The Heights Hotel Crag Bar

I really, really enjoyed the home-made vegan burger I had there a few months ago, although I would have enjoyed a slightly bigger burger and fewer chips. It was so tasty, one of the best I've ever had. The non-vegan veggie burger option is only a Quorn burger though. My mum has also enjoyed eating there a few times, including the vegan casserole & the banana/apple fritters with vegan ice cream (I think Swedish Glace). It's really small, just a few tables (I think they have a garden area though, which I didn't go in), and a bit lacking in atmosphere, and some people go there just for drinks as it's a bar as well. So I felt a little awkward walking in and ordering, but I'm glad I did! It's a bit out of the way to get to on foot, but it's right next to two campsites and only a fairly short walk from the beautiful Castlerigg Stone Circle.

This place does serve vegan food at fairly reasonable prices. Having said that, it has an intensely 70s atmosphere with a patterned carpet, "rustic" pub decor and Queen blaring on the stereo. The food I had was the sort of thing you would buy from a chip shop: the curry was a brown gloopy substance containing a lot of cumin and the sweet and sour "Chinese" dish was incredibly sugary. If all you want is basic vegan pub food this place is fine, but if you hate the 70s then stay away.