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

Very friendly staff, great variety of dishes, really tasty - recommended

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.

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.

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.

Amazing place, the food is beyond my expectations, well presented and tastes good. The atmosphere is relaxing with a beautiful view and gentle live music. Honestly in 10 years in UK is the first Good 5 stars restaurant that I've been so far.

My friends and I enjoyed our night. The service was good. The food was really good, decent portion. My friend said it was the best gnocchi she ever had and the fruit of the sea was also really nice (lots of seafood, could tell the pasta was fresh, couldve been spicer for us tho). Desserts good too. No complaints.

The most scrumptious serving of pasta I have had the pleasure of indulging in... I offered a friend a taste but told her she had better try it now as I couldn't promise any leftovers... and I nearly had to lick the plate! The best part is I didn't feel uncomfortably stuffed after downing the entire plate! Cannot wait for another excuse to visit Dover Marina so I can bask in another heavenly moment at Bella Vita! Thank you chef Larissa, for your hospitality, personality and your amazing food!

Nice Italian restaurant by the port. We tried their Filetto Di Salmone, Risotto Pollo Pesto & Asparagi and a Chicken Fillet with mushrooms. They were all good. There is a lot of seating. The staff were very friendly.

Great stay at the royal oak : the room and bed were extremely cosy ; complimentary breakfast was good and the regular patrons welcoming. We were able to store our bicycles in the backyard. Highly recommend for bikepackers.

Rooms look like they’ve recently been refurbished, lovely decor and cosy rooms. Coffee machine and lovely shower. Free parking although it’s limited so a bit difficult in a large car, there’s other parking nearby though. Breakfast in the morning was lovely and the pub is really pleasant for an evening tipple. Bed comfy although slightly small and room 1 was very noisy (potentially from kitchen dishwasher below). Other than that, ideal stay and would recommend!

A lovely experience. The food was gorgeous and the staff super friendly. They provided us a lunch bag for early checkout. The rooms are small, but clean and cozy. Would totally recommend. The location is beautiful well coneccted to the city centre and good for having a walk.

Super rest6. Great food, nice views, amazing decor, they just need to train the waitress' to be a little bit more professional. They are very flexible and allow you to change the sides for your meal without a problem. We went twice in one week.

If you are in the neighbourhood I highly recommend this restaurant. The food was to die for. The service was top notch. And the ambience cannot be beat. I had the chicken breast, melt in your mouth good. Gregg had the lamb shank and it was awesome.

I have not ONE bad thing to say about this place, it is our lunch spot of choice every Saturday. As a pub-loving vegan, and partner veggie, we find it hard to find interesting options to eat out, but this place has obviously put a lot of thought into their menu! They even have vegan chicken options in place of meat which I rarely see. And re the place itself, the staff are incredibly welcoming, attentive and friendly, even when the place is busy. They are also really helpful with any changes we ask for with our meals. It is incredibly dog-friendly, they've even brought over biscuits and water for us :) They are also very child/baby friendly which is important to note, having just had a HORRENDOUS experience at a different Kentish pub which claimed to be child-friendly (and evidently was far from it). The place is super cosy inside for winter, which is perfect for anyone who struggles with the sensory overload of brightness (🙋‍♀️) and is decorated with loads of eccentric bits and bobs, we see something new every time. MASSIVE garden outside with HEATERS, which is truly such a gem for places these days. I honestly don't get some of these negative reviews, some people shouldn't eat out. People complaining about 'fatty cheese'?? Sorry, what? Saying the lasagne wasn't made fresh? Do they understand it takes hours to make a lasagne? (The veggie lasagne is actually so delicious too). And the pièce de résistance for me, moaning that they can't be seated for food when the place is at full capacity for food...I am genuinely confused. Anyway, do yourself a service and go here.

Loved this place, I had the fish and chips and it was by far the best fish and chips I've had!!! The décor is very quaint and the staff are super friendly. The price of the food and drinks are very good compared to portion size and quality of the meal. I will definitely visit here again!!!

Best fish and chips I've ever had (and I've had alot). Perfect fish. Crispy batter throughout and perfect fish no bones at all. Spot on chips which were crispy on the outside and fluffy potato on the inside. Cant fault that meal at all! Waiter fella was really nice as well. Good ambience for a late meal (8.45). Would deff go back for this meal alone!

Very good service, a little pricey but it was a pure beef burger and it is a hotel so to be expected

Nice place to enjoy the sunshine, drinks a little expensive, food was very nice.

I was impressed with Kendal's Cortillo Lounge. Once sat down, you can order everything from the table (via you mobile and a QR code) with your card, or you can go the till and order there. The staff were bright, polite and keen to make sure we were ok throughout. The food was of the usual high quality I've had in other establishments of the lounge franchise. Kendal was no exception. Well prepared good quality food. Meal sizes were fine, although a touch more mascarpone (with the pancakes) would have been appreciated. The bathroom was clean, hygienic and the hand dryer was a proper blast. So a solid recommendation for the Cortillo Lounge and I'd visit again if in Kendal.

Went today for brunch with the family having previously visited on a few occasions as a couple or sole visits for drinks. Food was exceptional, a great selection and much better quality than some of the other national chains in the area. We liked the fact it was not overly busy. Service was good and food came quickly yet was hot. Kids meal was also good value and extremely high quality.

Decent place. They have a separate vegan and gluten free menu. Sufficient choices for all dietary preferences. I ordered a chicken flatbread but it had too much sauce. Hoping they can fix this. Staff was helpful and service was quick.

Lovely pub, lovely staff and nice food, burgers were a bit disappointing compared to the rest of the food

Good food, good beer and a beautiful place. Apartment was very spacious. Good price for what you get £120 per night.

Lovely Gastro Pub on the outskirts of Kendal. We found this place by chance when looking for a bite to eat on the way to Ambleside, and what a great find it is 👍 It has a really warm and welcoming atmosphere 🙂 with lots of comfortable and spacious tables. Staff are friendly and provide attentive Service. It has a very large and varied Menu and the food is fantastic 👍😎. I would recommend the Mushroom Risotto with Chicken added - it was one of the nicest I've eaten for a while 💙 The Onion Rings were also great 👍 Price is very reasonable for the quality of food 👍

We stayed overnight in one of the apartments and it was a great experience. The apparent was very unique and had some great features. It had everything you needed except a hair dryer. But I am sure there would have been one available if really needed. The pub was also lovely and not overpriced. Definitely would recommend to anyone.

Food reliably good, staff reliably welcoming and very dog friendly - one of my favourites!

It was a sunny day when I visited this place with my family. The food was exceptional and the same applies to the personnel. We sat outside and it was amazing. Not sure how it will be on a rainy day but if the sun shines Strickland Arms is the place to sit and enjoy drinking and eating.

Popped into the Strickland Arms on the off chance they had a table and so glad they did! Overall very welcoming with good service in a real country pub! We all enjoyed a hearty meal of either scampi, lamb hotpot or a GF fish finger sandwich (wish I had gone for the fish and chips as it looked immense!) Located close to the entrance of Sizergh Castle with good sized car park and is dog friendly.

What an excellent place to eat! The service is exceptionally good - we were made to feel welcome from the first moment. Our dog was welcome - she lay quietly by the table. We both chose the lamb and mint pies. SO good! Clearly hand-made pies with tasty crusts all around the meet-filled pie. Even the chips were good in their own right. We are insulted but the garden looked good with areas of shade and sunlight (it was hot when we were there so shade counts). Plenty of parking in the car park and on the road. Located right next to the entrance to Sizergh Castle (National Trust), it’s very convenient before or after a visit.

Bar staff are really nice. Room was decent for price - clean and bathroom was fully stocked with goodies and spa included. Spa was good but no pool. Still, it was nice and clean. Gym looks good. All in all, good. Only issue is the automatic door goes towards you when you enter up the main entrance stairs - bit of a health amd safety issue in my opinion. Lift also takes forever, so just walk if you can.

The food and drinks here are absolutely fantastic!!!!Every dish is thoughtfully prepared, bursting with flavor, and beautifully presented. The drinks are equally impressive perfectly balanced, creative, and refreshing. Whether you're a foodie or just looking for a great spot to relax, this place exceeds expectations. Highly recommend!