Ambleside, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

Ryan Blackburn and general manager brother Craig’s decade-old venture – the poet Wordsworth’s office when he was the local stamp distributor – is a truly “first-class” affair; the “cellar-type interior gives a cosy atmosphere”, while the “unique” tasting menu of locally sourced food (acclaimed by the tyre men since 2019) is abetted by staff who take “evident pleasure” in their work. Is it cheap? Well, “a full-blown evening tasting menu at £95 per person seems really quite reasonable” to one reporter… “anyway, it raised the bar for cooking in Cumbria for me”.

2023 Review: Set in 27 acres, this country house hotel is one of the better-known luxury destinations in the Lakes and boasts a dining room whose floor-to-ceiling windows provide magnificent views of Windermere and the surrounding peaks, where chef Robby Jenks presides over the kitchen. It inspired very upbeat (but relatively little) feedback again this year, with nominations as an ideal romantic choice or for its impressive afternoon teas. For a full meal in the dining room, lunch is a four-course affair for £60 per person, and in the evening the sole option is a seven-course tasting menu at £115 per person.

2022 Review: Ratings weakened this year at this luxurious Lakeland hotel, whose wood-panelled, traditional dining room provides a splendid vantage-point for gazing over Lake Windermere. One reporter felt that the “competent, but potentially excellent, cooking was not value for money, due to willing but overstretched service” – perhaps signposting that the blip was due to the tribulations of the times?

Also home to the Barngates Brewery – whose brews are on tap – this rural pub is a popular destination on the Lakeland tourist trail. It didn’t generate much attention in our annual diners’ poll this year, but such as we received was ‘all good‘ (although some feedback suggested “mains aren’t as good as the starters and puds”).

2023 Review: “Well-cooked food”, most notably the Grasmere Herdwick lamb that appears in various guises – the signature shepherds’ pie, a slider in a brioche bun, a Greek-style roast shoulder – is par for the course at this family-run restaurant-with-rooms. Breakfast is a particular hit, too.

The “outstanding” if “lesser-known and more relaxed cousin of the Lake District’s most famous culinary destination” – L’Enclume in nearby Cartmell – “Henrock is a fabulous option for those struggling to save up for (or not quick enough to book)” at the former. You still get real “Simon Rogan excellence”, “overlooking Lake Windermere” in the “lovely Linthwaite Hotel”, complete with “brilliant artwork, great views, delicious and innovative food, and delightful staff and service”.

“Never failing with the quality of food and service” – ex-Fat Duck chef Ollie Bridgwater did well to hang onto the Michelin star at the Cunliffe family’s Lakeland hotel, where he succeeded Hrishikesh Desai (who previously ran the dining room as Hrishi) just a matter of weeks before it was due to be re-rated. Despite the constant updating of the property, it is a relatively traditional space. There’s a three-course à la carte for £90, or a six-course tasting option for £120 (£200 if you go for the accompanying wine-tasting accompaniment). There is also a less informal option of the Knipe Grill at Gilpin Lake House, which is a waterside building elsewhere on the estate. And see also Gilpin Spice.

Food and fell-running trips combine at the multi-tasking adventure brand’s bistro, whose eclectic dishes race all over the place and are “better than pub fare” (though the venue does enjoy a “quality pub ambience”) plus “good value” to boot. Their growing local empire includes Airstream-set burrito joint the Fellshack, cocktail and burger bar The Round, set on hallowed fell-running territory in Keswick’s Market Square, and (most recently) small hotel The Hazeldene, located on The Heads, a few minutes’ walk from the bistro.

This “old pub is now a high-class restaurant with a lot of character”, opened in summer 2021 by locally born couple Kevin & Nicola Tickle – Kevin spent 10 years in the kitchen of the exalted L’Enclume and was also head chef at Forest Side in Grasmere. There are “lots of options for eating, from the full gastronomic evening tasting menu to tasty snacks and pies in the dog-friendly bar” along with a “good wine list and great draft beers from Lakes Brew in Kendal”. One or two reporters feel the performance here is no better than good all-round, but most would go further and feel it’s “a great experience that anyone would happily repeat”.

“Capitalising on the stunning views down from Whinlatter Pass”, this converted coaching inn above Keswick (in the Whinlatter Forest) is the epitome of a beautifully located Lakeland property; and fans say it’s “a great place to stay and go walking, then come back for amazing meals”. Chef Sam Miller has lots of top Scandi names on his CV (including Noma and Faviken) and his eight-course tasting menu for £110 per person achieves some high ratings in our annual diners’ poll. Not everyone is wowed – a couple of reporters found it “disappointing given its reputation”, or with dishes that had “too much pickling and cooking techniques that were not to my taste”. But for the majority, it’s ‘mission accomplished’ – “we had high expectations and the food was excellent and service efficient and friendly”.

“Amazing stay and experience, the dishes were out of this world” – early praise for this January 2023 Lake District newcomer from the high-profile Edinburgh chef. It occupies an Art Deco hotel on the banks of Haweswater Reservoir, now transformed into a self-named fine-dining outfit focusing on local seasonal produce serving some of his signature dishes (shiitake mushrooms on toast; 11-hour slow-roast pork belly; sticky toffee soufflé). There’s also the more informal Brasserie 37, named after the year the hotel was opened. More reports please!