Hotels, Guesthouses and Inns with Restaurants in the Lake District

Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Specialist Diet Shopping and Dining in Lake District Accommodation

Quality, character and an emphasis on regional specialities is the name of the game in the Lake District. Many hotels, inns, and restaurants in Cumbria have won prestigious awards. There are over 60 eating places which hold the supreme AA Rosettes award.

You can easily shop for fine local vegetarian, vegan or organic produce in the Lakes. Watch out for the many quality delicatessons, butchers and specialist food shops serving sweets, biscuits, cakes, james, chutneys and chocolates. Places like Keswick, Ambleside, Kendal and Bowness on Windermere are a real treat for specialist food shopping.

Check out the following: Kirkby Lonsdale - The Sweet Shop www.uksweetshop.co.uk Kendal Mint Cake www.kendal.mintcake.co.uk Bryson's of Keswick, 42 Main Street, Keswick www.brysons.com Fancy a restaurant with a Lake view? Choose Armathwaite Hall's Lake View Restaurant, which overlooks Lake Bassenthwaite near Keswick. This four star restaurant offers a selection of traditional and international cuisine.

Vegetarian, Vegan & Specialist Diets in the Lake District Accommodation

Vegetarian and vegan diet requirements are the norm these days so hotels, guesthouses and other accommodation venues will usually offer menus to suit all tasts. Across Cumbria you'll find guesthouses, group centres and bunkhouses, and B&Bs which specialise in vegetarianism which is good news.

Vegetarian restaurants and Vegan restaurants in the Lake District can be found, to name a few, in locations such as Keswick, Hawkshead, Kendal, and Caldbeck.

Guesthouses are increasingly springing up offering vegetarian and gluten free breakfasts - we need more of them!! Check out the Vegetarian Society UK's website at www.vegsoc.org for further info. Also, www.vegdining.com has a most useful database of vegetarian and vegan eating houses across the UK, including Cumbria

Lake District Fine Dining, Restaurants and Awards

Many restaurants within Lake District B&B guesthouses and small hotels are family run, offering a sumptuous choice of fresh local produce, often organically grown. So, if you're looking for romantic dinners for two, or hearty homecooked Lake District cumberland sausage, ham dishes, gammon, and fell reared lamb food choose from many Lake District guesthouses and character hotels.

There's some fabulous large character historic hotels in the Lake District, particularly in Keswick, Kendal, Grasmere, Ambleside, Cockermouth and Grange over Sands, where hotels offer excellent catering facilities for large parties. Expect an extensive menu choice ranging from A La Carte/Table d'hote menus to more traditional menu choices. In such venues everything's 'all in', including catering and restaurant facilities, entertainment, and of course your accommodation is just upstairs as you'll be wanting to sample excellent choices of wines and real ales!!

The 'restaurant with rooms' experience is highly recommended, and you'll find a selection of these across the Lake District. Some superb restaurants provide luxury accommodation above select restaurants, often because they are located off the beaten track, perhaps in superb walking country. No need to rush fine dining - it's a great idea!

Lake District Restaurants and Awards

The AA Rosette Awards are given to UK restaurants annually which achieve the highest standards in food quality. Many Rosette Awards are given to restaurants within hotels, or increasingly to restaurants which provide rooms. The awards are recognised as prestigious by leading chefs, a sure sign that they hint at fine dining excellence.

Check out the AA Restaurant Guide 2004, in book form or also on the webb at 'theaa.com'. This guide lists 1800 of the best places to eat in Britain, and is based on AA inspections and Rosette Awards. There's also plenty of information on wines, prices and where to find restaurant venues.

For advice on smoke free restaurants and guesthouses, hotels and other accommodation types check out www.smokefree.co.uk.