FOUR Lake District restaurants have been recognised as being among the best in the UK.

L'Enclume, The Forest Side, Aulis at L'Enclume and The Old Stamp House have all been named in the Harden's top 100 best UK restaurants diners poll.

The Harden Guide is the only UK restaurant guide sold in bookshops based on feedback from normal diners rather than a group of professional inspectors.

Simon Rogan's L'Enclume, on Cartmel's Cavendish Street, came in at number eight with the food, service and ambience all rated 5 (exceptional).

The restaurant, which gained three Michelin Stars last year, becoming the first outside southeast England to do so in 49 years of the UK Michelin Guide, was described by visitors as "one of our most memorable experiences ever."

Based on a three-course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover and service charges and VAT, a visit will set you back nearly £300.

Aulis At L'Enclume, which has just six seats and offers an immersive, intimate dining experience, came in at number 45. It had a point less than its sister restaurant, L'Enclume, achieving a 4 (very good) for ambience.

Grasmere's Michelin Star Forest Side, described as one of the "highlights of Lakeland and UK gastronomy, placed 27th, with exceptional reviews for both the food and service. The ambience was rated as 4 (very good) at the Keswick Road hotel.

Described as 'a delicious plated journey around Cumbria’s fields, lakes, woods, coast and fells', The Old Stamp House took spot 79 on the list.

The Michelin Star restaurant on Church Street, Ambleside, was handed a 5 (exceptional) for its food, 4 (very good) for its service and 3 (good) for ambience.

A total of 30,000 reports are submitted from a survey of 3,000 diners to compile the guide, which this year, was headed by Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at the Greeneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland.

Harden's also found the southwest to be the strongest dining region, after the southeast with Cornwall, as the county with the most top 500 listings and that this year, increasingly cost-conscious diners are exhibiting ‘push-back’ against restaurants they perceived as overpriced.