Eat and drink · Modern British
Rothay Manor
Rothay Manor Hotel, Ambleside
Elegant Regency-era hotel dining with a seasonal menu that lets the best Cumbrian produce speak for itself.
Nearby
Lake Road Kitchen
Nordic, Ambleside££££
James Cross's small, fiercely independent Ambleside restaurant holds a Michelin star for tasting menus of five, eight or twelve servings, built on Lakeland produce with Nordic and Japanese influences. Cross cooked at Noma before opening here in 2014.
The Old Stamp House
Modern British, Ambleside££££
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.
Zeffirellis
Vegetarian Italian, Ambleside, dogs welcome££££
Vegetarian Italian cinema-restaurant hybrid that has been an Ambleside landmark for decades. The pizzas are excellent.
Walks nearby
Hard · 19.5 km · 1018 m up
The Fairfield Horseshoe from Ambleside
About 5 hours 30 minutes
One of the great Lakeland rounds: from Ambleside up Nab Scar and over eight tops around the Rydal valley, with Fairfield's summit at the head.
Moderate · 10.2 km · 413 m up
Loughrigg Fell from Ambleside
About 2 hours 30 minutes
Ambleside's own fell: over the knobbly top of Loughrigg, along Loughrigg Terrace above Grasmere, past Rydal Cave and home by the River Rothay.
Hard · 11.6 km · 602 m up
Wansfell Pike and Troutbeck from Ambleside
About 3 hours 30 minutes
Ambleside's own fell: past Stock Ghyll Force to Wansfell Pike, down Nanny Lane to Troutbeck, home through Skelghyll Woods and Jenkin Crag.