Reviews in Cumbria and Lake District

On Saturday 28/03/09 i enjoyed a fabulous meal at this restaurant. Everything was great from start to finish and the staff were smart, friendly, polite and very professional. We were seated on time and the service was excellent. The decor is cool and contemporary and there was a real buzz about the place. The fishcake starter looked and tasted great as did our main courses of Shin of Beef and Fish'n Chips. The food presentation was really great and I would definitely rate The White House as the best restaurant in Bowness and there are plenty of restaurants here. Another plus was the wine list. There are some lovely wines on the list and the prices are very reasonable. I will definitely be going back and i will not hesitate in recommending this restaurant.

This is one of the nicer eating areas in Keswick. Good Quality Italian food and wine, along with reasonable pricing and a nice friendly atmosphere. You cannot go wrong for the prices! It's always busy when we eat here, which must be a good sign..

SATURDAY 28 MARCH 09 My wife & I made out third visit to Bowness Kitchen as we had previously enjoyed lunchtime meals their. However we found on this occasion that the staff appeared to be somewhat put out by customers requiring attention & that the meal was not up to our expectations. The owners of the business must think that customers should not receive a friendly service, are they aware that in a recession you step up a gear with customer service. Marks out of ten 4 - You have just lost two customers ? Fell Walker Fred

The Lighthouse gave excellent service, delicious food and has very comfy seating! Highly recommended.

26 March 2009, had a great meal cooked by Marius. Restaurant ambience very spacious, modern and comfortable. Food excellent (salmon trio to start then local lamb fillet on red cabbage, my wife had corn-fed Goosenargh chicken with a mushroom sauce on a bed of spinach - see full details on their menu). Expresso coffee was very good; so was the cheese. Service was prompt, cheerful and professional. Price was very reasonable and the wine wasn't over priced for a change.

Excellent pub always makes people welcome. The most dog friendly pub in Kendal a pub not to be missed when visiting the old grey town. When we called in we got a friendly welcome from ouska and jack the dogs that treat it as there local. Will definitely call again

While staying in Ambleside with my wife we ventured out into Bowness on Saturday night to find a nice meal. After mooching around the town centre we stumbled accross Hyltons and after having a quick look at the menu we went inside. The inside of the restaurant is pleasant and as the night progressed quite romantic. We ordered cocktails and some starters, marinated olives and a selection of bread and dipping oil, we were initially going to snack for a while until the evening menu started but we were invited to order from it early if we desired. So the stuffed loin of pork ordered and the 20oz Lamb Henry we finished our nibbles just as the mains arrived. Very nicely presented, side plates of veg and cubed boiled potatoes with the pork. The 20oz Lamb Henry was served on its own bed of basil mash. I can honestly say that I have never had a piece of lamb that was so tender or tasty, the lamb just fell off the bone and very little fat remained on the meat. My wifes pork was equally tasty and tender. After finishing the mains (just managed it without exploding) and washing them down with another couple of cocktails we plumped for Pot au Chocolat and Fruit cocktail both of which again arrived promptly and were absolutely wonderful. The service and ambience of the evening were spot on and the cocktails went down a treat and best of all the extravagant repast, 3 courses with at least 3 cocktails each, cost under £60. Brilliant and highly recommended to anyone in Bowness on Windermere who is looking for a generous stunning meal that will not require a loan to pay for.

its awesome :)

We go to Bowness 2 or 3 times a year and always go best place in Bowness for food always busy but staff never rush you and food always top class everytime id advise to book before to avoid disappointment

during the past 5yrs we visited baldreys many times with both family and friends whilst on holiday in the area. Previously the premises seemed to be consistently above average in both food served always adding a little twist in the taste the chefs effort very apparent and waiting staff always polite and interested overall well worth a visit and confident to be recommended. Sadly on our last visit on Monday 9th march we ordered a humble jacket potato with a topping,unfortunately the potato was raw in places. However we persevered to complete our lunch. Regretfully when one of the waiting staff ( a woman with brown curly hair) came to clear the table we politely mentioned the poor quality of our meal. Quite frankly her attitude resembled "i couldn't give a toss" I doubt this is the response i trust that baldreys management expects judging from the facade. We were certainly shocked. Surely this is the quickest way to lose custom. I hope baldreys isn't in decline, as basic training is needed here. Not one person acknowledged our complaint but were very efficient in taking our money never the less

An excellent cafe in a wonderful location just off the A6 in Brougham Hall. This family run cafe is worth visiting to enjoy fresh food and a range of teas and coffees in a warm and friendly atmosphere .

We ate here a couple of weeks ago on our way to Scotch Corner; our waitress showed us to our table and told us that there was no real ale at the moment. She returned a couple of minutes later and took our order which eventually arrived. The starters were served with coleslaw which smelled distinctly off and when we complained it was rancid, the waitress simply said we were wrong - the coleslaw was only made yesterday. The chef (Mick) sent us a message saying that no -one else had complained so it must be ok. The rest of the meal was at best adequate if not inspiring and definitely not up to the gastro-pub standard we expect nowadays. We all felt queezy after our meals and my wife spent the rest of the day complaining of stomach cramp. My recommendation of the Agricultural Hotel? Answer: Don't bother!

I wish the food was as nice as the place looks,only 2 veggie options and you can only have chips as the spuds r cooked with meat,i would rate the food 2 out of 10.

We had hardly eaten all day as we thought we were going to our favourite local pub for tea but having been turned away from two due to them being fully booked we had almost resigned ourselves to having beans on toast! We pulled up and my brother spotted Beswicks, the rest of us were not convinced as the wild wind and heavy rain beat down on the car windows. We eventually decided to go in, the best meal experience decision we could have made. Right from the start Joanne made us feel very welcome and accommodated our every awkward request. The food was outstanding, the atmosphere was intimate and the service was unbeatable. It is also excellent value for money. We cannot wait to our next visit, this is one place where you will want to eat at again and again....I have already decided what I am having next time! The Potts Family.

Deja Vu does everything right - really good food (and local food wherever possible), well cooked and served at an unbeatable price (3 courses for under a tenner). The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. Top spot for dining in Kendal!

We stayed in Windermere in September 08. We had evening meals at the Elleray. Plenty of places to wine & dine, but none to beat the Elleray. Good food in the restaurant, followed by good service in the bar area. Friendly staff. Lodgings were being refurbished at the time. But will definitely enquire when we next visit the lakes.

I visited "Lucy's on a plate" yesterday (02.03.09) with my family. We stumbled across it by accident when out for a mooch around the town! I was very disappointed. Firstly, the cutlery they brought was dirty, the salt & pepper mills were dirty and there were crumbs and slops/spills all along the windowledge. Not very appealing. Decided to eat anyway and give it a whirl as it seemed quite busy. After waiting quite a while to be served (it was busy though) we ordered and waited around 10 mins for food (nice and quick for a busy afternoon. Me and my Mum ordered the rarebit which was quite tasty but nothing special (just one piece cut into 4 with some salad in the middle). My dad however ordered one of the rostis. When it came you could see it was completely swimming in grease. My dad is not a fussy eater at all, but he really did not enjoy it and could only eat about 1/3 because it was so sickly from the grease. I tried a bit and was not impressed at all. OK it could have just been a bad choice but when the waitress asked if our meal was ok and my Dad said his was quite tasty but far too greasy to eat (he was very polite and was not expecting money off or anything) she was very short with him and said "well that's just a hazard of ordering fried food isnt it!!" She really seemed to take offence that he had criticized the food. I can forgive anything apart from rude staff and she certainly put me off going back. I always try to give restaurants the benefit of the doubt and think maybe we just ordered the wrong food but general uncleanliness and the attitude of that one particular waitress made me think I will definitely be giving Lucys a miss next time I am in the Lakes.

First time visit to Zeffirelis after a recommendation. Was wary at first (being a dedicated carnivore) as the menu is vegetarian but the food was excellent and a really nice atmosphere. Didn't do the meal/cinema offer but wish we had!