Restaurant at The Pheasant

As Inns go in the Lake District, The Pheasant has to be one of the upper echelon, though a lady columnist staying there recently was somewhat non-plussed to find a commodious pair of old fashioned black knickers, with no obvious owner, in a top drawer of her dressing table. Of such stuff are best-selling novels made.

Going back over 500 years, The Pheasant became an alehouse in 1778 and John Peel of hunting fame was a regular attender in the tap room in the 19th century. The Pheasant has a good reputation for food and if you are heading there for dinner it's not a bad idea to turn up early and enjoy a Cumbrian afternoon tea, with homemade scones and rum butter, freshly baked cakes, cucumber sandwiches and a pot of tea, having skimped on the breakfast and lunch of course.

This will leave space for such delicacies as Parma ham, pink grapefruit and fresh asparagus, with peppered strawberries, tarragon mayonnaise and Cumberland sauce, or The Pheasant chicken liver and brandy pate with melba toast. Roast rack of Cumbrian lamb with Shepherd's pie and minted mash potato and red wine jus helps support local industry, or there is oven baked fillet of cod, with Scottish kipper branade, roast leeks, ratatouille and a white wine veloute.

Puddings are generous and could include ginger panna cotta with banana and lime, honey roast thyme blood peaches with chestnut ice cream, or good old apple crumble with English custard (I never knew anybody else made the stuff). A decent selection of wine and the customary parade of sound Cumbrian ales clinches the deal. This is an attractive place to stay and the food is certainly one of its main strengths.