Norfolk Arms Hotel, Ringinglow

That log burner was glowing away and the place felt lovely and warm. We’d already eaten our packed lunch after a walk at Wyming Brook, otherwise we’d have stayed for Sunday lunch. It looked magnificent, so we’ll try it next time we’re in the area. We only popped in for a drink, and the bar staff gave us a friendly welcome and were happy to have a bit of banter.

The friendly atmosphere and amazing view were the best parts after our walk. I had the pork roast and my friend chose beef; I swapped the baby potatoes for mash and was glad I did. The pork was pretty dry, the vegetables needed more flavour, the cabbage was odd, and the roast potatoes were cooked through but not very crisp. Gravy could’ve been better, though the cauliflower cheese was decent. The service was great.

We went in for a meal and found the prices reasonable. The pub interior looked nice with its Christmas decorations, but the food was awful. The ingredients seemed so poor they made Wetherspoons look Michelin star, and three of the four of us couldn’t eat most of the meat we’d ordered. The manager served us and asked what was wrong. We were polite and didn’t complain, but she then seemed annoyed that none of us wanted to finish our food. Maybe it was a one off in the run-up to Christmas, but either way we won’t be back.

We had such a good time here at the beginning of December that we’ve booked to return in January. The room was beautiful, with a four poster bed, a lovely bath, gorgeous views, and a really good coffee machine. We loved it.