Cartmel Area Food & Drink
RESTAURANTS
Cartmel Valley is a food lover’s must visit 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 often being 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, but it’s always worth checking in case they’ve had a cancellation.
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.
Less formal than L’Enclume but still thoughtful, creative British cooking. Think seasonal, ingredient-led, with many items coming from Simon Rogan’s farm just a mile up the valley, and other very good local suppliers.
Regularly changing 6 course, à la carte, fixed price menu that reflects seasonality. Select 3 courses from a selection of dishes, accompanied by “snacks” to start, a pre-dessert, and petit fours to finish the meal.
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 online booking:- https://www.roganandco.co.uk/
Heft, High Newton
LA11 6JH – 8 minutes drive north
Cartmel Valley’s 3rd Michelin star restaurant with a separate pub where they serve ‘bar snacks’. I’m not sure why they call them ‘snacks’ as they range from pie and mash to venison casserole and more. See below for more details about the pub.
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. Heft. Michelin star restaurant in the Lake District
Separate lunch and dinner tasting menus and a very popular, although quite pricey, Sunday dinner too. Booking is essential for the Michelin starred restaurant including Sunday lunch.
The pub itself is a lovely 17th century Lakeland pub serving great beer and wine and the ‘bar snacks’.
Dogs and well-behaved children are allowed in the bar which is open Wednesday to Sunday. You can’t book a table in the bar area. Wednesday is a good day/night to go to the eat in the bar as they open up the restaurant for their bar food too.
The Estuary Bistro, Grange-Over-Sands
Very good ‘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. 4.5 review rating on Google.
Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 5pm
Booking advised.
Tel:- 015395 35711
PUBS
All the pubs below are dog & children friendly, mind you, I don’t know of any pubs in Cumbria that are not dog & child friendly.
It’s always best to book to eat at Lake District pubs as they are usually busy all year round.
The Cavendish Arms, Cartmel
Most people’s choice for the best pub food in Cartmel. Dog & child friendly.
In warmer months, I highly recommend eating and drinking in the lovely, peaceful riverside garden at the rear. This is a quintessential English country village setting.
Booking highly recommended: https://www.thecavendisharms.co.uk/
Tel: 015395 36240
Royal Oak, Cartmel Square
Another charming 17th Century pub with a lovely riverside beer garden at the rear by the river – Tel: 015395 36692
Kings Arms, Cartmel Square
Lovely old pub with tables outside in Cartmel Square. Tel – 015395 36708
Cartmel Wine Bar & Oscars
Opposite Cartmel Cheese shop with 3 terraces including 1 on Devonshire Square opposite Cartmel Priory. Constantly evolving, currently offering very popular ‘small plates’ meals. Great choice of wine by the glass plus a good selection of premium 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. Check to see current opening hours. Booking is essential at night time but you can usually get a table indoors or outdoors in the afternoons – https://unsworthsyard.co.uk/hot-wines/
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 015395 36482
Manor House, Oxen Park
LA12 8HG
Literally in the middle of nowhere, this is 1 of our favourite South Lakes pubs 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/
CAFÉ’S, DELI’S & GREAT PLACES TO BUY LOCAL FOOD
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, 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. The pizza nights are very popular. Get there early to avoid disappointment.
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. A must visit shop. Café upstairs too!
HOLKER HALL CAFÉ – Just up the road from Cark in Cartmel on the B5278 heading north. The café serves good homemade meals & snacks too. Check opening times – https://www.holker.co.uk/dining/the-courtyard-cafe/
HIGGINSON’S BUTCHERS, GRANGE – opposite Costa Coffee. Voted best butcher in Britain. Great home-made pies, hams, sausages etc. including the best pork pies in Cumbria in my opinion.
HAZELMERE BAKERY & CAFÉ, GRANGE. Near Grange railway station on the ‘Georgian Terrace’. Hazelmere is something of an institution in Grange. Known for its traditional afternoon teas, handmade pastries, and café food, it’s been a cornerstone of the town’s charm for decades. Locals and visitors alike see it as a quintessential part of the Grange experience, a place where time slows down and the cakes are always worth the trip. Home baked, additive free bread, cakes, pies, made to order sandwiches and very good bistro food. 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 – https://thehazelmere.co.uk/
LOW SIZERGH BARN FARM SHOP & CAFÉ – 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. Watch the cows at milking time https://www.lowsizerghbarn.co.uk/
BREAKFAST
You’re on holiday! Treat yourselves to breakfast in 1 of our great cafes:-
Harry’s Cafe at Yew Tree Barn (Simon’s favourite), Cartmel Coffee, Cartmel Square Coffee, The Cavendish, Holker Hall Courtyard Café, Hazelmere Café, The Pheasant at Allithwaite
THE FAMOUS MORECAMBE BAY BROWN SHRIMP
A world-class delicacy. There are only 3 local shrimping families left in Flookburgh. Look out for their signs outside their cottages.
