Cuckoo Brow Inn Restaurant in South Lakeland

Fantastic location. Friendly, welcoming and great to take your dogs, there were 4 ilat the time we were there and the staff were more than happy to accommodate this. The food was excellent t and large portion meant it was extremely good value for money . Would recommend it to anyone

We popped in early evening without a booking as had just arrived after a long journey. Although fully booked a lovely lady at the bar fitted us in for dinner . A warm welcome for us and our dog , hot tasty food which was well presented and reasonably priced has made us happy to return Thank you, we will be back

It deeply saddens me to write this review as like a number of the reviews on here, I used to be a regular visitor to this pub and it was one of our favourites in the area! It it had great food, friendly staff and suited our needs whatever the weather, winter or summer. However, all that has changed as the staff are terribly rude, and the food is way below par. I worked at the Tesco in Bowness for 6 years and never behaved or spoke in such a disgusting manner, unfortunately it was not just one staff member either. We did our usual walk across the ferry and arrived at the cuckoo brow at 2:25 and as stated on sign shown in the photograph, lunch is served until the 15:00 (shown in 24hr format to ensure there is no confusion) however when 10 of us arrived for lunch, where there was plenty of space to be seated, the staff rudely said “we have stopped serving food” when we politely questioned why it states until 15:00 on the sign outside they then questioned who were and did if we were their boss and therefore didn’t care what we had to say, both staff members were rude but the male was particularly so, he threatened my brother to take it outside when he was holding his 2 year old son in his arms after all my brother said was giving him feedback in a calm informative manner as to how rude this man was being. Comparing this to another pub near which I highly recommend was the tower bank arms who despite stopping food service at 2 and the chef having left the kind man made a lot of sandwiches for us and cooked some chips after hearing what had happened at the cuckoo brow. Perhaps it was a lucky escape as looking at the food that was coming out while we were there at 14:25 it did not look like quality it used to be. after reading other reviews our suspicions were confirmed, however there was no need for the disgusting behaviour and as a result a lot of business will be lost from us as we used to recommend it to all our guests but will not be any longer.

Really friendly and welcoming staff. Lots of gluten free options including fish and chips. We came twice for dinner during our week’s stay in the area and both times were really good. I went for the red snapper in a creole sauce tonight. It was truly amazing … Would definitely come again.

Fab food and friendly staff. We ate here on a Friday evening before an event on the Saturday. All 5 of us were very happy with our meals which were tasty and great portion sizes. The staff were also really friendly. So much so we rebooked to go back for breakfast two days later (which was also delicious).

Came in to have a drink and book a table for dinner. Witnessed staff being terribly rude to some people who’d come to eat but were told the kitchen was closed at 2.25 despite the fact that the signs advertise food til 3. Needless to say we won’t be coming for dinner, or visiting again!

We had an overnight stay including bed and breakfast. The food, drink, room and welcome were absolutely fantastic. We will definitely recommend the the Cockoo Brow to friends.

No Vegetarian Options for Lunch apart from a Cheese and Pickle Sandwich. For a pub that states it is vegetarian and Vegan friendly that is a poor menu. The cheese was in huge chunks in the sandwich making it difficult to eat. The bread was not fresh baked but a standard seeded bloomer from the supermarket and the chips were rather anaemic frozen chips. My husband had fish and chips. He said the fish was good, but was served more tartar sauce than mushy peas, and again very disappointing chips.

Called for a Sunday lunch, we hadn’t booked, as just driving pass. A lovely, well presented and yummy roast lamb and roast chicken with all the trimmings. All good, friendly, family service

Came for Sunday Roast and not disappointed, booked for 6pm , lamb shank roast and roast beef and all the trimmings lovely Here for the week be back again to sample normal menu Everyone very friendly

We returned for drinks the other day, ran a tab, when I asked for the bill I was just given the card machine…. I asked to see the bill….. good job I did £22 of extra drinks had been added to our bill…… by mistake! MAKE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR BILL!!!!

Today 8 friends planned to eat Sunday Lunch. It was a stunningly beautiful day. We seated ourselves in the sun which was lovely. We went to the bar to order 8 Sunday Lunch’s. Four bottles of wine. Four pints of beer and 4 Gin & Tonic. We more than likely would have had desert and and coffee. When trying to order we were told you can’t eat outside. We have eaten outside for many years !! We have been told locally the establishment has a new team. Good Luck, I’m sure you won’t be in business very long if you can afford to turn business like this.

We came for Friday night dinner. Great pub food - not your usual frozen, ready food. Home cooked, delicious! Highly recommend homemade pie, burgers and fish & chips. Friendly, welcoming service. Would book ahead as busy at peak times, but worth the planning and highly recommend a visit.

Very nice place for enjoying local beef and steak! they are so welcoming and puppy friendly. perfect fries and perfect steak, you won't regret it. The Scottish Egg is a must try! Their staff are such helpful and cheerful, they even agree to drive us back to our house since the time really late and it's fully dark outside.

What a wonderful place. Staff welcoming and polite Service excellent Food excellent Plenty of choice Comfortable relaxing atmosphere Seating outside for warmer weather close to ferry Will definitely come back Pricing affordable

Cuckoo Brow is a 3 star hotel, dog friendly and within easy reach of most places of interest. The accommodation is clean and spacious although window frames in our room were in need of repair and painting. The tv was quite dated and would not stream from my iPad. Plug points were difficult to access but that was just due to our age (80 ish)The carpet leading to the first floor is very threadbare and just takes the edge of the ambience. Excellent dining with a menu to suit most tastes. The staff are excellent in every respect. Would I stay there again? Most definitely Yes.

Visited on a Sunday evening. The first thing we noticed when we arrived and actually throughout our visit was how friendly, polite and helpful ALL of the staff where !! We had 2 small dogs with us who were also fussed by the staff - we felt very welcome !! We had the tempura prawns and scotch egg to start …. Absolutely delicious and the presentation was excellent. Both had a roast dinner, beef and lamb. Very tasty indeed !! Can’t wait to return - thank you so much !!!

L’auberge semble correcte L’alimentation est correcte, passable La propreté semble limite Dans la chambre j’ai écrasé un gros cafard noir juste avant de me coucher …. Autant vous dire que j’ai regardé dans les draps mais qui étaient très propres En même temps l’hôtel est en pleine nature et Ma chambre était en rez de chaussée Le vin bu d’argentine était correct Les saucisses étaient Ok

A warm welcome and it was pleasantly busy at this very dog friendly venue. We couldn't really do justice to the size of the portions, so go with a healthy appetite! Must highlight the extremely generous gesture of not charging us for one meal - when one of our party wasn't feeling great and wasn't up to eating it - that seemed extraordinarily kind, most unexpected. Thank you.

We've been here on numerous occasions, but this trip totally excelled. Warm welcome from Sanjeev and his lovely wife and family. Really turned the place around. Mike the head chef has brought a much needed change to the menu that everyone enjoys. Best steak in this area ever, and roast dinner was amazing. I'm so glad that between Sanjeev and his family and Mike with his new team are bringing the Cuckoo back to its former glory. Can't wait to return!

We recently stayed at this hotel with our friends and can only say what a fantastic place,.a family run hotel and every single employee were so friendly with big smiles..we had drinks with them after their shifts and couldn't do enough for us. Please consider this hotel if you passing through the Ambleside/ Windermere area.very highly recommended very quaint and clean and good food.

The service was friendly and setting very nice but there were some issues and I wouldn't return. We booked as a table for four in advance but were seated on a small table in a corner that was not big enough for us. It was also on the thoroughfare for the restaurant to the toilet and there was a strong damp smell from the stable area below. We asked to move but this didn't happen and despite there being a larger table that was briefly free, before a couple arrived and were sat on it. We tried to move the condiment box to give us more space but unable to move it and assume it must have been attached to the table. I had the gammon for my main and this cone with a pineapple salsa. It was tasty but the amount of pineapple salsa was tiny. The other meals of fine as with a desserts but the menu was very limited quite dated and unimaginative. It was overpriced for what it was. I think the proprietors are new and think they need to make some changes if they are going to survive and suggest improving the food or, failing that, reducing their prices.

The meals were absolutely fantastic and reasonably priced and the service was second to none! We ate here on three occasions and were never disappointed. If you are in the area, it's certainly worth a visit for both service and food!

Visited here for lunch with a friend. I walked in the pub to ask for a menu and the gentleman behind the bar just looked at me and turned away. There was no one else waiting at the bar so he wasn’t busy. No greeting whatsoever. I found a menu on a table. We chose lunch and my friend went to order. She experienced incredibly rude service by the same gentleman. The bar was empty with the exception of one other table. It’s ‘oldy worldy’ in style but it’s actually extremely tired and needs an update. The sandwiches were average. Definitely wouldn’t visit again purely due to the rudeness of the staff.

Stayed here for two nights, service was fantastic. All the staff were friendly and extremely polite, couldn't do enough for us. Ate in the restaurant 3 times, 2 for dinner and one for breakfast. Food was very good, slightly over priced but what you'd expect for that location. Room was okay not as clean as I would have liked, dust and sugar packets behind cabinet and bathroom floor was sticky. Very hot so we had the windows open the duration of our stay but our room seemed to be right next to the back stairwell for staff and the bins so was very noisy. Overall we enjoyed our stay and the food and service was excellent. However overpriced and not extremely clean.

The recent change of ownership & management has taken this pub restaurant to its lowest level ever. The food is poor, expensive & un-imaginative …. This achievement is only surpassed by the atrocious service & lack of any atmosphere. The food can possibly be explained...

The management changed. There is no atmosphere anymore and certainly there is not an English Pub anymore. Very sad, it used to be a fabulous place.

As we had visited the Cuckoo Brow Inn before and had a great experience we booked in for Sunday lunch today. The staff were extremely welcoming which first of all made our visit. However, the Sunday lunch was very mediocre for the hefty price tag...

Great stop for a meal, very nice staff and the food was actually really good. We had steak and baked cod ,both very good. Thank you, we would visit again in the future.

A warm welcome here if you are in need of a rest and more importantly to recharge your batteries. Very good menu selection and the quality and quantity of well presented dishes could not be faulted.

Stayed here as I was doing an event. Great location and very friendly staff. Love how they made me so welcome . Had a nice breakfast too.

Called in just before 2pm in time to order lunch. We were warmly welcomed with 2 muddy dogs. Beef sandwiches and goats cheese salad were amazing and local beers great too. Very relaxed and friendly.

A quirky little pub with lots of character - hence the 2 rating. However, the service was appalling. It went something like this... I asked for a coffee and was told they were out of beans, so all they could offer was some 'powdered coffee'....

Just had a truly exceptional dinner here, and felt compelled to stick up for this place in the face of some of the negative reviews that just make me wonder ‘is there another Cuckoo Brow Inn somewhere?!’ We had the lamb shank and the wild...

Nice hotel for drinks lovely atmosphere too always call in after our walks we stayed there man many years ago was still a nice hotel haven't eaten there but food looks deliciousctoo we be back again for drinks after our walking

Arrived for lunch. Sandwich only menu on offer. Tuna mayonnaise was not available, smoked cheese was not smoked. Tuna reappeared later, but we chose steak sandwiches. Asked how we wanted the steak cooked, we said medium. The barman offered medium rare or medium well done....

We went here to eat, the food was a disaster my partner found twigs in his food and pointed it out and sent it back to the chef who ignored it. Next day we heard all the chefs walked out. This pub according to locals...

Initially we loved it here but unfortunately we have had a significant problem. We stayed for the weekend and. Noticed that despite paying in full up front eight months before our visit that payment was pending during our stay. I brought this to the attention...

A very bizarre and awkward experience - luckily we decided to try elsewhere for Sunday lunch. We walked in and had to climb over staff hoovering the entrance carpet although the bar area could have done with their attention. We were told that there was...

We booked well in advance for a 60th birthday meal for 9 people. The week before they contacted us to say due to the Inn being taken over by a large party there would only be a set menu available. We agreed and confirmed by...

We, a three, were sodden from the inclement weather when we popped in. We had a great time boozing on local ales and Scottish man whiskey. Staff helpful and friendly. Place was full of hounds which delighted us.

The staff were friendly and attentive, however we feel some constructive criticism necessary. We have been much looking forward to visiting as we have passed many times but never at a point to eat. This visit to the lakes we made sure we did. The...

Please note the Experience was spot on but just a bit of constructive criticism Firstly the service was exceptional and friendly Very dog friendly which is a massive bonus The food… Absolutely gorgeous, however for price the portions for the starters and the cauliflower main...

My wife and I dined here this week. The food is simply amazing. I had an onion baji and goats cheese starter and then belly pork with vegetables as a main. My wife had tempura Prawns and peri peri chicken as her main. All were...

We had lunch at Cuckoo Brow today and as I am on a paleo diet there was nothing on the menu I could have. I asked to have the ham sandwich as a salad. The man behind the bar said this was not a problem....

Staying locally we have been booking local pubs for evening meals. The service was excellent and quick. We were well looked after. My husband had fish and chips and he said it was the crispiest batter he'd ever had. I had pie of the day...

We came for Sunday lunch & very disappointed. My roast chicken was dry and overcooked as were the roast potatoes like it had all just been reheated. Partner’s beef better but v average. His profiteroles were numerous and not good. The service was ok &...

We have been staying in a beautiful local house for 20 years.. The Cookabrow is a VERY short walk away and we have seen different people running this hotel; some good, some bad. The current team are working really hard to make a go of...

Simply atrocious . Avoid. Fantastic views from your room of a shed. Breakfast inedible. Dinner laughable as it’s allegedly good food. The ribs are completely revolting. The beers were very good surprisingly and the big guy running the bar was excellent. But honestly this is...

Dropped in for a late supper. The service was friendly and efficient but the food was not great. It's a nice property but we did not feel that it was the cleanest place that we had ever been in.

Cuckoo Brow Inn is a lovely, winding, 15 minute drive from Ambleside to Far Sawrey - and worth the effort! Delightful owners and staff, serving terrific pub food. Great sandwiches on home-baked focaccia bread, perfect fish and chips - all served with charm and humour...

Visited last night - 5 of us and small dog. Welcome couldn’t have been friendlier and service was excellent all night. Plenty of good quality pub food on the menu so no difficulty finding something we all liked. Chef came out mid meal to check...

Ok, I'm starting with a negative. Visited at Lunchtime and was disappointed by the menu, not a great Burger fan. However, the Venison Burger is probably the best burger my wife and I have ever tasted. We could eat no more that day! The staff...

Everything we had was lovely and very good value. The staff were all very helpful and friendly. Recommended.

It was in the past good food and service. The food has gone down in quality as has the service. The location is still beautiful though. Such a shame that some places lose consistency. 😢

This pub is an example of a traditional bar in the Lakes that I am always happy to visit. Decor is very traditional and reflects the area and its history. Service was friendly and prompt. Food was fantastic and came quickly. Very tasty and staff...

Lovely pub with well kept local ale. Friendly and welcoming. Good beer garden. Beer very pricey though

Stuck in the middle of nowhere really, a great place to stop off for food. Basic inside but dog friendly. Food was very good, not cheap but standard for the Lakes I suppose. Friendly staff, well worth a visit.

Amazing food,cooked to high standards , good choice menu, very comfortable and not fussy ,decor was perfect ,very attentive service

I would like to thank Ed for his care and total devotion to all the people that enter the bar. He was attentive beyond the call of duty. Also a special thank you for the lady front of house. I’m somewhat surprised that the self...

An absolute gem in the Lake District. Really well run hotel and restaurant. A professional and friendly team who obviously love dogs and know what they’re doing! Great food from the chef and manager. Beautiful and luxurious rooms and facilities. We enjoyed a great two...

My partner and I visited for a meal whilst staying in the lakes for the week. Staff were extremely friendly, couldn’t have asked for more in that aspect. The food was okay pub food, but the portions were massive and the menu was completely overpriced....

We are in the middle of an extended stay and have to say this place is totally living up to our expectations and beyond. We do come here often as Loredan, Mickey and team are excellent and the food is always exceptional. Nothing is too...

Took a while to get a booking for a 2 night stay due to the popularity of this Inn but well worth the wait. Plenty of patina in this quaint Lakeland hostelry and some fine and hearty cuisine of what you’d expect for Cumbria. Our...

Jonathan Denby (Managing director of The South lakes hotel group) MANAGE AND DIRECT YOUR CUCKOO BROW MANAGER. To thank my parents for a lovely time whilst on holiday I booked a table for five guests at The Cuckoo Brow Inn, Wish I hadn’t bothered. Booked...

We popped in for a Sunday lunch. The atmosphere is relaxed which was nice. Glad we arrived at 12 because it was busy by 1230! Service was great, you can see they're short staffed but doing their best Food was excellent, lovely quality we enjoyed...

Visited on a busy Saturday evening, greeted warmly by a staff of 2 who efficiently served drinks and food to all tables with warm smiles. Nice menu selection and after having some yummy little sausages we went for the ham, egg & chips and peri...

Dined here twice on a recent holiday to The Lakes, and I can say on both occasions the service from all the staff was friendly and efficient - real service with a smile. The food from starters, mains and if you can manage a dessert...

Really friendly staff, the waitress who served us was super busy but seemed to have everything under control and made sure we were well looked after. They catered well for two coeliac diners, the chicken was really tasty. Everyone, including the 3 year old who...

We were only here for drinks, but they were horrible. The beers were tasteless while the lemonade had a very strong flavour of chlorine, like swimming pool water, and was undrinkable.

Popped in for lunch. I had fish and chips - was ok. Average portion, batter well below average. Partner had the flat bread. Basically a an over priced open sandwich. In short overpriced, menu lacks protein choices for lunch. Staff were great!

What a pleasure to be looked after by such warm and friendly people. On being told at all the restaurants in the area that all were fully booked for the evening. The wonderful staff here ( a Rumanian girl) made sure I had a reservation...

We have been visiting The Cuckoo Brow Inn for many years now and since Mihaela and Loredan have been running it, things have never been better! There is always a warm welcome and everything feels very safe with tables well spaced and hand santitiser. The...

Had 3 very nice meals at the cuckoo brow hotel. Staff very pleasant and helpful. Everything cooked to perfection. Had meals her before and always very satisfied. Thank you.

We have eaten here twice during our stay and the food has been brilliant. The chef has put their own twist on traditional dishes with fantastic results. You need to book in advance to avoid disappointment.

We had done a walk from Bowness to visit Hilltop & were recommended this pub by a couple we met on route. Lovely garden, bottles of water brought to the table & ordering at the bar. We each had sandwiches which had good amount of...

Our first dinner out in 16 months, so lots of catching up to do, and the Cuckoo Brow did superbly. My chicken liver parfait and prawn and chorizo linguine were both excellent, as was my wife's goats cheese and onion bhaji starter. She said her...

Warm afternoon, having left part of family in Hilltop and walked here. COVID and staffing meant only table service inside, but walking clothes and dog still welcome. Staff very welcoming and local ales provided great refreshment. Staying very nearby and intend to make this a...

Attentive staff, even the chef came out to greet us. The food was delicious. Would definitely recommend.

Would recommend booking, we called in on spec and could eat as soon as dinner service opened. I had sea bass and my other half has the chicken, we shared a starter of mixed bread, olive oil and balsamic vinegar and shared a chocolate brownie...

I have been coming to this hotel for years. Even though the prices have massively gone and up and breakfast is now separate which I don't get. I have just stayed in Hawkshead instead which was B&B. Plenty of places are B&B included. This place...

The entrance is stuffed with reminders about Covid lockdown restrictions imposed by our power hungry government. We arrived a little after two and the meals looked delicious. The chips I saw appeared perfectly cooked: light, crisp … delicious. But the kitchen closes at two so...

Freshly prepared food served in cosy surroundings by friendly and helpful staff - what more could you possibly want?

Booked in advance over a fortnight before our visit to the Lakes. Had been recommended to us on previous holidays so expected good things. How disappointed we were. We arrived slightly early for our planned late lunch booking. Firstly our advance booking hadn’t even been...

This was a nice pub last time we visited and might still be, but just arrived on holiday , first day, tried to book a table, phoned many times and no answer. Only staying next door, so popped in and the blonde lady behind bar...

Fabulous meal in very friendly atmosphere: great place: quirky building with interesting touches: folks grubby boots by the fireplace: unusual! Staff great though and made to feel very welcome. Herdswick lamb delicious

My daughter and I had a lovely lunch here today, the warm welcome by staff and the roaring real fires were perfect on a Misty wet day.Really lovely decor and atmosphere. Bless them the place was deserted , such a shame in the circumstances.Lovely big menu. Lots of tempting choices.Fab sandwiches. Nicely prepared and just right. Daughter had a fab sticky toffeeGood COVID policies. Very polite and friendly server who made a fuss of our lab.Definitely will return .

Lunch for 2. Staff pleasant and were wearing face masks, but otherwise limited Covid restrictions. Good food and service. Wasn't too busy.

Went there after some friends recommended us the food. We were more than delighted, the food was AMAZING, the chef is very talented and all the staff very friendly. The place has a really good vibe. We will return for sure.

One of the best afternoons ever. A spectacular Sunday lunch followed by a bunch of lovely pints by the fire. Wish I lived nearer

Stumbled on this place by accident and so glad we did. Friendly staff, speedy service and fabulous food. Oh and the bill was a pleasant surprise too! Loved it, real fires to takeaway the autumn chill too.

We went here for dinner with our little puppy, loved the food, friendly atmosphere, staff very pleasant and if we're in the area again we would definitely go back for more, nice pub

Visitamos dos veces durante nuestra estancia en Far Sawrey: el servicio fue amable y servicial, la comida buena y bien presentada. Hay una buena selección de cervezas locales, bien cuidadas y servidas. Las regulaciones de Covid se siguieron bien: nunca es posible legislar para el cliente "extraño" que ignora las reglas, pero el personal fue claro y bien organizado.

Un pub muy agradable con estacionamiento limitado. Personal muy amable y muchas medidas implementadas para las restricciones de COVID.Buena selección de bombas de mano y sidras.La comida es casera y buenas raciones. Personalmente, el menú me pareció un poco limitado, pero disfruté muchísimo lo que tenía.Volvería si estuviera en la zona.

Tuvimos una excelente cena de carne asada los domingos aquí, así que la comida estuvo bien, pero en esta crisis de COVID 19, se sintió demasiado abarrotado y ocupado en el pub para nosotros.Había desinfectantes de manos disponibles y el personal era amable y usaba máscaras, pero las mesas se sentían demasiado juntas para nosotros. No regresé a pesar de que podíamos caminar hasta allí, no vale la pena correr el riesgo.

Visitamos principalmente porque íbamos de camino a la casa de Beatrix Potter, Hill Top, soy el próximo pueblo. Hay que decir que el almuerzo aquí fue lo más destacado ya que la casa estaba cerrada debido a COVID.Empezamos con bebidas y las más ricas salchichas en mostaza con cebolleta, como un pequeño aperitivo. Perfecto.El solomillo de ternera asado, con pudin de Yorkshire gigante, verduras deliciosas y salsa muy sabrosa era realmente muy sabroso y también muy bien presentado.El lugar era peculiar y con muchas fotografías interesantes. Los establos de la planta baja, convertidos en áreas de descanso, eran únicos.Definitivamente una buena elección para nosotros y, como digo, lo más destacado porque la casa Potter fue un poco decepcionante, no valió la pena el esfuerzo. Gracias a Dios que habíamos reservado para tener un delicioso almuerzo en The Cuckoo Brow Inn.

Llegamos en un día muy lluvioso con ganas de tener buena comida en un ambiente agradable que respetara las exigencias de los requisitos de COVID. Nos llevaron a nuestra mesa que estaba a un metro de la siguiente. No se hizo ninguna solicitud para tomar nuestros datos. Mientras que la camarera llevaba una visera, el otro miembro del personal no lo hizo. Los menús de Pqper se llevaron a la mesa y luego se retiraron después de realizar el pedido. Estamos bastante seguros de que se reutilizaron. Si bien apreciamos que resultó ser un servicio ajetreado para solo dos miembros del personal, sin embargo, era inaceptable que los clientes se vieran obligados a hacer cola en el bar para ordenar y pagar, lo que inevitablemente condujo a una grave falta de distanciamiento social. Me temo que toda la experiencia signifique que no volveremos en el futuro y ha afectado mucho nuestra confianza en salir a comer

Good food, atmosphere and staff. Would definitely recommend people to come to this restaurant, and I will come again.

We were advised to visit this pub by our b&b landlords, despite it being a 2hour walk from where we were staying. Fair to say it was well worth the walk, wide choice of dishes, food was fresh and tasty and the staff very kind and helpful. A slightly larger ale selection would have been perfect, but still fully deserves a 5* rating. Thanks!

We have been on holiday this last week in Near Sawrey and have been to the cuckoo brow three times,each time we have found the staff really friendly. The food very tasty. Especially the soup and wonderful bread. Everything well presented and reasonably priced. Thanks