The Britannia Inn - Carte

Es Ambleside

➤ 2 Bridge Street, LA22 9BS, South Lakeland, United Kingdom

Carte • Cafe • Sushi • Asiatic • Mexican

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"Anywhere that does good cheese is a hit with me. If it also sells good beer, frankly I begin to become emotional. Add delicious cakes and savouries and my happiness is complete. Rattle Ghyll has all of these things, in spades and there is much more that looks wonderful but that I didn't have the chance to try. The cakes really are superb homemade and fresh. I particularly enjoyed the spiced fruit flapjack. There is a good range of bottled local beers (including some dark brews, much to my pleasure). Just because it looked so appetising, I bought a piece of vegetable fritata which was savoury and delicious. I save the cheese until last because it was the best. There is a large selection of local, national and international cheese on offer, all of which looked tempting but I wanted to try local produce. There were half a dozen or so Cumbrian cheeses of which I chose a blue, a soft cheese and a farmhouse cheddar. All of these were wonderful on the sort of level you might expect in an award winning cheese and the soft cheese had me in raptures! I think it was called Crofton. I may be wrong but I think this deli is aimed at the vegetarian and vegan community. Certainly, I saw a lot of produce labelled as suitable for those particular dietary preferences and do not remember seeing any meat. Don't let that put you off if, like me, you are more omnivorous because really good veg or vegan food can compete with more carnivorous options on equal terms and there is nothing wishy washy or compromised about any of the great food on offer here. The staff are very friendly and enthusiastic about their produce. Highly recommended."

Misto

➤ 9 Compston Rd Ambleside LA22 9DJ, UK, AMBLESIDE, United Kingdom

Carte • Pizza • Kebab • Mexican • European

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"Having come from New York City, where finding amazing Italian food is a challenge, especially as a celiac in search of gluten-free pasta, I can't recommend Misto highly enough. The service was fantastic and the food, from start to finish, was incredible. We started with the king prawns and Camembert, both of which were delicious. Mixing the two together was a game changer. They even offer gluten-free bread on the side. For our main courses, I opted for the king prawn linguine (they only had penne as the gluten-free option, which was still great) while my companion tried the Pollo Milanese with linguine (not gluten-free but still amazing). Despite being too full, we couldn't resist taking home a Vesuvio gluten-free pizza. I highly recommend Misto for its exceptional food, service, atmosphere, and wine selection. It truly exceeded all expectations."

Lewis's

➤ Grasmere, Broadgate, LA22 9TA, South Lakeland, United Kingdom

Carte • Cafés • Cakes • British • European

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"Can't comment on food or atmosphere as only stayed a few minutes. Had a 6:30pm booking and arrived early there were no other diners in. The door wouldn't shut behind me, so I said to a female member of staff that the door won't close properly. She said it did in an off hand manner that I found offensive. Without a smile or a greeting she asked for my name, which further irked me my basic requirement when eating out is a friendly welcome. She pointed to a table I didn't want as it was too close to another table. I asked for a table which was reasonably spaced from other tables, but she said that was reserved. To cut a sad story short, I told her she had an attitude, which she didn't appreciate. She told me I would have to leave if I carried on, but I said I was leaving anyway. How can you enjoy an evening at a restaurant when you are greeted in such an unwelcoming, unprofessional manner. We had a lovely meal elsewhere. The food at Lewis's may be wonderful, but I won't be returning to find out!"

Matthew's Bistro

➤ Compston Rd., LA22 9DJ, South Lakeland, United Kingdom

Carte • Kebab • Steak • Seafood • Asiatic

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"We have visited this fantastic restaurant a number of times when visiting Ambleside, this was once again a great visit. We both opted for one of the specials, fillet steak with chunky chips, tomato, mushroom, salad and peppercorn sauce, absolutely delicious and a massive portion. With no room for dessert we opted to pay and go. There was an issue with the card machine which meant we had to leave, withdraw cash and return, fine for us, however if you were having to pay/withdraw on a credit card this might not be so great. For us, it was another very enjoyable evening.."

Cafe Grand At Grasmere

➤ Red Bank Road, LA22 9PU, South Lakeland, United Kingdom

Carte • Food • Steak • Lodging • British

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"Pros: -The facility is great. The hotel is very new, has air conditioning, and comfortable seating in the common area. The bathrooms and beds were all very comfortable. -The breakfast was of high quality with a lot of variety included in the breakfast package. -The location is perfect. It is a 3-minute walk from the town center, yet far enough away to offer beautiful views and peaceful mornings. Cons: -The establishment seemed to be understaffed or provide poor service. It was unclear whether the service was lacking or if they were simply short-staffed. There was never anyone at the front desk to offer basic tourist information. When we checked in late at 10pm, we found ourselves locked out with no staff visible, even though their email stated that check-in was possible until 12am. We had to call their emergency cell to get someone to the front desk. Additionally, during our first breakfast, we were questioned multiple times about our stay and room information. It seemed that the restaurant used to be open to the public, which is no longer the case. However, I did not see them questioning other guests as much as they did to us. We were the only non-white guests that I saw, which may have been a factor. However, the next morning, they recognized us and we had no further issues with the service. -There is no elevator. It is questionable to label yourself as "luxury" when guests are placed on the third floor and have to carry their luggage up two flights of very narrow, winding stairs. They did assist my elderly aunt, but did not offer help to the rest of us. Overall, it was an average experience. I enjoyed the rooms and the location, but I believe I could find better service and experience elsewhere. There are many charming inns in the area, so I would recommend choosing another option."