Punch Bowl Inn, Cumbria

from $165
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“A smart country pub tucked away in the Lake District's Lyth Valley. There's a boutique vibe throughout — rooms exude comfort with fresh country styling and boast roll-top baths as standard. Popular lunch food for locals and great dinner menu. Good base for local exploring but a car is needed.”

Hotel review

Away from the tourist honeypots of Bowness and Windermere – though only a 20-minute drive to the lake – this smart-looking pub sits in the peaceful Lyth Valley. There are no dramatic fell views, but people make the journey here because of its classy yet unfussy food, rather good wine list and big spoiling bedrooms. And the fact guests are welcomed with home-made scones with jam and cream – on the terrace in warm weather with its views of the village church – gets things off to a very agreeable start.

Inside it’s country-pub smart with flagstone or stripped wood floors, low-beamed ceilings, thick floral curtains and walls crammed with cartoons and hunting scenes. It’s clear that food is central to the business as the ground floor is a series of little dining areas, both more formal and more casual. The menu offers classic Modern British and French dishes inspired by local ingredients. Starters might include their famed twice-baked Lancashire cheese soufflé – deliciously light – while mains could include rump of local lamb or duck a l’orange with duck fat potatoes. It would be a crime to skip the lemon tart with local damson sorbet! There's a wide-ranging wine list plus two or three local real ales.

Bedrooms, some with open beams, genuinely differ in shape and size but share a contemporary country look of soft colours, generous curtains, stripped wood or Provencal-style furniture – with the odd vintage piece – and a refreshing lack of clutter. Bathrooms are big and inviting, all with roll-top baths. Take a walk across the fields to Whitbarrow Scar both for the views and to work up an appetite for dinner.

Helen Pickles
Helen Pickles Review published: 26/02/2024

Recommended for

  • Romantic Break

    • Ideal for a romantic weekend away, with his and hers tubs, candlelit dinners and sweeping views of the countryside

  • Active Holiday

    • Some of the best walking in the British Isles is right on your doorstep, be sure to bring your hiking boots!

  • Foodies

    • Chef Scott Fairweather never fails to impress, with local ingredients and inventive combinations

  • Great walks

    • With something for every level of commitment, from full day hikes to an afternoon stroll

  • Cycling

    • Borrow a bike and head out to explore the mountains and lakes of the surrounding area

  • Other Activities

    • Spend a relaxing afternoon in the fragrant garden admiring the honeysuckle and roses

  • Sights nearby

    • Blackwell Arts & Crafts House near Bowness, and Abbott Hall Art Gallery in Kendal

  • Restaurant

    • Excellent gourmet pub grub

  • Conference facilities

  • Free wifi

  • Gourmet

  • Owner managed

  • Lively

  • Quiet

  • Less £

  • Wedding license

  • Organic food

  • Total relaxation

  • Full of character

  • Good wine list

  • House party feel

  • Artworks

  • Boutique

  • Historic

  • Chic

  • Inn

  • Antiques

  • Quirky

  • Village

  • Remote

  • Traditional

  • Contemporary

  • Charming

  • Luxury

  • Four poster beds

  • Intimate

  • Romantic

  • Views

Facilities

  • Rooms

    9 rooms in this hotel

  • Outdoor dining

    Sit out on the sun terrace for lunch

  • Restaurant

    Excellent gourmet pub grub

  • Parking

  • Conference facilities

  • Bar

  • Wedding license

  • Fireplace

  • Library

  • Good wine list

  • Garden

  • Sitting Room

  • Satellite / Cable TV

  • Four poster beds

  • Wifi

  • Free wifi

  • Views

Activities

  • Great walks

    • With something for every level of commitment, from full day hikes to an afternoon stroll

  • Cycling

    • Borrow a bike and head out to explore the mountains and lakes of the surrounding area

  • Other Activities

    • Spend a relaxing afternoon in the fragrant garden admiring the honeysuckle and roses

  • Sights nearby

    • Blackwell Arts & Crafts House near Bowness, and Abbott Hall Art Gallery in Kendal

Map & Location

Other reviews

Ultimate 100 British Hotels

That post-walk pint goes down nicely accompanied by views of Crosthwaite’s pretty church..

Originally published by Sunday Times

The Punch Bowl Inn

"Head chef Scott Fairweather favours country classics like belly pork, fell-bred lamb, maple-glazed duck breast, partnered by earthy ingredients sourced from the local larder"

Originally published by The Telegraph

The Punch Bowl Inn

"Subtle chintzes cohabit with contemporary silks and tweeds, Roberts radios with bold, slightly phallic flower arrangements, and in the bathrooms homely Arran Aromatics toiletries with mood lighting."

Originally published by The Guardian

THE PUNCH BOWL

"There are Roberts radios on the dressing tables, woollen throws on the beds and pops of colour from sage green to raspberry red."

Originally published by Conde Nast Traveller

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