Villa Bianca B&B, Penrith

Villa Bianca is a friendly, family-run B&B in the centre of Penrith that genuinely welcomes dogs - a handy, characterful base for exploring the northern Lake District and Eden Valley with a four-legged companion. It is best known for its warm Italian owners and an on-site Italian restaurant, and dogs are part of the welcome rather than an afterthought.

Dogs of any size are welcome, and the B&B happily takes more than one, for a fee of around GBP 10 per dog per night (cats are not accepted). One of the nicest touches is that dogs are allowed to join you in the restaurant and at breakfast - several guests single out being able to dine with their dog at their feet, which is rarer than it should be.

The owners come up again and again as the highlight - warm, helpful and happy to fit dog-owning guests into the restaurant at short notice. Rooms are clean and comfortable, breakfast is generous and included, and the whole place has the feel of a genuine, locally-loved Italian family business rather than a chain.

There are a couple of things to weigh up, though. It is a town-centre property with no green space of its own, and more than one guest with a dog found dog walking awkward - you will need to walk to the nearest park for exercise rather than stepping straight outside. One or two visitors also felt the welcome was more dog-tolerant than actively dog-friendly, and it is a restaurant-with-rooms rather than a place with lounges to relax in with your dog. If your dog needs a garden or lots of downtime indoors, bear that in mind.

Villa Bianca suits dog owners who want a sociable, central Penrith base with great food and genuinely welcoming hosts, and who are happy to walk to green space for their dog's exercise. For a couple or small family using it as a launchpad into the Lakes and Eden Valley, it is a warm, good-value choice, earning a 4.1/5 paw rating.