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An old coaching inn on the road between Penrith and Ambleside, this typical Lakeland small hotel has stirring views over the lower reaches of Ullswater to the High Street range of hills. The menu is quite extensive and includes familiar items to be found in a restaurant where English cooking predominates.

The game terrine, served with Cumberland sauce, is accompanied by a grape and walnut salad and a warm brioche. When the soup of the day slips below the £2.50 mark - £2.25 in this case - you can be sure that there's good value around, though the warm mussel and leek tart is not far behind.

On the assumption you may have been pounding the fells and have developed the appetite of a starving lion cub you could easily be tempted by the grilled fillet of beef, topped with a smoked Cumberland rarebit, accompanied by roasted shallots and a deliciously creamy Dijon mustard sauce. Expect too, to find the local Watermillock sausages on the menu.

Across the water Sharrow Bay, spiritual home of sticky toffee pudding, slips into the shades as the setting sun dips behind Helvellyn - what could be a more appropriate way to finish? Brackenrigg presents some of the best value to be found in the area.

The Borrowdale Hotel is almost as traditional as the Lakes themselves. Generations of walkers, climbers and just plain tourists have learned to value its homespun but quality approach, not least in the restaurant. The Dining Room is silver service, not too many of those left, and an undemanding but satisfying menu seems to meet the needs of regulars who return year after year.

A fillet of Seathwaite trout in champagne sauce makes for a loyal starter, perhaps followed by the breaded escalope of pork fillet with an apple and cider cream sauce. To finish, well if you can steel your will and give the local cheeses a miss, consider the pear and almond tart with maple and walnut ice cream. A sensible wine list masks one or two pleasant surprises, with house wine at £16.50.

Slug and Lettuce has a chain of almost a hundred bars spread across the country sharing a common love of serving down to earth, undemanding food and drink.

The group prides itself on offering dishes prepared using quality ingredients, and you should be attended on by attentive staff in a safe, welcoming and cheerful environment. The Slugs have something for anyone - breakfast for a lively start to the day, lunch for busy people, family meals or even a relaxing glass of wine to bring a tiring day to an end - all in a variety of modern and stylish settings.

The menu features old time English favourites such as Gloucestershire Old Spot sausages in buttered mash or fish pie made with Dartmouth smokehouse haddock, in a Devon cream and leek sauce, although dishes look to Europe and further afield to Asia for inspiration. A good way to start the enjoyment is by sharing platters of Southern fried chicken breast pieces, crispy potato wedges, garlic ciabatta strips, half a rack of BBQ pork ribs, wasabi vegetables with onion rings or some Greek mezze

Hearty steak pies, Thai curry with sticky jasmine rice or butternut squash with goats' cheese lasagne are amongst the more popular main dishes. Sandwiches or wraps - warm tortilla with chicken and Parmesan or aromatic duck in plum sauce - provide for those who prefer something lighter. They also serve burgers as well as tempting salads like salmon, asparagus or tomato and mozzarella. For children they have good old British standby sausage and mash, or pepper pasta and ketchup among other choices, all of which never fail to delight, particularly as some of them seem to have come out of a certain celebrity chef's Book of Forbidden Dishes.

Desserts appear in the form of raspberry biscotti, hot chocolate pudding or a creamy strawberry cheesesake. The wine list is well compiled and substantial. There are not less than seven French, three from Italy and some from Spain, Chile, Australia as well as New Zealand. Slug and Lettuce can cater for events including birthday parties, fashion shows, hen nights, wedding parties or just an enjoyable night out with a few friends.

Formerly the home Beatrix Potter, Ees Wyke is now a popular hotel with a dining room open to the public, in the middle of some of the finest scenery the Lake District has to offer. A recent change of ownership has sought to keep things broadly as they were and this includes the five changing course menu. An opening course of smoked salmon and prawns, or cream of watercress soup, could be followed by a terrine of game with a rich Cumberland sauce or a poached egg sitting on a bed of spinach. Main courses are straight forward with little elaboration, and none the worse for that. A saute of scampi and scallops in a dry vermouth sauce or a fillet of pork en croute filled with smoked cheese and apple follow the same creative pattern before completing the meal with a pudding and cheese courses. Many still prefer the five course presentation, which offers a wider range of experiences and interest, and it seems to be more prevalent the further north you go. Must be something to do with the weather. The wine list meets the challenge of the table well and French and Australian house wines start are at £11.50.

No children under 10 years.

Eden Lodge could well bring a smile to your face with its pretty water lily covered pond and views of magnificent Morecambe Bay or the picturesque Ulverston Golf Course. Located at the southern end of this beautiful English Lake district, the Edwardian building with its contemporary interiors and mature parklands is a relaxing haven of sorts, with its serene surroundings and luxurious accommodation. Food at their laidback restaurant is remarkably delicious, featuring local fare with a simple twist. Wooden furniture, comfy sofas add to an overall indulgent experience.

Fresh produce features in dishes such as a pork and apricot terrine with sage and apple chutney followed by a main course of seared loin of Atlantic tuna with petit ratatouille and a tomato and oregano sauce. Finishing touches include a milk chocolate mousse set in vanilla sponge with orange anglais. The excellent wine list seems to offer a wide variety of choices between the Old and New World.