The Black Bull Inn

We have just been charged £100 for NOT having dinner at the Black Bull. Unfortunately my son’s cricket tour was terminated early due to rain and all the children returned to the south of England in the school mini bus. As dutiful parents we followed behind. En route home, at lunchtime, we called the Red Bull to explain the situation and that regrettably we would not be able to make our reservation. We were told that this was not a problem because they would charge us £100 for not turning up anyway. We do appreciate the issues faced by restaurants when customers choose not to show up, and especially without advising the restaurant at the first possible opportunity. But when a customer makes contact to explain a legitimate reason for a change in plan, one would hope that the response might be somewhat more accommodating. £100 would seem to represent a multiple on their expected profit margin for a pub meal for four. Perhaps it was the dismissive and frosty manner in which the message was delivered that made the whole matter even less palatable. So our advice would be either; DO NOT make a reservation unless you are 100% sure you will be able to make it, or go to the Dalesman Country Inn 80 yards away instead where the food and hospitality are absolutely first class.

I looked forward to Sunday lunch at the Black Bull having heard a good report. Very very disappointing. The food was all tepid, the sides of roast potatoes and undercooked cauliflower cheese were also tepid. Nothing was hot and the meal was very dry. I told the waiter who apologised but I doubt my complaint went beyond our table. The place was cold and the table could hav been cleaner. We had a cheese dessert with a supplement but none of the cheeses were labelled or explained, they were very ordinary. I won’t be going back.

Pros: 1. Greeted delightfully at door, thrilled we were able to be served even though we arrived shortly after 8 pm. 2. We were seated and our wait person welcomed us and served us beer and an order of delicious bread and butter right away. 3. Our order was taken promptly and our wait person was attentive and friendly… The potatoes in cream very good. 4. I will say again our wait person was excellent for what he could control. However Cons: Expensive for what you get. Food was listed as mains but were very small servings, trying to pass as fancy. 1. An hour passed between ordering and food arriving. 2. The Gnocchi: 6 pieces, deep fried crab stuffed, tasted like canned crab. The Cod: maybe 2 oz serving, literally 4 small bites with 2 small potatoes so hard and overcooked needed a knife to cut. 3. The Beef: cooked perfectly but riddled with gristle, not able to cut. 4. When I expressed my disappointment, the maitre’d actually asked us if we had reserved or were walk-ins? This should make a difference? 2 meals were refunded. Do not recommend. Sadly disappointed.

Review is for the restaurant only (didn't stay in the inn). Some dishes were very tasty, others fell flat - notably a rhubarb tart on the dessert menu that was more savory than sweet. What really left a bad taste though was the seeming bait and switch on our wine order. The menu listed options for either a 125cl glass or a bottle. My friend and I each ordered a glass of wine. After our orders were taken, while passing us to go to another table the server called out to us with a question about the wine: ".... ok for the wine?". Because it was noisy and he was walking past as he said it (didn't stop at our table) we thought he'd said "one twenty five" and nodded yes. After all, that's what was listed on the menu. When we got our bill we were surprised to see the cost of our glasses of wine was significantly more than what had been listed on the menu, and we questioned it. The server said that was the cost for 175cl glasses of wine. We pointed out that that option hadn't been listed on the menu! The server then said he'd asked us if we wanted "one seventy five". We pointed out how he hadn't actually stopped at our table to ask us, and given the noise in the place we hadn't been able to hear him clearly as he'd spoken while walking past. Furthermore, why would you serve something not listed on the menu? He then gave us some BS about their use of regulated, standard quantities for drinks. OK, we get that a pint has to be a full pint, but if you're going to serve people 175cl glasses of wine, they need to be listed as an option when ordering. Ultimately they did charge us the 125cl price, but only after we protested. We suspect they do this bait and switch as a way to make extra money off unsuspecting tourists who either don't pay attention to the bill, or don't want to make a fuss as we did. Needless to say we won't go back.

We went to the restaurant only. From the moment we entered I could tell it was a winner. Great service and the food was fabulous. The drinks on offer are vast and reasonably priced the wine list itself is huge with all budgets. Again the staff and service was impeccable.

Why on earth have I not been to this amazing restaurant before? The food is to die for! As huge fans of the Great British Menu and finding ourselves in Cumbria, we booked for lunch at the Black Bull. Wow! The Herdwick lamb dish was superb and homemade sour dough and butter divine. And tell me, what’s the secret to the humous? I have never had such tasty humous in my life before, and I’ve had plenty. If you get the chance, do book a table - you won’t regret it!

Tasteless. Dull uncomfortable decor. Room felt tired and dirty. Tables too close together. Uninterested staff except for the one female who was excellent. Massively over priced. Menu ambitious beyond the team’s skills. Very disappointing.

Wonderful food on the curry night , service was excellent by the young lad Adam. Very attentive and polite in a busy restaurant. Can’t recommend enough the lamb curry, but all were perfectly cooked and seasoned that we tried. The pickle tray was a nice surprise and added to all the dishes too.

We went with local friends and were greeted and shown to our table where certain elements of the menu were explained. We chose venison and beef and both were perfectly cooked - pink but no blood on the plates, and so tender. Deserts were to die for (literally, being diabetic) but looked amazing and those who had them raved at the flavours. A place that we would return to when next in the area, maybe staying a night or two.