Whitewater Hotel

Lakeland Village is the setting for this hotel and leisure club, housed in a tall and imposing building that was once a mill. It's classic Lake District territory, both outside and in, where the Riverside Restaurant is a soothing room with rough slate walls, high-backed leather chairs and neatly turned-out tables. Dishes are constructed of many elements such as in a starter salad of fried squid, sugar snaps and chorizo, served with black olive and rosemary crostini, or strips of venison fillet cured in juniper and herbs, with beetroot, roasted hazelnuts, goats' cheese and thyme cream. Main course might be accurately timed, crisp-skinned sea bass with honey-glazed fennel and slow-roast tomatoes seasoned with basil and anise. Fine pastry work is the hallmark of a plum Tatin, accompanied by richly flavoured red wine caramel and delicate lavender tuiles.