Crown And Thistle - Eden

First but not last visit to the CAT. 14th Feb and wife's birthday so we always go out for lunch rather than face the must do duty approach of Valentines Evening never bad for people watching, however. The ambience is excellent, the staff polite and cheerful. The food is proper, wholesome and not mean. Good pricing too. Would recommend readers to view their menus ranging from traditional to designer. PS The Steak Pie, filled to the lid comes from Steve Wilson (Corby Hill nr Carlisle and Brampton) this pie is considered to be one of the best in Northern England.

The CAT is one of our first considerations when we have guests or a special occasion to celebrate. Last night, we went when some old friends who were visiting, along with my parents. The service, food, and ambience were excellent, and everyoe in the party were effusive in their praise of the food and drink. I had the Sample of Cumbrian pork, which was outstanding! Rarely do you have a meal which makes you want to explore; “What will this bit taste like?” It was beautifully cooked, and perfect for a meat lover like me. The locally sourced food and drink may make this pub more pricey than some, but we were impressed that the bill was much smaller than we expected. This wonderful, dog-friendly pub should be supported. It’s a jewel in the Cumbrian crown.

Having heard such good things and finally getting a reservation off we went . Greeting was a tad underwhelming we were shown to our table then within seconds asked what we wanted to drink not being allowed to look at drinks menu we asked if young lad could give us a minute .. ordered drinks mine caused some confusion i could see the barman had no knowledge of what i ordered finally came but with wrong mixer and i had specifically asked for lemon i let the mixer go but asked a waitress for lemon who ungracefully took it away then slammed it down on table with no acknowledgement. Same waitress took food order in a not very friendly manner almost as if we were an inconvenience. Food from starter to dessert although the blackcurrant sorbet was tasteless my only complaint . There was no atmosphere which i was surprised about and i felt the staff lacked unprofessional apart from the youngest waitress who was smiley and friendly and a older guy who was pleasant . But we were left too long waiting for items and lots of sorrys it wasn’t busy and there was olenty of staff on the floor . Having worked in hospitality for 38 years in every aspect and running my own businesses i would of liked to have had more of an experience with a friendly host to meet and greet and work the room . So as good as the food was we won’t be rushing back anytime soon .

We had a lovely meal here for my Dads birthday. They went to the trouble of putting a birthday banner out which was really appreciated … the little extra touches go a long way! The food was delicious .. all 3 meals we ordered (all different dishes) were lovely and we all enjoyed them thoroughly. But the highlight has to be the service … the lad that served us throughout the meal was so friendly and welcoming… and the girls who brought the meals were so friendly and smiley. We all commented on how nice everybody was and it did not go unnoticed. For a Saturday night when you could see how busy they were they couldn’t have been nicer and it makes a massive difference to the overall experience of a meal out. We will definitely be back!

First visit for me and it most certainly will not be the last. From the moment my friend and I walked in she has been a few times to the moment we left every thing was top notch. The staff were very welcoming and even though we had not booked and the place was packed amazing for a Thursday lunch time they found a table within a few minutes. Drink order taken. When drinks arrived our lunch order was taken and arrived quickly. The food was freshly cooked and absolutely delicious. I had the cumbrian lamb pie and my friend the corby hill steak pie. Both of them to die for. I decided not to have a dessert but my friend had Tasting of Raspberry, not only did they look good but they tasted great too. Great experience certainly go back. Thanks to everybody 10/10