The Best Restaurants in River, Kent, United Kingdom (2025)

We had the Christmas Menu and wow it did not disappoint. I’m not a big eater but the proportions of food was just right . Lovely tender succulent turkey, plenty of roasties, and four different veg accompanied by stuffing gravy and pigs in blanket. We have been to Joshua Tree quite a few times and it never disappoints. All the staff are lovely and very friendly. If you get the chance please make the effort to go it is definitely worth a visit

We have been going to the Joshua tree for several years whenever we are in the Lakes. The owners are very friendly and the food exceptional. It’s a lovely atmosphere whether you want lunch ior an indulgent cake and tea or coffee. A true gem - Christmas lunch was amazing.

Lucky find. Lovely atmosphere, welcoming staff, fresh food and drinks, Reasonable prices, this cost us £10.50

If you get the chance take your time to locate this wonderful historic venue tucked away down a ginel off Stramonsgate in heart of Kendal. If you do then, like us during our recent visit, you'll be glad you did. The Joshua Tree is a small family run Café & Bistro nestled in one of Kendals oldest Yards in a historic 16th century building. Here we found a warm welcome, great service and some lovely food at an affordable price. The produce is locally sourced and freshly prepared by the team in the upstairs, small and open kitchen area. The menu is unpretentious but with a great selection of what I would call traditional British fare. The homemade soup of the day was delicious, the vegetarian quiche delightful and the chicken, leek and mushoom pie superb. All served by pleasant and efficient, but not intrusive, staff in a wonderful quirky setting. The low ceilings, nice wood burning stove, and open wooden staircase leading to the upstaurs dining area all help to make this a nice venue for us to enjoy a lovely lunch.

5 star in every respect - we love this place! A friendly neighbourhood vibe with incredible service, exceptional food and a really lovely atmosphere. We enjoy coming here for 'date night' or for a nice catch up with friends/family - consistently excellent and always so welcoming. The wine selection is extensive, Stacey is knowledgeable not only on their offering but the wider wine 'scene' too, and we've always found the wines extremely palatable! Very happy to see Ramble & Northern Wine on the Kendal food and drink scene. We will be back!

Two excellent roasts, one local beef, the other a veggie nut roast. Both served with celeriac croquettes, 3-hour carrot, potato paué, braised cabbage. stuffing, Guinness Yorkshire pudding and gravy, 5-cheese cauliflower

Our go-to in Kendal. The small plates are always excellent and Stacey & Harry are really knowledgable about the food and wine they serve (especially as they have their own brand Northern Wine!). Lovely friendly atmosphere from a lovely local couple, highly recommend!

The Sunday Roast was a cut above what I would normally expect. Beautiful local beef and interesting accompaniments, such as the perfect, five hour carrots. The wine was superb and the owners are warm and knowledgeable. Highly recommended.

Fabulous setting in Kendal town centre. Food choices are wonderful as are the flavours. All backed up with great service

After a few beers Albrecht decided to sample some tapas. It was quiet early doors but apparently we got the only unreserved table. Enjoyed a good selection of food washed down with Estrella. It had indeed filled up by the time we left so booking is a good idea.

You can’t go wrong at Comida. We’re vegetarians and always get excellent food and service here. This time we got the veggie Mediterranean inspired full English and the berry pancakes. Highly recommend.

Visited Comida for the first time this evening, and puzzled why I haven't tried before, fantastic tapas, all dishes were lovely, and good social distancing practices in place for the current situation... We will be back!! Edit (Nov 24): We've been a couple of times recently for breakfast/brunch, and really impressed!.. ultra tasty food, well presented, tasty and the staff go out of their way to ensure you're happy!.. Full Spanglish was excellent, with the mini chorizo sausages the tastiest I've had! Excellent restaurant, like been in Spain, unfortunately without the sunshine and heat! 😀

This is a lovely pub with warm friendly staff and good food. Be aware that it gets very busy at weekends so you’ll want to go there before six in to get a seat and should probably book for food. We didn’t have that problem as we were there on a Tuesday but it was still popular. The portions are very generous and my fajitas and quesadillas were both tasty. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the tortillas were homemade. My cousins enjoyed his ribs (the sauce could have be richer or sweeter for his taste). Overall a really good experience made even nicer by the friendly chatty staff. Strongly recommended-would be very happy to go back.

Pre-booked table, atmosphere was great,very cosy place. Staff very friendly and helpful,took our drink orders after about 5 mins of sitting down,then another 10 mins for the menu orders to b taken. Food came out hot, plenty on the plate,very nice Sunday roast dinner, afters board had plenty of variety also. I would defo recommend this place people's .

This is a proper traditional English pub with fantastic staff, amazing food and a brilliant atmosphere. Great to hear about the story behind the pubs name with it being one of the last smuggler trading posts and being part of a secret tunnel network under the village. The Sunday roasts are traditionally cooked, decent quantity and full of flavour. The pizzas are clearly home made and again with fresh good quality ingredients. My wife and I are very particular about our steaks and have to say the fillet steak we had here was one of the best we have ever had and were both perfectly cooked. We normally try a few different pubs when on holiday, but tried this one on our first night and instantly booked to come back for other nights on our holiday. My wife, our two boys and myself would not hesitate to recommend this pub to anyone and will definitely be back the next time we visit this part of the country.

I had an absolutely fantastic experience at The Smugglers pub and restaurant in St. Margaret's at Cliff! The food was delicious, and the Sunday Roast Special with its generous portions, fresh vegetables, and delightful horseradish, apple, and cranberry sauces left me positively surprised. The friendly and relaxed atmosphere inside made the dining experience even more enjoyable. The staff were truly brilliant - attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. Even though it was a random choice during our journey from Dover to Deal, it turned out to be an excellent one. I can't wait to return when I'm in the area again, and I highly recommend this place to everyone!

Used to come here all the time. So while up in the Lakes for a quick trip, had to pop by for dinner and a pint. Just as exceptional as always. Gorgeous beer. Wonderful food. And huge thanks for menu flexibility (one of the people in our group had allergies). Beer garden on the river is a summer gem. Can I come back soon please?

A typical lakeland pub. It was very busy on a Sunday afternoon. We went for a drink after finishing our walk. The smell from the kitchen was really tempting, but I didn't think I'd have time before getting back on the coach. Made do with a pint and some crisps. Maybe next time.

Great warm friendly local pub. Quality beers. Open fire country pub type place Also, the only one left in the village I think, so just as well it is really good.

Brilliant unsuspecting little place indeed. Visiting the Lakes from Cornwall I was unsure where to eat so chose Pedro’s Casa as it ranked number 1 in Kendal. The nachos were world class and easily on a par if not better than any I’ve had in the states across my 13 (and counting) visits there. The chicken and chorizo chaser was nice too and the Cumberland tacos an interesting fusion between British and Mexican cuisine. I would highly recommend Pedro’s Casa to anyone!

Fabulous food, brilliant service. What a great place. We were only visiting Kendal but would come back just for this place and stay over. Excellent cocktails too. Decor cool, comfy seating, good relaxed, chilled vibe. Definitely my new favourite place. Brilliant waiter, guy with long hair - attentive, funny, really great service.

I went to Pedro’s Casa for dinner with a friend this weekend as I have just moved to the area and was intent on finding the best dining experiences in Kendal. Well what can I say…an amazing meal with super friendly staff. We had 6 dishes off the tapas menu and each one was a delight, I highly recommended the beef burrito and the salt and pepper squid, each dish was an ample portion and beautifully cooked and presented. The wine I had was absolutely delicious too (Chilean Chardonnay) the service and friendliness of the staff was great, nothing was too much trouble for them and the took time in engaging with conversation after our meal. Overall highly recommended and now that I’m a local Kendolian I shall be frequenting Pedros many times in the future.

Great place to have a nice dinner. Good service, friendly staff. The method of the order was explained by a staff member and they gave us advise too how many dishes we should order for 2. We booked our table but i saw they took customers who just walked in. Food was delicious and enough for 2 of us. We ordered 2 main, 1 side and 2 starter and we shared everything.

Popped in today for a latte and after about a 30 second, do I or don't I, I got a salted caramel brownie I was greeted with a smile and the lady behind the counter was very friendly. I requested the latte in a mug, which I received and the service was also very quick! I have just finished the brownie and OMG! One of the best I have tasted! Baked to absolute perfection! Are they bought in or made on the premises! Thoroughly happy with my visit today!

Popped in Kendal while on route to the Lake District by local recommendation. As we wanted a dog friendly venue. food was amazing staff very polite and attentive. Great atmosphere. Allergy compliant as one of the party had an egg allergy and the other was gluten intolerant both had great food and the staff was very aware of allergy requirements. Water bowl supplied for our dogs as well. Very good menus for vegetarians and people with allergy’s.

This lovely, bustling little café had so many tempting options on the menu! I ordered the Paris Benedict (pictured), and it was absolutely gorgeous. I also tried the lavender hot chocolate, which was amazing - such a unique and delicious treat. The atmosphere was cozy with comfy seating, and despite how busy they were, everything arrived super quickly, which was impressive. The only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is that while the service was efficient, the interactions with the staff didn’t stand out in any memorable way. That said, I’d still highly recommend this spot for a great breakfast!

Fabulous staff, fabulous food, dog friendly and the staff couldn’t stop cuddling my little maple and brought her water and treats. Couldn’t recommend this place enough. A perfect start to my birthday weekend - thank you! And the pancakes are delicious!!!

I ate there yesterday but was not staying there. Hence, there is no rating on the rooms. The steak and collie wobble are pie was delicious. Service was great and the foods sensibly priced.

Look this place is everything you need in a lake district inn. Warm fires, excellent food and some genuinely outstanding beer. The staff were amazing with us and I cannot compliment the bar staff or chefs enough. Would go back tomorrow would give it 6/5 it it were possible to rate it that highly

Can across this pub as another one was closed after 2pm for food. So happy we did, ordered 3 sandwiches 3 drinks and can honestly say the food was hot, well presented and good value. Would like to say a big thank you to the member of staff who found my mother in laws handbag which she left behind and we had retrace our steps to get back. We have now been back on another occasion and again the welcome was warm and the food just as excellent as before

Really good variety of options. Everything we had was superb. Very good service. Food came out quickly despite it being busy. Clearly a popular restaurant. Good vegan/ vegetarian options available also.

Delicious food, nice cosy atmosphere. Had good gluten free, peanut free and shellfish free options and staff double checked with the order to ensure it was safe for me to eat.

Had a lovely evening here. Very diverse menu, covering different tastes. Had salads with soft boiled eggs for starters. Hubby's was brussel sprouts & tasted lovely. I had the beef onglet for main & Roast Cod for hubby. Absolutely gorgeous 😍 Then the trio of desserts for him & ice cream for me. Couldn't fault anything. The atmosphere was lovely. Service was unbelievable. All food came to the table quickly & with a smile. We had a bottle of New Zealand red, which was Lush. Would definitely come back & and recommend it to anyone. A really lovely evening.

Delicious meals and friendly and attentive service. We very much enjoyed our evening, and the wine recommendation. Be warned - the paella for two is amazing but enormous! We are going to enjoy our lunch tomorrow.