Holding court in the centre of Ravenstonedale, 'twixt the Lakes and the Dales, The Black Swan has the hallmarks of a much-loved village inn: home-cooked food, cheery atmosphere and comforting bedrooms. The Victorian building, run with warm efficiency by Louise Dinnes, has a reputation for its food. 'Dinner is "restaurant", not "pub", with an appropriate menu and efficient service,' noted a returning reader. New chef Andrew Beaton from Storrs Hall cooks dishes such as scallop, crayfish and tomato risotto or pork loin with black pudding hash. You can eat either in the dining room with sage-green dado panelling and bold bird-and-floral wallpaper, or in the jolly bar with exposed-stone walls, tartan carpet and copper jugs. Refurbished bedrooms with the odd antique are 'comfortable with two armchairs' despite a 'space-saving wardrobe' which consisted of swinging horizontal arms attached to a metal bar in the wall. Some are more compact or there are dog-friendly annexe rooms plus glamping yurts, the latter in the riverside beer garden, over a little bridge. A snug lounge with panelling and fire beckons for a late-night tot, while cooked-to-order breakfasts – 'scrambled eggs were to die for!' – set you up for the day. (Bill Wood)