The Cottage In The Wood in Allerdale

This was our first visit to The Cottage in the Wood and it was a fantastic experience. The staff were, without exception, all friendly and helpful. The tasting menu was amazing and occupied the whole evening. Every course was personally explained by the attentive team, who also introduced the vegetarian options where they differed from the standard menu. After a night in one of the comfortable rooms, our stay was rounded off by a wonderful breakfast with a breath-taking view across the valley.

Went for Lunch taster, brilliant, will be going back. Staff are brilliant location is brilliant and most of all the food is brilliant. Even with my failing taste buds I could appreciate the flavours.

Fantastic food and service! Every dish across the tasting menu was wonderful. A very special meal. We will definitely go back and look forward to seeing what they do next.

Perched at the top of a Lake District mountain, Cottage in the Wood promised spectacular views, however a winter evening booking had dashed at least this feature of the michelin star restaurant. Arriving early we settled into the lounge for cocktails, pickled Martini and a Negroni, decor minimalist with a hint of seventies influence, we browsed the seven course tasting menu accompanied with a potatoe tuille and a slightly bland barbecued pea oil. We were invited into the conservatory and seated facing the pitch black vista, the chef pledged to warm us up with a blind scouse and detecting our accents avoided the description of origin afforded to other guests. Whilst the flavour of the dish had plenty of depth it failed to deliver as a toddy as it was luke warm at best bordering on solidifying a lamb fat skin. A smoked cheese croustade followed, which was delightful and packed with flavour, the bread was unusual made with potatoe and presented with a whipped butter both of which were very tasty and the offer of more was well received. The wine pairing started with a lively Rose which accompanied an absolutely splendid gin cured trout course with beetroot and a buttermilk sauce which lifted the culinary bar to the next level. Quail followed which was a morcel of meat on a spiced carrot spelt, although it was more of a curry and totally overwhelmed the delicate bird. The dish was served with a side of quail leg and whilst tasty it didn't compliment the course other than it being of the same meat. Cod was next which had been gently cooked slow and low for hours on end resulting in a splendidly flaky fish served with a heavenly broth and just enough fennel producing a delightfully well balanced dish. Perhaps the plates could have been hotter. Our final savoury was lamb, artichoke with kale, but once again presented with an out of place side dish of more lamb, surely if it is meant to be part of the course it should be on the plate. Sadly, both cuts of meat were grossly overburdened with unrendered fat leaving the texture of the dish rather unpleasant. Our pre-dessert had apparently starred on a recent Great British Menu which was a lip shaped cherry pannacotta paying homage to the character Lily Savage and called "watch your mouth", a nod to Chef Jack Bonds Merseyside roots. Our final course was a fine dining version of apple pie and custard with the pie replaced by three crispy biscuit sheets and the apples caramelised tarte tatin style creating a delightful final course, matched perfectly with an almost honey like dessert wine. Overall, the two fish dishes were the stand out courses of the night and whilst the experience was pleasant, basic shortfalls such as luke warm plates and unrendered fat were dissapointing.

We had our best lunch ever with fabulous food in a lovely location! Would highly recommend.

Fantastic trip , the food experience is out of this world. This was our second visit, but the first staying in a room . I was very disappointed in the bedroom, the decor / furniture, tv is so dated , not in keeping with the downstairs area at all . It was very clean and small ( don’t mind) the bed was only a double but comfy . The food , staff and service made up for it , next time we would choose to stay somewhere else nearby .

Outstanding cooking, eating and staying: seriously high quality and brought to the table with great care and thought - all the team were engaging, frank, funny, kind and lots of other good words. Cocktails were great too! Delighted to spend a few days here and looking forward to coming back.

Visited for our ten year anniversary. Easily the best meal and wine we’ve ever had, a well thought out and unpretentious menu using interesting and local ingredients. Breakfast was great and the views and red squirrels made it unique! Rooms were clean and quiet and the lounge areas very cosy and relaxing. The staff were all very attentive and friendly. Highly recommended for a romantic weekend away and very handy for a walk or bike ride in Whinlatter Forest.

The best experience - it’s not just about the food, it’s the people…all of the staff were superb. So enthusiastic and passionate about their offerings. Team briefings every evening are followed by a seamless informal service. The quality of the food produced under the direction of head chef Jack is out of this world. We had the 2 menus over two nights. You can tell they all love working there. A unique Michelin restaurant which only has 1 star (for now).

The Cottage is a little gem. The position is amazing, the menu is a perfect balance between local flavours and a more sophisticated touch. But the greatest mention goes to the staff. The dinner was supposed to be a surprise for my partner's birthday, but I turned out to be the most surprised when he proposed....and all the people there made it so intimate and magical at the same time. We really can't thank them enough. I am sure we will be back again (perhaps for our first wedding's anniversary?!). Ps: the breakfast is also amazing, I strongly recommend to spend the night there!

The venue, service and staff could not have been better. The food was amazing served in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere.

Had an amazing taster menu here in October 2024. Came last year too,however this year was even better under the new owners. Just amazing food and service. Can't wait to go back next year.

Location and building is stunning, staff are beyond courteous and professional, also extremely knowledgeable, the service was exceptional, at no point were we hounded to buy more drinks or being asked if the food was okay, simply because there was no need, everything was exquisite. The ambience and view from our table was just perfect, the food was so fresh and looked, smelt and tasted divine. Drinks were as you would expect, with ample choice. Me and my wife were celebrating her ‘milestone’ birthday and have always wanted to experience a Michelin restaurant, this exceeded our expectations in absolutely every aspect!

Beautiful food in this restaurant with rooms. The menu is imaginative, seasonal, creative and delicious. Staff are fantastic and the Head Chef takes the time to visit each table. Our room had fabulous views. Beds very comfortable and toiletries are lovely. Ultimately, it is the food/hospitality which is the star.

OK food, very good wine pairing, nice location. A bit up itself, and 3 hours is a long time for a 'taster' experience. And note: we had to ASK for the bill at that 3 hour mark. Good service, nice staff.

We came to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday. The hotel is super sweet, we arrived late and they had a card on the table for him:) The presentation and thoughtfulness they put into each dish was truly amazing. The creative plating and attention to detail really elevated the entire dining experience. I appreciate the care and artistry they brought to every course - it was evident in how beautifully and intentionally each item was prepared. Thank you for such a memorable meals!! We were also very impressed by the genuine care and pride for their team takes in ensuring each guest has a wonderful experience. The seamless service, anticipation of our needs, and genuine friendliness of everyone I interacted with was exemplary. The hotel is a family run business, so make sure you booked early as there are limited room. We booked the last room, which is on top of the front entrance, but we just use the pillow to cover the lower window, so we can have some privacy and still enjoy the Mountain View:)

We had an excellent evening at the cottage in the woods, can highly recommend. The food was superb and the team very friendly. It was lovely to see the chefs when they came out to present the courses.

AMAZING! A must visit in the Lake District - beautifully situated and delicious food plus a world class wine list! The maitre, Joel, is still my hero! 🦸 Next time I'll come for dinner and stay over night - a bit like in the tuscan hills...

Great place. Been here a few times and it keeps getting better. Location is perfect. Food definitely gets better. And it was great first time. Eating breakfast whilst watching red squirrels eat theirs is hard to beat. And Skiddaw in behind the squirrels! Service is spectacular. This time a big thumbs up to Joel. He appears to be the Winekipedia.

Very nice lunch but it didn't really "wow". Some small things like tomatoes not skinned, fregola a bit hard in places. Flavours and textures generally good. Beef good but could have had a bit more char on the outside for flavour. desserts nicely done.

Delightful. Exquisite service and stunning food - every detail has been studied to create a culinary adventure.

My Husband and I visited Cottage in the Woods this weekend to celebrate our 1st Wedding Anniversary. We had a lovely friendly welcome by Kath who showed us to our room with a great Mountain View, and fresh tea and scones on arrival. We sat in the conservatory for dinner and all the staff were friendly and professional. The food, was just amazing! The special touch of the chefs coming to the table to add the finishing touch to the dish felt very personal and added to the experience. I would highly recommend the amazing place.

Very professional and of a high standard. Food was excellent and the accommodation also.

Fabulous tasting menu in a very exotic location

We had our Ruby Anniversary at the Cottage. It was a memory not to be forgotten. The friendly warm and high professional service was at its highest. Rooms were wonderful but Jack Bonds tasting menu was at another higher level. He and is team were constantly visible to explain the wonderful food and help us enjoy. Every member of serving staff knew every detail and the tastes we could expect. Allergys checked out. Wines and flight of wines remarkable. My wive has disability following an accident and Kath and the team totally looked after her. Thank you for the memories. Fred and Sylvia Bamber

It’s very hard to cater to everyone’s aesthetic taste and having said that, I’m going to try and be fair. It’s just not what we expected. If you are expecting log fires and chic interiors, maybe a faded gentry vibe, you will be disappointed. Fabulous service though, so on a positive note, staff were extremely attentive and friendly, one could not fault their desire to please. The food , ( there was no choice, it was a 7 course taster menu at £120 pp which we knew when we booked) was served with panache and passion, but left us feeling slightly underwhelmed. Highlights were the slivers of trout and the slices of duck with crispy kale. The chocolate pudding was lovely. Breakfast was fabulous with a lot of choice, however we didn’t realise we had to book our breakfast arrival time- as we hadn’t, we were left with an 8.30-9 time to arrive for breakfast, and as that was for Sunday morning- it felt a tad early. Our room was small but it did have a stunning view. It felt dated but It did have a very comfortable bed and fine cotton bedding, which was lovely. After reading all the glowing five star reviews I guess our expectations were set too high.

We recently visited Cottage in the Wood in the beautiful area of Whinlatter forest. After a warm welcome we sat down to enjoy some high quality, well presented locally sourced food. Each course was explained by staff who clearly took pride in their knowledge of each dish.The atmosphere was enhanced by the chefs themselves adding final touches to some dishes at our table. A very enjoyable experience which we would truly recommend.

What an excellent experience!!! The food was superb a real birthday treat. The hospitality and welcome made the whole experience would highly recommend

Wonderful warm welcome from Kath and Liam, this is a little gem, couldn't do enough for us. The the food is sensational and the wine pairings were surprising and went beautifully eith every dish. We will definitely be back, thank you so much for a lovely stay.

Stay cancelled by the hotel with barely a months notice for a Christmas booking

We came here for a rare night away without our little boy. What an absolute treat from start to finish! Such a warm welcome upon arrival, we dropped our bags into our room and went downstairs for a cocktail and my partner had a local ale. The cocktail was beautiful! I went up to the room afterwards and had a bath in the spa bath..it was so relaxing. The views from our window were of skiddaw and the woods. Absolutely beautiful and so peaceful. We were lucky enough to spot some red squirrels out of our window too. When we went down for dinner we were given a lovely table in the conservatory area. Very relaxed but with a bit of sparkle. (Could have been the prosecco by this point) haha. The food was exquisite from start to finish. As it happens my partner proposed whilst we were there - which I had known nothing about but Kath the owner helped David to plan when to propose and they were on hand with a card and glasses of champagne to celebrate. We slept so well in our room, it was very quiet and peaceful. The breakfast was as nice as all the other food we had eaten during our stay. We cannot recommend this place enough...we left very relaxed and very happy and we want to thank Kath & team at this small hotel for doing such a wonderful job in looking after everyone and providing such a sanctuary - a true getaway for those wanting a break from the every day hustle of life! Thank you!! Nikkola & David xx (& Little Ronnie)