CUMBRIA is home to four of the North West's eight Michelin star restaurants, making the county one of the top UK destinations for foodies from all over the world. Here's our guide to just what sets these top temples to gastronomy apart

1. L'Enclume, Cartmel **


FROM THE MICHELIN GUIDE: Simon Rogan's L’Enclume continues to evolve, and the brilliance and adventure of the food at this Lake District restaurant is now world-renowned.

Located in one of the most scenic parts of Britain, in a secluded stone-walled building which also features a number of rooms for staying guests, L’Enclume blends contemporary methods with timeless elegance. Food arrives in the form of tasting menus of small dishes – which can include the intriguing 'carrot sacks' with brawn, juniper, fried cake and cress, or other carefully thought up ingredients such as goat's milk mousse, cockle butter and burnt pear.

But, amid the invention, Simon takes care not to lose sight of the familiar. Potted trout is served with radish, dill and rye toast, and while the vintage potatoes might come rolled in onion ash, it’s the flavour that we’ll recognise. Meat can take the form of a duck 'sweetbread' or the pairing of hake and chicken skin, while rare foraged herbs and vegetation are used expertly.

There’s a great wine list chosen to help diners on their quest for "interaction with the food". Two pricing options are available and vegetarians are well looked after.

The Telegraph called L'Enclume, "Britain's most exciting restaurant", while the Good Food Guide continues to award it with a perfect 10/10, cementing its status as one of the best eateries in the country.

2. Forest Side, Grasmere * (new entry in 2017)


FROM THE HOTEL'S WEBSITE: The Forest Side’s restaurant is designed to be a reflection of the landscape in which it sits. To help achieve this, we select only the freshest locally sourced seasonal produce, which is then paired with an exclusive wine list featuring small organic and bio-dynamic wine producers.

Our food ethos is also firmly rooted in the Cumbrian landscape, inspired by head chef Kevin Tickle's upbringing in the western Lake District. His dishes reflect the provenance of the ingredients used and we want to share this with you – we ask you to journey with us through this rich place and feast through what you see, smell and taste.

The light and airy restaurant is itself specifically designed to further connect the diner with their surroundings. The light and airy space overlooks a terrace framed with Lakeland slate towards verdant lawns and a magnificent specimen Lebanese cedar. Through a dappled woodland canopy, guests can enjoy tantalising glimpses of the Lakeland Fells, including Loughrigg, Silver Howe and Dow Bank.

The use of a muted colour palette, the creation of bespoke reclaimed timber and steel tables, a centre piece sommelier’s table made from a windblown tree from the gardens and colourful earthenware plates made by local artisan ceramicists - all further contribute to conveying a sense of place.

We have sought to create a Cumbrian terroir at Forest Side, to link the dining experience to the landscape, to create an interpretation of all that it means to be of this place at every level.

Read our travel and food review of the Forest Side HERE.

3. Gilpin Hotel and Lake House, Windermere * (new entry in 2017)


FROM THE HOTEL'S WEBSITE: Hrishi - The re-named Michelin starred restaurant where Hrishikesh Desai’s imaginative dishes combine great Lake District produce and classic methods to deliver modern British dishes with a twist of Asia: unbelievable textures and flavours that satisfy traditionalists while giving experimentalists something new.