The beautiful South Lakes towns of Windermere and Bowness both sit on the shore of Lake Windermere, where you will find a delightful range of tea rooms, hotels and restaurants. At Lake Windermere you will find a wide range of watersports, or you can just relax and watch the wildlife.
we visited brambles tea room in march for my birthday, and even tho the rain was coming down in bucketfuls, we ventured out, and stumbled on this lovely tea room the homemade food was the best we have ever tasted, especially the home made quiche which is divine, and to die for, we shall definitely be visiting again, and will be visiting brambles, to sample some more homemade delights.
Brambles Coffee Bar – WindermereWe wandered up from the Lake down this small cobbled street to find Porto. It really is a wonderful charming building with beautiful surroundings and decoration. We sat in the downstairs bar for pre dinner drinks then we were shown upstairs for our dinner reservation. I ordered the Arancini and the Lamb My friends had the soup, parfait, steak and pork. All the food was beautifully presented and the lamb was the best I have ever tasted. For dessert we shared a white chocolate risotto and the chocolate and caramel tart these were truly amazing. My only complaint would be I we were too full to finish them! The service was efficient and friendly. We would definitely recommend this place to friends and I would visit soon before this place gets really well known!
Porto Restaurant – WindermereAbsolutely brilliant breakfast menu. Best I've seen anywhere with over 35 choices of cooked dishes. They cater for meat eaters , veggie/vegans and coeliacs on gluten free diets. More like a restaurant than a B & B dining room. The home made granola on the buffet is wonderful as is the home made fruit compote.
St Johns Lodge – WindermereMy husband and I have a boat moored in Bowness Bay, and so we regularly visit Bowness. We have been going to the Villa Positano for 5 years now and never once been disappointed. Fantastic authentic Italian food. The best fillet steak in Cumbria and always cooked to perfection. We usually have to book a table, even in winter-always a sign of a good restaurant. Lovely to visit a real family-run Italian restaurant!
Villa Positano – WindermereHighly recommended. Interesting menu, friendly staff, lovely food. Went on a Saturday lunchtime but would be great at night too.
Fat Olives Brasserie – WindermereHad a fabulous weekend here recently. Beautiful bedrooms with great lake views, gorgeous food, a big wine list to get stuck into and lovely sunny winter weather -- what more could you ask for?
Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel – WindermereOn a recent day in the lakes we came across The Brambles in Windermere and remembering it from the ITV Lakes programme we decided to have lunch. We found it a very friendly place with the bacon butty and tea or coffee an absolute snip at lakes prices of only £3 each and were treated very well by the two male staff on duty that day. We shall certainly be visiting again and probably taking some friends with us next time. We can certainly recommend The Brambles so if anyone is in Windermere make sure you visit this coffee house.
Brambles Coffee Bar – WindermereCannot praise this place highly enough, we had the gourmet meal with wine and it was the highlight of our honeymoon, the staff, service, food and wine surpassed our expectations. We would have no hesitation in recommending it to others!
Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel – WindermereAlthough we are technically in competition with this venue as we have a pub in Bowness just a mile down the road I felt I must extol the virtues of the Elleray. Wherever myself wife or daughters have a spare hour at lunchtime we pop in to enjoy excellent value home cooked food at the Ellerey. It is difficult to find good value in an area which is largely overpriced for eating out but the Ellerey excels without compromising on quality.
The Elleray – WindermereAfter travelling extensively worldwide for business and for pleasure I can honestly say this is one of the best seafood restaurants I have eaten in. The food, service and friendliness is second to none. Thank you Hooked ! A 5 STAR experience
Hooked – WindermereThough we didn't have a large meal we were impressed with this place. A high end contemporary hotel in the Lakes. Our main motivation for going there was the spa which was a perfect escape from the sub zero temperatures outside. I personally prefer places with more olde worlde charm but if a modern vibe is your thing then this is definitely the place for you in Cumbria.
Swan Hotel – WindermereOur holiday in Windermere was made even better after a visit to Brambles. The home made food was divine and the service first class. Well done Amanda. We shall certainly return on our next visit to the lakes. Brian & Anneka
Brambles Coffee Bar – WindermereLovely cosy pub with a bit of style, great menu and bustling bar. The perfect place to enjoy some hearty food after a long walk.
Brown Horse Inn – Windermerevisited this cafe last week (NOv 2010)when it was snowy and very cold. We were looking for a hearty bowl of hot soup and followed the sign. What a mistake! Door wide open letting the freezing cold in, one small heater doing nothing to heat the room, even though we sat right next to it. I had to close the wedged open door myself! The owner claimed to have the best soup in Bowness! at £4 per person we hoped he was telling the truth. The wooden seats with no cushions were very cold so had to sit on our coats. He kept walking around rubbing his hands to get warm and saying burrrrrrr! only to make us feel so much colder than we already were. Radio blarring out awful dance/pop music! The soup was heating in the microwave! delightful!! We were served our soup by the owner holding them with a towel! wide bowls, so it went cold very quickly, small portions, and obviously the veg from the day before. We didn't get our bread until we had finished our soup, as there seemed to be only one micowave!. When it came it was a rock hard small baugette bertween 2, which didn't even taste like real bread! When the owner asked if everything was ok, he seemed shocked and bewildered by our comments! Not woth the price and certainly will not be going back nor we would we recommend this place. Talked to a few people on holiday there too, and they had bad reviews too, one even walked out and left their breakfast it was so awful!
St Martins Coffee House – WindermereI can really recommend Hooked. The Seafood was exquisitely cooked, the owner was very attentive, and he had clearly worked on the menu with the chef as he was able to make good recommendations. The homemade hazelnut praline ice cream was amazing and the fish was cooked to perfection. You will feel very full and satisfied afterwards.
Hooked – WindermereMy wife and I recently spent a weekend here and cannot begin to describe how wonderful Gilpin Lodge really is! We have stayed in some great hotels elsewhere but the attention to detail and level of service here is second to none and also, unlike many top hotels this beautiful family owned and run venue also manages to create a very homely and welcoming atmosphere. It is a credit to them. The food, including the breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner is also as good as it gets. We will certainly return as soon and as often as possible and would recommend anyone to experience this wonderful place.
Gilpin Hotel and Lake House – WindermereDon't waste your money........... The worst fish and chips that I have ever tasted.
The Little Chippy – WindermereWent to this restaurant yesterday and it was not very family friendly. Staff were not very pleasant and food was frozen and overcooked. Place itself was nice enough but the staff and food let it down
Spinnery Restaurant – Windermere