The best restaurants in Derwent Valley Allerdale North West

Precis: Wow! Excellent! Any other superlative you choose! Full review: What a wonderful gem of a find! From the start the welcome was warm and friendly. Nothing was too much trouble for Gary, Donna and their team; what a diamond they have found in Jack! The quality of the furnishings is very high, the fittings top class and the home made biscuits in the bedroom were delicious! Even a welcome decanter of sherry to start off your stay! The hallway walls are adorned with award plaques from numerous organisations! The grounds were extensive and very well kept. We had read about the wild red squirrels and hoped we may get to spot one - no fears there; we watched them running around the garden and feeder each day! Now for the food! Absolutely excellent! Each evening started at 7pm with canapés and good conversation with fellow guests, most of whom seem to be repeat visitors, with good reason! Gary is very personable and quite the bon viveur, his knowledge of wine is excellent, after all by his own admission he has been in the game for a good number of years! The four course dinner menu is set, no choices, but the menu is on display each morning and I'm sure that alternatives could be organised if enough notice were given. Each course was exquisite, served piping hot (where appropriate!) and presented beautifully, as was the table in general. Service was efficient, friendly and knowledgeable. Breakfast was just as good! Hazel Bank has seven rooms and the restaurant is open only to residents. All this means that each guest gets very personal, and personable, service from start to finish! If you think that this review is a little enthusiastic then I doubt you've visited! Don't get me wrong, it isn't for everybody and nowhere is totally perfect, but Hazel Bank gets VERY close!

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!

We have stayed at The Cottage in the Wood near Keswick for over a dozen years, enjoying their journey from simple restaurant-with-rooms to a Michelin Starred triumph of The Lakes. Now under Beth & Jack’s new leadership we are excited to experience their new chapter. Our two nights stay and two different dinners were excellent food, exceptionally prepared and present with care, in a friendly relaxing atmosphere. This feels like home but with food that stretches our imagination. We will be back next year.

Excellent service, lovely restaurant, delicious food. The steak was cooked to perfection. Easily catered for vegan and disabled members of the group. Wine was good. Altogether the best meal we had in the Lake District.

Superb friendly service from start to finish. Lovely hotel with well stocked bar and food offering in the restaurant was amazing.

Hidden gem in the small Lakes village of Portinscale. Food fantastic and staff couldn't be nicer.

As always, an absolute must when visiting Keswick. Set in a stunning area, we got the launch from Keswick to Hawes (£6.00) then walked along the shore towards lingholm. It's a beautiful walk along the shore of the lake, with a serious treat at the end. The choice of food, drink and cakes was superb as always, the service spot on, the atmosphere grand, they're SUPER dog friendly, there's nothing not to like!

We stayed here for two nights in April and had an amazing stay. The room was perfectly appointed and had all the amenities needed. It was a very comfortable bed. The food was amazing ! Excellent!!! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a beautiful hotel to stay in the Lake District. The staff are very attentive, and will be there for anything you may need. This hotel exudes five star luxury.

Perfect stop for a coffee break - the view over the lake with bird feeders in front was great. The chairs in the lounge were very comfortable - best decaf coffee I have had. Looked at the menu and it was a shame that only a coffee stop. Did have a taste of the local beers!!

Walked from Keswick centre to Nichol End Marina. A lovely walk but was glad when I arrived at the marina cafe. Roger (jolly Roger) welcomed me in and was so helpful and friendly. It was quiet as the season is coming to an end. I had an oat milk coffee and a raisin sticky toffee scone. It was so big! Put half in a bag to take home. Plenty of choice of scones all fresh and looking delicious. Prices were so reasonable. Roger then gave me a ride in his boat across Derwent Water. He’s such a nice man. It made my day to find a gem of a place. Would def recommend if in the area. Will return and try out the boating/canoeing etc next year.

Delicious home baking with local produce and perfectly situated for enjoying views of beautiful Borrowdale. We enjoyed carrot and coriander soup with toasted cheese and chive scones - highly recommended!

Great friendly service. Delicious food. Stopped for ice cream ended up with a lamb pasty as well , delicious ! So glad call in we will be back!

Gorgeous hotel with beautiful furnishings throughout the hotel aswell as the bedrooms. Very comfy bed. Breakfast and evening meals were fabulous...the best fish and chips/curry I have ever had. The hotel also caters very well for dietary needs. Staff lovely. Thoroughly recommend.

Great breakfast,cooked to perfection by Sarah, same great quality every morning. Highly recommend,great start to the day.

So disappointed to arrive last night for our restaurant reservation to be told "it's not in the book"! You are not able to book online therefore we phoned 3 weeks prior but obviously whoever took the call never "put it in the book". The fact we are on honeymoon made this even more disappointing.