Royal Oak Inn

Appleby is a delightful little town, and somehow the Royal Oak personifies its charm and antiquity. Standing at the meeting of the Settle and Carlisle Railway and the time-scarred route winding its way over the Pennines from Scotch Corner to Penrith, one of its most compelling buildings is the Royal Oak, with over 300 years of solace and comfort to travellers and residents alike to its credit. The interior is an array of wooden panelling, some stonework and open fires.

A menu with strong English overtones nevertheless has enough adventure in it to warrant a European cachet. Starters include that old classic, prawns St Jacques, local goat's cheese with a warm red pepper marmalade, or the day's choice of sorbet with slices of melon and forest berries. The local butcher is Mr Ewebank and by the same token Mrs Eleanor Ewebank makes the renowned sausages of that name, regularly seen on the menu at the Royal Oak. Grilled salmon with a lobster and prawn sauce competes with the local trout, baked and stuffed with potato rosti, cucumber and prawns.

Puddings include summerfruit pie, bread and butter pudding and the inevitable (but never to be derided) sticky toffee pudding which now comes in so many different varieties that it is necessary to return to Cartmel to rediscover the original.

An incredibly good value lunchtime and early evening menu operates until 7.15, when for a £6.95 hungry passers-by can enjoy a main course, pudding and drink; I should think some of the best value to be had in that part of the world.