Cumbria has gradually gone from being a dark horse of the UK food scene to a fully fledged fine-dining haven. Alongside its stunning scenery, the northern county is rich with amazing produce – and that’s just one reason why it has collected more Michelin stars than any other outside of London.
Now, thanks to one establishment in particular, Cumbria is being formally recognised on the global culinary stage. The Old Stamp House in Ambleside came an impressive third in the fine dining category of TripAdvisor’s 2023 edition of the Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best restaurant awards.
Just to clarify, that’s a list of the best restaurants in the whole world, based on the quality and quantity of user reviews over the past year. So, a place on the podium is no mean feat. The venue came above restaurants from world renowned foodie destinations like France and Italy and was one of five UK restos to make it onto the final global ranking.
The Old Stamp House, which secured its Michelin star in 2019, offers an intimate dining experience within the former office of the one and only William Wordsworth. Its dishes take inspiration from the landscape of the surrounding Lake District and are ‘hugely influenced by its seafaring trade with distant lands in the Americas, Caribbean and India’.
Diners can delight in a seven-course lunch or eight-course dinner tasting menu, which both include local aged Allerdale cheese, steamed trout with artichoke and crab and mushrooms foraged from nearby woodland. We’re salivating already.
To tease yourself with even more of the world’s most delicious establishments, take a look at the full Travellers’ Choice Awards here.
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