Pentonbridge Inn

Pentonbridge Inn is a former coaching inn in the rolling countryside of North Cumbria, near the Scottish Borders. If that sounds a bit remote for dinner, it is the perfect place for a weekend break with snug and stylish rooms to stay over and self-catering apartments at Netherby Hall just a few miles away.

It is well worth the journey. Pentonbridge Inn specialises in highly seasonal complex dishes that taste as beautiful as they look. Under the stewardship of head chef Chris Archer, it won its first Michelin star in April 2023 to go with its three AA Rosettes.

Much of the produce is sourced very locally. They have their own kitchen garden at Netherby Hall, and you’ll also find superb Cumbrian lamb from the nearby hills or exquisite Scottish fish and shellfish from just over the border.

The menu is a set eight-course tasting menu with an optional paired wine flight. It changes to accommodate the ripening of fruit and vegetables in the walled garden so you are enjoying each ingredient at its best. On your visit, you might discover dishes like vadouvan spiced Orkney scallop with broad beans and ginger veloute, or rhubarb with coconut and gingerbread.

The descriptions are somewhat elliptical but the dishes themselves reveal far more with a finesse and depth of flavour you won’t find in many restaurants. Pentonbridge Inn feels like a place whose time has come.