Esquires Coffee House in South Lakeland

Fantastic breakfast, with good ingredients. Good coffee, fast service. Highly recommended 👌 Nice friendly professional staff. Clean restaurant Plenty of choice on the menu.

If Ambleside had a cafe to avoid at all costs this is it. Rude staff. Would I like a large Americano. Please advise of the cost “oh £1.25 more for the same size cup but 2 shots” suggestive selling for everything, no sdvertised costs for the extras. £7 plus for a milkshake. £6.95 for a bad piece of cake that looked like they come from Costco. Avoid this place it’s so bad. Toilets dirty. The place reminds me of a grotty service station from the 80’s. Totally overpriced, bad service and rude, surly staff. Don’t waste your money.

Called for a coffee and snack following a decent walk. £4.10 for a flat white is scandalous £6.95 for a slice of cake is scandalous and wasn’t even nice - The Lemon meringue was very artificial tasting and a huge disappointment. I agree with a previous review - Apple Pie is much nicer and better quality. The guy behind the counter is rude. I wouldn’t recommend or return when we visit Ambleside again!

We entered on a busy Saturday, and were met with scowls from the staff. When we enquired, once they had told us gruffly that there was no space, if there was anywhere similar nearby, the staff were entirely unhelpful. They shook their heads and said “no”. We ended up finding the Apple Pie cafe which was a far friendlier and less stuffy alternative.

Toilets were disgusting. My daughter needed the toilet, but the toilets are unisex and the seats were all covered - like really covered and hadn't been cleaned all day - in urine. So gross.

Visted esquires for a coffee with my wife , ordered and took our eats at table , only for gentleman wearing a bandana coming to our table and telling all the cafe my card hadn’t worked in a very aggressive manner . On returning to the till , same gentleman changed his mind and payment had gone through , or so we thought, as seconds later c he singed his mind again . So with being messed around and zero customer service , we cancelled our order . Shocking service . Wexx cd won’t be back !!

As always fantastic. Best coffee in Ambleside, always very busy but dog friendly and great staff who are very welcoming.

Lovey food, pleasant staff, great atmosphere. Really enjoyed our visit will definitely be back and would absolutely recommend!

Always lovely drinks here. We had a chai latte and a caramel macchiato. We also had a cheese and tomato toastie, and a cheese and onion toastie. All of the food and drinks werr lovely and very decent portions. It is on the more expensive side and came to around £30 for this, however I think this is fairly standard in the Lake District. All of the staff were absolutely lovely and very friendly. There were several high chairs available for our little one, and baby changing available in the WC located downstairs (other toilets are upstairs). For those with allergies they do ask when ordering if there are any allergies to be aware of. They have GF alternatives however it wasn't very clear what food on the menu was actually GF. There were around 2 cakes in the cake fridge labeled GF, however I am unsure how they handle the cross contamination side of things, so unsure if this will be safe for those with a GF allergy. We will definitely be returning when we are next in the Lakes.

Popped in for breakfast when on a day trip to Ambleside. We had a small breakfast and a bacon & sausage roll with a pot of tea and a latte. The food was good, as were the drinks. Staff very friendly and dog friendly. The price was high really, £24 for the above but it is the same all over.

Ordered 3 milkshakes with ice cream , paid just over £18. Should have read previous reviews before selecting them. What arrived was nothing more than an icy slurry , two of these drinks were meant to be caramel and one was vanilla. All three were identical in colour , lacking identifiable flavour with a slushy watery mess supposedly containing icecream. Do not waste your hard earn cash in this place. Total rip off.

Great proper Cumberland cafe lunch. Very friendly welcome. Great for Cumberland sausage , light bite fish and chips, good tea.

This was the first place we chose to eat on our arrival in Ambleside. It was self explanatory about finding a table, then ordering at the counter so we found a table (after a quick browse at what food was on the counter). We both had a Cornish pasty, which was tasty and hot and also came with an unexpected side salad. I had a chai latte which was the best I’ve ever had. Friendly staff, left feeling happy.

Had a full cooked breakfast and to say it was amazing is an understatement this coffee shop is amazing the staff so friendly and the vibe is well worth going to see for yourself it was so good I didn't want it to stop been in the hospitality sector I eat plenty of different foods and to be honest that breakfast was well up there as one of the best i have eaten in my life time well done guys keep up the good work thank you lee johnson from glossop derbyshire p.s. worth driving up for a day visit just to eat this amazing breakfast again

Horrifically overpriced and a rude and condescending member of staff (?manager). Ridiculous toilet situation where you can’t see where it is or whether it’s occupied.

My husband and I (with 2 dogs) stopped at Esquires Coffee on 1.9.24 for drinks. I placed an order at the counter and asked if they had any gluten-free cakes. The man taking my order pointed to some labelled as gluten-free at the end of a glass cabinet containing baked goods. I understand about the possibility of cross contamination and asked if I could have a slice to take out. I probably shouldn't have bothered ordering it, but reasoned that, if in doubt, I could give it to my husband. Another server put the cake in a box to take out. I asked him if he had used a different set of serving tongs to the used ones on top of the cabinet. He replied that he had used the same as for all the other cakes. I pointed out that the cake was now cross contaminated. He didn't seem to think that this was a problem and asked if I had read their allergy advice, picking up a laminated sheet. I'm not sure how I could have read it, as it was stacked horizontally upright next to the ordering position. I replied that I understood about cross contamination. He asked again if I had read the sheet - it started to feel a bit like an interrogation. Again he pointed out the possibility of cross contamination - he didn't seem to understand the difference between possible cross contamination and definite cross contamination. He asked if I wanted the cake and I replied, "No". At that point I would have just left, but my husband and dogs were settled further down the cafe. To be fair, 2 other staff members pointed out, to him, that the tongs just needed to be washed first. Also, the member of staff making my milkshake was careful to make sure that it would not include any gluten and another staff member thoughtfully brought us a water bowl for the dogs without our needing to ask. Any stars awarded are for them.

Despite having a good coffee product, this place needs some work on organisation and service. Whilst others served after me were informed of a long wait, I wasn’t, and had to wait 15 minutes for two takeaway coffees, and pay £8 for the privilege. I think it’s important to remember that although these prices reflect the cost of living, poor quality service just isn’t good enough when these costs are involved. This place could do with someone managing from the floor, observing the customer experience, and supporting staff with training accordingly. For a place which has some great ideas in terms of product and ethical values, more needs to be done to provide a customer experience to match.

1.A charge for hot water to top up tea pot! My husband said it was £1.20/50 - he was shocked. We had just bought four breakfasts and four pots of tea. No hot water offered with tea. All restaurants top up tea pots as not everybody likes strong tea. Not a good look for your restaurant! 2. No vegetarian cooked breakfast except a meat free sausage batch 3. If you want just one fried egg on your batch, it’s not possible. You must have two as the computer says no. Give the customer what they ask for!

Great cafe. We stopped for lunch and coffee after a long, soggy hike. Staff were lovely, food was good and coffee was great. Also recommend the salted caramel brownie - delicious!

Excellent Cumberland breakfast and coffee. Staff very helpful and polite. Just off the main drag so quiet. Very clean and tidy.

Service with a chat and a smile, excellent. Coffee delicious. Lovely atmosphere. Our favourite coffee place in the Lakes.

Worst cafe in the Lake District we went to during a week's stay. We arrived half and hour before closing and they refused to make some drinks as the barista moaned he didn't want to clean his blender again. The server tried 4 times to give us other peoples drinks when we were sitting down which was embarrassing. Early Grey tea tasted odd and unlike any other I've had before and I couldn't finish it. My partner wasn't impressed with his coffee either. Came a couple of years ago on our last trip to the Lake District and loved it and now it is dreadful which is a shame. There are far better cafe's in Ambleside.

Lovely coffee shop, clean tables, staff nice, food nice, reasonably priced, Dogs are allowed but you wouldn't know it.

OMG BEST COFFEE EVER!!! We pop in yesterday right as they were due to close, the staff were amazing didn't turn us away and we had an absolutely fantastic cappuccino yum, so we came back next day the lunch was so nice hot and tasty, and the staff are so friendly and supper efficient cannot raite this coffee shop enough. Thanks.

Walked into rude unhappy staff who where arguing amongst eachother and rolling eyes, the old man manager belittled the young girl who was serving was not acceptable! £11.50 for two coffees and the order was wrong and burnt coffee! You have to pay £1.25 for a takeaway cup! I would avoid this place at all costs! Spend your money else where!

Lovely warm and clean visited initially because we walked wansfell and desperately needed a decent cup of coffee its a gem of a place bit on the expensive side but most are around the lakes everyone very polite so good we went back the day after i had latte with coconut milk and tumeric and it was gorgeous

Decent coffee and tea in a central Ambleside location. Plenty of tables and good choice. The guy in charge is a bit shouty though.

The food was good quality. It was quite expensive, I’ve never paid £6 for an orange juice before, or £1.25 for a slice of toast! Getting a simple breakfast for the four of us cost £75!

Below average experience. Ordered two coffees and 2 chocolate croissants. The old fella serving asked if we’d like the croissants warming, I thought that would be nice, but he popped them in the microwave creating an awful stodgy mess. I assumed they’d go in an oven for a few minutes 🙄 The coffee was very milky with little coffee taste. The gent who brought the coffees to the table was very polite and friendly though. Wouldn’t go back. Even Costa would be better!

Awful food the bacon was basically all fat the bread tasted stale , the chips were soggy. I asked for salt, vinegar and a knife and fork and took half an hour

Came here for a coffee and it was a lovely place to sit and spend time. Tried some tiffin and it was delicious! Food looked good although we did not try it!

Been visiting Esquires for many years on our trips to ambleside but in recent trips feel the standard and service had slipped. Visited for lunch and felt it had gone back to what it was, brilliant atmosphere in the cafe, friendly attentive staff, clean and excellent menu choice.

Very nice full breakfast, you can tell the food is high quality just tastes very good with deep flavours. Loses 1 star because the meat to non meat ratio (bread/hash browns etc) is off. Another hash brown would fix it then I’d give it 5 stars.

Visited here twice over the weekend, and had a great experience both times. After wandering around Ambleside I popped in for a Chai Latte - which was delicious. Then I visited the next day with my son: where he was defeated by the enormous Sausage Bap! We both really enjoyed our Caramel Macchiatos too. On both occasions I was warmly welcomed, and felt all the staff I encountered were very friendly. Service was quick, and I thoroughly enjoyed both of the drinks I had. My son was very impressed with the quality, and amount of sausages that were in his bap. So although you might pay a little bit more than other establishments, I feel the price is justified.

Lovely choice of cakes and drinks, we had lemon meringue and the caramel apple pie. Both delicious! I ordered a caramel latte. Only think that I could say it let it down was the Coke wasn’t quite cold. We enjoyed and will return!

meet a friend at this lovely café for a catch up and coffee and cake. the staff were amazing and friendly the cake and coffee was 2nd to none. and even though they were close to closing we were not rushed into finishing. had a great little treat . this place is a defiantly go to when coffee is needed . thanks once again . have a great xmas and new year

2 * (3.50GBP + 6.50GBP) = 20.00GBP. In simple english that’s 20 quid for two regular lattes and two slices of cake. You do get a very steamy atmosphere with misted windows but still difficult to justify. Coffee was nice. Visited November 2023.

We had breakfast about 9:30 am eating in. Sausage barm was packed with 4 sausage for hubbie and my eggs royale was perfect. Friendly welcome and service, busy but food served quickly enough and good and hot. The breakfast tea was good too!

Great service, great coffee and yes, for two it is £20 for coffee and cake however, the cakes are divine and the coffee is very smooth. Friendly human service and dog friendly too. Don’t pay too much attention to the negative reviews. We’ve been twice...

I came just for coffee, and what I really like is an oat latte. Esquires did a really good job of that. I can't agree about the rude staff, they are really nice!! The queuing to be seated then going back to order is a...

Awful. Stank of cleaning products. Cleaning in progress before they closed. I tried to use the bathroom “Oi Pal, the toilets being cleaned” shouted the young waiter as I was at on the stairs. Real charmer that I think ran the place chastised me too....

We have been coming to Esquires for years. I ysed to love the easy chairs and ambiance of the place. I realise that we have had covid but I feel it has lost the vibe it used to have. Not keen on waiting to be...

Customer Service NON EXISTENT! Definitely would NOT go again purely for that reason. The food was fine but their deep fryer was broken and so were substituting chips for salad. I did not see the sign on the door as it was propped open and...

Really great food, I had the best eggs Royale I’ve ever had and the chai latte with coconut milk was delicious! Really friendly staff too!

Popped in for lunch before heading back home after a weeks stay in Ambleside. Food was good but found the bill to be a little high for thee drinks and three sandwiches. Probably wouldn’t go again mainly down to how expensive they are. Staff were...

Opens at 0800 which is earlier than most in town and convenient if you want to be off up the fells. A very good fried breakfast with decent coffee (could have been hotter). Staff were friendly and efficient. Don’t understand the comments about prices in...

We stopped here for a coffee and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Coffee was good and reasonable price and the tables were nice and clean and we noted that tables were quickly cleared and cleaned ready for the next customers.

Don't understand the negative reviews. Been twice and both times equally as good as the other. Fast, friendly service. Good food and a good price!

Oh dear. Popped in for a wee drink and a cake cos Freshers Cafe (which we love) was shut. We were shown to a table, and 4 staff members wandered around fairly aimlessly. We were not advised we had to go to the counter to...

We went here for a mid morning coffee and cake. A flat white was £4 and cakes were £6.50, incredibly overpriced. We waited a while to be seated by a friendly waitress. When ordering at the bar, I politely asked if I could have one...

8am opening time on a Sunday was just the job for 4 tired hungry mountain bikers who had just ridden 80 miles and climes over 10,000 feet. We filled our bellies with a full breakfast and drank delicious coffee. Look forward to visiting again for...

This place is profiteering by charging £5 for a flat white (£4 for a flat white with only one shot of coffee, which is not a flat white). I've never seen a flat white on a menu anywhere for £5. We sat down to order,...

Great breakfast to start your day ….served by friendly staff and good value too….I didn’t give it a perfect score as the fried egg wasn’t runny and no black pudding…but lovely hash browns

Good service with friendly staff. Food arrived promptly. The menu is basic but reasonable value for money if you don’t want anything too fancy. Well worth a visit for a tea/coffee and a snack.

Looking for somewhere for breakfast and, having looked here a few times decided to try it…wish we’d not bothered. Was shown to our table and menus dumped on table for us to peruse. At 9.30am we were only given the lunch menu. Just as well we could see a breakfast one from where we sat! Ordered sausage baps and 2 hot drinks. Drinks were fine, however when Sausage baps arrived things changed. Positive note…plenty of sausage in the bap - 4 each!! However these were all fried a d has a result some of the sausages had very chewy skins on them - so much so that we left probably half our breakfast. So if you like fried food this is a good place for you, but if you prefer grease free - don’t bother.

Came here for Breakfast yesterday. Was welcomed by smiley and friendly staff. After ordering our breakfast it came out wrong. We pointed it out and we got charged extra for their mistake. The Bacon was extremely salty so couldn't finish it. Everything is just far to expensive. There won't be a returning visit sadly as its such a nice cafe. What a shame.

We were very pleased with our service. Had to wait a few minutes for a table. They welcomed our dogs. Quick service, great choice of fresh food and selection of drinks. Worth looking for as not on the main high street.The staff told us about a large park nearby, which was excellent to let our dogs have a long run, as the town was busy.

Called in this afternoon for a coffee and Milkshake. This cafe appears to have discovered a new drink a slush-shake. You get half a glass of flavored milk and the remainder is ice. All for the price of £5.30. Disappointed. When I pointed this out to the cafe I was met with total silence. I should have read previous reviews and I wouldn't have bothered.

On day two of our Lakes staycation and we visited Ambleside as we had an hour or so to kill before returning to our hotel in Kendal. We fancied looking around the shops instead of driving miles to spend a few minutes looking at the beautiful lakes, hills, mountains and fells.It was a really good decision because we did find one quirky little shop here in Ambleside called Silver Moon, where we bought some very attractive glassware as a reminder of our time here in the Lakes. Pleased with our purchase we decided that a drink was called for. So we looked around for a café and plumped for Esquires which is located at the end of the shops on the A593 as it heads south towards to northern end of Windermere lake.The pleasant interior has plenty of seating and there is a large relief map of the Windermere Lask and the surrounding fells and hills. My partner opted for a frappé coffee which was very good and quite big and most refreshing. I chose for a pot of loose-leaf tea which was also good, and yielded 2 cups of good and strong English Breakfast tea. Service was pleasant and efficient.

Food not bad but we were overcharged for additional food we’d not ordered. It’s not cheap here anyway and we had to query the bill at which point the issue was discovered. Not impressed

Good coffee. However, waiting staff quite unfriendly and unhelpful. Honestly, I’d go into the kitchen and get the food myself if I could. They seemed to think gluten free was too much of an effort, and I wanted to charge £1 to have a hash brown instead of a sausage, even though that’s cheaper, and even though as coeliac I couldn’t have the sausage. It’s so easy to get GF sausages in the supermarket - most are by default now. I can only imagine they have rather cheap ones with rusk in.

Poor overworked staff were trying as hard as they could but the manager/chef sent out mouldy cucumber, lettuce and avocado on our overpriced plates. Not wanting to make a fuss, as the staff were clearly having a hard time, we mentioned it at the end of the meal. (On route home and needed to go) We were told that he would come out to us when he could. After waiting we enquired again. He asked us what we wanted ‘as we had eaten 95% of the food’, I explained he ought to be aware that it’s not ok to serve mouldy food. Really felt for that staff. The manager was rude, a bad very example of ‘service’. Disappointing.

Our favourite breakfast cafe was shut so we decided to give Esquires a go instead. We had iced lattes, which were tasty and reasonably priced, followed by a bacon pancake stack and the Mexican eggs. The pancake stack was made up of 5 pancakes and was enormous! The bacon on it was very salty, standard bacon though and the maple syrup tasted more like golden syrup, so it was a bit much for me. My partner said he couldn’t taste the ‘Mexican’ part about his eggs but that his breakfast was okay. Overall, we had an alright experience but have definitely had better breakfast elsewhere and for a better price too.

My friend and I ordered a half breakfast, this consisted of; bacon, sausage, fried egg, hash browns, black pudding, tomato, beans, toast,and mushrooms . The bacon was really salty, basically comes from a catering pack( from somewhere in the Eu) and there were around 4 to 5 pieces of it!! The reason it’s so salty is because it keeps for longer, and yes before anyone criticises me, I know about food!!! The sausage again nasty bits in the sausage ( again cheap and from a catering pack)which is really disappointing! To get fresh local produce being from the Lake District, REALLY!! Not hard to get a basic breakfast! Quality over quantity please!! My mouth was dry throughout the day from eating this salty breakfast! Oh but the milk shakes order were really good!The staff are very friendly, just a shame the hot food lets them down.

This little gem of a coffee shop tucked away on the Main Street of Ambleside provided a welcome break from the downpour! Staff were so helpful, we were seated instantly and our order taken with a smile. Drinks came in minutes - we had a delicious fruit juice and iced tea. This was followed by a delicious bacon, brie, and cranberry ciabatta with chips and salad. The ciabatta was so tasty, bacon thick and crispy and brie beautifully melted. A substantial portion that we shared between two and both were full. Definitely recommend this wonderful place. We will return! Thank you to staff for all you are doing to make customers feel safe and happy in the midst of constantly changing covid rules!PS. We can’t remember all the fruits on the straw-pear-ey drink. Anyone out there can help us?

Very quick to sit us at a table. Took our order and payment quickly but then…. Lots of other customers came in afterwards and got there food quicker then us when asked member of staff where our order was and we had waited 45 minutes !!! 2 toasties and some pancakes we were told our order had “slipped off the radar” not great certainly wouldn’t return our recommend!

Considering COVID restrictions we were greeted with a smile and shown to a table for table service. The menu has a good enough range for a lunch, although arguably a little pricey (only negative, hence the 4/5). Portion sizes were good enough and the drinks were great. You could see that care had been put into them with good coffee art. Definitely recommend Esquires if in Ambleside!

We visited this coffee house as a table of two and did not even get a chance to order. It was reasonably busy - the waitress made her way around to all the tables apart from ours; even though we had arrived before many others! We had made ourselves known to the staff that we were ready to place our orders, but after waiting for half an hour we gave up and went elsewhere. Poor service, extremely long wait - do not recommend!

On a visit to Ambleside from Keswick where we were on holiday we visited this cafe. The staff, especially the manager, were extremely rude.Their customer service skills are shocking.After leaving there we went round the corner and enjoyed a lovely meal and a drink with staff who were absolutely brilliant.Don't visit this place.

We visited Ambleside and thought this looked like a nice little coffee shop so stepped in and explained that there were 2 households of 7 altogether, to which the first member of staff went to seat us at 2 separate tables without any issues and this would have been absolutely fine.Unfortunately the second member of staff (I'm assuming she was a supervisor) huffed and puffed about the fact there were 7 of us (clearly stated on the government website that 2 households of any size can currently meet indoors in hospitality settings etc.)My sister went up to speak to the second member of staff and the manager to ask if there was an issue and was basically shot down with "the rule of 6" comment thrown out numerous times, despite my sister trying to explain the government guidance clearly allows 2 households of any size in such settings.The man behind the counter (who we believe to be a manager) said goodbye to which I went up with the screenshot of the guidance shown on the government website and dismissed it as though I was trash off the street.It's the first holiday we've all had in a long time and this really upset us all, as well as embarrassing us too.If it's the policy of the business to have no more than 6 regardless, we could understand to a certain degree despite what the government website says, however the attitude displayed was completely disgusting and unprofessional which is no way to treat anyone, let alone paying customers.

Stopped for a drink after a walk round Ambleside. Good selection of food and drink. Lovely juices and milkshakes and friendly staff. Will definitely be back.

Terrible reception from barista; unwelcoming and rude. £18 for three hot chocolates and 2 portions of fried from frozen chips, rudely slapped on the table by the same miserable barista (not the young lad who was pleasant).Service not good enough during the age of tripadvisor.

Overpriced Coffee although the staff were great and good social distancing in place and coffee was a disappointment.

What a lovely clean, well presented coffee house, catering for take out or sit in.Although we only popped in for a coffee and a cake (which are generously provided), the food menu was varied and value for money too - all served by very polite and courteous members of staff. Would certainly return when again Ambleside.

We stopped here for a coffee while on holiday in the area. We only wanted a coffee but were left waiting for a very long time. The man that served us seems more interested in finding seats for more customers, while leaving several customers waiting to be seen. We won't return.

We always eat here on our trips to the Lakes normally a lovely breakfast to set us up for the day. The food is excellent breakfast amazing the poached eggs Mexican style one of my favourites, I don't eat runny egg and the chef always cooks my food to my preference. Dogs welcome also. The coffee is high quality and service very good, just one tiny comment when we came at weekend the chap who was front of house was a little flustered we waited to be seated but we're not acknowledged untill my hubby spoke to him, he told us to just wait no apology, at that point hubby said let's go somewhere else, I said no, due to the quality of the food, the chap really should have just said as we came in sorry I won't be long and will get you seated or asked us nicely to do the track and trace. A little glitch from normal high standards.

Visited twice during Spring Bank holiday week. Met at the door and asked to check in as per Covid requirements and to sanitise our hands. Shown to our table and order taken and paid for contactless or cash if preferred. The coffee was delicious hence we went twice and the staff were very friendly. Will definitely visit again.

Very busy but found a table, good choice of refreshments particularly the coffee choice and nibbles. Pleasant and helpful staff..

Gave this place a second change and they were terrible yet again. Rude staff make it very unwelcoming, avoid this place, plenty more nice cafes in Ambleside. About time someone sorted this mess of a cafe out

As a local I've always enjoyed coming to Esquires for a morning coffee. Not today. On arrival I was asked whether I wanted a table, then barked at by a very rude young woman to sign in with T&T. I was then ignored and asked another member of staff whether I ordered at the counter. She replied that orders were taken at the table. I waited and then went to a table. I was chased by the first woman who was shouting at me to sign into T&T....I had. She then tried to bustle past me to stop me, making physical contact with me. I had my coffee and spoke to the owner on leaving. Rather than take on board my feedback, he basically suggested that I was lying. Of course, I won't be going back. There are plenty of other places to take coffee in Ambleside.

We really enjoyed our meal here. It was clean and airy, with first class service. The staff were prompt and efficient with nothing too much trouble. The food was really tasty, and came really quickly.

Very accessible and the food was good. Prices also very good and the service was great. Would come back again and eat here again.

Whilst visiting Ambleside, we originally wanted to come in for tea and soft drinks but after looking at the menu we decided to eat early lunch. We were not disappointed! The portion sizes are generous and great value for money. I ordered the smashed avocado on toast, my daughter had egg on toast and my son had a sausage bun. The cafe was very clean and the staff were very attentive and made the effort to check our food was OK etc. The gentleman who served us gave us ideas about local places to take the children and he had a friendly manner making sure the children were happy We will definitely visit again when we are next in the area, the staff couldn't do more to make us feel welcome.

Have to agree with other poor reviews. Just been there and £19.80 for two coffees and cake. Poor service, rushed, cleaning tables around us, and toilets not in clean condition. Not being a tourist and will not be recommending or retuning.

Don’t bother. Waited over 30 mins for 2 hot drinks. Other tables served before us that came in after us. Tables barely wiped down properly as well

An evening after being on the hills, come on lets support the community I said, asked a local for a recommendation, so off we went, tea two, = £6.60 Cake x two £13 I am known for my love of cheesecake so paying six quid isn't to bad for a decent cheesecake, imagine my surprise when a defrosted cheesecake similar to one pictured arrived. Love the lakes but will not be returning to this coffee shop.

Visited in previous years and greatly enjoyed the service and quality of food. However, this experience was very different as, regardless of the current circumstances, to be expected to pay c £20 for two drinks and cake is completely excessive. We were shown to a seat and given a menu but, having viewed their current prices and, having waited to be served, we made the decision not to stay. Wouldn’t return or recommend.

Top quality coffee Nice environment Plenty of space COVID compliant The carrot cake was spot on - large portion

We didn't get chance to try the food, or the in-cafe service as we were blocked at the door. We didn't have the track-and-trace app and the staff couldn't be bothered with a pen-and-paper system. This is discriminatory! We don't have the app as I refuse to open my data to a system which is so obviously flawed, and which could easily be open to abuse. Worse, many older people don't have mobiles and many of those who do are confused by the trend towards technology which is increasingly robbing them of any social contact in their lives. We found a cafe around the corner happy to accommodate not only our lack of that app, but also our inability to download the menu (I didn't have mobile data switched on!). What a contrast to the totally unhelpful greeting at this place. They deserve to close!

My family and I avoided this place for a year due to poor service and attitude of staff. Howeve we are pleased to say that this year both are much improved, and the food and coffee are both much improved also. However we were shocked this week to witness the owner and female staff member openly discriminating against a woman who was legally exempt from wearing a face mask. The female staff member demanded that she show proof of her exemption, which the woman didn't have. The owner was then called into the discussion, whereby he refused to serve the woman a takeaway drink unless she could provide proof of her invisible disability. I work in the disability industry and I am well aware of the regulations around mask wearing for people with disabilities. No one has to prove that they are exempt.I was shocked that the staff and management had no idea of the government rules regarding this. They are quite aggressive in this cafe about the NHS track and trace also. We saw someone being turned away for dining in because they had not the QR code. Government guidelines clearly state that shops have to provide alternative option for people to provide track and trace information if they do not have the QR code. Companies cannot get away with treating people in this way.I felt really sorry for the woman who eventually left without her drink.the owner needs to get himself on the government website and educate himself about the actual rules before someone sues Him. From what I witnessed both he and the female staff member had put themself in a situation to be fined £4,000 each, if that woman decides to sue, the owner could also be fined £9,000 for discrimination. I don't think any business can afford this kind of fine in the current climate.

as soon as we entered we were rushed into the contact info - had to explain to the server that given I had steamed up (mask wearing with glasses) she would have to give me a few seconds as she was very pushy into logging into not only the NHS track and trace, but also their QR log in.Ordered coffees, a half breakfast and poached eggs on toast - the coffee was lovely, the half breakfast very filling and good value for money. The poached eggs on toast though first turned up with just one undercooked egg on salad and toast that was not buttered (butter supplied in the little packets) - service was agreeable with my sending it back and was replaced with 2 slightly overcooked poached eggs (again the toast was not pre-buttered) - but why do restaurants place salad on everything no matter what the food being ordered?!For £7 you would expect poached eggs to be delivered with buttered toast and 2 eggs to begin with but the bread used for toast was amazing.

On holiday in Ambleside and wanted to treat the family to breakfast. The ‘half’ cooked breakfast was plenty and had good quality ingredients. However, our issue was with the vegetarian option for our daughter. The vegetarian option has a replacement veggie sausage but nothing to replace the bacon - however it’s the same price as the meat breakfast. We asked if our daughter could have something in replacement of the bacon (eg a second sausage) but this got blankly and quite rudely refused. We decided to go ahead but didn’t leave a tip. The poor vegetarian breakfast did spoil our overall enjoyment.

The staff were appalling. On entering the staff were incredibly rude and not welcoming. We were treated as a nuisance. 100% would not recommend.

The Staff and the manager here are extremely rude. Not at all customer friendly or welcoming. Not prepared to help or listen to you

Visited for lunch with my wife midweek in October. Esquires was quite busy, and we weren't feeling too fussy where we ate so thought we'd give it a go as it looked popular. We were sat upstairs, as there was no room downstairs. The vibe upstairs is a bit weird, very quiet and no music. Our order was taken promptly, and despite getting the order wrong initially it was quickly corrected and was pretty good. Only issue, other than the ambience, was the price - £20 for two toasties and two cokes, really too steep, even in these times where we pay a bit extra. Also, all sandwiches come with chips, but the portion is pretty modest.

We waited in line to be given a seat only to be told that we couldn't come in as we didnt have the NHS track and trace app!!!!! I offered to leave my name and number but the 'little power mad' woman on the door sent us away!

Fabulous! Very friendly staff and chef who made us feel very welcome. We are in very difficult and testing times, but we had a lovely lunch and will definitely be back.

We popped in for afternoon coffee and the service was excellent, the staff were very friendly and the coffee was lovely. Well worth a visit

Simplemente nos detuvimos para tomar un café en la cafetería Esquire y nos pidieron que esperáramos 15 minutos por una mesa ya que no quedaba ninguna. La mujer que originalmente dijo en un tono muy grosero, "tienes un perro, tendrás que esperar" nos hizo sentir completamente incómodos, pero esperamos y lo atribuimos a que ella tenía un día ocupado. Esto fue hasta que dejó que otras personas entraran y se sentaran, dejándonos esperar. En este punto pensamos que era mejor que nos marcháramos. ¡No es un lugar que recomendaríamos para dueños de perros!

Aunque el lugar parecía estar lleno y bien distribuido, el desayuno estaba muy cargado y no muy bien preparado. Mi esposa y yo tomamos el desayuno caliente. Pedí específicamente huevos escalfados. cuando llegó el momento, los huevos eran los más crudos que he visto en mi vida, estos se servían encima de mi tostada, lo que a su vez los empapaba. La salchicha de Cumberland también estaba poco cocida. A más de 34 para un desayuno grande y pequeño con 2 jugos de naranja y bebidas calientes, hubiera esperado algo mejor.