Crooked River Tap

Head down Packhorse Court and you'll find yourself in one of Keswick's best-kept corners. Crooked River Tap has that rare quality of feeling genuinely welcoming whether you're after a single ale or settling in for the evening. The bar itself is smartly done without being fussy—wood, exposed brick, the kind of place where you can actually hear your mates talk. Their beer selection leans seriously into craft stuff, and the cocktail list reads like someone actually knows what they're doing behind the bar. It's become exactly what Keswick needed: somewhere that takes drinks seriously but doesn't take itself seriously at all.