The Stag Inn — Restaurant in England

I've passed through Dufton 3 times now doing long distance walks & eaten here all 3 times. The food is exceptional & a great rotation of local real ales (always been 3 available when I have been there). My most recent visit was May 9th 2024, the beer I had was excellent and fresh (Allendale, Pennine Pale), but the food was the star, a big slice of a homemade chicken, mushroom, mustard & whisky pie, roast veg incl a beetroot. Absolutely packed with the best chicken breast chunks, without doubt the best pie I have ever eaten. The staff (Amanda) was so friendly with strangers as well as the locals. The beer garden can't be beaten either, looking out across fields of sheep, then on upto Dufton Pike with Cross Fell looming in the distance. I love this place so much I plan my walks to pass through here. One word of warning, for a few weeks around the Appleby horse fair, the village & pub is overrun with travellers so they don't take bookings, so check the date of the fair. Though I was in the village when the nearby fair was on & it WAS packed but it was a great atmosphere, all the horses & carts 'parked up' on the green outside the pub. No hint of trouble, a great...

I arrived at 4 and told landlady I wanted food, she said they start serving at 5:30, the pub wasn't busy but my order wasn't taken until 5:50. A couple came in at 5:20 asking if they could have takeaway as they were being picked up at 6, they were told no takeaway but they would get food in time, it was 20 minutes before their order was taken, their food was served on plates at 6:05 as their lift arrived, they did get it to take away in the end. A couple booked by email but it wasn't on the system, the woman tried to order food but was told the chef wasn't ready for more orders yet (they were the 5th table of the day). A couple booked by phone for 6:00 their reservation was not on the system, at 6:30 (when I left) their order still hadn't been taken. Staff made a comment about pennine way walkers making subtle hints for attention when they saw me limping (behind my back but loud enough for me to hear), I was limping because I have damaged my spinal cord, not for attention. Food was great, the way the restaurant was run was a shambles and it was a bit unprofessional to here the barstaff making...

we booked over 4weeks before we got to dufton for the last 4yrs at Easter we've eaten at the stag every night and Sunday lunch but tonight we were booked in for 6.30 in the restaurant then one of the staff came and said we would have to sit in the bar and not in the restaurant as they were fully booked children were running in and out kept knocking our table so we reminded her we had booked over a month ago and we didn't feel comfortable eating in the bar we,d also got a booking for Sunday lunch but she said take it or leave it the landlady came and was very rude and said I,ll cancelled your booking for Sunday lunch too very rude not good customer service so we found alternative food at the masons arms and the staff and landlady were very nice couldn't do enough good manners and service and the food were better at the masons arms too 10 out of 10 to the masons arms having...