Bluebird cafe on the Bay in South Lakeland

£17 for a bacon sandwich, sausage sandwich and 2 teas ! Waited 30 mins for the order and watched serving staff clean the bristles of a floor brush behind the bar. When asked where my order was I was told "oops sorry I forgot it"! When the sandwiches arrived they were awful, overcooked, tasteless and tired.

Coffee is far too weak. No taste at all. Tea was OK. Paper disposal cups, so not environmentally friendly. Plus side dogs allowed.

Good coffee and nice and close to the piers while you wait for your cruise. Alternative milks available and a delicious flapjack! Also sell duck food to feed the…well ducks!

Cafe attached to gift shop. We came in out of the rain for a coffee but decided to have a snack. The cheese and ham toasties were delicious, and Sarah was so friendly even though she was rushed off her feet, serving on her own. Comfortable seats and roomy booths.

The view is the best element of the cafe. Having been to The Bluebird Cafe at Coniston the day before which was superb (I presumed they were connected) we found the Bowness one lacking in ambience and more like a greasy spoon but expensive. The waitress/chef was friendly enoigh and to be fair seemed to be the only member of staff, but we ate out of cardboard containers with plastic cutlery that wouldn't have cut through butter. The bacon was thick and a bit too fatty and the bread of my toastie was burnt. Our cappuccinos were tasteless and searingly tongue burningly hot. There was no finesse to it and £8 for a toastie with no garnish or actual crockery and cutlery is daylight robbery. It was dog friendly which was a plus.

While staying in Bowness we visited this cafe twice, first time to have a coffee and second time for lunch. They have a good selection of sandwiches (made to order), toasted sandwiches, baked potatoes, cakes and biscuits. Also Hot and cold drinks. The staff are very efficient and pleasant and appear to enjoy their work which makes for a good atmosphere.

Great service. Very friendly staff. Enjoyed our lunch. Nice and clean place. Third visit and recommend it Great location near Lake Windermere

We popped in here for a coffee and cake. The cake was delicious, I had the Victoria Sandwich cake and my husband had a flapjack both very yummy! Great that dogs were welcome.

Friendly staff and quick service. Not bad value for money. Only downside is that there isn’t much room to sit inside when it rains!

Delicious toasties and smoothies. We visited in peak lunch time and were very impressed with how efficient the service was- especially given there is only two members of staff. They seem to have a good system in place. It is a little more pricey than some places but you’re paying for the location- with a great view across Lake Windermere. Would recommend a visit.

Over priced 2 sandwich's and 2 bottles of oasis 1 packet of crisps £16. no we didn't have to pay but when your hungry. Just let this be a warning.

Stopped off here on a quick visit to Bowness and needed a cuppa and a snack. Toasties are delicious with generous fillings and good quality ingredients. It would be so easy to charge more and provide cheap ingredients to maximise profit in this location! So it was refreshing and a lovely surprise to find such yummy sandwiches and drinks. The woman serving was on her own and it got very busy but she coped brilliantly keeping a smile on her face! (We visited on 17/3) The gift shop is worth a browse around too and the cakes looked great! Location perfect for lakeside shops and boat trips. Highly recommend

A simple and basic cafe with simple offerings. Cosy place to take a breather before continuing the walk around the lake or town. Service is friendly - the staff are full of smiles and pleasant to communicate with. Food offerings are simple. I would not say it's overpriced given the current inflation. Place does fill up fast especially on weekends. The hot chocolate is pretty good!

We visited yesterday and ordered two toasted sandwiches and two coffees. The order came to just under £18 and for this price we expected a little more than what was served. For the price you would expect some type of garnish / side salad but there was nothing. The coffee came in takeaway cups even though we were sitting in the Cafe. For £18 we could have bought 10 loaves of bread, tomatoes, extra mature cheese and a small jar of coffee from Aldi. What a complete rip off. I said to the Wife that the Cafe was empty and the prices and quality are probably the reason for this. The Staff were polite and friendly and it's probably not their fault. Would highly recommend not bothering with this place.

Cafe by the pier at Bowness on Windermere. We stopped in for hot drinks as takeways and they were very good

Amazing ice creams with very quick service. The Ice creams pictured below cost around £2.80 for a basic ‘99 and around £3.50 for a kids special. Will definitely be returning in the future. Thank you!!

Lovely sandwich and drink. Nothing was too much trouble - the sandwich I wanted wasn't in the fridge so the lady made one fresh for me.

This is a very nice little cafe. The staff here are very friendly and quick to serve you and bring your food/drinks to you. The cafe is a very reasonable price as well.

Nice little cafe next to the Tourist Information office. Nice tea, friendly staff (who recommended the warmest table on a fairly chilly day) and served quickly without any fuss. Can’t ask for much more. And; it’s near the bus stop and ferry terminal, so it’s...

First of all the staff are just lovely especially the lady that served me today dark hair, ponytail. Secondly the cafe was spotlessly clean. Every time a customer left she would get her D10 out and clean the tables. The coffee was great, the lemon...

Well run Cafe on the shore of Conistion .Food exellent and good value . Good parking at this location but can get busy at times .

A beautiful sunny location with great coffee! The view down the lake is unbelievably beautiful. I recommend you go!

After just arriving in Bowness we realised some relatives were in same area and just getting off 3pm ferry from Ambleside so went to meet them while we waited we nipped into The Bluebird Cafe for a coffee and a cheese & Tomatoes sandwiches which...

Called in yesterday to see if they offered Gluten free snacks. Very friendly and helpful staff and yes a good range of free-from foods. Had a very tasty cheese toastie Many thanks

They seem to have adapted to Covid restrictions pretty well, but the coffee was poor. Close to the Ferry terminal though

We had bacon, brie and cranberry toasties and hot chocolates. They were delicious! There were 2 girls serving who were very friendly and helpful! We will definitely visit the cafe again when we next visit Bowness!

Nice coffee staff texting rather than serving. Felt like we were inconveniencing one female member of staff. We visited on two separate days. Both times she was bent over the counter on her phone. Looking up at us then finishing what she was doing before...

What can we say....we were looking for somewhere for a cuppa mid morning and we’re wary of all those places that aren’t we’ll space out for Covid Social distancing - this place ticked the boxes on all counts. Tasty coffee, lovely bacon roll with proper...

Popped in here for coffee and a cake. The inside was well set out for Covid-19 regulations with see through screens between tables and there was also some outside tables spaced apart which we used. The staff were friendly and we got a great cup...

Popped in here to grab something to eat to takeaway before heading back to our boat. 2 sandwiches and a biscuit £11.50 ouch . Would have minded but the sandwiches were dry and tasted awful , taking advantage of passing trade would never visit here...

Decided to try here as they were part of the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme. They were taking part completely with no restrictions which was great. The staff were lovely. They were warm, welcoming and very friendly. The cafe itself was spotless and covid...

What a lovely friendly shop/cafe the girl was caring and friendly the bacon rolls were amazing and coffee went down well.

I have read some of the other reviews which are pretty varied. We nipped in here for a quick coffee one cold and draughty February morning and had a warm welcome, good service and the coffee was good too. We sat at the table beyond...

Como el café estaba bastante ocupado cuando pasaba temprano en el día, decidimos ir a tomar un café para llevar; que era bastante normal parecía bastante débil y tibia.También vale la pena señalar que seguimos el letrero de la entrada del café, que nos llevó a la parte trasera del edificio y en una puerta de incendios, que tiene un claro "estamos abiertos, entra".Al entrar, el personal nos miró como si no deberíamos entrar al café de esa manera y estaba justo al lado de su fregadero. También tiene que exprimir la mesa y las sillas para llegar al mostrador.Si va a visitar el café, que no recomendaría, ya que muchos otros en el área son mejores, asegúrese de venir a través del centro de información de visitas.

We popped in for coffee and tea cake whilst waiting for our boat trip. The staff were very friendly and the coffee was good! Nice cakes and clean loos!

Incredibly rude woman served us, I barely have the care to write this but think it's fair people know what to expect when coming here.

Pedí un café con leche y capuchino y recogí algunas galletas sin gluten. Traté de pagar con tarjeta y hubo un problema, el pago falló y retrasé la caja. Finalmente, el personal explicó que la conexión no era buena y que había obtenido efectivo; afortunadamente lo hice y también se le preguntó al cliente detrás de mí si tenía efectivo. Entiendo que en nuestro mundo de tecnología habrá problemas, pero ¿y si no tuviera dinero en efectivo? El café era normal y podría haber sido más fuerte, pero estuvo bien

Really enjoyed the coffee and a great selection of snacks and cakes to keep us going until dinner. Perfectly situated near the lake.

En primer lugar, el café estaba muy desordenado y sucio, todas las mesas estaban sucias y cubiertas de tazas y platos sucios, en primer lugar, la señora detrás del mostrador dijo que estaba demasiado ocupada para preocuparse por limpiar las mesas, lo que pensé que era muy grosero, en realidad todas las damas que trabajaban estaban muy grosero e inútil no es difícil sonreír, la señora siguió caminando pasando la mesa sin limpiarla, al final todo el mundo estaba limpiando su propia mesa con un servicio realmente malo, finalmente conseguimos una bebida, estuvo bien, nada especial, pedimos dos sándwiches tostados, esperamos 25 minutos para ver si hay comida después de preguntar dos veces y luego la mesa de al lado también estaba esperando 25 minutos, preguntamos dos veces sobre la comida dijeron que vendría, pero el boleto estaba allí pero no había haciendo que solo estuvieran charlando, y luego preguntamos por segunda vez que lo hicieron, un servicio horrible, señoras groseras, una experiencia horrible, nunca más.

Mi novia y yo vinimos aquí a tomar un café rápido antes de comenzar a trabajar, nos sentamos en un rincón junto al mostrador y miramos y notamos que una mujer miembro del personal comía un sándwich detrás del mostrador, luego, cuando ella le dio un mordisco al sándwich. póngalo en la tabla de cortar donde se preparan los alimentos, esto es una contaminación cruzada importante. Peor aún, se sonó la nariz con un pañuelo de papel, lo metió en el recipiente sin lavarse las manos y luego levantó el sándwich de la tabla de cortar (pensando que allí es donde preparaban la comida), dio otro bocado mientras había clientes de pie delante. de ella También en su teléfono todo el tiempo mientras come un sándwich. También espero que nadie se enferme por esto.

Popped in here for quick sandwich before going on a lake cruise yesterday (22/06). Very friendly staff ordered two toasted sandwiches after few minutes both sandwiches came and we weren't disappointed. Highly recommended to anyone in the Bowness area, some views out towards the lake.

Visited Bluebird Cafe on numerous occasions. Staff have always been v friendly. Coffee is very good. It is also very clean. Everything done here is done very well.

Credit where it’s due...we have been using this lake side cafe for several years along with many of our friends and are always warmly greeted (particularly by Faye and Erin) with excellent snacks, good drinks and excellent service. Couldn’t find a better venue. Well done Blue Bird cafe at Bowness

Very fast service and the cheese scones were excellent It was a busy day but we were seated and served very quickly. The flat white could have been a bit stronger.

Great location. But WAY too little seating. This place needs a smaller shop and more benches. We ended up drinking outside - with a spectacular Lakeland view mind. Decaf coffee and hot choc we had were fine.

Called here for a light lunch. Friend had the soup and we had a toasted cheese and ham toastie. All were excellent. Nice and hot with plenty of filling. Served quickly by a lovely member of staff who brought our order to the table. Really nice crispy sandwich.

right by the lake. We have a lovely cup of tea, (paper cup) and some tasty bakewell tart and victoria sponge cake on a cardboard tray. A bit pricey, but nice.

Went for a cup of coffee & tea cake, we were served in paper cups & plates. My coffee was half foam, the tea cake as expensive as a cake. Disappointing.

Ok all the way through, friendly staff, ok coffee, ok tea, ok scones and ok prices, no reason to return or to stay away

Mi esposa y yo visitamos el café Bluebird en la bahía dos veces alrededor de las vacaciones de Año Nuevo. Tenía un delicioso sándwich de tocino y un tocino, arándanos y queso Brie Toastie en la primera ocasión con té y un excelente capuchino. En la segunda visita fuimos por el lujoso chocolate caliente que fue un verdadero placer y deliciosas tartas de carne picada. La cafetería también tiene un gran servicio y hermosas vistas sobre el lago. En general, una experiencia fantástica!

Tenía un maravilloso sándwich de tocino y un café, que fue un gran comienzo para nuestra caminata. Luego volvimos para batidos, batidos y pasteles que estaban deliciosos, ¡la mejor cafetería en Windermere! !

We arrived at 3pm on a Tuesday afternoon looking for a snack, a sandwich or some soup. The advertised opening hours were until 4.30pm. As we were looking at the menu on the chalkboard, a member of staff approached us and said “we’ve sold out of everything, - all food- we’ve absolutely nothing left except the cakes you can see”. So if you wish to pick from the menu, arrive early. I suspect by her manner that she just couldn’t be bothered.

Friendly, clean fresh in every way with well cooked food and lovely cakes. It's attached to a good gift shop selling good quality products unlike many other places in these areas.

In a very good position for the boats. Really comfy seating. Not terribly happy with paper cups. Much prefer pots of tea. Quite expensive.

The view over the lake, with the steamers and dayboats, is lovely. Denise makes maybe the best coffee in Bowness - and Erin has the best smile 😊

All sandwiches made fresh and plenty of filling but all on granary bread, had to ask for balm cake used for bacon butty as an alternative. Good views of the lake while eating

كوفي جميل ورائع جلست فيه اكثر من مرة عليه أطلاله على البحيرية اسعارة مناسبة وديكوره حلو انصحكم به ..

Located on the lake front this café is always very busy and has limited seating due to it being in the visitors centre. The service was fine as were the coffee and snacks.

The food here is really reasonable, especially as it has such beautiful views of the bay. We watched the boats coming and going for ages. The food was nice - I enjoyed the chicken and pesto toastie. The food is served in takeaway boxes as well as the drinks, but we didn’t mind that.

Went for a coffee... the wait was so long someone actually asked for a refund which prompted the staff to do theirs before others. Smoothie being made by one member of staff was made, cream squirted on top of the drink and then used his finger to scrap off the excess cream and wiped it on the side of the worktop before giving it to the customer!.. definitely won't be returning !!

Visited the beautiful stunning lake Windermere yesterday. .....popped in for a cup of tea "served in a paper cup" also had a piece of homemade bakewell tart Very nice but also served in a "paper boat type" dish Why oh Why?????while we were sitting there the 2 Foreign ladies behind the counter seemed to be having a argument (in thier own language )although I couldn't understand them it wasn't a general conversation. ....should not be aired when the cafe is busy.....One other thing....had to ask for white sugar only brown on the tables the girl who I asked gave me some but said They are trying to get people to use brown Surely that should be the decision of the customers..........

Really clean and lots of seating in a superb location.Lovely food.Good parking.Seating with a dog in lots of areas.Would return no problem.

Went into here a few times for a coffee before going on the cruise. Lovely staff but not enough selection of gluten free food. I asked did they do meals for Gluten Free and was told no.

Lovely food served fresh. Lots of tray bake and cake. Good selection of cold/hot drinks. Staff very pleasent. Ha a latte most days. Only small drawback is ALL food and drinks are served on/in take-a-way disposbles.

We popped in for coffee and cake whilst enjoying a day out in Windermere. The experience was average. The views from the windows are spectacular - looking directly down the lake. The service wasn't particularly friendly. There was an average selection of average-looking cakes, making it difficult to choose one. I was disappointed that despite eating in, all of our coffees and cakes were served on paper plates and in paper cups. I doubt they were recycled. What a waste.

My husband & I called into the cafe for hot drinks, We were met by a very pleasant young lady who took our order and prepared our drinks, We sat in the window looking out over Windermere & the mountains in the distance, sipping our cappuccino & hot chocolate, what a fabulous view,

After a wonderful weekend away we were about to finish our trip with a ferry ride across Lake Windemere. In good spirits we headed to the Bluebird Cafe to grab a quick coffee and enjoy the view whilst we waited for the ferry to arrive. When arriving in the cafe we were met with sour faces and by far the worst customer service we have ever experienced! Without so much as a hello, a smile or any eye contact whatsoever we ordered our drinks. We would not have felt more unwelcome. Once the drinks were ready they were thrown at us with such force that the coffee spilt on the side of the counter. No apology was given, not even an acknowledgement. The atmosphere was so uninviting and sour that we decided to leave and sit outside in the cold rather than find a table in the cafe.

Called in awaiting ferry. Nice brew very clean with good views of the lake. Only thin’ not too sure if is the cardboard cups not a fan but thin’ due to space easier to use paper products

Beautiful views over lake, we had homemade chunky veg soup and toasties. Just what we needed as it's was 0°c with wind chill feeling like - 10°c. Friendly staff and fair prices

had a ride to the lakes called for a coffee and cake's very nice and clean all in take way cups even if you are sitting in the cakes came i a little box with a napkin the only thing l was a bit surprised about the staff serving had nail polish on and no gloves i don't think you could were polish when serving food

We called in for a drink and cake after a short walk by the lake on a damp day. We ordered a scone and a bakewell slice with a tea and a latte. The good bits were the cake and the scone, but overall we were left disappointed by the lukewarm drinks and the fact that it was all served in cardboard trays and takeaway style cups. Even the knives were plastic! The prices did not reflect the low level of presentation.

Called in for a sit down a warm being a cold day and a coffee latte style and it lived up to what we hoped for the staff have a relaxing style and a lovely building worth a try.

Amazing coffee, lovely staff. Very nice and clean little cafe just by the lake. We will be back!!!!!!

The atmosphere is great, you can see the view on the lake and mountains.

Not too bad, can imagine it could get busy however my pet hate is paper cups, I would like an...

I have been coming for years and I am pleased that the staff was very lovely and welcoming. Definitely worth...

We visited the cafe on wendesday, place Was quite busy but there was a lovely lady who serve us. Best...

Just visited this cafe whilst waiting for the ferry. Seemed quiet but lady behind counter was on her phone chatting when we walked in. Waited patiently whilst she continued chatting then put my hand on my hip and glared at her so she had to ask for my order...she still continued on the phone while she took my payment and prepared the coffee!

Have been a regular visitor here for a few years as it’s dog friendly and the cakes (made at the main Coniston branch) are excellent. Today, though, I was appalled at the attitude of the serving person. I pointed out that the milk flask was empty. Was told to tip it right up. Doing that dumped the dregs of the milk spoiling the tea. She removed the top of the flask to show me “See there is milk in the bottom!” But refused to top it up. So disappointed as their Bakewell Tart is to die for!

You can sit overlooking the lake and the boats coming into and away from the piers. The service is friendly and the drinks good. My only remark would be that I prefer proper cups and the drinks were served in take away ones.

I would think most of their stuff used for serving is recycled? I didn't mind it being served on recyclable throw-aways. The veg soup was tasty, wholesome & very filling served with fresh granary bread & Lakeland butter. Thoroughly enjoyed that with a very nice hot cup of tea with fresh milk. Cakes were good too very fresh.

Had a regular hot chocolate and a regular mocha whilst waiting for the boat to Ambleside, the cafe was dog friendly which was great. It was just over £5 for the 2 drinks which was a tad expensive to say they came in takeaway cups, would have been nice to have them in a normal cup as we were sat in the cafe. Great spot to have a brew whilst waiting for the boat though.

Close to the Lake side and where you catch the cruise boats, part of a shop.

Coffee served in paper cups and was very poor .Husband had sultana and apple cake which was very dry.Someone was bringing supplies in so backdoor was open.He spend a long time chatting to staff so all customers were left feeling very cold.No regard for comfort of customers.Very disappointed.

Stopped off for a cuppa and a slice of cake and to warm up, was very disappointed with what was served to me, 2 tea’s and 2 slices of shortbread, tea served in a paper cup and shortbread served on a paper plate for £8.30 would of preferred my tea in a proper cup and shortbread on a proper plate. For that price, staff were a tad grumpy, but the view of the lake was fab and made up for the price and grumpy staff.

The Mrs had a veg soup and a lemonade and I had a large cappuccino. The menu does look pricey but then again you don't get views like this everyday. Friendly and efficient staff on a very busy day as there were some appearances from Jeremy Clarkson and the gang that day

Went in here for a coffee and to warm up. Good selection of snacks and drinks. Seating was a bit tight in places. Drinks were nice and hot but a bit let down by being in paper cups even when sitting inside. Access to toilet is by code number on the bottom of your till receipt which is a great idea.

This is a clean place and very nice for a snack or a drink just one thing bothered us and lowered our rating of the place. The girl serving behind the counter came around the front of the counter to stroke a dog and when she had finished with the dog she went back around the counter and started to serve food and drinks again without washing her hands. Not very hygienic.

On visiting Coniston we came across Bluebird Cafe and so pleased we did. It was a great find.Staff very friendly and polite.Menu, portion sizes, taste made the prices very good.Nothing was to much to ask for.It was decorated to a very good level.Absolutely fantastic. We'll visit again before we go home.

Called in and had a snack all food hot and served on disposable packaging so not any pots n plates to wash,average price for area but was very hot in there and no windows to open so air con needs to be put on,friendly service most European staff working here .also toilets system a bit strange as you get a code on receipt to go thru door and wait in lobby but if toilet occupied people still knocking on door.

Finally a decent coffee ☕️ in England - tastey and sweetened with a delicious brownie. Nice clean toilet thrown in for free!

Popped in for a coffee whilst waiting for a boat trip. The seating has a lovely view of the lake and the hustle and bustle of the boat docks. The staff were friendly and the prices were very reasonable for the area.

I am a regular customer of the Bluebird cafe at Coniston. The food is fabulous there as is the service. I am afraid the same cannot be said of the Bluebird on the Bay cafe. Don't even bother with the cappuccino - it was the worst coffee I have ever had. Just lots of warm milk that vaguely tasted of coffee. The cafe was relatively quiet when we visited but our drinks took an eternity to be served. The staff didn't appear to be serving anyone else but we were told to take a seat and wait - which we did. When our drinks eventually arrived they were just plonked on the counter. It would have been just as easy to put them on our table but this wasn't done despite the wait. The drinks were also served in paper cups which you don't expect considering their cost. Lovely location but terrible product and service - avoid!

Looking for somewhere to enjoy a nice breakfast before our 10.10 Red Cruise yesterday to our disappointment none of the cafes near the pier were open when we arrived at 8.30 after a 150 mile drive. Walking back unsuccessfully and hungry at 9.10 we noticed all the lights were on, the cafe sign was outside and the "Come In We Are Open" sign was on the open door. We walked in and were greeted warmly by the young gentleman only to be told very abruptly by a rude young girl that they did not open until 9.30, needless to say we did not return and guided by a helpful chap working on the boots found our way in to the town to a bar serving breakfast and a warm welcome!

Had coffee and cake on a stormy afternoon.Not a lot of seating but accessible and staff polite and efficient.. Coffee ok cake fair.Adjacent to tourist info/gift shop.

good enough food considering the touristy location. nice café inside, with views of the harbour across the road

This cafe has one amazing view, lovely polite staff and delicious cakes!The luxury hot chocolates are also delicious. Everything comes in paper packaging which is a brilliant idea just invade your boat comes in early.Will definatley be visiting again soon.

Visited this cafe today as it looked nice and has beautiful views of Lake Windermere. The cafe is small but well appointed - everything looked new and clean and as it was quiet, we had a table by the window. The food was freshly prepared and we enjoyed our toastie and soup which was served by a pleasant lady. We didn't like the use of paper cups and plates - what a waste of resources! Judging by the number of full black bin bags going out of the door near us, there's a lot of waste! The problem I faced today was the incredible rudeness of the staff member who served me when I went back to ask for a slice of cake. The prices of the cakes weren't displayed and on asking how much the victoria sponge was, i was told that the prices were on the laminated list which was down the side of the cake display on the staff side of the counter. The list was thrust at me but in spite of her attitude, I asked for the cake and sat down a few feet away. When it was ready, she shouted "victoria sponge!" and I went to retrieve it - it was in a flimsy cardboard holder. On asking where it was, it was pushed towards me across the counter without a word. The cafe isn't cheap, but I was prepared to pay the prices (just) but I don't expect to be served by a frowning, rude individual who clearly didn't want to be there and couldn't care less what experience people had. The shop wan't busy, there were two staff on and it was midday. I have rarely felt so affected by someone's attitude in an environment like this, and it completely spoilt the experience. I understand that the person in question is the daughter of the owner of the Bluebird cafe in Coniston. She needs to buck her ideas up.

great selection of cakes and drinks. lovely staff and great views. highly recommended to everyone who's like a bit of a treat!!

it was nice. we went at weekend everywhere was just opening up.( we were turned away from the pump house down the road, their loss as we spent £20+.) but it was lovely nice service lovely views. nice food etc.