Keswick punches above its weight for food, helped by the fell-walking appetite and a steady flow of visitors prepared to spend on dinner after a day on the hill. The town has a couple of seriously good restaurants and a long tail of competent pub kitchens; the chains have a small presence and are mostly clustered near the bus station.
Cumberland sausage, Herdwick lamb, sticky toffee pudding, and Bassenthwaite trout are the local dishes worth seeking out. Booking ahead is sensible in summer and on bank holiday weekends.