Restaurant at The Bay Horse

A very English menu draws heavily upon local ingredients, starting with the fresh local shrimps potted with a little butter, gin and nutmeg and served with hot buttered toast, or cream of tomato and butternut squash soup with croutons and chopped parsley.

There is only one thing better than lamb reared on fell sides - and that is lamb that has lived its life on a salt marsh, more especially the marshes bordering the estuary on the nearby Holker Estate, and the roast rack of lamb served with a red wine sauce and fresh rosemary at the Bay Horse is superb. Leaving on one side the temptation of fresh Scottish salmon, marinaded with limes, ginger and soy sauce, then pan fried in lemon and herb butter, many may find the strips of Aberdeen Angus fillet steak, fried with red chilli peppers and spring onions, then glazed with honey, calvados and raspberry vinegar to be totally beyond resistance.

Puddings are a strength here, starting with the Cape Brandy pudding with cream, an exercise in sheer indulgence. The chocolate truffles served with the excellent coffee hammer home the point and even if they don't there is always the homemade shortbread.