Subject: Strickland Arms, Kendal Author: Cecilia Campbell Date: 5/3/2009 Body: RATING Total 19 Great atmosphere 4 Home cooked fresh food 5 Plenty of flavour 4 Good value for money 3 Service with a smile 3 Telephone: 015395-61010 Sorry, can't find the website through Google... Most recent visit: May 3, 2009, for lunch We have been a few times since the original review, but decided it was time to see if the then newly re-opened pub was still as good. We were not disappointed, and it is clear the pub has earned a good local reputation, because by 1 pm the seating areas downstairs and upstairs were all pretty much full. Martin had fish and chips, with delicious home made tartar sauce. The mushy peas were not bright green, they could have been fresher, but the rest of the meal made up for it, according to Martin. I had a dressed crab salad with a lemon and lime mayonnaise. The crab was delicious and fresh. The salad could have been a bit more interesting; raw red onion (I know, I sound like a broken record!) and raw peppers are not enough to make up a meal salad in my opinion. Some avocado, some herbs (dill would have been great!) and maybe some sun blush tomatoes or something flavourful would have made this a perfect dish. As would some accompanying bread. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Luke's Westmorland sausage was very tasty too. Strickland Arms remains our favourite pub in the Kendal area. Original review: June 6, 2006, for lunch  We were recommended by friends to try out this newly re-opened pub next to Sizergh Castle, and as we frequently shop at the excellent Low Sizergh Barn, we recently had an opportunity to try it out. The building is part of the National Trust, and I had read an article in the NT magazine about the new pub venture, which made me extra curious. It was a sunny day, so we were able to eat on the terrace outside, a definite extra bonus – there were also tables scattered on an adjacent lawn, so plenty of space for everyone. You have to ignore the traffic sounds from the dual carriage way, is all.  A quick word about the premises; they are lovely – flagstone floors and old hardwood furniture on the ground floor, which create a great atmosphere – I hope the fireplaces are roaring in winter too. So to the food. It was very clear absolutely everything was homemade, and according to the interviews I had read, many of the ingredients come from local suppliers. We ordered three starters to share between us. The seabass fishcakes with salad and sweet chilli dressing were about the nicest and juiciest we've had in Cumbria, Martin was particularly fond of them. We also had a tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad (a great dish for checking the quality of a restaurant's ingredients), and it was superb – my only complaint would be that the tomatoes were fridge cold, not the bes   Cancel