The Bitter End Pub in Allerdale

Really disappointed with our experience. I booked table in advance for myself and my husband for Sunday lunch on his birthday, when we arrived we were given a tiny table beside the door, it was draughty and intrusive with people coming and going , we asked if it was possible to move to a more suitable one, the waitress said she would ask but it was refused even though there were other unoccupied tables around us. We waited a good thirty minutes for our meals after ordering, it takes a lot for me to complain about a meal, and I would like to stress that the staff we saw were lovely, and not their fault, but the meal I was given was appalling. I ordered chicken burger, with chips and trimmings. The chicken breast was not only cold, but overcooked and dry. It was like eating shoe leather, we sent it back. The member of staff was lovely and apologised, though it was not her fault. The manager, however ignored us, and although he was present, he did not engage with us. I thought he was very rude. Iwe will not return to the bitter end for any future meals and will pass on our experience.

Really appreciated the wonderfully accommodating landlord who certainly puts his customers first. This is a very pleasant pub to eat a great Sunday lunch.

Excellent food, excellent beer and excellent service. What more could you ask for? This was a great find and I am happy to recommend it.

Nice friendly pub with amazing food. Staff very nice and friendly. Dog friendly and gave dog biscuits out. The staff made sure everything was ok.

Great pub in a lovely part of the UK. Serves a great choice of food, all the typical suspects on a pub menu. Great for vegans also. Nice array of proper ales and on our visit a very tasty stout. Dog friendly, so highly recommended.

We booked a table which wasn't ready for us. When we were seated we were given a menu. 10 to 15 minutes later I was trying to get someones attention to order. The staff were too busy talking to each other and even dancing! We ordered our meals which a member of staff came back 3 times to check parts of the order. I had steak pie which the meat was tasty but I was put off because the pastry was raw and inedable. My husband had fish & chips with 'crispy batter' which was anything but crispy. We both did not enjoy our meals. There was no service check so I reported the raw pastry when the plates were collected. All she said was 'I will tell the kitchen' ! Needless to say we won't be back

We booked here as when we've been before we have always enjoyed it but tonight was an exception,the food we ordered was poor,Softshell Cajun Crab was overdone and had little to no meat inside,it was quite black in parts and it didn't look appetising,the rice was ok but I had a few mouthfuls and left the rest,partner had chinese ribs which were ok but also went almost unfinished,we didn't request a refund although a replacement was offered by the waitress.

What a little gem. Stumbled upon last night, 10 mins before kitchen closing. But staff were accommodating and helped us secure some supper. We snuck back today (Sunday) for a glass of wine and pudding. I thought they’d be sooo busy for Sunday roast I didnt plan to dine here. Gutted !!! I have booked for tomorrow though. Can’t wait !!! Good good. Great service. Slightly over priced, but worth it !!! Dog friendly too. Has my vote !!!

Lovely pub with decent food and friendly staff. Downside was as I am partially sighted I had great difficulty seeing to eat my meal but most places are dark inside now.It must be the trend.

We dined twice there, first visit was by accident on a Monday night, it was fully booked but we sat outside and ate. Food was really good tasty and hot, the only the Wednesday evening we ate inside again full booke but because we were early they managed to squeeze us in, again the food was really good and all the staff are super friendly and made you feel really welcome

Staff were lovely, knowledgeable and helpful in terms of asking about local area. Drinks selection good, we didn’t eat here but the menu was varied and the food we saw come out looked and smelt good. Our visit was cut short by a large family that arrived for a booked table and were unfortunately so rude to staff and generally made the atmosphere in the section we were sat in too uncomfortable for us, so we moved on.

We had previously visited the Wheatsheaf, their sister pub at Lorton. Excellent service and food but far too much for older customers. Realising the Bitter End was closer, we booked and the supervisor John was very accommodating from the start. He arranged meals to share, pensioners portions, ( usually restricted to late afternoons) and the result was a delicious meal. John and his staff went that extra mile and due to his understanding of older people's appetite we will hopefully return. Thankyou 2

Been here a few times and had no complaints but this visit was not the same as their usual standard of food and service. The chips were stumps and some had black bits on, had to pick between them to find the best ones which wasnt many of them! The steak was cooked to my Preference but the onion rings were overcooked. the service wasnt great, noone came over to see if everything was alright with our food and the waitress that was taking our order nearly left before we had finished ordering. It was a disappointing visit at a place that was once one of our favourites.

We have just visited the Bitter End as we always do when we come to the lakes. It did not disappoint. The service was excellent, the food was extremely tasty and the drinks were great. All in all wonderful and we will be back next visit!

We were staying locally and read the good reviews, the website claims food served to 20:30. Arrived at 19:05. 6 people sat outside drinking an a couple inside only drinking, empty otherwise. Went to the bar to order drinks, the barman asked if we were eating and if we had booked a table. When we said we hadn’t, he informed us that they were fully booked tonight. Perhaps they were going to have a rush later but felt more like they were going to close. Go somewhere else more friendly

Came here on quite a busy Sunday looking for a drink and some food-initially we were told that we wouldn’t be able to get food until around 7pm (we arrived at 5pm) if we didn’t have a booking, but they were lovely enough to move some things around for us and we were able to order food- we were very grateful for this!! There are some good vegan options, I went for the lasagne and it definitely came out vegan- as I know there were some reviews that’s stated it had come out as not vegan. It was really tasty and good value for money with some chips added too. The only thing I’d say is I wish there were some vegan options on the Sunday roast menu as it doesn’t match how vegan friendly the main menu is :( I haven’t had a roast dinner out in years!

Excellent visit. Friendly staff, lovely food and wide choice of beers. Glad we booked as very busy later on with a good quiz night. Definitely recommend

Went here for a sandwich and drink at lunchtime the food was lovely and the staff were very friendly and attentive. Will definitely go back.

Excellent hearty pub food. Staff were super helpful and went above and beyond to help us get back to our hotel at the end of a fantastic evening. The ambience of the pub was friendly and cosy. We were allowed to sit and chat with drinks after our meal (there was no time limit on the table). Would definitely come again

Quite disappointed after seeing the reviews. Over an hour for food to arrive. Mediocre food. Yorkshire puddings burnt, batter on the fish was heavy and greasy. Wouldn’t return

Lovely pub with a great menu. We had the gammon, steak and ale pie, Boston beef and ceaser salad and all were delicious. Drinks and desserts were also good. Good service from the staff. Would recommend booking in advance as we were unable to get a table the first time we tried. Would definitely visit again if we were in the area.

Use to come to this pub years ago, so good to come back. Recommend booking for food in the evening, but beer and food did not disappoint, excellent steak and ale pie 😋. Pleasant atmosphere too.

We arrived about 6.45 on Monday night for food but the place was booked out until 8. We liked the look of the menu so decided to return at 8. Good decision. The staff at the bar were friendly and helpful. The food we had was hot and delicious and there was a good choice, including several home cooked dishes. Atmosphere was good and the wine I had was lovely. It's a really nice pub and we would definitely return when in the area.

The Bitter End is a very smart and cosy place. Normally I would use the word “pub” but I’m not sure it is appropriate here, certainly when we went in. Although there were several empty tables when we arrived, we were told that they were all reserved for diners, and indeed - every table in the place was clearly reserved for eating. Often in such places I might suggest that if a table is booked for an hour’s time, then a couple of simple drinkers could use it until then - but I thought this basic concept might just cause confusion. Fortunately there are several high stools against the wall, so we could at least sit down to enjoy our drinks, although a further indication that this didn’t really feel like a pub is the fact that my lager was served by someone who simply didn’t know how to do it. Again I pondered briefly of explaining why it is completely wrong to fill a lager glass to the brim, without a head - but again I couldn’t really be bothered. It may well be that after a particular time this foodie place reverts to being a pub, and simple drinkers are allowed use of the furniture. I certainly hope so because it has all the style of a smart, traditional boozer. And while I am clearly not a fan of foodie pubs, I fully understand that in a difficult market pubs need to make their profits in whichever way they can. I just don’t like it when they become more restaurant than pub. And if you are still not sure what I’m talking about, just look at all the previous reviews, which are all about food.

Simply the best pub food in Cockermouth. Staff are wonderful and the food delicious. You will have a great night here. Thank you once again. Will be back. Loving the new menu.

Fish & chips …probably the best in the world. Fresh, substantial portions with all the trimmings. Lovely attentive staff. Brilliant ….thank you

Absolutely terrible service that evening they had given our table to someone else before the 4 of us got there and hadn't issued us a new one. no apology no acknowledgement that they help. This table was booked two weeks in advance. I went outside phoned another restaurant and got in right away so we went there I won't be going back to the castle bar ever nor will the other 3 friends I was with.

We came to Bitter End for an evening meal. There is plenty to choose from on the menu including all your pub favourites. The prices are reasonable. Unfortunately the table we were given was next to the toilets and there was a bit of a bad smell coming from them. The food was ok but it took absolutely ages to arrive.

Visited with my wife on a Monday evening. The place was busy but had a lovely atmosphere. The staff were super helpful, and the lady who was working that night had a great sense of humour. We hadn't booked, but that wasn't an issue as there was a table becoming available. There is a great selection of drinks. We ordered our first drink at the bar and the rest we ordered at the table. The food was bang on. Great portions, good produce, and plenty of choice. We both had starters and mains, and we shared ice cream to finish. Once we finished our food, we chilled out to finish our drinks. We never felt rushed or in the way. I have attached a photo of our receipt to show how fair the prices are. I don't understand some of the reviews saying the place is overly priced!!!! I thought it was a good price for both drinks and food. Also, to say the staff are 'passively aggressive ' is nonsense. The lady who served us at the bar was a good laugh, and the waitress was lovely, and they all went above and beyond. Some people can't take a joke or are far too serious. We are looking forward to returning. Thank you, everyone, for your hard work. See you again soon 👍

Not one to write a review but we were over charged for our food. Drinks were the most expensive of our evening & bar lady was passive aggressive. As polite, friendly customers we didn’t enjoy our experience here sadly. Check your bill. Manners cost nothing.

What a place, staff great, food great and made us feel extremely welcome with our German Shepherd. Was that nice, went back day after for lunch !

Total disappointment. We have used this pub of several occasions and been more than satisfied, however, having booked for this, well before Christmas, we entered to be shown the book with our booking, showing that our table allocation number had been scrubbed off (staff issue). The woman in charge was looking at the book and supposedly dealing with us, then just decided she needed to deal with a drinks order first, leaving us hanging around people eating, with nowhere to go. The staff were muttering and talking amongst themselves and finally a huge area was cleared of people. I asked if we would be sitting there but she said "no they're booked" not even acknowledging that we were too, eventually she told us that they were going to put us in the front area which was very busy with drinkers, but someone who was leaving told us of their disappointment in the food too. I do understand the time of year is busy, but they never acknowledged fault or apologised at all. Having waited 1/2 hour passed our booked time to eat we gave up and went elsewhere, won't be back in a hurry

This has probably the best selection of Vegetarian/Vegan food in Cockermouth. It's hard finding a somewhere to eat that has taken the time to really consider non meat eaters. Usually you get one or two options but I had four starter options and six main course options. There's even a Vegan desert option too. If you have Vegetarian/Vegan friends, make their day by taking them here. They will thank you! I had the Christmas Vegetarian roast this time. It comes with a delicious nut roast and all the Christmas veggies, including Veggie pigs in blankets and even Veggie black pudding, which is a first for me! - it was delicious. I changed my nut roast for five veggie sausages this time, thanks to a suggestion from the staff. The staff are really friendly and happy to take time to make sure you have a great meal. I really can't recommend food in this pub enough. Make someone's day and buy them a meal at the Bitter End. Enjoy!

Pub was recommended to us and was worthy of the praise. The staff were very friendly and efficient. We had the steak pie and the Boston beef and they were both superb, but the pie was outstanding. Would thoroughly recommend if you're in the area but best to book to ensure a table.

Really dog friendly pub, the staff were lovely and made a fuss of our pooch. The bar snacks were also delicious & my partner really enjoyed trying 3 of the 'sample' ales!

Lovely Sunday lunch. Brie starter was amazing (best we've ever had). Roast beef dinners were great too with lovely meat. They forgot to charge our drinks to tab but advised them as a genuine error and lovely team. Highly recommended booking dinner as were very lucky to get last minute table. Great beers on tap too and very reasonable prices.

Currently staying in Cockermouth for the week. Lovely pub, staff are very welcoming and friendly. Food is homemade and it’s delicious. My husband had pie and chips while I had vegetable lasagna. Would definitely recommend if your staying in Cockermouth.

Excellent once again. A lovely evening meal (steak pie and chips😋) and a couple of real ales. A great pub and would definitely recommend if you're in town. Worth booking though as always busy.

Just come back from great evening meal here. After unsuccessfully trying to get a table on our first night we booked in this time! 5⭐️ service and a great team. Very well priced for the quality and quantity of the food! Do book ahead as we saw many people get turned away as they were fully booked - and Tuesday night is quiz night! Would highly recommend

Lovely pub, food really good Staff very helpful and engaging We ate on a Sunday evening my partner had gammon and egg and I had a fish dish from the special board which was delicious

Walked in at 9:45pm Friday night, staff talking about clearing up and finishing. I contemplated walking out there and then, should've done. Ordered an overpriced pint and sat down with my brother. 15 minutes later a member of staff came over asking if we wanted another pint before they closed. Checked my watch and it was 10:15pm. I walked out immediately in disgust. No atmosphere, dead pub with staff obviously allowed to close early. Won't return.

A must visit for any real ale lovers and those that love real home cooked food - I cannot state enough how good the food was and served with a smile - and at a reasonable price too - great to see a busy pub...

15 seconds round the corner, phone call to order "main meal food as on website, were willing to collect." Too busy, very poor

On a family holiday we booked after reading the reviews. On entering the pub which was a little dated decor wise we were a bit dubious we had made the right decision, we sat at our table, service of drinks was prompt. We ordered our...

Order steak medium. Come so rare there was blood all over the plate .ordered onion rings that came dripping in oil .chicken wings were dried up .Will not be returning vile

Very friendly welcome and good choice of ales to sample before our meal. The Homemade Steak and Mushroom Pie I had was sublime along with the well cooked chips, veg and gravy. The dessert of Sticky Toffee Pud was huge and equally delicious, it’s a...

Six of us went for an early dinner. It is a very busy pub and obviously a great favourite of dog owners. The fish that three of us had was not bad, although the batter was quite hard. My gammon steak was pretty good. Al...

5 out of 5 Definitely a hidden gem here in Cockermouth a must if you just want to come for a drink or something to eat The food is excellent matched by the service Excellent lovely staff

Always had good service from here but tonight was a disaster! Table booked gor 7.30. Ordered food and stiil sat waiting at 8.45. Asked for the manager who too 5 mins to come to the bar and ask "is everything ok?". When told we were...

Great Atmosphere and good service but food not value for money, gammon over cooked and though. Just very poor for the cost of the meals

Found a relatively good selection of foods and not least beers. The quality of the food was average to above average, but certainly a very good portion. I would not say it was inexpensive but am mindful of how prices have squeezed all establishments now....

I visited here after reading the reviews. Although there were some negative reviews, I liked the sound of the place. One review said they couldn't make a booking but this was not an issue at all. I emailed the day before and got a quick...

Ordered Cumberland sausage baguette and got plain pork sausage cut in half. I would have went to Greggs if I had wanted this.

Pretty good pub grub and a calm atmosphere inside the place. Staff were friendly and accommodating, of us and our dog! Bit awkward with parking but lucky to nab a spot outside of permit times nearby.

The Bitterend is an Olde pub. Amazing homemade food, lovely ale, local cider and relaxed atmosphere.

We visited the Bitter End Pub four times for an evening meal during our weeklong stay in Cockermouth. It’s advisable to book in advance. Staff were friendly, and ensured our dog was supplied fresh water. Service was very efficient, the food was very good and...

Lovely pub which is down as a Wetherspoons on Google maps. Luckily it is far superior to this! Great food, great beers and good service. So good we had to visit twice.

We were looking forward to eating here after seeing the reviews. However, our experience was very disappointing to say the least. Firstly we ordered and paid for drinks at the bar which were the most expensive of the evening. The food was average pub grub....

Great service from the very welcoming staff, tasty food and good atmosphere. We went twice as we liked it that much and it's very dog friendly.

Good pub for drinking with a nice atmosphere inside but the food is very average. The ingredients are low quality and clearly not 'local' as the board out side says. Very disappointing chips, let's hope they can improve the menu soon, as everything else in...

Good beer, great food. Friendly staff. Make sure you book in advance. We think it’s the best pub in Cockermouth.

We’ve visited 3 times in as many weeks. The food, the beer, the atmosphere but above all, the service is outstanding. But that pastry on the pies is like my nana’s pastry, I’ve been taken back and loved every mouthful. The friendly lady is your...

Friendly helpful staff, great food & quality real ales. Good atmosphere. I arrived early Sunday evening & I hadn’t booked. As I was alone they found me a table immediately. I was made to feel welcome & looked after all evening

Great staff. Being a craft beer man.. Great choice of IPA. got to try the Elvis. Food was great not used to this early closing lol...but well worth the visit. Will deffo check I again for a pint and food

We booked on a Saturday for food and drinks before an afternoon of drinks in Cockermouth. We had previously been for the same circumstances and had lovely meals. We arrived this time to find the menu had changed and nothing on the main menu now...

Popped in here on a Thursday afternoon for a couole of swift halves. Beer selection was very good with 5 real ales on tap. We tried 4 and the landlady gave us a sample of the 5th. Decided to have a late lunch and wasn't...

We where in Cockermouth visiting family and looking for a place to eat. Stumbled across the End and absolutely loved it ! The staff are incredibly welcoming and despite our tired and grumpy 4 month old daughter ! Food was excellent, and very tasty !!...

Visited 2 years ago and enjoyed the food, did not disappoint on our 2nd visit…again top drawer and service was excellent.

We have visited the Bitter End several times and it’s always great. There were 4 of us this time. All the meals were good, especially the Boston Beef.

We were stopping at Castle Guards Retreat and the owner advised us to go here. She wasn’t wrong when she said it was a good meal. Good service plenty of choice and helpful staff. Would definitely eat here again when I’m back in the area.

Had some decent meals here in the past but this one was disappointing. My gammon was over cooked to an inch within its life, mums sausage n mash was the saddest plate of food I’ve ever seen and girlfriends chilli burger deffo had went chili....

We walked in and I asked for a table for four people. The oldest person out of the four rolled her eyes and turned away muttering to a youngster something under her breath. The young lady then said that if we hadn’t booked then no....

We would visit again! I had the tofu Katsu Curry and it was amazing - great to have a tasty vegan dish much higher standard than the average pub meal. Decent portion size too! The quiz was original and fun, even though we got the...

Called in for lunch one day enjoyed the food and atmosphere so much we booked for our evening meal Great food, friendly staff and lovely atmosphere. Very dog friendly as well.

Friendly staff. good service and a good variety on the menu. We go regularly and park next to the Arts Centre next door. Good selction of local ales.

The food very much deserves this rating but the service fell well below par. Booked a table a few nights beforehand for 6pm. We arrived promptly but asked to wait without explanation. There were loads of empty tables but it seemed we were waiting for...

Good food, service has never been the strongest point for bitter end though the food, drink and price is reasonable.

Hard to be too critical as so many places are so similar at the moment in terms of a 'warm' welcome. Staff and service excellent, as was the food. Sat shivering in winter coats. Will return in summer. Maybe rename as the Baltic End?!

Lovely local pub Fantastic food Amazing staff Value for money Well worth a visit We all enjoyed our visit

Brilliant! The food was very tasty and the portions were absolutely huge! Loads of great local beers etc which is nice to see. Service was a little slow however but the staff were very friendly. Definitely visit here. Cosy, clean and amazing food! Thank you!

Popped in after it was recommended by a local shopkeeper. Told me to get the fish and chips and it didn’t disappoint! Wife had chicken and leek pie which looked amazing and for the first time this holiday, both kids ate a full meal without...

Hi, me, my husband and little girl came in tonight for a meal around 5, but we hadn’t booked. Can I just say a huge thank you to the owner (I’m afraid I don’t know his name!) who went completely out of his way to...

Really enjoyed an afternoon drink at this very good pub. We looked at the menu and decided to have dinner here as it looked very good. They have a good and varied menu and the food was excellent as was the service. Would definitely recommend...

Came here twice on a recent visit to Cockermouth. Intended only coming on first night but it was so good we came back again the next night. Food was excellent with a specials board aswell as the usual menu. 3 or 4 good real ales...

Lovely pub, fantastic food, friendly staff, however..... Arrived about 5pm and found one of the few tables that hadn't been reserved for evening service. After a couple of rounds and a perusal of the menu we decided to eat there. Went to enquire at the...

Come once a month on business, great staff, great food & great bitter! Nice cosy affair with a good selection of meals & pudding Special board is always good, regular bar meals are well sized portions Quiz on a Tuesday so get in early!

Really good pub with great choice of cask ales and lagers. The food served is really good. Must book a table beforehand but we would definitely return should we choose to visit Cockermouth in the future. Lovely cosy pub. Recommended

Lovely food would recommend waitresses were great fast and efficient beers nice too right in centre of other pubs too don't know if dogs welcome

Good quality food at very reasonable price. Staff very friendly and helpful. Cosy olde worlde pub. Dog friendly too

You always know you will get top quality pub food here. The chips are real and always fresh. Huge selection of lagers on draught.

We was in Cockermouth for the day and wanted somewhere dog friendly to go for dinner. We chose the bitter end and both had a beef Sunday dinner,service was fast and friendly. When the food came out I was really impressed with the amount of...

Although we waited a while for our food to be served, it was worth the wait! The steak was the best I've had In my life.......easy to cut and tasted amazing! Staff were also friendly :). If I'm ever in the area again, I'd love...

I now visit here every year when I take my 92 yr old mother on holiday. The staff are welcoming and very pleasant, and the food is excellent. Real ale is always kept well. Look forward to next year's visit.

First visit of 4 restaurants in Cockermouth. Very clean establishment, great choice of beers. The food was good and only grouse was that the plates were overfull!!!!! Would recommend.

This is a friendly pub with a lovely atmosphere serving well-cooked pub grub. We really enjoyed our crispy belly pork and chicken and leek pie. Parking is easy, as there is a large car park at the rear. I would have given it 5*, but...

Great recommendation by the owner of our guesthouse. Food reasonably priced, good size portions and great quality. Would happily come again. Plenty of GF options and even a GF draught beer from the Bitter End brewing Co. Friendly staff too and a few mins walk...

Managed to book a table for a Friday night (bit last minute) and were glad we did - it was busy when we arrived and remained so till the end of food service. The waiting staff were all very nice and friendly although they did...

Popped in one evening about 8pm for some dinner and they kindly fitted us in just before food service closed. Two of us and we both ordered pie and chips, one chicken and leek and one steak and ale. Both great pies with a lovely...

Friendly pub, great menu (very varied plus specials board), reasonably priced, good selection of beers and drinks. Service was top notch friendly and efficient, locals were friendly and it's dog friendly too. Best to book if you can. Top marks we will return. Thank you.

Top service, atmosphere, food, value & drinks (Punk IPA on tap!) Thanks to all the great friendly staff, much appreciated, we will be back! 👍😊