Penton, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“I remember it from fifty years ago as a dirty, swirly-carpeted local drinking hole. So much nicer now! Well worth the detour”. Gerald and Margo Smith transformed this Cumbrian inn in 2017 and it has been much accoladed ever since thanks to chef Chris Archer’s “very well-balanced” five- or eight-course tasting menus. The Guardian’s Grace Dent is also a fan: “in recent times especially, it has felt wrong to glorify expensive, unabashedly poncy food, but cooking at this level is something Britain should be proud of”. And before or after your meal, there are “beautiful walks just down the road”.