Pack Horse Inn — Restaurant in England

So we went to Keswick for the weekend and this was during the COVID Three Tier System in October and it seemed the world had descended on the town, you could not get a table in any pub on the high street for a drink not just that afternoon but that night also, everywhere we went it was booked or you had to wait hours before you could get in, as we wandered around some of the streets off the main high street we came a across this place.

Firstly we though the staff were a little rude as we stood by the door waiting to enter as we were asked to shut the door and stand outside quite abruptly we thought. As we stood there contemplating moving off the door opened and a female member of staff asked if we were wanting table for four, she encouraged us into the pub and sat us on a table right by the window, which was a nice little spot and well spaced out.

We were asked to do the track and trace and to sanitise our hands which were the requirements for entry, we did this and sat down to begin our afternoon, we began on the beers and 3 beers and a spirit were around £16.00 which did not seem too bad, the next table was ore then 2mtrs away from us and all the tables seemed to be well spaced out

The toilets were exceptionally clean and in order to use them masks had to be worn when you got up from you table, there was plenty of sanitiser in key locations for you to use, and the toilets limited to 2 people only for social distancing.

The waitress was lovely and was always looking for when we needed to order, initially as the afternoon went on we decided to have some food which we ordered and the food was really good, I would recommend the Cumberland Sausage.

There were lots of people coming and going all day, a lot of them with dog's I don't think I have ever been in a pub with so many dogs allowed but I have to say every one of them was so well behaved.

The pub consists of at least three floors but I think only the bottom floor accommodates for the dogs as some people had to be turned away when the floor seemed too busy.

So cheap beer, good food, mostly friendly staff and very clean and segregated well, we have this now added as a favourite for when we...

We ended up at this restaurant by accident — we checked the menu and decided to give it a try. I'm allergic to many things, so I was really happy to find food I could eat, and they also had vegan options 🙏🏻

I ordered the Vegan Curry with wild rice and gluten-free pita. It was the BEST VEGAN CURRY I've ever had — perfectly spicy, the flavors were beautifully balanced, and the texture was AMAZING. Absolutely delicious.

I wanted to order the Vegan Curry to go, but unfortunately, they didn’t have any takeout containers 😟

The next dish was a large salad bowl with grilled chicken. It had cabbage in it (my husband said it was delicious, but I don’t eat cabbage). The salad was simple but tasty — I enjoy simplicity on a plate. The chicken was a bit dry and slightly too salty. But overall, I was really happy with my dish — it pleasantly surprised me and tasted great.

My husband ordered a soup, which was supposed to be with leek and parmesan, but it turned out to be broccoli cream soup instead. It came with a bread roll and he really enjoyed it.

For his main dish, he ordered stewed beef in some kind of sauce with potatoes. The beef pulled apart perfectly — it was super tender, soft in flavor, and not starchy at all. My husband eats a lot of beef and really knows when it's done well vs. when it’s tough — and this one was EXCELLENT. The potatoes had horseradish which added a great touch, and together with the rest of the dish, it was a true taste sensation.

The only downside: they served margarine instead of butter. MARGARINE IS UNHEALTHY — it should be real butter.

Overall, we highly recommend this place. I left satisfied, full, and without any allergic reaction. Everything was fresh, well-prepared, not burnt, and not greasy.

Fantastic food — we hope they never change the quality.

The ladies behind the bar could be a little friendlier. The young man delivering the food was very nice. The interior has a traditional English style.

WE RECOMMEND THIS PLACE FOR THE FOOD – TOTALLY...

We called in here two days ago. It looked warm and inviting so, with a recommendation from a local, we decided to make a table reservation. Tables were free 6 & 7oclock. However, as we were unsure about the time we would eat, it was suggested that we ring up later when we had decided what time we wanted. So a couple of hours later that is exactly what we did. The answerphone requested we leave a message and they would get back to us. So again that is what we did: Sunday evening table for 2 at 7pm. Couldn't be clearer. No one did get back to us, but nevertheless we assumed we had a table booked, as no one had told us to the contrary. Imagine our surprise and utmost annoyance to be told at 7pm on Sunday, that they did not have a booking for us. No apology given, only that if we waited for over an hour we could have a table then. The reason given, by front of house, was that they were so busy the manager hadn't had time to check her phone messages or emails!!!! What a lame and pathetic excuse that was and what a way to run a business! Why leave a recorded message if you're not going to bother or make time to check them? I asked to speak to the manager but was once again, rather curtly informed, that even if I did they still couldn't let us have a table at the time we had requested. Quite frankly they didn't deserve our business, so we left. May I suggest you reassess your clearly ineffectual customer service practice, then you wouldn't run the risk of...