Quince and Medlar

A vegetarian restaurant in a small town on the western outskirts of the Lake District is quite a find. Yet Colin & Louisa Le Voi have owned the homely Quince & Medlar for nearly 20 years, & are much feted by guidebooks. They boast an interesting line in vegetarian cooking that takes in some very unusual combos – puy lentils with swede & shredded carrot spiced with cumin, coriander & turmeric, topped with fennel roasted with white truffle oil & served with a sweet & sour sauce, for example. Starters include fennel & shallot tart & sticky lemon rice wrapped with Nori seaweed & served with tamari & avocado, & there could be passion fruit tart for dessert. The menu changes every six to eight weeks & the wines & beers are all organic.