Subject: The Sun Inn, Bassenthwaite Village Author: Cecilia Campbell Date: 4/6/2009 Body: RATING Total 17 Great atmosphere 3 Home cooked fresh food 4 Plenty of flavour 3 Value for money 3 Service with a smile 4 Telephone: 0871-9170007 Unable to find website Original review: April 5, 2009, for lunch Serendipity lead us to this pub in the lovely village of Bassenthwaite (Underscar Manor, where we had aimed to eat, does not serve people under 12 years old...) Anyway, I'd rather have a relaxed pub lunch than a white table cloth and hushed voice affair any day, particularly on a Sunday, with 2 year old Luke in tow. The Sun Inn is a beautiful old pub with fantastic beams and all the rest of it – although the furniture didn't really add to the atmosphere; homogenous, relatively new, plain dark wood tables and chairs and not many textiles. The welcome was warm though, and we instantly liked the place. The menu is traditional pub food, starters like smoked salmon and chicken liver paté (from £3.50-4.75) and mains like roast beef, roast chicken, steak & ale pie (£8-10). The children's menu is of the standard variety, with all dishes as £3.95. There is also a four course vegetarian menu, which looked good, but not quite exciting enough to win over us hardened protein junkies. Martin and I both had meals off the specials board: I had beer battered cod with chips, mushy peas and tartar sauce. The chips were very good, as were the peas. The fish was cooked a little bit too long for my liking, but it wasn't dry. And any pub which serves tartar sauce in a decent size pot (as opposed to in silly sachets) deserves praise. Martin had venison sausages (from the butcher in Keswick), with mash, gravy and vegetables – tasty and well cooked. The staff was very friendly and The Sun Inn is a place we'd be happy to return to. By Cecilia Campbell   Cancel