Subject: Tweedies, Grasmere Author: Cecilia Campbell Date: 4/2/2009 Body: RATING Total 17 Great atmosphere 3 Home cooked fresh food 4 Plenty of flavour 4 Good value for money 3 Service with a smile 3 Telephone: 015394-35300 www.dalelodgehotel.co.uk Original review: January 26, 2008, for lunch. For all the visitors Grasmere (where we live) gets, there is not really a great country pub in the village – nothing with the atmosphere of the Britannia Inn in Elterwater or Wainrights Inn in Chapel Stile. However, about three or four years ago (time flies...) the huge Dale Lodge Hotel with adjoining pub Tweedies, in the centre of the village, came under new ownership. The pub has found its feet, and is now serving consistently good food to a growing number of customers. When we visit, for lunch on a Sunday in January, both rooms are full by the time we leave. The pub lunch menu, which has not changed in the six months between our two most recent visits, consists of 5-6 starters, mains and baguettes plus a children's selection. The dishes are fairly classic pub ones, like smoked salmon and haddock fish cakes or chicken liver parfait for starters and Cumberland sausage & mash and home made steak and ale pie for mains. Starters come at £4.50-£6.50, mains at between 11 and 13 pounds and baguettes at 6.50. The thing is, the food is really good. It's clearly freshly cooked, and instead of the usual insipid pub side salad, we got a spinach, rocket and chard side salad which is really well dressed and actually adds value to the meal. Martin had a chilli burger with a fab corn and tomato chutney and I had a chargrilled chicken baguette with lemon (and pesto) mayo, both delicious. The prices are quite high, but the quality of the food and side salad makes up for it. The choices are limited if you are a vegetarian, with one pasta dish and a red pepper and brie baguette. The pub claims to be a gastro-pub (at least that's what it says on the napkins), which we think is an over-statement – this is not in the league of the Queens Head or Yanwath Gate Inn when it comes to menues and finesse. At Tweedies they serve good classic pub food, as well as a fantastic selection of beers and ales, including local ones, which is what they should be boasting about. There is a fabulous outdoor seating area in the garden, one of the biggest we've seen in the Lakes, so on a warm day, this is definitely the place to come! By Cecilia Campbell   Cancel