Nightlife in Kendal

With live music every Thursday, Friday and Sunday, plus a crowd-pleasing DJ every Saturday night, Bootleggers is the best music venue in Kendal with a cracking bar to boot. The 500-capacity venue on Finkle Street is split into several smaller rooms and a smoking terrace, with the main room rocking out to cover bands and rising original acts most nights of the week.

For something a little more sedate, head to the nearby Burgundys bar and work your way through their extensive wine list and home-brewed beers. A stylish and simple bar with bare walls, they do a good range of light bites, perfect for the post-beer munchies. If that’s whetted your appetite, make your way next door to the Fell Bar, another simple wooden bar dedicated to micro-brewing with dozens of home-brewed beers on offer.

Named after John Ruskin, the 19th-century poet and artist, Ruskins Bar blurs the line between cool cocktail bar and exhibition space. Grab one of their cocktails, craft beers, fine wines or shooter (we’re intrigued by the Mini Guinness shot), choose one of their two bars and sit back and enjoy the art on the walls, the regular quiz and open mic nights.

As you’d expect from a tourist town in the heart of some of the best hill-walking in the country, there are plenty of excellent pubs to choose from in Kendall. Newly renovated, Romneys is one of the town’s favourite pubs thanks to its wide selection of ales and wines and its excellent food menu, including a four meat carvery every night of the week. With a classic wood and stone interior, it’s a good looking pub, while kids (and parents) will love the outdoor play area complete with swings, tunnels and slides.

For a good beer in a gimmick-free environment, the Factory Tap is a must. A dog-friendly, beer-orientated establishment, they stock dozens of hand-crafted beers and a monthly street food market. Be warned though, it’s cash only, so come prepared.

On the western edge of Kendal, The Riflemans Arms is a cosy, traditional pub with five real ales, as well as a popular weekly folk and quiz night. Meanwhile, one of the closest pubs to our Kendal hotel, The New Union rightly takes pride in its wide-ranging drinks menu, which features plenty of real ale, craft beer and dozens of gins and whisky.