Review: A Michelin-Star Restaurant in a Magical Forest Setting

Heading in through the low doorway, we stumble into a series of homely sitting rooms, with various squishy sofas and cosy corners, fireplaces, and shelves filled with books and games. Upstairs, the bedrooms continue in this theme (think compact, welcoming B&B vibes). We’ve arrived in the late afternoon, just in time for tea as it happens – so we settle into a couple of deep armchairs and enjoy a pot of tea with freshly-baked scones, homemade jam and a delicate cream flavoured with elderflower from the garden. This former 17th century coaching inn is, so far, really living up to its name.

However, not many cottages are home to a Michelin-starred restaurant, as is the case here. As we take a seat in the modern conservatory restaurant at the side of the old building for dinner, the warm welcome remains, but the homely feel is replaced by impeccable service and simply outstanding food.

Husband and wife team Jack and Beth Bond only joined the team at The Cottage in the Wood at the start of the year. The Michelin inspectors wasted no time in coming along to see what they were doing, and they immediately retained the star which the restaurant has held since 2019. With Jack in the kitchen and Beth taking on the role of general manager and head sommelier, the week before our visit the couple purchased the business from its former owners, who are retiring after 22 years at the helm. A few weeks before that, the couple welcomed a baby – so it’s fair to say there’s been a lot going on.

It’s not slowing them down though – Jack and the teams’ next aim is to gain a Michelin Green star. To that end, they’ve been busy planting the garden, they have a water source from the beck that comes off the fell, and much more. Later on, our waiter will bring out an organic, unfiltered natural wine from Greece for us to try, so we can see which way the wine list will be heading in future.

But back to tonight – starting with cocktails. My gooseberry and hot honey margarita is just as sour and sweet as I hoped, with a fiery kick, while my partner’s pickled martini is made with gherkin-infused vodka and dry vermouth, and garnished with a fat green olive and a gherkin (obviously). With these, we enjoy an upmarket take on chips and dips – potato tuiles, intricately shaped into leaves, with a barbecued aubergine dip.

Our first proper course is a small work of art: a layer of savoury custard beneath a collection of jewel-bright Isle of Wight tomatoes, topped with ponzu gel and wild carrot flowers. It’s brilliant, seemingly simple but with unexpected depths of flavour, and sets the tone for what’s to come.

Following this we’re presented with a round loaf of potato bread with rosemary and pine, which we slather with homemade cultured butter, topped generously with salt. Our first paired wine is a fresh, zesty white from Domaine Josmeyer in Alsace – it’s dangerously drinkable, and goes well with the citrus-cured mackerel on our next dish, which is served with cucumber and dill pickle, and an airy sauce made with buttermilk and horseradish.

Next up is pasta (not often seen on this type of menu). The pea cappelletti are served with a deeply-flavoured pork broth and more fresh peas which taste like they’re straight from the garden (this is served with a glass of L’Anjou Chenin blanc from the Loire Valley), followed by perfectly-cooked Cornish lobster (caught overnight and brought up from Cornwall that same day) with fine beans and white asparagus.

Our final savoury course is another triumph: three cuts of Herdwick lamb (including rib) with hen of the wood, asparagus, marjoram and a rich jus. My partner will never turn down lamb, but this is on another level – he eats all of his and half of mine, and announces this is the best plate of lamb he’s ever eaten (believe me, he’s tried them all).

After a suitable breather, we can’t resist ordering the local cheese plate. It’s made up of cheeses from Cumbria, Northumberland and Lancashire, with a side of quince jelly, the obligatory crackers and a satisfyingly sticky malt loaf.

We take a break before the sweet stuff starts – watching the valley darken outside the windows as we enjoy our wine. From here, there are views over the treetops towards Skiddaw, which is slowly vanishing and reappearing behind shifting clouds.

While I’m not a huge dessert fan, my favourite sweet course by far (and in fact the best sweet thing I’ve eaten in months) is a punchy bowl of gooseberries with tarragon and smooth crème fraîche sorbet. My partner meanwhile prefers our final dish: a bright red splash of strawberries (prepared and presented every which-way you can imagine) served with clotted cream and a sesame tuile. Alongside these, a glass of sweet dessert wine almost gets the better of me, but I persevere.

It’s late by the time we take our leave of the restaurant to head upstairs, and the far-away slopes of Skiddaw have faded into black. Back in the conservatory the next morning, the mountain is once again shrouded by clouds, but by the time we’ve both enjoyed a full Cumbrian breakfast it’s starting to clear. We’d love to hang around, but we can’t resist taking the chance to tick another Wainwright off our list while we’re in the area, so we pack our bags and head off early. We’ll be keeping an eye on what Jack and Beth do here next.

The Cottage in the Wood, Magic Hill, Whinlatter Forest, Braithwaite, near Keswick, Cumbria CA12 5TW
thecottageinthewood.co.uk