COVID GUIDELINES - Please follow government advice. Please contact the restaurant if you have any questions
On Sunday Tom and his team produce a mean Sunday Lunch which is very busy so booking is advisable.
Thomas Towle our Resident Chef produces locally sourced Cumbrian dishes cooked to perfection onsite. Tom has had 12 years of experience as a Head Chef in Carlisle Restaurants and at a well known wedding venue in Cumbria. He has great relationships with local suppliers and ability to cater for any occasion. Making the cafe the perfect place to eat.
Safety precautions
- Surfaces sanitised between seatings
- Common areas deep cleaned daily
- Digital, disposable or sanitised menu provided
- Sanitiser or wipes provided for customers
- Contactless payment available
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables
- Waiting staff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
Menu
Great for larger groups and groups requiring access with either push or wheelchairs. Cosy yet vibrant atmosphere, not overly romantic but lovely all the same. The food was faultless and big portions. Great value and lovely setting.
Was excellent and always is when I’ve visited in the past however the service last time was not very good at all. We had to ask for cutlery every course, sometimes we would sit for 5 minutes waiting for someone to see us wave them over with our food going cold. But everything else was perfect.
Amazing place! Really impressed with the service and food!
The food and the setting was beautiful, really lovely.
The music could of been a little louder for more of a vibe.
Staff weren’t very friendly and often stared especially when finishing the meal it made me feel quite uncomfortable. The staff should of been happy to work at such a lovely setting and gave a enthusiastic feel off or even just feeling proud of what they were doing/serving.
Great value on lunch menu, the falafel starter was quite small. Great choice, maybe a few more veggie options as there was only one main. Lovely ambience but service was a bit slow. Bringing out side dishes then 5 mins later mains. Would still return though
We went for breakfast on Christmas Eve, it was lovely very festive, lovely location hope to be able to go again soon.
Very good
Cosy vibes
Lovely food
Overall great experience
All round fantastic, food venue serves and atmosphere. what a lovely place cant wait to visit again..
Literally a hidden treat and well worth the drive out there. Will definitely be back.
Absolutely fantastic setting, superb food, lovely staff, can’t wait to go back!
From booking to our meal, the service was both efficient and friendly. The food was superb and the atmosphere and ambiance was top notch. Will definitely be returning.
Lovely atmosphere and building. The food was amazing, and very reasonable 3 courses for £20 a lovely Sunday lunch! Would definitely recommend.
Very.good service social distancing observed
Beautiful food
Food and service was absolutely amazing! We will definitely be back!
Food was delicious! Although we waited a bit too long for our food, as we waited around 50 minutes. But overall great atmosphere and looked/felt warm and very festive. Waitresses were kind and helpful, our waitress was called Katia I think. Thank you. Will definitely return again.
Delicious food, stunning venue, GF member of the party well catered for, cocktails amazing, covid guidelines well followed, highly, HIGHLY recommended!
Lovely food as always. Service is very good and feels very safe with all staff wearing masks and food and drink being placed at the end of the table to avoid contact. Very well thought out practice in relation to COVID regulations.
Lovely festive lunch quality food and very reasonable priced will most definitely go again
This was a second visit to the Hidden River and it was again, excellent.
The food is by far the best in the Carlisle area and the menu focus is quality rather quantity of choice. The dining experience feels co-vid safe with plenty of room between diners and staff, but this in no way lessens the atmosphere.
Beautiful food in beautiful surroundings, would highly recommend for lunchtime or evening dining!
Food and service was excellent
Amazing food and drinks good service will be back again
We booked to celebrate my daughters birthday which was lovely getting to do this during all the Covid restrictions!! The service was great, food was amazing and the setting was so peaceful and relaxing. We will definitely be back and definitely recommend to all our family snd friend too. Thank you
This place is stunning, this was our second visit and we were equally impressed on arrival but the food and service just doesnt match. The food is in the words of my husband 'food service' bread with soup was sliced brown bread?? my daughter who is 2 was served red cabbage, brussel sprouts and carrot and turnip full of pepper as the vegetables with her fish...
Service is challenging at the best of times atm with face masks, etc but everything had to be requested, I had to signal for help on more than 5 occassions and the overall experience was stressful instead of relaxing...
What a stunning venue! The location is fabulous - and the experience did not disappoint!
We visited for my Mum’s 70th birthday and what a treat it was. Our bubble felt safe and well looked after. Lovely food and drinks. Thank you and a Merry Christmas to you all 🎅🏻
Amazing place and really friendly staff. Would recommend and will definitely be back.
We’d travelled for 1 hour 15 minutes to try this place based on photos and pre ious reviews.
The restaurant is stunning and has a beautiful ambience. A really lovely setting.
Unfortunately I found the whole experience to be a little disappointing. The service wasn’t great but wasn’t terrible either. I just expect better. Having to ask for condiments, finger bowl, more drinks etc isn’t too attentive.
My partner is allergic to alcohol and requested a Peroni Zero. Unfortunately, an alcoholic Peroni was sent over and when we noticed and caught the attention of the waiting staff to explain, as well as to explain his allergy he was laughed at and wasn’t taken seriously.
She also informed us that the menu was incorrect and that the only non-alcoholic beer is Heineken which is probably how he’d ended up with a real beer. I don’t have an issue with the brand however this error meant that when taking the order the member of staff only heard Peroni and sent a real one over. This was sent back yet still added to our bill.
The food was nice however I’d expect some kind of salad or garnish with my burger and chips for £14. The plate just looked miserable.
This was a beautiful place but due to the slow service and my partner’s allergy not being taken seriously, I don’t think I’d hurry back.
Lovely setting. Fishcakes were a bit lackluster, quite "rustic" and my creme brule was a bit tastless and not a great creamy soft texture that I was hoping for. I had the lamb which was nice and the sauce was nice but overall mains seemed a little bland. Sorry but I think the lunch menu is far better.
Lovely food will be here again soon more veg options needed 😊
Great venue in the barn for Covid, great food, great venue, great staff, the distance from the road is offset with a well tarmac laid road, however the carpark is potholed and could do with sorting!
Thoroughly enjoyable! Staff were smart, polite and attentive. Food was excellent, presentation great and very tasty.
Beautiful venue and beautiful food, we really enjoyed our meal. Thank you
Amazing!!! Lovely food. Gorgeous setting - staff were really helpful
As with previous visits, excellent service great food and very covid aware operation in place
Beautiful place. Lovely food and great staff. I am a frequent visitor and have always had amazing food and service.
Always good, been several times.
Very well spaced tables
Lovely Christmas atmosphere!
Everything was stunning. Staff were friendly. Beautiful setting
Very good, can't wait to come back in the summer and sit by the river. Only suggestion is you need signage on the roads as we almost never made it.
Excellent service, gorgeous food at a good price and a beautiful setting.
Great lunch again in fab setting with great festive menu and atmosphere
FAQs
Hidden River Cafe offers takeaway which you can order by calling the restaurant at 01228 792489.
Hidden River Cafe is rated 4.7 stars by 68 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting bookings at the moment.
