Eating out
From the community-owned pub in the village to dinner in Colne: the places we'd send our friends.
The Trawden Arms, the pub the village bought in 2021, is a few minutes' walk from the door. Colne, 1.5 miles away, has Italian, Thai, a market hall and a CAMRA favourite, and the Ribble Valley has some of the best pub food in the North. Dog-friendly places are marked where the venue says so (the Trawden Arms welcomes dogs). More in our dog-friendly guide to Trawden and Pendle.
Church Street, Trawden. Community-owned village pub with food, real ale and rooms.
Trawden's own local, and a proper one. The village bought the pub in October 2021, raising half a million pounds through more than 400 shares, so every pint helps keep it going. Food is made fresh to order from local suppliers wherever possible. Follow its Facebook page for events. It's the easiest night out from the cottage door.
Tripadvisor 4.5 (214 reviews) (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Keighley Road, Laneshaw Bridge. AA Rosette gastropub.
Laneshaw Bridge's AA Rosette pub follows a true farm-to-fork approach, with dishes built around Lancashire's fields, farms and producers. Menus run from relaxed lunches to a tasting menu, steak nights and Sunday roasts, with vegan and children's options too. Book ahead, ask for a high chair if needed, and let them know if the dog's coming.
Tripadvisor 4.7 (813 reviews), #1 of the Colne-area restaurants on Tripadvisor (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Emmott Lane, Laneshaw Bridge. Country inn with rooms (Seafood Pub Company).
A handsome stone inn on the lane towards Wycoller, part of the Seafood Pub Company. It serves breakfast as well as lunch and dinner, which makes it handy for an early start before a walk. Well-behaved dogs are welcome in the bar. Staff will even suggest local dog-walking routes, and there's a towel if paws come in muddy.
Skipton Old Road, Foulridge. Thwaites village pub with rooms.
A friendly Thwaites village pub on the edge of Foulridge, close to the reservoir and canal. Breakfast is served every day. The menus run from homemade cheese and onion pie to small plates, pizza and afternoon tea, alongside cask ales and cocktails. It's a good shout for a Sunday roast with the family or a pint by the fire.
74 Albert Road, Colne. Family-run Italian restaurant and café.
Award-winning and family-run, Little Italy brings proper Neapolitan pizza and handmade pasta to Albert Road, with a gluten-free pasta option. Steaks, grills and seafood follow, then handmade desserts and artisan gelato. Italian coffee and pastries make it a good daytime stop too. Ask about the separate café and lounge.
Tripadvisor 4.8 (64 reviews) (checked 16 Oct 2026)
78 Albert Road, Colne. Thai restaurant and takeaway.
A small, cosy Thai restaurant a few doors along Albert Road, cooking traditional dishes from fresh ingredients. Eat in, or take it back to the cottage: you can order online, and the restaurant offers a takeaway discount. Ask about its early-bird menu on quieter evenings.
A newer restaurant with few reviews so far (checked 16 Oct 2026)
82 Albert Road, Colne. Modern British restaurant and bar.
A Colne favourite for around ten years with a fresh new chapter. Long-time manager Oliver and head chef Adam took over in March 2025 and fully refurbished it that September. Adam's kitchen puts the emphasis on local produce, served in a lively room that still shows traces of the building's past. It's a reliable choice for a relaxed dinner in town.
Tripadvisor 4.4 (209 reviews) (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Market Street, Colne. Food hall with six independent food and drink operators, plus a modern market.
Ideal when everyone wants something different. Colne's revamped market hall brings together six independent food and drink traders under one roof, including Panko & Sushi, Boroughs and Agroa. There's also The Trig Point bar for local craft beer, wine and coffee. Browse the market stalls while you're there, and look out for the monthly makers' market.
7 New Market Street, Colne. Micropub (real ale and cider, no food).
Colne's first micropub, and the local real-ale crowd's favourite. CAMRA describes an ever-changing line-up of cask ales and real ciders, with a dark and a light ale always on. It has tall wooden sleeper tables like an old railway staging post, plenty of banter and occasional live music. Combine it with nearby Mojo's and Cask 'n' Keg for a gentle crawl.
Skipton Old Road, above Colne. Traditional hilltop pub with food.
High on the hills between Colne and Skipton, this traditional pub has roaring log fires in winter. In summer there's a sunny beer garden with big views. Expect local real ales and homemade food. Children will make a beeline for the outdoor play area, and dogs are welcome in the bar. The pub asks you to phone to book a table.
Kelbrook, near Earby. Robinsons country pub with rooms.
Freshly refurbished, the Craven Heifer mixes traditional features with comfortable modern style. The kitchen cooks everything on site from local suppliers, putting a contemporary spin on British classics. Diners single out the Sunday roasts. There's a big car park, and the pub suggests booking because it gets busy, especially at weekends.
Tripadvisor 4.5 (851 reviews), Travellers' Choice 2025 (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Barley Lane, Barley. Village pub with rooms at the foot of Pendle Hill.
A long-standing walkers' and cyclists' favourite in the heart of Barley, perfect after climbing Pendle Hill. Expect hearty pub classics, including its famous Pendle Inn pies, plus a selection of real ales. There's plenty of space inside and out for families, and pets are welcome. In busy periods, use the village car park rather than the roadside.
Barley Village. Country pub with rooms.
A cosy, hunt-lodge-style country pub at the foot of Pendle Hill, with log burners when it's cold and hearty pub classics on the menu. Walkers rave about it as a post-Pendle stop. Four-legged friends are clearly welcome, and the pub even has a doggy menu. It sits just along the lane from the Pendle Inn.
Downham, Ribble Valley. Country inn with rooms (James' Places).
In the timeless village of Downham, on the far side of Pendle Hill, this classic country inn has flagstone floors, low beams and crackling fires. The seasonal menus mix comforting classics with changing specials, and the bar keeps local ales and a well-chosen wine list. Pair it with a walk in one of Lancashire's prettiest villages.
Keighley Road, Trawden. Café and cake shop with an adjoining gift shop.
The village café, and a real gem. Jackie and Francesca serve home-cooked breakfasts and lunches: jacket potatoes, soups, quiche and generous sandwiches. The star is the ever-changing counter of homemade cakes. Visitors heading back from Wycoller love it. There's a lovely gift shop through the connecting door. Reviewers' tip: come early if you want a scone.
Tripadvisor 4.4 (78 reviews), #1 restaurant in Trawden, Travellers' Choice (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Ball Grove Country Park, Colne. Lakeside café.
Set up in 2015 by cake-maker Tracey Bolton, this welcoming café sits right by the lake in Ball Grove park. Everything is homemade from locally sourced ingredients: all-day breakfasts, soups, sandwiches and rather special afternoon teas. Children can let off steam in the playground. The riverside Ferndean Way links it on foot towards Wycoller.
Tripadvisor 4.4 (96 reviews) (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Alkincoats Park, Colne. Park café.
A much-loved community café in Alkincoats Park, serving fresh food, home-baked cakes and desserts every day to eat in or take away. Its homemade cheese and onion pie has a local following, and there's a different lunch special daily. Afternoon tea must be booked. There's free parking and seating outside.
Tripadvisor 4.8 (192 reviews), Travellers' Choice (checked 16 Oct 2026)
26 Church Street, Colne. Independent coffee shop and tea and coffee merchant.
A small, cosy coffee shop on Colne's busy high street of independent shops. As merchants too, they stock 19 different single-origin and blended beans, plus loose teas and Austrian and Belgian hot chocolate to take home. It's the place in town for a properly good flat white while you browse. Buy a bag for the cottage cafetière.
Tripadvisor 4.9 (131 reviews) (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Barley Picnic Site, at the foot of Pendle Hill. Walkers' café.
The classic refuel stop for Pendle Hill walkers: a cosy cabin at Barley picnic site, open every day. Expect a full English, broth and ploughman's platters, plus tea, cakes, generous ice creams and hot chocolate piled with cream and marshmallows. There's a handful of little witch-themed gifts too. Its car park is right beside it.
Tripadvisor 4.5 (139 reviews), per the Lancashire Telegraph (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Ouzledale Foundry, Long Ing, Barnoldswick. Café in the grounds of the ESSE stove foundry.
A quirky find: a café in the grounds of the ESSE stove foundry, right beside the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Its cakes are baked on ESSE cookers. It pairs nicely with a towpath stroll or a visit to Barnoldswick's independent shops.
North Valley Road, Colne. Fish and chips, with delivery.
Colne's top-rated chippy serves traditional fish and chips with excellent service. Best of all for a lazy first night, you can order online or through its app and have it delivered. You also earn loyalty points on every order. Collect in person if you'd rather; it's a short drive into Colne.
Tripadvisor 4.8 (115 reviews) (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Keighley Road, Colne. Fish and chip shop.
The nearest chippy to the cottage, on the Keighley Road as you head into Colne, and one of Tripadvisor's best cheap eats in the town. Expect traditional Lancashire fish and chips to take back to the cottage. It's perfect when nobody fancies cooking after a long walk.
Tripadvisor 4.3 (46 reviews) (checked 16 Oct 2026)
19 Albert Road, Colne. Indian restaurant and takeaway.
A long-standing Colne curry house on Albert Road, cooking freshly prepared Indian favourites to eat in or take home. You can order online and pay in advance, so a curry night at the cottage takes very little organising. Collect on your way back from a day out.
19 Albert Road, Barnoldswick. Fish and chip shop.
Worth knowing if you're out Barnoldswick way. This town-centre chippy has a fiercely loyal following, and reviewers rave about fish cooked to order, generous portions and the steak pudding and chips. They also praise the friendly owners. It makes a satisfying end to a day on the canal or at Earby and Thornton.
300 Wheatley Lane Road, Fence. One Michelin star pub (2026 guide).
The nearest Michelin star to the cottage, and still very much a lively local pub. Chef Tom Parker cooks a small, seasonal set menu, which the Michelin Guide praises as unpretentious yet refined. It's the only Timothy Taylor pub in Lancashire, so expect a superb pint too. Book well ahead; it's small and much sought after.
1 Michelin Star (2026 guide); its own site also cites 3 AA Rosettes (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Wiswell, Ribble Valley. Michelin-listed gastropub with rooms.
A slice of country refinement with contemporary flair, tucked in a quaint Ribble Valley village. The aim is the ultimate gastronomic experience in a pub that feels as relaxed as your own front room. Choose from set menus, a six-course menu or the celebrated Sunday lunch, and stay over in one of its rooms for a proper treat.
Michelin-listed. Named in Harden's top Sunday roasts (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Dancer Lane, Rimington. Farm-to-fork fine dining on a working organic farm.
At the foot of Pendle Hill, chef-patron Doug Crampton cooks on a working organic farm. Many ingredients travel zero food miles from field to plate, alongside foraged finds from meadow, moorland and hedgerow. It won a Michelin Green Star in 2026 for its sustainability work. Note that some evening sittings are adults-only.
Michelin Green Star (2026 guide) (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Sawley Road, Grindleton. Country gastropub.
Named one of Britain's cosiest pubs by the Good Food Guide, the Rum Fox crashed into the Top 50 Gastropubs at No. 9 in 2026. The Michelin Guide praises its "well-sourced produce and textbook execution". There are seasonal and tasting menus plus a Sunday lunch. The Den private dining room seats up to ten for a celebration.
Michelin Guide 2026 (selected); No. 9 in the Top 50 Gastropubs 2026 ("Highest New Entry") (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Northcote Road, Langho. Michelin-starred country-house restaurant with rooms.
The grande dame of Ribble Valley dining. Chef patron-director Lisa Goodwin-Allen leads the Michelin-starred kitchen with exquisite seasonal menus, served in an elegant dining room with garden views. Add the cocktail bar, a famous wine cellar and a Chef's Table in the heart of the action. It's the place for a milestone birthday or anniversary.
Michelin Star (retained in the 2026 guide, per the Lancashire Telegraph) (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Hetton, near Skipton (Yorkshire Dales). Michelin-starred inn with rooms.
Over the border in the Dales, two-Michelin-star chef Michael Wignall leads the kitchen here. The Angel holds one Michelin star and five AA Rosettes. Choose elegant five- or ten-course seasonal tasting menus, a lunch menu, or a modern take on Sunday lunch by roaring fires. It's a dinner to plan a day in Skipton or the Dales around.
1 Michelin Star and 5 AA Rosettes; listed in Harden's Top 100 UK Restaurants (checked 16 Oct 2026)
103 Main Street, Haworth. Restaurant and bar.
Halfway up Haworth's famous cobbled Main Street, The Hawthorn serves seasonal food with cask ales, fine wines and cocktails, and it has a private dining room for celebrations. Its Sunday roast has a big reputation. It's the perfect way to finish a Brontë day out: the Parsonage is just up the hill.
OpenTable Diners' Choice 2025 badge on its site (checked 16 Oct 2026)
High Street, Skipton. Restaurant in a historic cellar.
Skipton's hidden treasure sits beneath the historic cobbled High Street: Yorkshire produce cooked with a French twist. Chef Mark and his wife Esther have run this cosy, characterful cellar restaurant for about a decade. It's ideal for a romantic dinner after a day at Skipton Castle and the market. Booking is by phone.
Opening times, prices and dog policies change, so please check each venue's own website before you go. Drive times are approximate, from Trawden. Ratings are shown only where we read them on the rating site itself, with the date checked.
Book direct to avoid third-party booking fees
Walk from the door, then let someone else cook. The total for your stay, including cleaning, shows before you enter any details.
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