Where to dine near Bassenthwaite Lake (Lake District): The Pheasant

During a recent trip to the Lake District, the owner of our guest house suggested that the girlfriend and I try The Pheasant - a hotel and restaurant near Bassenthwaite Lake.

The restaurant is actually made up of two separate rooms - The Fell Restaurant and The Bistro.  Both share the same menu, but the former includes a 'cover charge' of £2.50 for 'relaxed ambiance', views and home-made bread.  We opted for The Bistro.

The scotch eggs were a great start, with a lovely soft yolk and a crispy outside.  The ketchup was home-made and had a bit of mustard in it to give it a bit of a kick - something a bit different.

Scotch egg.

My chicken and vegetable pie was piping hot.  The pastry top was crisp, while the filling was full of moist chicken.  However the accompanying vegetables - green beans and broccoli - were quite bland and unseasoned.  The mashed potatoes were fine though.

Chicken and vegetable pie.

The girlfriend's lamb was soft, juicy and had a nice pink colour.  The gravy worked well with the lamb, while the mint sauce had both mint and onion flavours in abundance - perhaps too much.

Medium-rare lamb.

While there were a few things we would have preferred differently, we nonetheless had a positive experience at The Pheasant.  Its modern feel (despite it being in a very old building), attentive and friendly staff, and proximity to Bassenthwaite Lake will appeal to the many visitors around there.

Dimple glass.