar where me and my wife had the most amazing cocktails!! Honestly amazing night we will be definitely coming back and recommending to all our friends. Thank you for such a lovely evening.

On Friday 3rd January my wife and I along with two other couples booked for late lunch, four starters were ok but my friend and I had air dried ham with melon. I was expecting something resembling Palma ham, what we got was like wafer thin bacon fried to within an inch of its life. Three of us had haddock and chips which was soggy and just edible (I had better in weatherspoons in Whitehaven for£7.95 with a drink thrown in).one person had pork medallions with black pudding, she couldn't find the black pudding the only thing to be found was a black gooy mess like treacle.finally even though there was hardly anybody inafter they brought our third round of drinks without taking any empties away we had to ask for some to be taken away. Second badmeal, never again!!

A quiet Thursday evening just after new year, no problem with getting a table for 2. I did email to inform it was out 11th year wedding anniversary, but with no acknowledgment. Not a problem as I wasn’t holding out for anything special in return. Just your website booking tool asked if any special notes and this was one for me. It was our first visit to Carlisle and having driven past earlier that day and after doing a bit of research, we decided that we would try Penny Blue for dinner that evening, exterior decor looked lovely, the online cocktail list looked amazing and the food had good reviews. All the above was true and even though we had a bit of a worrying start to our evening arrival, with us being stood at the entrance for a good few minutes without any acknowledgment from the seater, even though we were certainly not inconspicuous (to be fair he was seating a family of 3 prior to us, but a simple nod or be right with you would of sufficed). It did make me a little nervous, but the evening continued to improve. All very welcoming and would recommend being able to add meat to the veggie dishes as I would of had the curry if chix was on offer to add. Overall, the food was good (steak and pulled chicken burger) cocktails better (airmail) and service improved as the evening progressed. Thank you for a nice wedding anniversary evening.

We have visited Penny Blue before for drinks and we were always satisfied so we decided to come for a meal. It was amazing! The peppercorn sauce with the steak was delicious as was the tomato sauce!!! Definitely recommend and will definitely be back

Weren't able to book a table but turned up with our fingers crossed and were able to be seated in the Bartons Yard section which was lovely, quiet and chilled. Food was great, and service friendly, we had a lovely evening.

A nice warm and welcoming atmosphere backed up with good friendly service. Not the cheapest place to grab a drink but very pleasant.

Had a lovely Thai veggie curry at the Penny Blue. Fresh ingredients and spicy sauce. Plenty of space with funky decoration, friendly staff. A great place to eat at in Carlisle.

Went there on busy friday night. Great atmosphere food and service. Good to have something different in Carlisle. Will definitely recommend to friends in the area.

Great food and service considering the restaurant was veru busy, only down was dirty menus, remnants of sticky food on them.

Called in for a quick pint on the way home! First visit and can say I'll be back best pint I've had in a long time and the service from sienna on the bar was immaculate. Sat at the bar as the restaurant was quite busy and she made time to speak and ask how my day was. Definitely deserves recognition hard to find staff like that these days

Outstanding service from Front of house Nick. Provided the perfect service which is rare to find. Great food & wheelchair friendly!

Enjoyed dinner and wine on a quiet Wednesday evening at Penny Blue. Friendly and helpful staff combined with a varied menu and reasonably priced drinks made for a pleasant evening.

Me and my family came for food after the wedding fair we were met by Abby who showed us to a table even though we had not booked she was very nice and help full showing my sister the gluten free option and on leaving she tould us some nice bar that we should try out when I asked were els to go very helpful will definitely be back and would recommend to a friend

Bar staff too busy chatting to serve us so we had to leave. Little wonder the place was nearly empty!!

After this latest visit I can only hope that Penny Blue is not resting on its laurels. We were a family of 9 celebrating a Golden Wedding. The restaurant was booked several weeks ago and we requested a round table. There was nothing to suggest that this was a problem. Unfortunately, on arrival, no round table, just a long one, meaning that people at either end were “cut off” from each other. The restaurant was quiet and there was only one waiter (very pleasant young man – Alex was the name on our bill). Orders for drinks were taken without delay, but after ordering starters and mains, we waited, and waited, for what seemed like ever.Four of us ordered sirloin steaks which were very succulent and cooked to perfection. The chips were first class, but the onion rings were huge, greasy and dripping with fat. So much so that the bottoms of our plates were covered in grease. They appeared to have been taken out of a deep fat fryer and put directly on to the plates without being drained. I was the only one who ordered dessert, sticky toffee pudding with ice cream. Two ordered coffees. You may think that not much can go wrong with sticky toffee pudding. Wrong. The bottom of the pudding was so hard my spoon would hardly go through it without an undue amount of pressure. It had the appearance of being frozen and not thoroughly thawed before being served. A complaint to the waiter resulted in it being struck from the bill. As the coffees had still not arrived, we cancelled them. After previous visits I maintained that I would go back, but I regret to say that after this, I am not too keen.

On a short visit to Carlisle shopped for a meal before getting a train back to Settle. The service was pleasant and friendly. The food order, two steak meals, took a considerable time though the place was nearly empty, to the point we nearly left to save missing our train. The fillet steak was a bit on the thin side but cooked as I requested and very tasty. The sirloin had a lot of gristle. The sauce was very good, chips were acceptable but there were just a few small tomatoes on the plate. Bill came to £52, felt it was vastly over priced for the quality and quantity on the plate.

Couldn't fault the service but the food was beyond awful. Avoid this place if you don't want to leave feeling hungry.

Arranged afternoon tea here while in Carlisle for the day. Train to Carlisle was terminated half way so took three and a half hours to get there but the experience we had at this place was well worth it. The place itself is very nice inside and the food was terrific. This was one of the best afternoon teas we've had and the veggie option had a nice change where a lovely cous cous salad was served in place of the meat savouries. The staff were first class with a special mention to Fabricio who waited on us and the young girl whose name unfortunately I did not get. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone.

As a regular dinner in Penny Blue I have to say i was very disappointed by the level off drink service I received on my last visit from Adam his attitude was disgusting I'd suggest he needs to go on a customer care course or find another job as this job is not for him

I would say this was our seventh visit in two years.... We make the two hour round trip to come for Sunday lunch because we've always said "it's the best Sunday lunch we've ever had" so having raved about it to my parents we decided to book to come as a family including the 7 month old baby and have a birthday meal out for me. We arrived having booked in advance and were seated, first off the child seat had no straps so we had to ask for one that was safer. We ordered two teas and a coffee only one tiny pot of milk came so had to ask for more milk. We also had to ask for the door to the main road to be shut because the wind was blowing straight through to where we were sat. Obviously not the best impression for the family having said how great penny blue is. We ordered our starters.... they were lovely! we all had beef which is what we've had on every other previous visit because it was sooooo good but today??? The beef was burnt around the edges, sliced so thin and had a cm of fat on one side, the gravy was like water! We had skipped breakfast because we knew we were having a big meal so we were hungry but I couldn't believe how disappointing todays meal was. When clearing the plates we weren't asked if everything was ok which was the first sign that maybe something was off because they usually ask...I went to pay and asked if there was a different chef on. Apparently they're are different chefs every day I said I was disappointed today and the lady spoke to the manager who was "in a meeting" so she agreed to knock my meal off (£15) just as I was about to pay I assume the supervisor came over and said is that ok? I said it's fine but sadly I won't be coming again to which she replied "hmmm let me speak to the manager again" if they were that bothered about us having a bad meal "the manager themselves" would have come to speak to me.... so I said just leave it we won't to go so I paid the £90 remaining and we left. Sadly won't be going back as I was so embarrassed that todays meal was so sub standard. Gutted is an understatement.....so happy birthday to me??? Thank you penny blue :(

Booked for a family meal and expected some lovely food. with a vegan in the group he was intrigued to try the vegan version of 'fish and chips'. However when it arrived my husband realised after he'd eaten part of it that it WAS actually fish. It was tasteless and he had originally thought it was just a poor fish substitute...but it wasn't a substitute at all. This was awful.A quick apology from the manager did not reflect how horrible it was to find out you had eaten fish when you are vegan. They replaced it when everyone else was almost finished so not a nice family dining experience. My meal of nut roast was pretty tasteless and the Yorkshire pudding was like eating a piece of rubber. The lamb dish of our elderly cousin was apparently chewy and the vegetables were hard (harder than 'all dente'). The desserts were nice however. All in they need to get better as their response to giving the non vegan meal was very poor. The waitress from Liverpool however was delightful and a credit to them.

Beautiful food, beautiful place, beautiful menu, beautiful atmosphere, beautiful staff (with the exception of 1 or 2)

My sister, who lives in St Andrews, and I (from Wigan) meet here on a regular basis as our 'half way' meeting place. The food and service have always been good. Today was another such meet up to celebrate my birthday and they did not disappoint!. Food was excellent but the service was really above and beyond! The staff were attentive, very friendly, and nothing was too much trouble. Thankyou staff for making my day even more special and for the birthday surprise!

Loved the vibe of the place, right up our street. Was recommended to us by friends. Had a lovely night, food was amazing. Would definitely recommend to those not from the area

Myself and a few friends enjoyed a fantastic meal on Thursday after Penny Blue new menu launch the previous day. I eat in here quite often and look to try new things each time, previously the Wagyu Steak which is also beautiful, however this time I was more than intrigued to try their new take on the traditional fish and chips, where the fish is replaced with Banana Blossom, giving the same texture and a very similar taste, it was a pleasant surprise! Gav and the team in the kitchen that evening made it to order and we were fortunate to have a good view! The meal was very nice and cooked to perfection, complemented by their every so popular home made chips! As always the service from front of house and the kitchen very professional and friendly! I look forward to introducing more friends to Penny Blue!

We arrived a little early but were immediately shown a table by Sabine who came back shortly afterwards to take our drinks order . My tea was made by a young man called Mark and was perfect and delivered by Marc . Sabine took our order and because of my allergy problems she went to speak to the chef who had no problems in producing me a safe meal . I found the staff extremely friendly and helpful regarding my allergy and I was't made to feel a nuisance . My husband had the duck and I had the sea bass both of which were extremely good . The staff checked a couple of times to make sure everything was OK and even Mark stopped to ask ! I'm now waiting for the chance to go back again ! Many thanks to all the staff and I'm sorry but a 5* was the best I was allowed to give !

Part of the incredible Halston Hotel and of a high standard. Spotless open plan kitchen varied menu and amazingly friendly and helpful staff.

We visited on Saturday for a family birthday reunion. Every step from the moment we arrived was perfect. We had been served by Magda and Alec who were great and able to help with anything we asked. I knew we may have been quite picky eaters so spoke to the chef Anth prior to arrival and he was able to accommodate all our needs. Even going so far as to make a different steak sauce. As we had a young child with us they had even been able to make a small mocktail so he could join in.The whole evening could not be faulted from the array of cocktails to the time waited for the food to arrive. We will definitely come again and visit!

I love a good afternoon tea, especially one that gives variety and leaved you stuffed. Afternoon tea at Penny Blue offers great variety with cheese & pickle, smoked salmon, coronation chicken and ham & piccalilli sandwiches, alongside mini scones with clotted cream and jam, gingerbread, brownie, strawberry mousse, fudge and macaron. All was beautifully presented and drew wows from our friends who were visiting from Taiwan. The settings were comfortable and pleasant and it was an enjoyable visit. However, as I mentioned, I like to leave feeling well fed and as everything was served in such tiny portions, it didn't quite hit the spot in that respect. We were also offered tea or coffee on arrival and it would have been nice to have been offered more coffee during our stay as we sat for an hour and had finished our small cup quite quickly. Overall, I would visit again and recommend it for entertaining friends.

We have had a lovely meal and the service by Jane was exceptional.will go again . Decor very classy and a nice temperature on a hot day. .

Family Sunday lunch Roast Beef food excellent staff aways very helpful Sabine did a great job looking after all of us special occasion family from Australia she made our Sunday.

I have only been twice to Penny Blue when on a spending spree on my own in Carlisle . The welcoming is great and the waiters/ waitresses are very attentive so good service all round . I have only sampled 1 dish and had it again on my second visit and that was A variety of Mushrooms on soda bread with a buttery sauce . It was gorgeous both times and plenty for a light lunch .It reminded me of a Vegetarian Croque Monsieur Would definitely return

As a family we visited Penny Blue for a Father’s Day family meal. Upon been shown to our table, we were informed that the restaurant would need the table back within two hours ! This was not mentioned when we booked approx six weeks ago and I personally would not of booked had I been informed of this. Surely when you make a booking the table is yours for as long as you would like to use it and enjoy the services of the restaurant, not feel hurried. The food that came out was as expected extremely nice, however my meal was barley Luke warm and the Gravy was actually cold, I didn’t complain because I was to hungry at the time to wait on another meal been prepared, however we were not asked if everything was ok with our meals, had we been, I would of pointed this out to the waitress. Would I go again, yes, but I would say that pre-warning people about wanting the table back should be looked into and serving hot food is surely a fundamental basic.

We arrived at 11am wondering if they were still serving breakfast/brunch. We were met with a smile from Katie who assured us we still had time. We had eggs Benedict...oh my goodness it was amazing I didn't want it to end. Thankyou to Darren the Chef. Amazing food, amazing service. Thankyou Katie and Darren.Will definitely be back.

Lovely afternoon spent at the Halston. Afternoon Tea was gorgeous, plenty to eat. Great food and great service

slight hesitation when I ordered a bloody mary, but it was very good when it arrived and served with a smile by a young lady who explained it was the first one she had made hence the delay (a bit of honesty goes a long way and was appreciated as it explained the slightly slow drinks service and resolved my worries), extremely good food, in a surprisingly quiet restaurant, this restaurant offers good service good food and good value, i would deffinatley return, I am amazed it was not much busier.

Visited for our 27th Wedding anniversary and wasn't disappointed. The staff were so polite and helpful and couldn't do enough for you. The food was off the scale, freshly prepared and excellent quality. The atmosphere was also excellent and although we dined early by the time we were leaving the place was very busy which tells me this is a popular place to eat. I would highly recommend this place!!

My husband, son and myself visited Penny Blue, on Friday 24 May. It was my sons birthday and we wanted to have a treat for breakfast. I’d been looking forward to going for a couple of months. Sadly it was very underwhelming. I had Eggs Benedict. The poached eggs didn’t ooze they were more like hard boiled eggs, not enough hollandaise sauce & burnt sourdough bread and to top it off my tea was stewed! Anyhow I did get another cup of tea, and that was perfect.My husband and son had the English breakfast, lovely to see different types of tomatoes; so that was good and everything was great with theirs, except the homemade baked beans. They had been left under a heat lamp for too long, and had the strangest lingering taste ever - they both said they’d have preferred Heinz! I did inform the Duty Manager, and she was very apologetic and did knock my breakfast off the bill and 10% off both my husbands and sons. In all honestly the customer service can’t be faulted, but the breakfast quality was not good enough.It will be a long time until I return, if at all for breakfast. I will go for a bar meal as it’s always been superb.

Came here due to a recommendation. Really impressed with the décor , layout and initial greeting by Sally. I chose the feta, sweetcorn and date starter followed by the seabass main. Both dishes presented beautifully and tasted as good as they looked. It was a nice touch to be kept topped up with water without having to ask. The service by Sally my main waitress and another gentleman was excellent and appeared very natural and well timed. Looking forward to returning next week for the Tapas night. Keep up the good work .

Came here for a cocktail recommended from a member of staff from SANNAS, very modern and stylish place, good selection of gin!

Visited in March for my birthday and the afternoon tea was amazing.Have visited many places in Cumbria and this takes beating.Excellent service,food was delicious and lovely and fresh,highly recommend.We retuned at Easter with family for a belated Mother's Day treat to be sat in the Bartons yard area as they were fully booked in Penny blue area.The food had changed to an Easter theme but again it was scrumptious,with a free cocktail thrown in so yes,great value for money too. Will definitely return.

We went to Penny Blue for afternoon tea for my friends hen party. I have had quite a few afternoon teas at different Lake District hotels and Penny Blue’s has to be the best I’ve had. It was all fresh, gorgeous cakes and a lovely glass of fizz and it was also great value for money. I’ll be back!!

This had been recommended to us, so we decided to try it on a day trip to Carlisle; and we definitely weren’t disappointed.The plate of bread and hummus with herb butter was large enough to make us revise our choices of main courses to the Roast Buckwheat Salad (with Goat’s cheese) and the Chicken, Ham Hock and Black Garlic Salad - but even these were pretty substantial (and delicious).Lovely surroundings and friendly staff - will definitely be visiting again.

My friends and I visited this fine establishment for lunch and it was gorgeous. I had the MushroomStroganoff with steak, the steak was beautiful and cooked to perfection. I am from the North East but have friends in Carlisle and needless to say I will definitely be back and can’t recommend this place highly enough. 5*****

We arrived at 7 pm, ordered food and drinks together at 7:15 and at 7:50 we were told that they had forgotten to order our food in the kitchen. Food finally came at 8:30, and we decided to follow it with a course of dessert. We ordered straight away and went to check on our desserts at 9:15 - the excuse this time was that it was the waitress’s first day and she had again forgot to put the order in the kitchen, and did we still actually want the pudding as if so it would take a while. We declined and asked for the bill, and when we stated the evening had been very disappointing for the price, we were offered a shot each for free, how kind... I will not be returning to Penny Blue again, especially for such bad service, and mediocre food at such a high price. Disappointing!

I can not recommend Penny Blue enough, every member of staff we spoke to was extremely friendly and attentive-we never had long to wait before someone came over and offered us fresh drinks-without being imposing. The drinks themselves were amazing! We ended up going through quite a bit of the cocktail menu and they were delicious. I’m looking forward to returning!

We have just had a wonderful Sunday roast, the food was excellent and the service was great, I would like to thank Amanda Gardner for making our experience very special!!

Food was very good, although quite slow given that we'd pre ordered. Atmosphere was very nice. Staff were helpful

Penny Blue was a refreshing change from the last time I was in Carlisle and turned out to be a large eating and drinking establishment with a formal and informal dining area, the latter with a sit up bar to eat at too as well as comfortable seating at tables. The partially open kitchen showed of the pristine state of the catering.We ate Mushrooms with sourdough and Gambas with chorizo, both dishes with garlic. Then Pork tenderloin and a simple 8oz Sirloin with a good pepper sauce where so many are weak imitations of what they should be. Very good chips properly cooked. Passed on puddings but hot chocolate sufficed. We had wine by the glass, Ridge Trail Merlot which was adequate. Water for the table. So generally quite good and would certainly come again.

Had a really lovely time here, staff were extremely friendly and helpful. We ordered from the lunch menu, food arrived very quickly and the place was packed. Food was also mint. Best battered haddock and chips I have had, desert was the best sticky toffee pudding I have eaten. Very good value for money. Need to try the evening menu but I am highly impressed with Penny blue

Enjoyable family get together for lunch on Saturday afternoon. Stunning interior and lovely high ceilings, smart friendly staff and scrumptious food all at a reasonable price and in a handy central location. Would definitely go back, thank you for a lovely visit!

Staff here were lovely, we visited on 2/4/19 drinks service was slow and the crowd in the bar were rowdy (think there had been a funeral) so maybe this isn’t normal for them.Our waitress was attentive and explained menus to us, food was well presented and tasty but we felt the mash on the pork dish could have benefited from a little more seasoning and more butter and cream.The lamb was delicious but I would serve with a little less pearl barley as it is very filling.We had Bon bons and steak to start these are on the tapas menu but much more like a small plate and very tasty! As I was so full I opted for a dessert cocktail (cookies & cream) which tasted beautiful however as a dessert cocktail I’d of garnished this to look more like a dessert perhaps a cookie on the side, whipped cream and chocolate sauce, it did look plain served in a flute not even a straw.Overall we had a nice time and would visit again if in the area.

Visited for cocktails, was expecting at least a nice glass like they do in eaten by monsters. Came in a normal flute glass was expensive and just looked like glass of red wine. Disapointed. Also a rough crowd in which spoilt the place. Was quite rowdy. More like you would expect in Botchergate.

The restaurant is beautifully decorated and has a calm welcoming ambience. The service is attentive polite with a touch of humour. The food is excellent with a good wine and drinks selection.

Welcomed back the Wednesday steak night. Tried to book online but said it was full. Rang to check out if there was a table told to come straight away as it was busy.Fantastic rump steak, cooked to perfection, sauce, chips and vegetables were perfect. Staff very friendly and attentive. Will definitely be back for the steak night

The ship was righted by our server Sally. After being told we couldn't take what looked like an unreserved table Sally rescued our evening by being efficient and pleasant. Food was very good but would never win a 'value for money' accolade.

Eaten here 3 times now and both food and service has been excellent every time! They had changed the menu recently so a bit disappointed that the sharing platter we had had previously has now been taken off. However we decided to have the vegetarian eggs Benedict and it was delicious!!Would recommend this place to anyone.

new favorite eating place in Carlisle! Never been here before but liked the choice of tapas, meals and steaks on the menu. I chose 3 tapas dishes which were all good value & good portions. My other had a special steak which was also excellent. The liquor coffees were made to perfection. (Getting harder to find a good one these days). Service good. Will definitely return.

Myself and my partner went to Penny blue last week, and we were so very pleasantly surprised. We had vouchers to go (that we couldn’t find, so gives us a reason to go back) The staff welcome wasn’t as good as it could have been, but they were overly attentive, besides when a bigger table came in, they were slightly less interested, but still on ball. The food was amazing, presentation and all, the only think I would say is a for the hummus and bread starter, the bread was a little hard. Other than that, will definitely be back

Myself and my partner were staying nearby and decided to come out for a meal and were struggling to find somewhere to eat. We happened across this restaurant and were taken through to a lovely seating area. The food was delicious and was brought out rather quickly - best haddock I've had! Our waitress Anni was very courteous and checked on us to ensure we were enjoying ourselves. Overall a very enjoyable date night!

We eat out a lot in Carlisle and I can say at this moment in time(Feb 19)this is the best restaurant in terms of the quality of food,every meal comes out to the highest standards and big compliments to the kitchen staff and it's time for a pay rise!!!nice location and well decorated its a must visit ,thanks dave

I visited Penny Blue for the Valentines Day special menu. I must say it was one of the best meals I had, food was excellent and well presented - credit to the chefs! Our servers, Alex and Magda, were incredibly professional and attended to our every need throughout the evening! Everything was brilliant. We will visit again.

Top bar. Great staff. Nice drinks. Good atmosphere. Some throwback tunes. Great place for a few drinks. Not tried the food but looked amazing.

I came with my partner for a Valentines. I must say it was one of the best meals I had. The menu was well presented, and tasted great, and staff was so polite and attentive. Everything was brilliant. We will visit again.

There were 11 of us celebrating yet another family birthday, this time an 18th. My first impression was what an exceptionally fine job had been made of converting the former General Post Office into this restaurant. The fittings and décor were first class. With 11 of us there was a variety of dishes ordered. For my main I had my usual sirloin steak which was perfectly cooked medium rare as requested. Everyone enjoyed their meal. The food was excellent, and the ambience and service first-class. Well worth a return visit.

Had a late morning breakfast with a friend today. Food was excellent. We spent ages chatting and didn’t feel rushed at all. Great service and classy surroundings. Loved it.