Cartmel Area Food & Drink
RESTAURANTS
Cartmel Valley is a food lovers ‘must go to’ destination.
Cartmel Valley has a wealth of great food producers, pubs, cafes, food shops and 5 shiny Michelin stars
L’ENCLUME, Cartmel
3 Michelin stars, 5 AA rosettes and lots more awards as well as being consistently rated as 1 of the top 10 restaurants in Britain. Owner/chef Simon Rogan is also rated as 1 of the world’s best chefs.
A lot of the food comes from their own organic farm 1 mile away.
You usually need to book several weeks or months ahead, literally.
The shorter lunch menu is a very popular choice and easier to get a booking for. Booking is essential https://www.lenclume.co.uk/ Tel: 015395 36362
ROGAN & COMPANY, CARTMEL
Cartmel’s 2nd Michelin starred restaurant.
Owned by Simon Rogan (L’Enclume), with a very talented head chef at the helm.
Rogan & Co. has now become one of Cumbria’s best restaurants.
What might sound simple on the menu often ends up with a few pleasant, subtle additions on the plate.
Booking is essential. Check website for opening hours and to book online:- https://www.roganandco.co.uk/ or Tel:- 015395 535917
HEFT, HIGH NEWTON – LA11 6JH
Michelin star. Excellent restaurant and pub that opened in Spring 2021.
Owned by chef Kevin Tickle and his wife Nicola. Kevin is a very respected and talented Cumbrian chef. indeed, Nicola and Kevin are Cumbrian born-and-bred and this is highlighted in Kevin’s imaginative cooking. The different lunch and dinner tasting menus are created using exceptional quality local and foraged ingredients.
In addition to the restaurant, the pub itself is a lovely 17th century Lakeland pub serving great beer and wine etc. plus what they call ‘bar snacks’. These vary weekly from totally homemade sausage rolls (I’ve never had a better sausage roll in my life), cheese, and occasionally puddings or pies, all deliciously homemade of course!
Dogs and well-behaved children are allowed in the bar which is open Wednesday to Sunday.
Booking is essential for the restaurant. Check website for opening hours and to book online:- https://hefthighnewton.co.uk
THE ESTUARY BISTRO, GRANGE-OVER-SANDS
Neighbourhood bistro and bar offering relaxed, casual dining and drinks.
Stylish bistro with a laid back ambience. Great local seasonal produce from the Lake District and Morecambe Bay.
Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 5pm
PUBS
All the below pubs are dog & children friendly. I don’t know of any pubs in Cumbria that are not dog & children friendly.
It’s always best to book to eat at Lake District pubs as they are usually busy
THE CAVENDISH ARMS, Cartmel
Most people’s choice as the best pub food in Cartmel. Dog & child friendly.
Tables at front and at the rear by the stream.
Booking recommended. https://www.thecavendisharms.co.uk/ Tel: 015395 36240
KINGS ARMS, Cartmel Square
Lovely old pub with tables outside in Cartmel Square. To book to eat, Tel – 015395 36708
ROYAL OAK, Cartmel Square
Another charming 17th Century pub with a lovely riverside beer garden at the rear by the stream – Tel: 015395 36692 https://royaloakcartmel.co.uk/
CARTMEL WINE BAR & OSCARS
Opposite Cartmel Cheese shop. Constantly evolving, a really great wine bar with 2 indoor seating areas and tables & chairs on the terrace (heated in colder month). Usually a choice of 16 wines by the glass plus a good selection of gin, vodka, whisky and malt. They also offer a ‘cheese board’ from Cartmel Cheese shop to go with your wine. Open during the day most days and evenings. Upstairs is David Unsworth’s latest creation, Oscars. An extension to the wine bar but now serving ‘small plates’ food. Check to see current opening hours – https://www.facebook.com/Cartmel-Drinkshop-Wine-Snug-143641742356958
PIG & WHISTLE, Cartmel
Small pub and separate bistro.
Lovely, peaceful beer garden at the back with great views across the fields towards Cartmel Priory. Dog & child friendly. https://www.thepigandwhistlecartmel.com/ 015395 36482
MANOR HOUSE, OXEN PARK, LA12 8HG
Literally in the middle of nowhere, this is our current favourite South Lakes pub outside of Cartmel.
It’s 20 minutes’ drive from Cartmel, despite Google saying it’s longer. Free House serving very good pub food and excellent, well-kept local ales. Fantastic fish & chips and Sunday roasts. Lovely south facing beer garden. Booking recommended – https://manorhouseoxenpark.co.uk/
HARE & HOUNDS, BOWLAND BRIDGE, LA11 6NN
20 minutes’ drive north from Cartmel. Well run, lovely 17th Lake District country pub. Very good food. Nice garden https://www.hareandhoundslakes.com/ 015395 55549
CAFÉS, DELI’S & GREAT PLACES TO BUY LOCAL FOOD
Cartmel has a couple of cafes and coffee shops. Here’s a list of other places:-
CARTMEL CHEESE SHOP
Opposite Cartmel Wine bar in Unsworth’s Yard. Great shop and selection of cheese all stored at the perfect temperature & humidity. Weather permitting, you can sit out in Unsworth’s Yard with a selection of cheese, crackers, bread and chutney. Drinks are available from Cartmel Wine bar and Unsworth’s Yard micro-brewery. Home-made pizza at the weekends, March to October. Large parasols and heaters enable al fresco drinking and eating in all but the worst of weather.
CARTMEL VILLAGE SHOP-THE SQUARE, CARTMEL
Home of the famous Sticky Toffee pudding and much more. A great shop and deli. Lots of local produce. Very good sandwiches made to order too. A must visit shop. Café upstairs too!
HOLKER HALL CAFÉ & RESTAURANT
Just up the road from Cark in Cartmel on the B5278 heading north. Great local produce from their own tenant farmers. The café/bistro serves good homemade meals & snacks too.
HIGGINSON’S BUTCHERS, GRANGE opposite Costa Coffee
Voted best butcher in Britain but I think the meat is better at Peter Hutchinson’s in Greenodd. Great home-made pies, hams, sausages etc. The best pork pies in Cumbria in my opinion.
Around the corner is their takeaway serving lots of their own produce, breakfasts, roasts and ready to eat meals etc. Located in ‘Main Street’.
HAZELMERE BAKERY & CAFÉ, GRANGE
Near Grange rail station in the ‘Georgian Terrace’. Home baked, additive free bread, cakes, pies, made to order sandwiches and much more. Huge list of teas as they are importers of fine and exquisite teas from around the world. Free parking right outside-if you can get a space or park at the car park just up the hill. Dog friendly.
LOW SIZERGH BARN FARM SHOP
By the roundabout where the A590 meets the A591 south of Kendal. Award-winning range of local cheeses and lots of other quality, interesting foods and gifts. Take the kids to the tearooms to watch the cows at milking time through the window. Phone for times:-01539 560426
THE FAMOUS MORECAMBE BAY BROWN SHRIMPS
A world-class delicacy. There are only 3 local shrimping families left in Flookburgh. Look out for their signs outside their cottages.
BREAKFAST
Why not have breakfast at one of the wonderful local cafés, including some of the great ones in Grange – a good time saving idea on departure day
See our lovely Cartmel Valley cottages here
