The Martindale Restaurant

The North Lakes Hotel is a good-looking contemporary affair with excellent spa and leisure complex handily close to the M6 at Penrith. Its Martindale Restaurant is a striking contemporary take on a hunting lodge, with flagstone and wooden floors, a high beamed ceiling, a log fire in a chunky stone fireplace and bright splashes of art. The kitchen team turns out an appealing line in uncomplicated modern dishes wrought from superb Lakeland materials. Starters could bring on oak smoked duck breast with chicory and damson vinaigrette, followed by roast rump of lamb with salsa verde, and garlic and rosemary potatoes. Thwaites 'Nutty Black' beer ice cream with caramelised nuts is one way to conclude, or you might go for the comfort of rice pudding with stewed plums.