Lake District Pubs, Bars and Inns Guide


Awards for Pubs, Bars & Inns featured in our Lake District Pub Guide

The Masons Arms at Bowland Bridge have been awarded the title North West Pub of the Year in the Good Pub Guide for 2012, listed in the Budweiser Budvar Top 50 Gastropubs Awards 2013 and voted Lancashire Life Magazine Number 1 Countryside Pub in July 2016

The Red Lion at Hawkshead awarded Lancashire Life, Pub of the Year, Runner up

Many of the Pubs Bars and Inns featured in our guide have been awarded Trip Advisors prestigeous "Certificate of Excellence"


The Lake District and Cumbria is considered by many to be the best county in the UK for the choices of traditional Pubs, Bars & Inns. Many of the pubs have won various accolades in the eating out guides and the national press. The Michelin Pub Guide has awarded its 'Pub of the Year' title to Lake District pubs and inns on several occasions in recent years. Despite their size, some of the smaller towns and villages offer the best choice with Kirkby Lonsdale and Cartmel springing to mind, with both hosting award-winning hostelries. More...

Your Guide 2 the Lake District Recommended Pubs, Bars & Inns:

Brown Horse Inn Winster

Brown Horse Inn - Winster

The Brown Horse Inn, Winster is a traditional Lake District inn with oak beams, log fires and hand-pulled ales and offering accommodation and bed & breakfast
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Red Lion Inn, Hawkshead

Offering full board accommodation and bed and breakfast and serves traditional home cooked food.
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Country Hut Cafe & Wine Bar Bowness

The Country Hut Café & Wine Bar

A café and wine bar set in Bowness-on-Windermere in the heart of the beautiful Lake District that specialises in meats, cheese, coffee and wine.
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Lamplighter Dining Rooms Windermere

One of the top Windermere restaurants serving home cooked produce sourced from Lake District suppliers.
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White Hart Bouth logo

White Hart, Bouth

A 17th century coaching inn in a quiet village setting - a multi award winning CAMRA pub.
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The Engine Inn, Cark

The Engine Inn Pub and Restaurant in Cark, near Grange-over-Sands is a 17th century traditional inn offering comfortable accommodation where good times and good food come together.
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The Keg and Kitchen, Grange-over-Sands

A family-run bar in Grange-over-Sands serving excellent real ales and locally-sourced, freshly cooked food.
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Jolly Anglers Inn, Burneside

A great base for exploring the Lake District, offering a warm welcome, good food and clean comfortable rooms.
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Priory Hotel, Cartmel

A family-run hotel, restaurant and bar that combines traditional features and modern facilities.
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Village Inn Bar & Grill

With great dishes throughout the day and evening, offering everything from cake and coffee to homemade pasta classic dishes.
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Pig and Whistle, Pub & Bistro, Cartmel

A traditional pub serving real ale, with a real log fire to add to the warm atmosphere.
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Cavendish Arms, Cartmel

A former coaching inn and one of the oldest buildings in the quaint picturesque village of Cartmel.
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The Ship Inn, Sandside

Serves great food and real ale with spectacular views over the Kent estuary.
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Cross Keys Hotel, Milnthorpe

A family run hotel and public house in Milnthorpe
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The Pig, Windermere

A cosy bar and restaurant in the heart of Windermere village in the Lake District that specialises in all things pork, with a mouth-watering menu.
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Alexanders

Alexander's is a warm and friendly Westmorland real ale pub in Kendal.
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Rose & Crown, Cark

The Rose & Crown pub at Cark in Cartmel near Grange-over-Sands offers superb food and first class service.
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The Sun Inn Kirkby Lonsdale logo

The Sun Inn, Kirkby Lonsdale

A five star, 17th century luxury inn at the heart of Kirkby Lonsdale with an award-winning restaurant.
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Cross Keys Inn Tebay

Guest accommodation in the beautiful Lune Valley near Penrith, a perfect base for visiting The Lake District and Yorkshire Dales.
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The Commodore Inn, Grange-over-Sands

Offering comfortable accommodation, excellent locally-sourced food and real ales.
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The Kings Arms Hotel, Hawkshead

Offering good food and comfortable hotel accommodation and self-catering accommodation in the Lake District village of Hawkshead.
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The Wheatsheaf at Brigsteer

Offers great food and an excellent selection of local ales and brews.
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Punch Bowl, Barrows Green

A traditional Lakeland pub with a friendly atmosphere, great ales and superb food.
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Royal Oak Cartmel logo

Royal Oak Inn, Cartmel

A warm welcome, fresh food and very comfortable accommodation.
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Sun Inn Crook Exterior Logo

Sun Inn, Crook

The Sun Inn at Crook near Kendal is a delightful Lake District olde worlde inn offering traditional hand-drawn ales and tempting home-cooked food
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Masons Arms logo

The Masons Arms (Bowland Bridge)

Offering high quality accommodation and wholesome local food which is freshly prepared using top quality Lake District produce.
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Pheasant Inn Allithwaite logo

The Pheasant Inn, Allithwaite

A warm welcome, clean and comfortable surroundings, value for money, well kept beer and good food.
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Kings Arms, Cartmel

Offering locally-sourced food and real ale in historic Cartmel, near Grange-over-Sands.
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Hare & Hounds, Levens

A former 16th century coaching inn in the village of Levens near Kendal that serves home cooked food and casque mark real ales.
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pubs_&_inns_lake_district.jpgMany of the Lake District Pubs and Inns have a great deal of history attached, with the term “Inn” being associated with accommodation. Some modern-day pubs were former "Coaching Inns," situated on the original routes used by horse and carriage. The Inns would accommodate the travellers and the horses would stay in an adjoining barn.

Lots of these Pubs & Inns have kept the open log fires, stone floors and exposed oak beams, giving them a real cosy atmosphere on dark winters' nights. In summer time, beer gardens are proving to be very popular and when you get a nice day, is there anywhere better to enjoy a beer; than looking at the Lake District scenery? A growing number offer mainly locally sourced food and real ales brewed here in the Lake District.

There are several locally brewed beers that are served in many Lake District Pubs, Bars & Inns with Hawskhead and Coniston breweries being amongst the most well known. There is also an increase of local "Micro Breweries" where beer is produced on the same site as the pub or inn and may only be sold at select outlets. The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is very strong in the Lake District and Cumbria! Beer festivals are popular in various Lake District Pubs & Inns, visit our events pages for information on the next beer festival to be held locally

If you have a favourite Lake District Pub or Inn, that you can highly recommend, let us know and will see about featuring it on the Lake District Pubs & Inns Guide.