L'Enclume

L'Enclume Review

Cartmel, one of the most attractive southern Lakeland villages, has earned a place on England's culinary map with this ambitious restaurant with rooms in a forge converted to a bright, contemporary, and airy space with dark wooden beams, stark white walls, and splashes of color. Chef Simon Rogan's innovative food incorporates long-forgotten herbs; choose from three fixed-price menus (£69-£89) with up to 12 courses, or go for the simpler lunch (£25). Your choices might include potatoes in onion ashes and lovage, or roast cauliflower with young squid and elderberry vinegar. Some dishes work better than others at this outpost of molecular gastronomy, but boredom is never a risk. Nearby Rogan and Company, run by the same team, has a slightly less elevated menu. Cartmel is 17 miles south of Hawkshead.