The Priory - Copeland

Ate in the bar area on my way to Eskdale, as I had read about here in the AA Restaurant Guide. I certainly wasn't disappointed and found the service to be very friendly and the prices extremely reasonable (under £17 for a starter and a main). The starter was an extremely tasty chicken gyoza dumplings with a pea shoot salad and a sweet chilli sauce. My main consisted of a huge slab of chicken and leek pie with seasonal vegetables, thick cut chips and pan gravy. I couldn't eat any more after this as the pie was so huge, but ever so tasty. It was packed full of tasty filling and encased in a lot of pastry. It wasn't fancy, but was very rustic. If you love pie then definitely venture to here. I would certainly recommend this venue to others in the area....

I dined at this restaurant while staying at the hotel with two colleagues. We ate in the main dining room, which is spacious but has open acoustics that make it difficult to have private conversations. The menu is not extensive, but it offers good options made with fresh ingredients. The quality of the food, especially the meat and fish, is fantastic, and the simple sides allow the main ingredients to shine. The service is efficient, though somewhat impersonal.

We had a private dinner and accommodation booked at Sella Park Hotel. The restaurant food and service were fantastic. The staff made sure every person was happy and went above and beyond. I would highly recommend visiting the restaurant and staying at the hotel. It was a fantastic night with great company.

Visited the priory after along drive home from the south coast as we didn't want to bother cooking. It was a bit busy and we were told it would be 15-20 mins for our food to be ready. Not a problem as we were having a relaxing drink. However it took over an hour for our soup starter to arrive by which time we had gone of the notion so left. Normally on our previous visits this restaurant has been ok but on this occasion it was a big let down. Might be some time before we return.

It's worth booking in advance here, but often there is a table for the casual visitor. We have always found the menu to be interesting and varied, and found the staff to be friendly and very helpful. Service has invariably been good but at times the staff have been really busy and under pressure because of guests from the adjacent Premier Inn. Nevertheless you do get a good, interesting meal at a very fair price. We use the restaurant quite frequently