Ambleside Tavern in South Lakeland

Nice day in Ambleside, we were looking for a nice pub for lunch. Saw this pub with board saying ‘beer garden at the rear’. So we walked through the quiet pub, down some fire escape steps, past some bins then found the ‘beer garden’…… No kind of beer garden I’ve ever been in, couple of tables, fake grass, rubbish bins, beer barrels, ash trays (overflowing). My wife had gone the bar on way in, the wonderfully helpful barms said “I’m not doing food outside”. Grumpy as Mr Grumpy. Frankly I wouldn’t have had food sat in the ‘beer garden’. Shambles!

Lunchtime food menu is limited and expensive at £7-9 for a sandwich, £3 to ADD a bowl of chips but £5.25 for them on their own, just ordinary frozen chips not anything special. £33.65 for 3 pints and 3 bowls of chips.

Nice beer but the food was appaling and not cheap. When we asked for a refund, the manager audibly told the waiter to 'kick the chefs a#£e' and remained seated talking to her mates. Not remotely interested in offering any kind of an apology. Pretty amateurish approach to customer care. There are a tonne of great places to eat in Ambleside so they really should up their game or not advertise food at all

Just had a weekend in Ambleside for 3 nights. Visited the Ambleside Tavern each day for food and drinks. The staff, particularly Tasha were exceptional. Very welcoming and helpful with regard to the local area. Sorry to hear that Tasha was leaving for pastures new. She was marvelous. Barman Jamie is also a great asset to the pub, very friendly and helpful. The food and drinks were very good. It was a great atmosphere in the pub when we watched the Six Nations Rugby on the big screen. A really great pub! Thanks again to Tasha, she will be missed. AJ and Steve

Nice and friendly staff , went with the Mrs an our french bulldog woody , who the staff made very welcome an made a fuss over ...

Good there as was raining and would like to eat with family. Too loud music! 😞Very average food. Would not eat there again 😞.

I feel the need to respond to the crass, offensive, and ill-educated comments from Mr Harrison related to my review of last week! I am rather taken aback by your comments to one of the paying customers who businesses like yours rely so much upon in these difficult times. Also that your comments were aimed without any thought of who to, or why there was so much disappointment,But before I start I will apologise for the Ambleside Tavern being tagged in to the aforementioned review. I'm not sure how this happened as I was under the impression that I was placing a review on the Ambleside Tourist Information page, not the Ambleside Tavern page. I will take responsibility for that as it must have been my mistake somehow, but never the less!!!As someone who, just even over the past several years or so, has supported the Ambleside hospitality businesses by spending thousands of pound there and even last weekend spending another £2500+ there, I am really offended by your comments. I recall that we were also amongst the first customers back with support after the terrible floods a couple of years ago, when businesses were pleading with customers to return to the Lakes with their support!!! We did as soon as we could!How dare you tell me to go elsewhere !!I also do not understand why you assume that I want to drink into the "early hours"? All I did was ask for a drink at 9:15pm. Not an unusual expectation whilst away for the weekend!!! But maybe your pub operates differently to those all over the country! Maybe Thwaites senior management would have a different view! You could pass my comments on!I am well aware of and appreciate those who have worked hard throughout these difficult times. Rather than take " a step back" this last visit was meant to be a "step forward" out of the dark days of the pandemic!!! It was also meant to be a bit of relief for my wife who is a nurse in the NHS. Along with her friends and colleagues they have had an horrific time over the past 18 months, helping those in need, and facing probable infection and possible death themselves without any time off!!! ( remember there were almost 1000 NHS staff who have died!) I expect you wont understand the trauma of my wife's friends and colleagues at work having to sit and hold the hands of those dying in hospital each and every day over the past 18 months. That is hard work Mr Harrison!!!! And that is why our break was so looked forward to! So please do not tell me to take a step back and look to appreciate things. I may be wrong but I would have thought staff would be very glad to get back to hard work and help to get the businesses back to where they were! But ......... maybe not !!I will take some steps, they wont be backwards, but following your comments, they will be steps to well avoid the Ambleside Tavern during my next visits to Ambleside and to make sure that I don't spend one penny of our hard earned money there. I hope others do like wise !Please don't bother to reply as I don't intend to spend any more of my time concerned with the Ambleside Tavern !

Following the easing of covid restrictions we have just returned from an eagerly awaited 5 day break in Ambleside. 15th to 20th July. We have stayed in Ambleside on a regular basis over the past years. Although the b& b accommodation was excellent as usual, I have to say that the majority of the hospitality businesses appeared nothing short of a disgrace and really couldn't care less if they had your support or not. It is possible to find a meal if you book well in advance, but the pubs and bars simply turn everyone away very early on whether they have any customers or not. I was of the opinion that the hospitality industry was desperate to return to normal. Well not here. One pub turned us away at 9 15pm after we left a restaurant!!! " Sorry no one else allowed as we are closing early" was the excuse!! Early????? On a weekend night.??? When the place is full of holiday makers!!! This if course led to groups of people buying alcohol from the only place availablele ... Tesco .... to drink on the streets!!! The queue for alcohol was out the door!! There were lots of people wondering around that couldn't get anything to eat or drink!Those running the businesses appear to have little regard for the support the holidaymakers are giving. If you are planning a trip to Ambleside then I suggest you find out in advance if you will be able to get food, or indeed a simple thing like getting an evening drink!!! If not ... go somewhere else!!! It's such a shame as we love the place !! But it really spoiled our visit !!!

Just off the main part of town a traditional pub offering a great selection of beers from ice cold draught cider to genuine task ales! Good honest food and the dirtiest of chips! Found and returned the next day!

Offended - arrived in Ambleside at lunch, beautiful town, and asked the pub if they were showing the football. Great. We stayed in the town to watch the game at 5. We’re told we could go in because only one staff member on. Waited outside for people to leave; told again we couldn’t come in due to single member of staff. While discussing what to do next the next couple to walk in the pub were let in!! My partner is Spanish and a Spanish game.

The staff were all very friendly and the services was excellent. Very good atmosphere, clean and tide. Very good covid arrangements

Managed to get a table easily on a Saturday afternoon, food was good, football was on, good service.

Visited twice over weekend away. Loved its friendly atmosphere. Dog friendly and although werent t doing food due illness we enjoyed a disappointing Scotland game ha ha with plenty cider and prosecco

Thanks Cameron and the bar staff making us feel very welcome. Enjoy our food and drink, definitely call in again when we're back in ambleside

Turned up here on a really busy night, bar was understaffed due to a staff illness the two guys on the floor led by Cameron handled the situation superbly nothing was a problem even though they were under immense pressure.

Having made a special trip to this pub to watch a live Football match as advertised by this pub on facebook and also being informed by the landlord the day previous,when we were spending money in the pub, that he would stay open until the end of the match. The next day we turned up at the venue to be told by a uninviting and rude landlady that they we shut even though as we looked through the window we could see the game on the big screen and a couple who were in the pub with us the previous day drinking and watching it.Me, my family and friends will not be using this pub again.They were quick enough to accept our money the previous day when we were doing our bit to support a local business!!!!!!!

Ha sido un par de veces antes, parece que los precios han aumentado y la comida no es tan buena como era, nuestras hamburguesas estaban bien. Quizás otras comidas podrían haber sido mejores.Lo que sí damos 5 * +++ es que los procedimientos de covid son los mejores de cualquier lugar en el que hemos estado, esperar en la puerta, tomar la temperatura, usar máscaras, solo servicio de mesa, solo ida y vuelta.Fantástico bien hecho.

We were looking for a last minute place to eat and the other restaurants we passed were packed full of people very close together. The tavern practiced perfect COVID adherence. The food was good, staff attentive and atmosphere pleasant.

Visité aquí en un viaje en bicicleta; mientras luchaba con las bicicletas, un miembro del personal (creo que Ben) salió a ayudar. El servicio al cliente aquí fue impecable. Tuvimos un delicioso curry y patatas fritas y todo el personal fue excelente. Hecho para una visita muy agradable.

They have a good selection of beers, nice food, reasonably priced, friendly staff, and the sport it on.

Todo el personal fue muy amable, nos hizo sentir bienvenidos y con una buena relación calidad-precio, al llegar nos sentimos muy seguros ya que el gerente nos contó sus reglas de covid. El servicio de mesa fue muy rápido. No esperó mucho para las comidas. La decoración era fresca y estaba impecablemente limpia.

Recibidos con un control de temperatura por parte del pesebre abrupto, nos preguntaron qué queríamos y respondí que la comida y la bebida serían geniales. Nos llevó al bar para hacer un pedido bajo presión, y luego nos acompañó a la planta baja a lo que solo podemos imaginar que fue el bar nocturno una vez, se sentó en la esquina cerca de la cabina del DJ, toda el área apestaba a vómito viejo que posiblemente emana de las tablas del suelo.Me hubiera gustado mudarme, pero el personal estaba lejos de ser accesible.El servicio de mesa era extremadamente lento y cuando pregunté acerca de tomar una copa me dijeron con cierta brusquedad 'Estamos ocupados', e incluso cuando nos sirvieron, pasaron 15 minutos volví al bar, y una disculpa bastante débil fue Ofrecido. Se entregaron bebidas, pero los vasos no olían demasiado bien y el Wainwright no sabía muy bien.En ningún momento se ofreció comida, además de que el olor allá abajo nos hubiera hecho desgraciados.Parece que estaban felices de llenar la barra a la máxima capacidad de covid pero no contrataron suficiente personal para acomodarlos.

Encontré este lugar buscando un lugar para ver el partido de fútbol, una pantalla grande en el área de la planta baja con muchas mesas para que pueda caminar y encontrar una mesa. ¡Lo mejor de encontrar esta taberna fue su ron Bumbu! Definitivamente vale la pena una visita solo por esto, personal realmente amable y buen ambiente

Llamado para tomar un trago mientras esperaba a que parara la lluvia. Se tomó nuestra temperatura, se completó la documentación de seguimiento y rastreo y se proporcionó gel para las manos. Este pub está poniendo la seguridad del público en primer lugar y está haciendo un gran trabajo. Nos sentamos en el sótano (antiguo club nocturno) y era muy acogedor. Había una gran televisión con el fútbol encendido y todos cumplían con las reglas de distanciamiento social.Los refrescos eran realmente buenos y el personal era muy amable.

Very welcoming place, temp taken on entry due to covid 19 guidelines. Social distancing adhered. Friendly, helpful bar staff especially Ben who was polite, chatty and welcoming to all customers. Food was really good, and very quick service.

Encontré esta taberna por accidente. Excelente saludo, el mejor lugar para buscar covid 19. Se tomó la temperatura antes de entrar y se solicitó que nos desinfectamos las manos, luego se tomaron los datos personales para rastrear y rastrear. Comimos allí 5 noches y cada noche la comida era excelente. Grandes porciones y buena relación calidad-precio. Todo el personal fue muy amable.

Stopped for lunch on a very rainy day, wish we had passed by, the menu looked good, fancied some fish and chips so ordered that, when it came it was a piece of frozen minced fish fillet, frozen chips and a spoonful of mushy peas, my partner had the baked ham egg and chips, it was sliced boiled ham again frozen chips egg and salad, wouldn’t recommend for food but I have to say they have the coved situation well in hand

Visited here three times recently, twice for drinks and once for food also. Good menu choices and delicious food. All of the staff were very pleasant and also maintained a very high level of hygiene measures regarding Covid prevention. Temperature checked on entry and clear instructions given as to seating, safety, ordering and one way system through the tavern. A pleasure to visit.

Recently visited on a wet night whilst the “Eat out to help out” incentive was in play. In Ambleside for only 1 night we visited several places to eat without success but when we asked at the Ambleside Tavern, we were told we could have a drink in a downstairs “holding area” until a table was free, after only 20 minutes we were taken to a table where we enjoyed a delicious meal, and stayed for the rest of the evening.The host, who worked tirelessly to accommodate everyone who visited (unlike everywhere else who seemed uninterested in taking more customers even at 6pm), was excellent, as were the other staff.We further understood that there were staff shortages in the kitchen, but this didn’t show in the quality of the food.An excellent evening, great atmosphere, great service

Popped in here for lunch, the staff seemed to have the right measures for Covid-19 i place, ordered some drinks and then we cam to the food. my wife is gluten free and she could have a curry - or - a curry. In this day and age you would have thought they could have had a wider selection of gluten free meals and when the manager was consulted he did not seem concerned in any way. Certainly we will not be returning.

My family and I were stuck on somewhere to eat as many locals reaturants in the vlllage were busy and wasn't taking an booking prior due to the eating out to help out scheme. But I came across this pub and to my suorise they had a table available for our family. In regards to the current circumstances the tavern was very good with taking temp checks, track and trace and sanitising hands all before you took more than 5 steps through the door. Overall, our mains and dessert were absolutely fantastic. But it was the friendliness and authentic service from the team that made our visit. Very nice and genuine team! Will visit again on my next trip to the Lake District.

We went in for a snack, the manager greeted us at the door, took our temperatures, and explained the one way system. We had bacon, brie and cranberry sauce on a baguette for one of us and a tortilla wrap for the other. Very nice, so we went back the next day and had a bacon, sausage and egg on a batch, very nice again. All the staff were very friendly and checked that we were happy with our food. When we next go to Ambleside we will definitely go there again but to have a meal as they looked very good.

Only wanted drinks which at the moment can be quite difficult due to the lakes being busier than ever and of course less tables etc. However we waited at the door as instructed . The manager came and took our temperature and we completed the track and trace form. He sat us at a table and gave clear instructions on how to get served and the one way system etc. All very clear. We didn't eat but have done before and it was excellent. Great pub and service.

We always have a drink here when visiting Ambleside very friendly staff, normally we would sit outside but obviously during this pandemic we were not allowed to, went inside staff very informative regarding Covid 19, had our temperature taken filled in track and trace form, because we were only having a drink we were told to go downstairs!! which we did it wasn't very nice very dark and gloomy no windows felt quite claustrophobic, maybe the younger crowd would like it!!we drank up and left, we will go back again in the Autumn and hopefully be able to sit outside fingers crossed.

Second visit here, this time for refreshments following a very soggy bike ride to Ambleside. We were met at the door and had our temperature taken, hands sanitised, then shown to a clean table. Can’t commend the staff enough for the excellent systems and precautions they have put in place to keep their customers and staff safe, which is lots of extra work for them, but makes all the difference. Felt really comfortable here and the food and drinks were fresh, tasty and good value for money. The staff were competent and friendly and the service was very efficient, especially given the extra high numbers of visitors to the area because of the current international travel situation.

Arrived at lunch and the welcome was friendly enough and the covid 19 measures we're adequate and clearly explained. The menu is hopeless if you need gluten food and don't like curry two curries we're the only gluten free options on a reasonably broad menu. We left. I expected better from a Thwaites pub.

Super busy and staff working really hard to accommodate everyone. Unfortunately, it felt like maybe it was a bit much for them as we were welcomed in to the pub, but told to sit downstairs (in a sports bar underneath the pub). Sure upstairs would be lovely, but we ended up in a windowless basement bar that wasn’t being sanitised after customers leaving. Two couples left almost immediately after arriving, leaving full drinks behind. If you’re feeling cautious about going out and about at the moment, probably not the place to go.

Excellent service even during covid. All other restaurants full- found us a place. Vegetarian curry was spectacular and pie was lovely. Highly recommend.

Visited a couple of times over past couple of days. Much improved and impressive sports bar. Great food and very attentive staff. Superb safety measures for COVID too. Well done to all involved .

Member of staff greeted us and clearly explained Covid procedures in place so we felt safe and welcome. Great menu to suit varied needs of the party including gluten free. (Delicious tagine). Prompt and friendly service and really good food. Eat out to help out members too! Couldn't ask for any more :-)

Stopped here for a family meal. Lads behind the bar thorough with hand sanitiser and one way system etc We ordered:2 x fish and chips 2 x kids mealDrinks£43Kids’ meals were £1 each due to us buying an adult meal making the pints of lager £5/£6 a pint. Not cheap. Best part was we asked for some “bread and butter” for a chip butty and paid extra. We got a baguette ????Meal OK. Average pub grub. OK to stop here for a quick bite after a hike.

Came here on the last night of our Lake District trip. During our trip, we visited the fancy restaurants were you leave hungry and £50 lighter. This was a breath of fresh air. A foodies heaven. Had the generously stacked nachos to start and the meat packed steak pie for mains. Food was super tasty and full bellies all round. From covid point of view, only place we visited that took temperatures on arrival and took our details for Track and Trace - felt very reassured.

Came in with the lads for some scran and bev. The scran was excellent value and the bevs were top notch. Lively atmosphere and the banter with the staff was great. Would definitely recommend this pub.

Great food, friendly staff and quick service, pints are a bit pricey but it's standard for the lake District.

Quick service, cheap food but tastes good. Good choice of drinks. Safe environment during covid. Very clean

Came here tonight and sat in the window seat for food and drinks, the food was lovely and all the right social distance measures were in place, staff constantly make sure everything was disinfected and clean. The man on the front of house was excellent making sure everyone was attended to.

Excellent service related to following the social distance guidelines, great food and friendly atmosphere

We were on holiday in the Lakes and popped into this lovely pub for a drink. Social distancing is well organised. Staff were very pleasant, fully explained the new covid rules. The pub was fairly busy but everyone was social distancing.you order your drinks and collect them at the end of the bar..

Absolutely filthy, disgusting pub!Came all the way to Ambleside from Newcastle and unfortunately choose this pub with my family to eat in. Not only was the food basically inedible, I took my toddler down to change his nappy and the toilets were filthy dirty with black mould in toilet. Considering we’re in the midst of a global pandemic I find it rather amusing you are taken peoples temperatures on the way in and not the way out your far more likely to catch something in this pub than arrive with anything! Avoid at all costs should be closed down!

Came in with our 5 mo baby and asked the young man behind the bar if there were any changing facilities, to which he replied no. As I walked away to go and try to find somewhere to change the baby's nappy, my partner heard him say to his colleague "what does she expect coming to a pub?". Found this really unnecessary, unwelcoming and rude, and actually the first pub we've been in that doesn't have baby facilities. Note to parents: don't bother!

Sat having a quiet pint in the afternoon (29th feb 2020). A female member of staff ate a burger at the end of the bar (we all need to eat when working), after she finished she went straight to clear tables, and the spoon (used for table number), then went straight back behind the bar and carried on working. Can a member of management please re-train you're staff on health and hygiene and that their hands should be washed after eating (and smoking, which I didnt see any off), unfortunately this put me off havin food here. Oh dear as typing this out sat still in the pub the said young girl tucked her trainer laces in sticking her fingers in her trainers and again didnt was her hands, just carried on serving customers

It’s ok, we stopped for drinks which were reasonably priced but one of our group had a glass of red wine that smelled and tasted very old and unpleasant so we assume the bottle had been open for some time and the glass was a bit dirty too. Ok for a quick beer but based on our experience avoid the wine!

We have visited Ambleside on many occasions over the years and normally call into The Tavern on a Saturday evening as they usually have live music from around 9pm. We called in about 3 weeks ago and there was a Geordie singer/guitarist who told a few humorous stories between songs and whilst the place was less than busy (not his fault as mid January in The Lakes is normally quiet) he out on a decent show although it was spoilt at one point when he got into an argument with a group of four who sat right in front of him and decided to talk/play around with their phones whilst he was playing which he took exception too. Probably a bit over the top we felt but not helped by one of the group ( idiot ) who thought it funny to suggest he was texting a friend to say how good the music was! It then got a bit ugly but eventually calmed down when the group were shown the door. All that said we enjoyed the night and will return.

Estuve en Ambleside caminando por un día y alojándome en un lugar local como lo hago a menudo. Fui a este pub como había estado aquí antes. Entré a las 7:50 pm y el personal del bar me sirvió rápidamente para mi bebida y cuando ella preguntó "¿habría algo más?", Pregunté si todavía estaban sirviendo comida. Miró el reloj y dijo que dejamos de servir a las 8 pm, pero puedo preguntar. ¡Miré mi reloj y le dije que no se molestara! ¿Cuál es el punto de tener tiempos de servicio si no va a cumplirlos? Esta será mi última visita a este pub, me temo.

Reservamos para quedarnos el año nuevo en el Hotel Queens solo para descubrir por casualidad que el hotel había sido renovado. Nuestra reserva no estaba en la nueva lista de reservas.

No es el mejor lugar en Ambleside, tuve que esperar un tiempo para almorzar, ya que la impresora se rompió para que la cocina no recibiera nuestro pedido. El marido tenía bistec y tarta de cerveza, dijo que estaba bien. Compartimos los nachos, sabrosos y tuve sopa de coliflor y brócoli, ¡fue lo más destacado! El plato de queso no era demasiado, sospecho que era queso aldi, que era bueno, pero me hubiera gustado tener un poco de queso local y pan fresco en lugar de bandejas estándar ¡parte de baguette horneada!

Después de una caminata fría por la cascada, llamamos aquí para almorzar. El menú parecía estar bien, pero siendo aburrido tuvimos hamburguesas y papas fritas, 1 comida vegetariana, 1 hamburguesa de carne de res. Me sorprendió cuando salieron hamburguesas en lo que parecían ser cajas de poliestireno. . Pero la porción y el sabor eran realmente buenos. 2 hamburguesas y papas fritas 2 bebidas sub 22

Fuimos a almorzar después de un crucero por el río, este lugar tiene cerveza de verdad, así que era un zapato. Estaba lleno cuando llegamos y el propietario nos aconsejó que habría una espera de 45 minutos para la comida, así que vale la pena tenerlo en cuenta Si tiene tiempo restringido. El retraso nos permitió disfrutar de los juegos disponibles.y papá tomó otra cerveza, estoy muy feliz en todos los sentidos.Nuestra comida estuvo deliciosa. Mi esposo es bengalí y estaba muy impresionado con el sabor del curry de coliflor que se ofrece.Ambiente encantador y tuvimos un gran servicio.

I had fish and chips and the fish was the shape and as hard as a policeman’s baton. I’ve had more fish inside breadcrumbs in a fish finger. Really shocking. Hubby had Cumberland sausage with peas and mash. It was all heaped on top of each other in a soup bowl and covered to the brim in gravy. Absolutely swimming and looked like a soup. I told the girl who came for our plates that it was the worst pub meal we had ever had. Of course it wasn’t her fault and she could only say sorry but you’ve been warned!! Don’t do it!!

The food was dry, flavourless and small portions on the burgers. The only good meal was a pie that was ordered. The toilets are broken flickery lights, broken locks and missing a toilet seat. The staff was pleasnt.

Enjoyable atmosphere, TV showing sports for those that are interested. Great food and beer. The barman went off duty whilst we were there, and went round the pub saying goodbye and thank you to everyone, which was a nice touch.

Typical local sports pub; good range of beers serving food. Friendly staff, relaxed atmosphere, advertised gig nights.

Popped in on the way to somewhere else and it’s the same as the last time I visited. This is very much a sky sport pub and good for them.

I had the pie of the day, it was lovely. Good food well served in good friendly surroundings.The orange J20 was nice too.

We were visiting Ambleside so called in for lunch, food was okay nothing special. Just reminded me of a Wetherspoons to be honest. Had a funny damp smell too. Plus side dog friendly!

Visited twice during our weekend away. We didn't eat here but enjoyed a few drinks. The welcome is warm and friendly and the atmosphere is what you'd want from a pub. The food coming out looked good and we will absolutely be back next visit. Keep up the good service guys

We had a drink and a meal here during a recent stay in Ambleside. The drinks were very expensive but not presented in a way that you would expect, served in grubby glasses without a hint of a smile from the lady who served us.

As stated in other reviews,very pricey drinks and shocking food!....fish and chips were disgusting. Frozen breadcrumb fish like the economy ones from farm foods only not quite as nice and frozen chips!

Came here for a drink- £19 and two g+t's later I was debating buying a bottle from tesco instead- the prices weren't listed on the menu (should've really asked beforehand) so this didn't leave us in the best stead.

Good value meals and tasty too, have ate out at various places and found this to be worth a revisit unlike others !

Visited here while passing through Ambleside and just wanted somewhere for a quick bite to eat. Plenty of choice on the menu but i just got a chicken mayo & bacon baguette with fries and my partner got the loaded dirty fries with chicken, bacon and cheese. Food was fine for what we wanted which was a quick dinner but not really "pub grub" with them seeming to use fries on their meals rather than homemade chips. Will visit again and would recommend for anyone to give this place a try.

Staying nearby in Ambleside and visited this bar / restaurant 3 times during my stay. Excellent selection of local ales and food. Don't forget to have a look at the specials board! Sky Sports TV available (so I could keep up with the Cricket World Cup)

Just popped in here for a quick pint and some nuts. Friendly bar man and comfortable chairs.

You will not regret coming here, I visited twice on holiday over the week. It is not somewhere you go as a treat, but for holiday is perfect as you know what you get and it's local.

very dark inside we where not impressed with the decormore a young persons place at night than a tourist venue

Spend £50 on “fresh home cooked food” as advertised for it to be all frozen even admitted by the staff. Don’t recommend this place at all

Have just had a week in Ambleside & though there are many places to eat I found The Ambleside Tavern was the best for choice & price. It is also a bit quieter, except for Saturday night when there is live entertainment, than other places which can get a bit noisy & crowded. Well cooked food & lots of it, ask the staff if you want to change anything on the menu, they are happy to do so.

Went to this pub for lunch and wouldn’t recommend it. Sat in the little upstairs area, where a tv was running on silent. One customer request the sound to be turned on and without even considering the other guests, that’s what happened and the tv was playing together with the music. As we had already ordered food, we moved to a quieter table. The food arrived and it really wasn’t good. My burger came with the most tasteless fries I’ve ever had. A friend had fish and chips and the fish clearly had been bought frozen and just been heated up.

First time we have been to this pub. Staff excellent and made us feel v welcome. Beer excellent and although we didn't have any food, it looked great and wasnt expensive. Well worth a visit!!

Dog friendly. Friendly staff. I had the Beef Stew special, very filling and surprisingly good. My friend had the Lasagne very nice. I think the chips could be cooked a little longer, but overall, very good

Habiendo tenido un largo paseo alrededor de Ambleside, pensamos que podríamos saciar nuestra sed y estábamos pasando por aquí. No se ve mucho desde el exterior, pero es un pub clásico a la antigua. Un montón de comentarios mencionan el mal servicio, que no fue nuestra experiencia y volveríamos.

My boyfriend and I called in on Saturday afternoon for lunch, we were served by a lovely polite and helpful barman, we order the Cajun chicken baguettes and a side of 1 chunky and 1 skinny fries, tasty and good priced food.

We both had lasagneand all the trimmings and it was really good. Friendly service and locals. Great value proper pub grub.

Fuimos aquí para almorzar en un día. Encontré un asiento en un bonito rincón. Los chicos detrás del bar eran muy amables y acogedores. La comida era encantadora y bien de precio. Cuando terminamos ofrecieron también llenar mi botella de agua de forma gratuita con hielo. Como tengo 6 meses de embarazo esto fue muy apreciado. Se admiten perros, que siempre es una ventaja. Altamente recomendado

A group of us went into this pub on our recent visit to Ambleside.We asked the lad behind the bar what gins they had, he rolled his eyes and then obviously bored of this question proceeded to reel off around 15 gins in the fastest time possible .We didn’t understand most of what he said. After then finding a gin menu my friend ordered me a gin that was advertised with apple and mint ,she came back with a gin with juniper berries in .When she took it back to the bar he just said we haven’t got any. At least have the common decency to say we haven’t got any when she ordered it rather than just chucking a few juniper berries instead.The 2 bar staff had no idea about working in a pub and are definitely in the wrong job.As we walked in the pub a group coming out said to us don’t bother...now we know why.There are a lot more bars and pubs in Ambleside that are worth your time and money.

Wollten nur kurz eine Kleinigkeit essen und sind hier vorbei gekommen. Ein nettes Pub, gute Musik, nicht zu laut. Nettes Personal. Wir hatten Cheese Shearer und Thuna Sandwich. Das war sehr gut, auch wenn man da nicht viel falsch machen kann. Gute Preise. Sauber.

We enjoyed a lovely evening pint whilst listening to a young man singing a variety of songs.Staff very welcoming.

Called in for lunch, and beers, and we weren’t disappointed. There was a good selection of quality drinks and food. The staff were friendly and chatty and a very pleasant time was had by one and all. A nice pub indeed.

Cosy pub offering hearty food and good selection of craft ales live music and dog friendly too in the middle of town.

Visiting Ambleside on a family weekend. Walking the dogs and fancied some tea.. accommodated the dogs and a toddler!!

Visited Ambleside to celebrate New Year for ages. Always go into the Tavern for a beer, we decided to have a meal. Staff very friendly and food was very tasty. Highly recommend the bacon, cheese burger.

Called in on a lunchtime and had the chilli chicken baguette did not realise it would be cold !

We didn’t expect much. Looked like a locals bar in the middle of a tourist trap.

Called in for a pint after a long day on the hills

As a fan of Lake District pubs, I've come to expect a certain standard of service – and the Tavern didn't let me down. It's less of a Lakes pub and more a city venue. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but if you're looking for a traditional vibe you won't find much of it here. The music is louder, the clientele is generally younger and it's a more boisterous experience in general; but that can be refreshing, and it's still a welcoming place with good staff.

I have visited this bar before and was impressed however my second visit left me rather disappointed. The barman was not knowledgable on what tonics went best with specific gin. Then as i sit finishing my drink now i am watching the four members of staff on duty sitting down eating crisps and philly cheese whilst on their phones and swearing. Not what you want when having a relaxing drink also the mess on the bar and behind the bar is vile. I wont be rushing back and based on how quiet it is in here i guess many people have the same view.

I was at the Ambleside Tavern with my family last Thursday. It was a lovely welcome by the friendly staff, who seated us and explained the menu...to which the food for all of us was good and enjoyable.

Recibido por un camarero educado y conversador con cabello rubio, pero la comida que nos servían era espantosa. Pedimos pescado y papas fritas, y el pescado era una tienda congelada y maltratada que compró un pedazo de pescado que estaba casi quemado: ¡roca sólida! Pedí un reembolso para que me preguntaran qué estaba mal con eso. . . . Le expliqué que no esperaba un pescado congelado, cocinado al horno para una comida de 10 'Pescado y papas fritas' a la que respondió 'no, en ninguna parte del menú dice que no es eso' y luego me dijo que no podía reembolsarme solo cambiar mi orden Dije que seguramente otros clientes se quejaron de esto y luego cambió de opinión y me lo devolvió a regañadientes. Su jefe luego entró y se mostró visiblemente molesto por la situación y nos lanzó miradas repetidas veces. Mi compañero tenía el pastel de carne que apenas comía ya que también era terrible.

Used to go here a few years ago. Now seems to be a very local, local pub so didn't enjoy this visit.

We were recommended here, alongside the royal oak and the Lily wine bar by the manager Nathan in the unicorn tavern, as we couldn't get seated in there, I wish we'd taken the second option or even just bought a micro meal or pizza from spar next door. The food and service was absolutely appalling, we attempted to complain to the manager Lee but he weakly dismissed us and told us the kitchen was busy, the pub was busy, you didn't have to come here! We ate what was palatable from our 'meal's' and decided as it was the weekend we'd stay and listen to the live music, Decka was the highlight of our visit, as our mood had lifted from the god awful food, we thought we'd venture downstairs to the aptly named Baba's, this is where our visit through itself down stairs, we were greeted by a tattooed dark haired barman that appeared to be so high he thought he was invincible and spoke to customers like absolute bog, he eventually served me and my partner, but when I asked him to fill my pint to the line, he grunted and told me I was lucky to be served at all as he or the other bar staff were busy and didn't have to serve anyone. There was an extremely rude obnoxious Bob haired woman on the 'nightclubs' bar when I went to buy myself and my partner another drink I was informed the bar was now closed, I thought I would try my luck and mention it was mine and my partner's anniversary, we've been together 10yrs, since meeting in high school, and now at uni together, her reply was '' I don't care, there's plenty of other pansies in here, you and your pansy should have got a take away, we're not a flower shop '' needless to say me and my boyfriend left and shall not be returning! No wonder no one local will endorse the pub, it's food, its staff or the so called dive Baba's!