Golden Rule in South Lakeland - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

A proper traditional pub and my favourite in all of Ambleside.

Good pub with quite a large range of different beers.

A large selection of beers, the bartender let us try and choose which one we liked best. Atmospheric place. Dogs are given treats.

Still in my opinion the best pub in Ambleside

Very nice staff and food. Bit chilly but great pub

Cosy pub and still an Ambleside must visit for me. Beer ok but only Robinson's beers on offer. It has opened new rooms so it is far more roomy than before.

Very good pint in a really tradicionale pub

Lovely pints and excellent service

Nice Lake District pub in Ambleside. Decent selection of beers and nice atmosphere.

Popped in for a drink. Really nice pub. Friendly bar staff. Quaint and cosy.

Good real ale selection. Heated beer garden to rear.. Pub has no music and calm quiet vibe. Bit like library with lots of great books

Don't remember much about the venue but it was the best pint I've ever had after a very long walk

Oh joy!🤩 A real pub that sells beer (bitter and lager) and other drinks but doesn’t sell food. Guess what? Both the bitter and IPA we drank were superb, in beautiful condition, clear and super clean. Atmosphere the best real country pub vibe with very friendly bar service from people who know their ale. And all this in what is really a tourist trap town. Do search it out slightly off the beaten track, unless of course your food needs are not beer alone. Google please offer a rating option for drinks and not just food for pubs.

A traditional boozer with cask ale, a great atmosphere, and board games. A great way to spend time.

Loads of dogs tonight, floor under table thick with dog hair. Not everyone's a fan, and I don't need it licking my leg! Landlady sat and joined us uninvited, seemed very drunk?! Random experience. Not usual sadly

I started going in the Golden Rule in 1992 when I and great bunch worked at Ambleside Youth Hostel (in the days it was as much about fun as work). We climbed hard, worked hard and drank at the Rule. I return every now and again to find it just as fantastic. Even my old running mate Rocket Rod still enjoying a proper pint. Long may it continue. Fantastic!

Great atmosphere and great beer. My favourite 🙂 2/12/22 Still a fantastic pub. Superb and welcoming staff serving fantastic beer in welcoming and comfortable surroundings. 15/2/23 Still fantastic 🙂

Old time pub. Only snack food though.

Exquisite couple of pints and a nice pork pie watching Turkey v Georgia.

Great pub. Don't walk past if you're around!

A great pub. A fabulous range of beers. An authentically “lived-in” interior. Very dog friendly. Great service.

A good old fashioned pub. A well earned Guinness after a long day of walking? Yes please. Lots of small nooks to sit in and plenty of games to keep you entertained. They will write books one day about the historic connect 4 clash I was a part of.

Great pickled eggs, would recommend 🥚🥒

Friendly no nonsense old school pub with many guest ales. Dog walkers note dogs are welcome

Great atmosphere traditional pub doesn't do food

A great little pub, tucked away in Ambleside.

Excellent traditional pub, relaxed and friendly. Welcoming multi roomed layout, rare these days. Very well kept Real Ales, from Robinsons. No food apart from snacks eg, pork pies, crisps. A favourite of mine.

Simply the best in the area. Shame that Robinsons have reduced the range of ales, but the beer here is ALWAYS tiptop.

Probably the best pub in Ambleside, they don't do meals only pork pies at the bar. Great atmosphere and used mainly for drinks.

Making a rare trip out with Ric the hat. Back in Ambleside visiting the pubs I missed in January. Only been to this lovely pub a couple of times. Hidden away just a few yards from the main road. Multi roomed pub plus rear beer garden. Proper traditional Lake District pub apart from no food. A Robinson's pub with seven real ales. My 4.2% golden beer, Bridge House, was £5 a pint. Definitely Lake District prices.

Proper pub. No music, no telly just great beer.

Very friendly local Ambleside bar excellent staff and great beer, would deffo recommend a visit x

A classic old pub retaining its character from the old days when it belonged to Hartley’s brewery. Full complement of well kept Robinsons brews - the refreshing Citra Pale is a pleasure to drink. Without doubt deservedly in the Good Beer Guide

This is an unspoiled little Robinson's pub hidden round the corner in Ambleside. I used to love Robinson's beer but to be honest their range was becoming a bit 'old fashioned' compared to some of the modern ales available. I was pleasantly surprised that one of the new style Robinson's ales on offer was really good. I do think that pubs like this should have at least one locally brewed ale on the bar but our visit on this day was very enjoyable.

Price of pints are pretty expensive but overall good pub

lovely pub Amblesides best kept secret

A proper pub serving great beer, so stayed a while & sampled a few! Excellent service too. Only really spoilt when a group of 8 landed, dumped their stuff all over the place, plugged computers & phones into available sockets & bought a grand total of 2 halves of beer & a soft drink between them!!

A good friendly locals pub which doesn't close early. Didn't eat here but the beer was good.

Fire, old Rosie on tap and mini cheddars. What more could you need after a long day hiking!

A must visit traditional pub in Ambleside a great selection of 🍻 🍺 some of the Best Beers in the lakes Dizzy Blonde A great plus really 🐕 Dog friendly 😀

As ever a lovely perfect pub. proper beer, Welcoming staff, friendly locals. Very Dog friendly.

All good. Always visit the map table (if you know you know?

Awful customer service and grumpiness from the staff. From the moment our group stepped into the door they made us feel unwelcome and unwanted, commenting on how wet we were and that we should dry ourselves before sitting down (…it was raining outside).

Wouldn’t recommend this pub and am surprised it has so many good reviews, particularly from walkers! Staff were extremely rude and unfriendly and made us feel very unwelcome, we would have stayed for quite a while and spent a lot of money as we were a relatively large group (and the pub was almost empty so it wasn’t like they didn’t have space), but instead finished our drinks and left as soon as we could. The barman was sarcastic and rude (spending a few seconds reading the beers on tap illicited the comment “my shift ends at 6pm and I’d like to serve you before then” - this was 2pm in the afternoon). And as we left they commented loudly “I’m glad those wet people are leaving”. We had been walking and it had rained so understandably were a bit wet but given this is a pub in the Lake District you’d think it would be more welcoming, especially since we were nothing but polite and friendly and offered to remove wet clothes and boots. I will definitely not be visiting again and would recommend you go elsewhere.

Great local pub feel. Really good beers and a bit off the beaten track so not as touristy

Always enjoy going here lively atmosphere good beer and wine great in winter a bit too busy in summer but still great CNC

The best pub in Ambleside by a country mile. It's always visited when we are there for the day but this time 13 of us were there for the weekend so it was visited 5times. Great beer! Well kept, good price and good selection. Atmosphere always good too with the right level of busyness. Of course we will be back! Minimal food maximum beer.

Best place for a pint in Ambleside

Good old fashioned pub, warm welcoming and cosy.

A totally classic English hostelry..excellent real ales..great friendly staff wonderful. historic surroundings..

Great atmosphere, great beer, landlord was amazing! Thoroughly recommend.

Nice quaint pub with various rooms. Decent real ales being sold. Would recommend.

Lovely pub, great pint and a warm fire. Highly recommend

Really enjoyed my visit last night, bar staff were friendly and welcoming the place itself is really cosy with a great choice of drinks, also has a large flat screen TV showing spots. All in all a real good pub. Highly recommend 👌👍

Lovely pub with great and friendly staff

A truly friendly atmosphere has been created here. A lovely cosy and dog friendly pub.

Love this traditional no nonsense pub! Lots of beer choices, lots of games on hand to play including dominoes! Everybody welcoming and friendly. Top class!

Eight cask ales, an open fire and even a Lake District map table cover to look at while enjoying your drink. Just as a pub should be

This feels like the local's pub, it's tucked away from the main tourist area, and if what I like to call an "old man pub". Good selection of cask ales, open fire, walls full of old photos, classic British pub stuff. The inside is split into multiple small rooms, which makes we think it was originally a house that was converted to a pub some time in the past. It is a perfect spot to hold up in bad weather, sit around a table with friends and have a game of cards.

Lovely place for a drink or 2 or 3 , we visit every time we go to Ambleside , nice atmosphere

A great old fashioned pub with no music and no slot machines just a roaring fire great drinks a warm welcome and reasonable prices.

Fantastic spacious pub. Great friendly service.

Amazing atmosphere in a cosy and historic pub with a great selection of ales and ciders!

Old school boozer. Loads of small rooms with coal fires, beer garden & friendly staff. Amazing selection of around 8 Cask Ale.

Cosy pub, basic, with great beer.

Fab beer in traditional surroundings. Be prepared for lots of dogs.

Off main tourist route in Ambleside, worth the short detour. Proper traditional pub, not messed with. A wet pub (no food). It's a Robinson's pud, not normally my favourite, but a big choice of real ale, all good. Popular with walkers. It has outside seating. Well worth a visit.

What a cracking little pub. We found this one while looking for somewhere quiet and cozy to rest our legs and get away from the manic crowds. It really didn't disappoint, and will be a go to for us when in Ambleside. An Australian tourist family we got chatting to in here described it as 'ripper'. If that means great then I'd agree. Dog friendly and decent prices.

Great breakfast after morning walk from Rydal

Always visit this pub when on hols at the lakes - NEVER fails to disappoint-Great beer with friendly staff.

Friendly well kept pub with good beers👍😁

If your looking for a friendly pub with no frills and a decent beer this is your place.

Have been coming here once or twice a year for over 15 years and it's always a great place for a beer with your mates 🍻

Globally recognised as Ambleside’s best and longest continuously managed Pub. With a the widest social, international and spiritual spectrum of clientele imaginable.

We visited on a wet autumn for an afternoon beer. Fantastic pub. Split levels . Some quirky drinking areas. Robinsons beer is not my favourite, but the ale was well kept. Service was good.

Classic pub, loved the board games

Lovely “local” vibe about this pub and it serves the best draft Guinness in the Lakes.

Traditional pub, used by locals, good beer, nice stop off the main drag in Ambleside.

Only does snacks. Great atmosphere, friendly staff. Proper traditional pub

A proper pub, great beers, great staff and a lovely atmosphere.

Very nice pint. Nice people. Proper pub.

Fantastic pub with wide range of well kept Robbinsons beer!

Stopped here after completing the Fairfield Horseshoe and we had a much need pint. Plenty of selection of beers, dog friendly and a decent beer garden.

Always a good pint of Robinson ale etc after a day in the Fells

Great little pub in the heart of Ambleside, good selection of Ales, friendly bar staff and all round feel good atmosphere.

One, if not the best pub in the park. It doesn't serve food or play music but has the best atmosphere

Great pub keeping the tradition of serving quality ales with friendly service and no gimmicks for many years and a must for a decent drink, at a fair price in Ambleside. 😋🍺👍

Wet pub only. All the better for it. Good beet all, Robinson's. Recommended to het awsy from ot all.

As a Rule it's Golden.. In quirky.. But has a good range of ales to balance it all.. Some new solid seating has been installed outside ..

Lovely pub, friendly staff, lots of beers to choose from, reasonably priced, dogs and children welcome, shame they don't do food.

Lovely pub tucked away off the main road (look for the flower display out front), friendly service, a good range of real ales and a selection of snugs and side rooms. No food other than bar snacks on offer, but that's excellent because this is a proper traditional pub, not some gastro-nonsense! There's nowt wrong with crisps, nuts, scratchings, scampi fries, pork pies and pickled eggs. Delighted to have been recommended this by a local and it didn't disappoint.

Didn't have any grub but was very pleasantly surprised at how good the Guinness was. The bar man assured me it was just down to keeping is lines clean. Maybe that is 'the golden rule' 🤪

Fantastic country pub! Not commercialised. Would definitely recommend if you’re in Ambleside. Up there will the best in Cumbria

Had a drink really great atmosphere lots of visitors

Buzzing great selection of beers and a good crowd of patrons didn't eat so no food rating. Good range of places to drink well worth going to.

No food. Nice pub. Proper locals boozer

Great bar, fabulous setting. Traditional standards in a quaint pub in keeping with the area. Great ales and beers, love this place and the owner John. BUT the full time bar manager in charge needs some customer service training on manners and politeness. Thank you, and hello and goodbye for starters.

Lovely pub set back from all the tourist ones and obviously frequented by the locals. Friendly staff and much better value. Good selection of ales. Well worth the extra 30 second walk off the main drag!

One of my 2 favourite pubs in Ambleside, really cozy and a good selection of beers

Loved this bar on our recent weekend stay in Ambleside. It has a lovely outdoor area, and is a suntrap on a hot day. They have a few side rooms too, with one room where you can play board games. There are a selection of board games available to play. Fabulous little pub.