Eating out in the Lancaster area? Check out our listings of local restaurants, cafe bars and pubs serving food ...with something for every taste!

There's plenty to do between meals and after dinner too - our 'What's On' guide is absolutely the best available for Lancaster and the Morecambe Bay Area.

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Additions and Reviews
Tell us about places we've missed - or add more detail to the entries here. Send your reviews to ed@virtual-lancaster.net. Please include the name of the restaurant, eaterie or pub somewhere in the review!

RESTAURANTS IN LANCASTER

Antony's Café Bistro
11 King's Arcade, King Street, Lancaster LA1 1LE
Tel. 01524 39920
Open: Daytimes + Evenings Thu - Sat from 6.30pm
Duncan & Jill Davis (October 2009): We have just moved into Lancaster for a couple of years and discovered Antony’s Bistro after viewing Virtual Lancaster on the net. What a wonderful place to relax and eat fine food and drink fine wine at reasonable prices, the Thursday & Friday night specials are outstanding value a 3 course dinner and a bottle of house red or white for £17.95 brilliant, we will certainly be regular visitors to Antony’s.
Bee Harding (May 2008): Wonderful wonderful wonderful! Delicious evening meal, good price, and helpful happy staff. I have lived in Lancaster for 9 years and have only just discovered this hidden gem. Would definitely return, for dinner or for lunch.
Jack Mitchell (October 2007): Anthony's Bistro is so hidden away it's like a secret, but it's really one of the best places to eat in Lancaster. They do light lunches and amazing specials and the owner's wife bakes their cakes! I really like their milkshakes, they make them with real ice cream. It's an amazing place.
• Eaten here? Send us a review!

Badgers
Lancaster Leisure Park, Wyresdale Road, Lancaster Tel. 01524 846697
• Eaten here? Send us a review!

Bella Italia
26-28 Church Street, Lancaster Tel. 01524 36340
Allie Gutmann (July 2007): Cheap and always cheerful. Bella Italia doesn't boast exotic cuisine, but it does offer excellent food at affordable prices. A student, family and couple
friendly resturant it caters for all tastes and offers and exciting range of italian food. Always tasty and definately a place to go for a bite to eat without the hassle of booking. However the service does leave something to be asked for, but we can't ask for miracles. I would give it a 6/10.
Richard Hardy (December 2006) writes: Wow the atmosphere here was amazing! I came to Bella Italia for my 18th Birthday and it was a night to remember... The menu was really varied and they had a delicious specials board. The waiters all knew what they were doing, they were very organised and they took great care of us, they were very friendly. They even gathered all the staff to sing happy birthday to me. Definitely a night I'd recommend to hundreds more. Well done guys and Ciao!
Kristina (October 2006) writes: For two friends' birthdays, we came to Bella Pasta. We were greeted with a warm and welcoming atmosphere and a delicious and varied menu. Everyone's food was excellent, service was friendly and prompt, prices were excellent value and the staff even managed to organized surprise drinks for the birthday girls. I would definately recommend this place for a casual, enjoyable evening.
David Duncan writes (January 2003) "This is a quality little place with great staff, I'd go there again."
• Eaten here? Send us a review!

Bistro 26
26, Sun Street, Lancaster
Tel: 01524 846252
• Eaten here? Send us a review!
Richard Calcutt (Feb 2008): My girlfriend and I have visited this restaurant a number of times and have been consistently impressed with the great food on offer. We have been for Sunday lunch (which I believe was £11/head for 3 courses) and while the menu at this time is limited, the food is fantastic and cooked in a way which lacks the false pretense of some other restaurants. The staff have always been friendly and prompt, and the decor is classy and refreshing. This place is a gem, unfortunately hidden in one of Lancaster's back streets, but I would urge anyone looking for a high quality evening meal or a Sunday lunch to get a map out a give it a go. Best restaurant in the town for my money!

The Bombay Balti Restaurant
Jubilee Hall, China Street, Lancaster Tel. 01524 844550
Open: Lunch Mon - Sat 12 noon - 2.00pm Evening Mon - Thu 5.30pm - 12pm Fri - Sat 5.30pm - 12.30am Sun 12 noon - 12 midnight
• Eaten here? Send us a review!
Guru Shira Dilip (September 2008): I just completed my MBA course at Lancaster University. I had taken two of my friends on my birthday for a dinner at Bombay Balti on China Street. It was such a bad experience that I would not visit the restaurant ever again and I would like to warn people and help them from visiting the place. The table cloth was dirty and we asked the manager to change it and he said, I quote "if you want to sit, you sit otherwise you can leave". This response is open to all the readers for thier own interpretation. All my friends had warned me about visiting the restaurant but still I ventured and had to pay the price. I would be very happy if this review is published on your website so that people are warned about the same and make an informed decision about visiting the restaurant.
I would also like to bring to notice the poor record of the health standards maintained by the restaurant as available in the Lancaster Council website.
Judith Keshet writes (24/2/06): Really top-notch Indian food, either eat in or take-away. We had an early dinner there when we were the only guests,
so it was a bit low on atmosphere. However, service was friendly and the
food delicious. We've also had home delivery of their meals and will
certainly go back for more.
Elizabeth Clark (Nov 2007): We popped into the Bombay Balti this week and were pleasantly surprised at the décor, the service was slow despite being quite empty, but I’m pleased to report I found the food excellent. In particular the veggie dishes, I haven’t come across a tastier Indian in Lancaster. My son however was not so impressed. His food had been contaminated with nuts and he suffered a reaction after one mouthful of food. The waiter was most unsympathetic and didn’t even offer to get him a glass of water. He had a word with the kitchen staff and came back indignant that it was nothing that they had put in the food. Sadly we had to abandon our meal as my sons head swelled like a pumpkin and his throat got tighter. They didn’t even knock the price of his meal, which he couldn’t eat, off the bill. We didn’t leave a tip, but my son did deposit a large pile of vomit outside their door and in my car. Allergy sufferers beware!

Brewers Fayre
Greaves Park, Bowerham Road, Lancaster LA1 3AH Tel. 01524 389335
• Eaten here? Send us a review!
Taylor (March 2009): Really enjoyable meal out.  It has a warm, friendly feeling as soon as you walk in!  The food is superb and is nice and cheap, so especially good for students on a low budget!

Crow's Wine Bar & Restaurant
10 King Street, Lancaster Tel. 01524 382888
• Eaten here? Send us a review!
Andrew Barratt (March 2008): I should qualify my comments by saying that I consider eating out to be one of the greatest pleasures and luxuries in life and I really am hard to displease. Lancaster is full of great places to eat. Unfortunately Crows is not one of them.
Crows simply doesn't know what it wants to be. Currently it is billing itself as a cafe/ winebar/ wi-fi coffee bar/ restaurant/ bistro/ motel. I think the classification "god-awful craphole" would suffice.
I went there with my wife. The omens right from the off were not good. For a start I found the crow painted on the outside of the restaurant reminded rather too much of the racist black and white minstrel type crows depicted in the movie Dumbo. However, I assumed this was reading too much into it and let it go.
I had pre-booked a table. The restaurant was deserted yet we were still made to wait close to ten minutes until we could go to our seats. My seat was wonky. Annoying.
The menu aims for a faux Tex-mex/American diner feel. (Like I said Crows seems doomed to aim for a multitude of things, even in its menu choices). Naturally enough, assuming it was serving Mexican food I asked for chips and salsa to start and then the chicken club sandwich for a main.
Simple enough? Pah.
Twenty-five minutes later the chips and salsa arrive. Guess what.. yep they have sent us a bowl of oven chips with some dorritos mild salsa. I was looking around for the Punk'd camera crew, but no they were deadly serious. As I said I am easily pleased so I didn't even complain.
A further half-hour later my main arrived. The chicken club sandwich (described on the menu with such mouth-watering terms as "succulent" and "juicy") turned out to be half a chicken breast with cucumber on top served on a cold bap. With oven chips. That were cold. For ten quid. For the first time in my life I actually complained, on the rather reasonable grounds that they were serving polished turds on a plate and passing it off as some kind of americana-bistro delicacy. Honsestly I have could eaten some chicken, bacon and bread, puked it back up on to a plate, served it up and it would have still been closer to a club sandwich than what they were offering.
This place is a joke. The food is awful, the decor is awful, the service is slow and stroppy and they seem to have an ungodly obsession with oven chips (naturally described on the menu as fries.)
Eat here again? I would rather scrape out my own stomach lining with a rusty pair of eyelash curlers thanks.
Antony Weaver (August 2007): I've eaten here once or twice a year for the last few years (never my own choice) and consistently found the service to be mediocre at best, and with the most recent visit last month the staff were mostly
non-attentive or even a little rude! We were with a mid sized group, and all found the food decidedly average in quality and sub-expectation for the price paid.

Etna Pizza Pasta
New Street, Lancaster LA1 1EG Tel. 01524 69551
Tina + Larry (May 2009): We were lucky enough to find this place, and nab the last vacant table on Saturday May 17th when we visited Lancaster for the weekend. The food was the best Italian my partner and I have had in years - I won't go into details of what we ate - it was ALL good - as was the wine, ambience and service. I would recommend this place to anyone wanting good Italian food and wine at a reasonable price.
• Eaten here? Send us a review!

Fortune Star
16 Dalton Square, Lancaster Tel. 01524 842828
James Glass (January 2007): We have eaten at so called "top" Chinese restaurants in Manchester, Liverpool and London and would happily place this among them. The service is excellent, nothing is too much trouble and the food is consistently good.
Saffron Warde-Jones (Dec 2006): Whilst I agree with the previous comments regarding service, my family thought the food diabolical! It could not even be charitably described as mediocre. In terms of Chinese cuisine, I set the benchmark for an “excellent” rating on a par with that served at restaurant’s, such as “Kwok’s” in Ipswich, or “Ken Hom’s” in London. We left most of our order and complained to the staff. Having gone there on the basis of the rave reviews published on both this site and in Fresh magazine, and left so dissatisfied, makes me wonder if the restaurant has changed hands?
Caroline Eames wrote (04/06): "The Fortune Star has extremely friendly and welcoming staff and I have never had better service at any other restaurant, ever. The food is consistently excellent. This is the place that we turn to if we want a convivial evening out in comfortable surroundings - exceptional place for welcoming children - nothing is too much trouble."
• Eaten here? Send us a review!

The Gatehouse
501 The Gatehouse, White Cross Industrial Estate, Lancaster Tel. 01524 849111
Laura Sheppard (May 2007): I was rather dismayed after having read the previous reviews for The Gatehouse, as something has most definately changed there. It was wonderful. The staff were prompt and helpful and the food and serving timed to perfection. There was a very relaxed feel with everyone in there; you knew they were all taking their time and enjoying the food and location. The meals were similarly perfectly cooked and I would definately recommend the dips to share as a starter with fantastic flavours and a fun way to settle in. The restaurant itself is beautiful too, definately worth visiting for an exceedingly comfortable touch of class. I hope everyone enjoys this restaurant as much as we did.
• Eaten here? Send us a review!

GoJi
6-8 Rosemary Lane, Lancaster
LA1 1NR
Tel: 01524 67470
• Eaten here? Send us a review!
kristen (April 2008): My husband and I and a good foodie friend checked out Goji restaurant last night. Had a fabulous time! Originally we had thought it was a buffet restaurant but found out that it had been changed to a table service restaurant. Our evening started on an iffy note, shrimp crackers out of a bag with sweet chilli sauce - but got better from there. Our starters were all fairly decent. The lemon grass skewers with scallops and shrimp were well cooked and seasoned but for £8 for this one dish we would have expected more than 2 scallops. The rest of the starters were all good but on the smallish side portion-wise. The mains were all really well done. On first sight it didn't look like a lot of a food, but it definitely was all delicious and deceptively filling. The crispy beef chilli dish was a highlight as were the aromatic duck pancakes. The service was overall really good and the waitresses were very attentive. Overall - a great find - and we will go back and recommend to others.

The Golden Dragon
11 George Street, Lancaster LA1 1XQ Tel. 01524 33100 Fax 01524 845200
Open every evening 6.00pm - 12.00am Sun - Thur
6.00pm - 12.10 amd Fri and Sat Last orders 15 mins before closing
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Sinclair Rowlands (September 2008): I used to love this restaurant until I got a takeaway and found loads of long matted black hairs in my food!!! I took the food back and was given a refund but found the staff very rude and it took them ages to decide whether I was going to get a refund or not!!!! I will not be eating there ever again and would not recommend any one else to either!
Victoria Frith (April 2008): I've eaten here twice in the last month and am sure it won't be long before I visit again! The first time was on a Wednesday evening, it was fairly quiet and the service was excellent. The food could not be faulted and my boyfriend and I were in agreement that we would return soon. The second visit was on a Saturday evening, a last moment decision to go out for food rather than cook at home. Much busier this time and it was clear that at a weekend booking is advisable. However they were still able to seat us (politely informing us that the table was booked for and hour and a halfs time). Service was much slower but staff still excellent. Not all the meal arrived at the same time which was a little disappointing and service definatley not as organised. But food was once again excellent and I will definitely be back. In my opinion this is somewhere visited mid-week to make the most of the experience.
Rachel Fung (September 2007): My husband and I have been going to The Golden Dragon for a long time, (for about 6 years?) I have always had good service, excellent food and first class atmosphere. As a Chinese myself I can say the standard of the food at the Golden Dragon are almost as good as back home in Hong Kong! However, it is not the cheapest place to go for Chinese meal, but then again, you do get what you pay for I'm afraid. I would give 8/10!

Imran's Restaurant & Takeaway
18 King Street, Lancaster, LA1 1JY
Tel: 01524 66010
Punjabi home cooking.
• Eaten here? Send us a review!
Vicki Trowler (July 2009): We'd been advised by a friend that Imran's was a good local eaterie, and her other recommendations had been spot-on, so off we went to Imran's. Although we booked a table, this wasn't necessary as there was plenty of space (it was a weeknight, early evening). An eat-as-much-as-you-like buffet for less than £6, consisting of 12 Punjabi dishes, and (soft) drinks ordered separately came to a total bill of £14 for two. For that price, we were astounded - the food was delicious, freshly prepared and very flavoursome. Dishes included salad, raita, naan bread, dal, chaan masala, a spinach and potato dish, spiced vegetable rice, mixed vegetable curry, chicken curry, lamb and potato curry, chicken rice, and chicken kebab, all piping hot and topped up regularly. The vegetarian dishes in particular were amazing! We will certainly return often, and will make a point of bringing visitors.
Neil Foxlee (July 2008): To update my previous Imran’s review, when I bought a takeaway there recently, the sauces were very fatty or oily – not at all pleasant, let alone healthy. There may have been a change of ownership, or at least of kitchen staff, and it’s now only open in the evenings, serving a buffet at £5.95.
Neil Foxlee (Dec 2007): Imran's is serving reasonable Punjabi food at a very reasonable price (£4 for evening buffet!).

Joseph's Restaurant
10 Gage Street, Lancaster LA1 1UH Tel. 01524 844707
• Eaten here? Send us a review!

Kebab and Steak House
6 China Street, Lancaster LA1 1EX Tel. 01524 846667
• Eaten here? Send us a review!
Judith Read (March 2008): Decided to try this restaurant following a recommendation. It is like sitting in someones dingy living room. Access to the toilet is via the kitchen which is not appropriate. The meal itself was disappointing to say the least. My order for chicken tikka kebab with salad, rice and chips came without salad and the chips were awful. We waited for an hour for our food and on mentioning why there was a delay my husband was met with a very irate "chef" who was extremely rude. The whole meal and eating experience was very bland. On the plus side the waiting on staff were extremely nice and polite. My advice is go to Crows just a few doors away instead.
Mark Leslie (Jan 2007): I have followed Norman, who is the chef, from various locations around Lancaster for the past twenty years.The Kebab sauce is the best around Lancaster, the food is always good - nothing too fancy, but always good and hot. He has added mexican food to his menu, which is a lot better than some of the so called Mexicans in Lancaster. Simple surroundings,with friendly staff. Try it, you wont be disapointed.
Sarah Potts (Jan 2007): My fiancé and I fancied a meal out and had fancied the Kebab & Steak house for a while. I called up at 6pm on Friday Night and they tald my they were busy but could fit us in at 7.30. We were a bit dubious as to whether we would be hanging around but when we got there the place was reasonably quiet. We placed our order and made the mistake of ordering starters as well. When the main course arrived we were stuffed!! My fiancé had a steak and I had fajitas. We were so impressed with the portion sizes and the quality of the food. In total 2 starters, 2 main courses, 2 pints, 2 glasses wine & 2 Tia Marias = £40. Real good food at very reasonable prices. I would highly recommend this place to anyone 10/10.

Lancaster House Hotel - Gressingham Restaurant
Green Lane, Ellel, Lancaster LA1 4GJ tel: 01524 844822
email: lancaster@elhmail.co.uk
• Eaten here? Send us a review!
Liz Shotter (Jan 2008): I live right on the doorstep of Lancaster House but have always considered it too out of my league and as such never thought to go for a meal here. Some friends took us on a Sunday night just before Christmas and we were blown away. It was quiet but somehow there still seemed to be a nice atmosphere (Christmas spirit perhaps), great decor with roaring log fires and crisp white linen on the tables. The waiter was incredibly attentive and even opened two bottles of champagne that we had brought with us, he was pleasant and chatty. Our starters came out really hot (luke warm food on cold plates is a real pet hate of mine)
and was absolutely wonderful. The main meal was just as delicious (I had duck) and we were thrilled. This has now replaced our usual haunt and is the firm choice for the future. Only problem was the price but you do get what you pay for in Lancaster.

Marco's
27 North Road, Lancaster
Tel. 01524 844445
Friendly italian restaurant, informal atmosphere, they like birthdays. Excellent Early Bird deals.
Kathryn Jones (Jan 2008): Fantastic place for eating out during the day – the Happy Hour offers make it a great place to have a nicely cooked, pleasantly served, moderately priced and well mannered lunch and their house wine is very nice to go with it. Satori (Augst 2007): Thirteen (a coven) of us came celebrating a birthday and the food was delicious. A team of waiters relayed the entrees to our table so we didn't have to wait more than a couple of minutes for us all to be served together and the staff were cheerfully attentive - as was the chef who fusslessly created an excellent and tasty dairy-free penne with vegetable sauce for the vegan in the party (me). The birthday girl was regaled with a special complimentary dessert with sparkler - plus music, flashing lights - the Marco's special. We had a great evening and it didn't cost the earth.
Jean Palmer (2006): We tend to eat as a family at Marcos during 'happy hour' (5.30 - 6-30) & have found the basic pasta/ pizza menu very good value & consistent in quality. The service does vary but the staff are friendly.
• Eaten here? Send us a review!

The Meeting House Restaurant
11-15a, Meeting House Lane, Lancaster, Lancashire LA1 1TJ
Tel: 01524 848049
Under new ownership as of 1 July 2008
Modern British Cuisine, using fresh produce from local suppliers. Friendly relaxed atmosphere.
Opening times: Tuesday - Thursday 6.30-9.30pm (last orders).
Friday and Saturday 6.30-10pm (last orders).
Other times may be available for party bookings by arrangement.
• Eaten here? Send us a review!
Lizzie M (October 2009): We ate here last week, and I’m happy to confirm this is still the best restaurant in Lancaster! Food superb, service friendly and prompt.
Amanda and Helen (October 2009): Lovely place, food is simple, classically cooked and fresh. attention to detail, local produce and lovely customer service. Offers a A la carte menu and a cheaper alternative .
Would choose to eat there over every other restaurant in Lancaster and Morecambe. (Not Kidding!!)
Lovely relaxing way to spend an evening. Eaten quite a few things on the menu and will be back to try the rest in due course!!
Satori (November 2008): Oh where in Lancaster can you take a wealthy American relative who really fancies himself as a gastronome, spending half his time on foodie / wine buff websites and the other motoring off to obscure gastro-eateries with wine lists the size of the Argos catalogue? I pinned my hopes on the Meeting House, and phew, it got me through. Although it wasn't quite as pricey as he was used to! Thanks for that.
Sue Aspinall (September 2008): FAB FOOD …FAB FOOD…FAB FOOD… n the wine was good as well. It’s a lovely place, the staff were very friendly and attentive, the menu small but covers every fancy. Nothing else to say , but it was our first visit, and we will certainly be back. Give it a try , you won’t be sorry, and by the way l’m not related to the owners….lol
• Eaten here? Send us a review!

Metro Bar & Restaurant
60-62 Church Street, Lancaster LA1 1LL.
Tel: 01524 66900
Bar, with restaurant upstairs offering a wide selection.
• Eaten here? Send us a review!

Mr Shah's Indian Restaurant
18 King Street, Lancaster LA1 1JY Tel. 01524 37191
• Eaten here? Send us a review!

Miyabi Japanese Restaurant
6, Cable St, Lancaster Lancashire LA1 1HD
Tel: 01524 848356
Japanese and oriental food, much liked by those who've eaten there.
Jack Mitchell (October 2007): I noticed with dismay the number of unfavourable reviews for this place and I just had to say something. I love this restaurant. I will admit their teppanyaki displays are not the best I have ever seen but the chefs are practicing and they have the less experienced ones on earlier in the evening I noticed. When I go there I go for the sushi and avoid the teppanyaki displays altogether. They're more fun if there's a party of you and you like catching food in your mouth, and who doesn't? I do enjoy the sushi though, the waitresses are so sweet and attentive and the sushi is just delicious. They've really expanded their sushi menu since the last time I went, and they were keen for me to try all the new recipes. It's a shame there are bad reviews for this place on here, it's a lovely little Japanese restaurant and Lancaster's ONLY Japanese restaurant, I'd be lost without it.
(As the previous reviews were over 6 months old we have taken them down now - ed)
• Eaten here? Send us a review!

Moghuls
91 King Street, Lancaster LA1 1RH Tel. 01524 36253
Bob Deegan (May 2007): We have been going there for years. The food is always good and seems freshly cooked, and we always receive a friendly welcome. Good value for money too.
• Eaten here? Send us a review!

Mung Mee
6 Chapel Street, Lancaster. Tel: 01524 64107
• Eaten here? Send us a review!
Jon Whittle (June 2008): Mung Mee is my favorite restaurant in Lancaster. I simply don't understand the one or two negative reviews here (especially the one that compares the food to Thailand itself -- find me any restaurant in the UK that compares to Thailand....). The food is consistently tasty, well-spiced and well-priced. The staff are always friendly and efficient. Try the supermarket next door as well. They have a wide selection of ethnic ingredients that I am surprised to
find available in Lancaster.
Vince Clarke (Jan 2008): My girlfriend and I have eaten here twice; once for lunch and once for dinner. Fresh and tasty food combined with excellent service at a very reasonable price make this restaurant well worth a visit.
Beverley Harding (May 2007): The service was fantastic!! After reading the other reviews I was concerned this birthday dinner would be a disaster, but the waitresses were smiley, polite, and helpful, and the timing of our food (we went for the banquet) was spot on. I have eaten in a fair few of the restaurants in Lancaster and this was easily as good as Quite Simply French and The Waterwitch. Delightful!
James Kerrigan (April 2007): “We decided to book a meal at Mung Mee after seeing a good review. Unfortunately it was a bad experience and one I would rather forget. On the night the meal was reasonable, decent enough Thai food, I have been to Thailand myself several times and it was of an ok standard. Yet the service was sloppy to non-existent. For the money there are several other restaurants better than this and far better value. The starters especially are a waste of time. Conclusion – could do better!”
Gerd Nonneman (March 2007): Eaten here several times now and I have brought a series of colleagues and visitors - many of whom have gone on to become repeat customers themselves. Mung Mee has pulled off the real coup of becoming one of the best & most authentic Thai restaurants I know. And that extends to the food, the service, and the décor. The latter is stylish and combines a designer-look with authentic and well-placed Thai art. The restaurant is surprisingly spacious and atmospheric. The staff are almost all Thai: the only non-Thai figure is the male half of the UK-Thai couple who own and run the place - and he provides a relaxed but competent managerial hand. The whole feel is very friendly (with a fair bit of laughter between the staff), and in my experience they have no problem rectifying the odd quibble one might have - be it a dish a touch too spicy for your constitution (try telling them in advance and they'll adjust the levels of 'heat'!) or a bottle that's corked. Don't expect the sort of super-well-oiled efficiency of a starched waiter with 20 years' training, but it's more fun.
The food is a joy - even for someone who's familiar with home-cooked Thai food both in Thailand and the UK. Thai friends find the som-tam (spicy-sour papaya salad) here just as they remember their mothers make it! An absolute must are their fish dishes - e.g. the deep-fried black tilapia with a sweet-chilli sauce, or fish dishes in a spicy garlic and lime soup (can't remember the names, sorry!). Everything seems absolutely fresh - or at least tastes it.
This is now my joint favourite restaurant, with Il Bistro Morini (completely different of course, but equally enjoyable). We've even had friends and Thai-food-fiends come over from Durham, where one of the UK's other top Thai restaurants (Num Jai) is located, and they soon had beautific smiles on their faces.
As others have said, the prices are very reasonable including, by the way, a very nice bubbly (not 'champagne' but tasting better than many an ordinary champagne) priced no higher than a good bottle of wine).
But the lunch deals stand out for value for money, at £7 for two courses. Lancaster's definitely become a good deal more interesting!

Nawaab Balti House
32 Parliament Street, Lancaster Tel. 01524 847488
• Eaten here? Send us a review!

NICE Bar & Restaurant
The Storey Creative Industries centre, Meeting House Lane,
Lancaster, LA1 1TH. Tel: 01524 509094
NICE Bar Opening Times:
Mon - Thurs 11am – 11pm; Fri 11am – 12am; Sat 10am-12am;
Sun Closed.
NICE Restaurant Opening Times:
Mond Closed; Tues - Sat 5pm -10pm; Sun Closed
• Eaten here? Send us a review!
Megan O'Hare (November 2009): Whilst out for a work meal, I and 6 others tried the food at newly opened NICE restaurant. The food is all fresh, locally sourced organic food (as I try to be as healthy as possible, this was important to me) and I have to say I was extremely impressed. This hidden away delight of a restaurant left me raving about the place. I had the fish platter to start, the perfect amount (4 little fish tasters, salmon mousse, prawns, mackeral and smoked salmon) and for my main - the Fillet Steak, was to die for. My colleague had the monkfish and said it was the best he'd ever tasted. All in all, the group came away from NICE extremely satisfied, full customers and I would definitely recommend this new and stylishly relaxed restaurant. We also went through to the cafe bar afterwards for drinks and were delighted by Peroni and Japanese Beer on draught! Hope others try it and it becomes more well-known throughout Lancaster as we really had a good evening out.

Niche Indian Delights
6 Lower Church Street, Lancaster, LA1 1NP
Tel: 01524 68060
"We probably offers the finest and most authentic Indian food in Lancaster. Our chef makes different traditional blends of herbs and spices for each dish to give your curry an authentic delicious taste. Eat in our Church Street restaurant, collect or let us deliver." See website for menu and special deals.
• Eaten here? Send us a review!

Pizza Margherita
2 Moor Lane, Lancaster LA1 1QD Tel. 01524 36333
• Eaten here? Send us a review!
John Palmer (January 2008): I hadn't eaten at Pizza Margherita for a couple of years when we returned after the theatre this week to give it a try. What a disappointment.The service was slow, the food was decidedly average; I had Calzone Mezicano (hardly any meat & a bland sauce) & pizza with ham & pineapple (sparse topping) for my child. Other people seemed happy but having worked in a cafe it seems that most folks expectations aren't that high. I even had to remind them for my drinks & my starter. I'll stick with Marco's next time.
Amy Brewster (March 2007): This is a regular spot for us and I would highly recommend it for people with allergies. I am both dairy and gluten intolerant and they always cater and go the extra mile.
Heather Lennon (Feb 2007): Honestly one of the best italians I've ever eaten at...the staff and managament couldn't be more friendly and accomodating and the food is absolutely brilliant. The fairly select menu serves to give you better quality dishes at incredibly reasonable prices...I always have the lasagne - its the nicest I have ever had! It is the best italian restaurant in Lancaster...if you don't go there you really are missing out!

Quite Simply French
27a St. George's Quay, Lancaster LA1 1RD Tel. 01524 843199
• Eaten here? Send us a review!
Rose Cantley (July 2007): We ate here for our wedding anniversary dinner and had a lovely meal.  Substantial portions and a great menu selection for both the meat eater and the vegetarian (which my husband is), we thoroughly enjoyed our evening.  The service was attentive but not ott and although the food was quite pricey, we had 2 starters, 2 main courses and a bottle of wine for £45 which I didn't think was too bad.  I would recommend this place as somewhere to go on a special occasion.

Shabab Indian Restaurant
23a Castle Hill, Lancaster LA1 1YN Tel. 01524 388454
Open: 5.30pm - 12 midnight 7 days a week.
Not licensed. Alcohol-free establishment.
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Jane Dewhurst (March 2008): Consistently well flavoured, good priced Indian food. Staff are always friendly and welcoming and service is good.
Catherine Stewart (July 2007): Lovely food, lovely staff and reasonable prices. Get yourself down there.

The Spaghetti House
18, Mary St., Lancaster Lancashire LA1 1UW
Tel: 01524 846011
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Claire Maher (June 2009): Surprised about other comments (now time-expired - ed) re spaghetti house food and service. My husband and I don't seem to have a problem when we go...in fact it's in our top three restaurants in Lancaster. We often go during happy hour as there are a selection of main meals for just £4.25 each! And I can't think of any other Italian restaurant in Lancaster that does as good quality food (I'm not impressed with the others at all!) We are both good cooks and are quite fussy with our food, so I would put Spaghetti House near the top of the list!
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The Stonewell Tavern
8 Church Street, Lancaster. Tel. 01524 388474
Food served 11am - 3pm every day.
Taken over at the start of 2007 by two friendly anglo-italian couples, who plan to make this a pub with a continental twist!
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Vicky Hartley (September 2007): Ate here on Friday, great staff, great food, great atmosphere, great music!...
Louise (July 2007): After reading the review about this place I decided to try it. It completely lived up to expectations, the food was fantastic. In fact I would even venture to say the best I have eaten this year and beautifully presented. The service was also good, very friendly and we didn’t have to
wait for long to be served.
Dr Daniel Muzio (June 2007): This little gem is an absolute must for anyone that enjoys good food. As an Italian expatriate, I can say with confidence that this is one of the best Italian restaurants that I have come across in the UK. It is truly authentic and better value than most comparable places in Italy. Highly recommended.

The Sultan of Lancaster Restaurant
The Old Church, Brock Street, Lancaster LA1 1UR Tel. 01524 61188 Not licensed. Alcohol-free establishment.
Open: 5.00pm - 11.00pm 7 days a week
Catherine Stewart (July 2007): The food is gorgeous and really fresh. The vegetarian/vegan selections are varied and tasty and the staff are helpful, welcoming and polite. My favourite Indian restaurant in Lancaster.
Judith Keshet writes (24/2/06): "The Sultan is a great place to eat and I always make a point of taking out-of-towners there. From the friendly welcome at the door, to the great atmosphere, swift and efficient service it has everything you can ask of in a restaurant, especially as the food is great, with a wide range of veggie options. With the range of delicious drinks available alcoholic drinks are not missed." • Eaten here? Send us a review!

The Sultan Food Court & Gallery
Tel: 01524 849494
Sun-Thurs:10am - 5pm, Fri & Sat: 10am-10pm.
Beneath the restaurant is a very elegant art gallery. It has been extended and a new food court has opened there in August 2004, serving Mediterranean and Middle Eastern meals, snacks and drinks, with a huge selection of coffees. You can also buy from a range of home-made pickles, jams and Indian and Arabic sweets.
Catherine Stewart (July 2007): Excellent food and friendly staff. Good veggie/vegan selection and not too expensive.
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The Sun and Moon Tapas Bistro
Upstairs at the Britannia 101 public house.
101 Ullswater Road, Lancaster, LA1 3PX, UK
Bookings only.
Tel: 00 44 (0)1524 844237. Fax 00 44 (0)1524 844778.
Email ami@sunandmoontapas.co.uk
Until the end of August 2009 open Wed - Sat 6 - 9.30pm.
From 1 September normal service will be resumed with a few exciting new xtra nibbles and bits, more of which anon.
Great Greek and Spanish Tapas, cooked with passion and style. The Sun and Moon is a four table micro-restaurant, individually styled to create an intimate comfortable space, candlelit in the evenings, beneath a Moroccan fabric ceiling, with great food and friendly staff. Delicious vegetarian and vegan options available.
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Beth (July 2009): Fabulous; great atmosphere, good staff, decent spanish wine at good prices and loved the wide selection of tapas available. All food was of a high standard, very reasonably priced and a brilliant option for vegetarians. Wish it was open every evening.
Lizzie M (March 2009): Service:  Dining room was very cold.  The waitress was helpful and friendly.  Before we ordered, we were told 3 items were off, which was fine, but another item we ordered also turned out to be off, and they didn’t have the wine we chose in stock.  Bread and olives were brought to the table after everything else – it would have been better to serve these first so we could have something to nibble on while we waited. Food:  Tuna steak was well-cooked but unseasoned.  Spanakopitas were excellent and looked home-made.  However, the Greek salad came without olives or dressing, the dolmades tasted exactly like the ones you get in tins, the filo wrapped prawns turned out to be prawns in breadcrumbs, and the pitta bread, although nice enough, came without the promised flavoured olive oil. Not bad, but not good enough to justify the prices.

The Sun Cafe
25 Sun Street, Lancaster LA1 1EW Tel. 01524 845599
Offers evenings of food, live music and stylish, relaxed surroundings. Licensed to serve drinks with food only.
Mon/ Tues/ Sun: Bookings taken for parties of 8 and above. Opening hours: Sun/ Mon / Tues: 11 to 3.30;
Wed/ Thur/ Fri: 11am - 3.30pm + 7pm onwards;
Sat: 11am - 4pm + 7pm onwards.
Saturday is live music night.
Dr Chris Crockford (Dec 2006): Dreadful, no, non existent service, less than average food (2/10 for a home made soup), management who care not of the opinions of their customers. Definitely a venture resting on its laurels and heading downhill fast.
Vicki Hartley (Sep 2006) writes: This place looked nice and modern when we walked in for a collegue's birthday, then it deteriorated from there. The waitresses were plain rude, the food was varying from ok to awful and the prices are way too high.  I would never recommend them to anyone, I was very disappointed.
John Freeman writes: (April 2006): "Poor service put me off this place for a long time during the day, but I've been back a few times recently and enjoyed the food and service apeared to have improved. Sadly, weekday visits proved far better than a trip to the Sun at the weekend for lunch: it was back to chaotic service (there seems little or no organisation of waiting staff when this place gets busy), and, worse yet, a lukewarm coffee (for which there were, to be fair, abject apologies, but that's not the point). Completely put me off yet again, which is a shame because there's no faulting the food and it's a nice place to eat in."
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Sunbury Coffee House
Sun St. Lancaster. Tel: 01524 843312
What's It Like: S. Marriott (August 2003): During the current hot weather, we recently visited the Sunbury to rest our limbs for half an hour. We had heard that it had recently changed ownership and although the style of the place had not changed - the decor had been re-vitalised together with the menu. The outside seating is very inviting (especially in this weather) and the menu was sufficiently comprehensive to satisfy everybody, young and old. We just had cake and a cold drink for less than £2 but thoroughly enjoyed the short rest and the friendliness of the staff. We will be visiting again.....!
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Verdes
46-48 Church Street, Lancaster LA1 1LH
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Taylor (March 2009): A large group of us went to Verdes for a birthday meal.  We had a table booked for 12 and all had to pre-order our meals before getting therre. We assumed this was so we wouldn't have to wait long for our meals!  Well how wrong could we be.  On arrival the manager looked very confused and didn't appear to recollect having a table booked for 12, however we were seated 15 minutes later.  After waiting an hour and a half our meals eventually came and the pizzas were undercooked and the lasagne was burnt on the bottom of the dish.  The service was absolutly awful, drinks took ages to arrive and the water we ordered from the tap was salty!  We complained and the manager and waitresses showed no concern at all and didn't appear bothered that we were unsatisfied. Their excuse was simply, and I quote, 'Well it's a Saturday so we are very busy.' I fail to see how this is an acceptable excuse but I'll leave that for you to decide.  Also no apology was made about the water.  The complaints could go on and I definately would NOT reccomend!!

Whale Tail Vegetarian Cafe
78a Penny Street, Lancaster LA1 1XN Tel. 01524 845133
Ist floor, no lift, sorry. Access to rear garden tables.
Mon - Frid 10am - 4pm. Sat 10am - 5pm. Sun 10am - 3pm
Refurbished in early 2007. Food at the Whale Tail is always imaginative, delicious and vegetarian, with a large selection of vegan meals to boot. There is also a daily organic snack menu - with an organic main meal provided each Friday. They serve full cooked breakfasts, mid-morning snacks, gorgeous cakes (several vegan), speciality coffees and herb teas as well as light and hearty lunches - not forgetting an enticing range of desserts. Well-behaved children are welcome. Provides children's storybooks and a separate children's menu. Also a good selection of newspapers.
Kibo de Lazarus (January 2010): I have eaten at the Whale Tail on many occasions but it always seems to be the same. The room is always cold, so is the food when it arrives, invariably after a long wait even when the place is quiet.
The coffee always tastes like it has been boiled for hours even first thing in the morning. The menu looks exciting but the food is actually quite drab. The mushrooms that come with the breakfasts are appalling – black little things boiled in fat, and the hash browns look like they are straight out of McDonalds. Bit of a rip-off really.
The staff are friendly enough but I think the place is living on its reputation of times gone by when it was the only place in town to get a veggie meal. I won’t be going back.
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