IT’S no wonder Romantic writers talked about the picturesque and the sublime when they mentioned the Lake District.

Standing on the edge of the lake at Ambleside at sunset, my friend and I were open-mouthed at the beauty of the scene. Pretty cold, though.

We retreated to the town centre and were lured to Dodd’s by a promising orange glow from the windows.

The Italian food on offer was simple, but each dish had its own twist to tempt punters looking for a little luxury.

Artichoke salads with baby spinach, marinated peppers and garlic ricotta; braised beef brisket with hand-cut chips, grilled mushrooms, dressed rocket and tarragon butter; saffron risotto with tiger prawns, mussels and clams.

Just reading the menu was like a few verses of Wordsworth poetry – this time aimed straight at the saliva glands.

I opted for a Di Mare pizza after seeing it included baby capers, fresh dill and salmon, smoked by restaurant chefs themselves.

The dish was simple to look at, but really tasty with a generous amount of fresh fish and a deep smokey flavour.

My friend went for a spicy Etna pizza, with jalapeno peppers and a Bolognaise sauce and was impressed.

The meal, and the cosy atmosphere, were more than enough to turn our cheeks from blue to rosy.

Both dishes were less than £10 and the venue offered a good choice of wines, beers, spirits, coffees and soft drinks.

Staff were eager to please – in fact we were asked if we were all right more than four times.

Maybe it was because we were quiet as though bewitched by the snow falling against the windows or mesmerised by the twinkling Christmas lights as the last village ramblers trekked back to their cars outside.

I know I am spoilt in Cumbria, I am reminded of it every time I look around.