Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel Restaurant
£££·Windermere
Restaurants
From Michelin-starred fine dining to beloved local favourites
BritishLocal Institution
Hylton's Restaurant
££·Bowness
Traditional British restaurant specializing in fresh seafood and local game in an intimate setting. Family-run establishment known for generous portions and warm hospitality.
Fine DiningTwo Michelin Stars
L'Enclume
££££·Cartmel·Grange-over-Sands
Simon Rogan's two-Michelin-starred restaurant in a converted smithy is one of the finest dining experiences in the UK. The multi-course tasting menu is a love letter to Cumbrian terroir, with much of the produce from Rogan's own farm.
EuropeanWine Bar
Passepartout
££·Penrith
Sophisticated wine bar and restaurant offering European cuisine with an extensive wine list. Elegant atmosphere perfect for special occasions or intimate dining.
Modern EuropeanArts Venue
The Brewery Arts Centre Restaurant
££·Kendal
Restaurant within a vibrant arts center offering modern European cuisine and seasonal menus. The perfect spot for pre-theater dining or casual meals in a creative atmosphere.
Modern BritishCraft Cocktails
The Square Orange Cafe Bar
££·Keswick
Contemporary cafe and bar serving modern British dishes with Mediterranean influences in a stylish setting. Known for creative cocktails and locally sourced ingredients.
Modern BritishMountain Views
Tweedies Bar & Lodge
££·Grasmere
Contemporary restaurant and bar with spectacular mountain views serving modern British cuisine. Located in the heart of Wordsworth country with outdoor seating available.
OC
Modern BritishMichelin Star
The Old Stamp House
£££·Ambleside·Windermere
Ryan Blackburn's Michelin-starred restaurant in Wordsworth's former office serves creative modern British food with a Cumbrian soul. The tasting menu is outstanding value, and the Lakeland ingredients shine.
Indian Fine DiningLake District Indian
Hrishi at Gilpin
£££·Windermere·Windermere
Fine dining Indian cuisine in the luxurious Gilpin Hotel. The dishes are refined and creative, using Cumbrian ingredients through an Indian lens - a unique combination that works beautifully.
Tasting MenuMichelin Star
Forest Side
££££·Grasmere·Windermere
A Michelin-starred restaurant in a Gothic Victorian mansion overlooking Grasmere, with much of the produce foraged from the surrounding fells. The tasting menu is a masterclass in terroir-driven cooking.
OC
IndianLocal Favourite
Hrishikesh
££·Ambleside·Ambleside
Bold, modern Indian cooking that has earned a serious cult following in Ambleside. The tasting menu is a revelation.
OC
Brewery & TaproomLake District Ales
Hawkshead Brewery
£·Staveley·Windermere
The Lake District's finest craft brewery, with a taproom in Staveley serving their full range alongside excellent pies and bar snacks. The Windermere Pale is the perfect post-walk pint.
Modern British
Rothay Manor
£££·Ambleside·Ambleside
Elegant Regency-era hotel dining with a seasonal menu that lets the best Cumbrian produce speak for itself.
NordicBib Gourmand
Lake Road Kitchen
£££·Ambleside·Ambleside
Scandinavian-influenced small plates in a pared-back setting. James Cross brings Nordic rigour to Lakeland ingredients.
OC
Fine Dining
Cottage in the Wood
£££·Braithwaite·Braithwaite
Perched above Skiddaw's foothills with panoramic views and a tasting menu that punches well above its weight.
OC
Modern British
Henwicke
£££·Windermere·Windermere
A small, intensely personal restaurant where Allison Sherlock crafts elegant plates from hyper-local ingredients.
OC
Farm to TableMichelin Star
Allium at Askham Hall
£££·Askham·Askham
Garden-to-plate dining at its most authentic - much of what you eat is grown steps from the kitchen in this stunning Grade I hall.
Indian Fine Dining
Hrishi
£££·Windermere·Windermere
Gilpin Hotel's fine-dining Indian restaurant brings Cumbrian game and fell-bred lamb to meet subcontinental spice.
OC
Country HouseHeritage
The Dining Room at Sharrow Bay
££££·Ullswater·Ullswater
Britain's original country house hotel still delivers on its lakeside promise - classic cooking with Ullswater views that stop you mid-bite.
EclecticLocal Favourite
The Jumble Room
££·Grasmere·Grasmere
A gloriously eclectic Grasmere institution where world flavours collide on a menu that refuses to be pigeonholed.
Casual Dining
Fellpack
£·Keswick·Keswick
Proper fuel for the fells - wood-fired sourdough, slow-cooked meats and craft beer in a laid-back Keswick hangout.
Modern British
Dodds Restaurant
££·Ambleside·Ambleside
A neighbourhood gem doing honest seasonal cooking with zero pretension. The set lunch is one of the best-value meals in the Lakes.
OC
Brunch & Coffee
Homeground
£·Windermere·Windermere
Windermere's speciality coffee champion doubles as a seriously good brunch spot - the sourdough crumpets are legendary.
Vegetarian Italian
Zeffirellis
££·Ambleside·Ambleside
Vegetarian Italian cinema-restaurant hybrid that has been an Ambleside landmark for decades. The pizzas are excellent.
OC
French Bistro
Francines
££·Penrith·Penrith
A tiny, beloved Penrith bistro channelling rustic France. Francine's cassoulet is worth the drive alone.
OC
Modern British
The Kitchen at Basecamp
££·Keswick·Keswick
Hearty, modern plates designed for hungry fell-walkers. The sharing boards are a post-Skiddaw ritual.
OC
Gastropub
George and Dragon
££·Clifton·Clifton
A Lowther Estate coaching inn where the kitchen gardens supply a menu rooted in England's best country-pub tradition.
OC
VegetarianHeritage
Quince & Medlar
££·Cockermouth·Cockermouth
Cockermouth's pioneering vegetarian restaurant has been quietly brilliant for over thirty years. The creativity never flags.
Pizza & Bar
The Square Orange
£·Keswick·Keswick
Wood-fired pizzas, craft beer and live music in a buzzy Keswick square. The terrace on a summer evening is unbeatable.
OC
Deli & BistroLocal Favourite
Lucy's on a Plate
££·Ambleside·Ambleside
A wonderfully quirky Ambleside deli-restaurant bursting with character. Lucy's cheese boards are the stuff of legend.
Traditional BritishHeritage
Old Dungeon Ghyll
££·Langdale·Langdale
The hikers bar is legendary, but the dining room serves surprisingly refined Lakeland cooking after a day on the Langdale Pikes.
OC
Modern British
The Moon Highgate
££·Kendal·Kendal
Kendal's go-to for creative modern cooking. A warm, independent neighbourhood restaurant doing things properly.
Modern British
Rogan & Company
£££·Cartmel·Cartmel
Simon Rogan's more relaxed Cartmel sibling serves the same obsessive sourcing in a convivial, bistro-style setting.
OC
Seafood
Hooked Windermere
££·Windermere·Windermere
A small, focused fish restaurant bringing sustainably caught seafood to an inland town that thoroughly deserves it.
OC
Country House
The Pheasant
£££·Bassenthwaite·Bassenthwaite
A 500-year-old coaching inn at the foot of Bassenthwaite where the dining room's quiet refinement belies its fell-country setting.
OC
Fine Dining
The Samling Restaurant
££££·Windermere·Windermere
Windermere's most exclusive dining room, where produce from the estate's own kitchen garden meets sweeping lake views.
Fine DiningExclusive
Gilpin Lake House
££££·Windermere·Windermere
A private dining experience at the Gilpin estate lake lodge. Six courses beside a private tarn - peak Lakes indulgence.
OC
Small Plates
Stockghyll
£££·Ambleside·Ambleside
Named after the waterfall a stone-throw away, this modern restaurant delivers polished small plates with Cumbrian provenance.
Modern British
The Cedar Manor
£££·Windermere·Windermere
A Victorian country house where the kitchen crafts confident seasonal menus that reward a slow evening by the fire.
OC
Gastropub
Mortal Man
££·Troutbeck·Troutbeck
Troutbeck's famous inn commands one of the finest pub views in England - and the kitchen does the scenery justice.
OC
Grill & Smokehouse
The Wild Boar
££·Windermere·Windermere
A grill and smokehouse with its own microbrewery, set in woodland between Windermere and Bowness. The beer-matched menu is great fun.
OC
Bistro
Number 4
££·Bowness·Bowness
Compact Bowness bistro punching well above its weight with carefully sourced Cumbrian ingredients and zero fuss.
OC
Modern British
Jerichos
££·Windermere·Windermere
A Windermere stalwart offering generous, well-executed modern British cooking in a warm candlelit dining room.
OC
Country House
The Belsfield
£££·Bowness·Bowness
Grand lakeside hotel dining with sweeping Windermere views and a menu that makes the most of Cumbrian game and seafood.
OC
Mediterranean
Porto
££·Bowness·Bowness
A Mediterranean-inspired spot bringing sunshine flavours to the shores of Windermere. The sharing platters are superb.
OC
French
Rustique
££·Windermere·Windermere
Proper French bistro cooking in the heart of Windermere - think confit duck, steak frites and a well-chosen wine list.
OC
ContemporaryNew Opening
Kysty
££·Ambleside·Ambleside
A bright newcomer to Ambleside serving creative brunch and dinner with a playful, contemporary edge.