Harley's Bistro & Cafe Bar in South Lakeland

Harley’s occupies a former church/chapel and vision of its interior is blocked out when entering. The stonework and windows are dominated by Gothic arches, whilst the small tables and chairs are quite basic. A few former pews provide group seating at the perimeter. The servery is a jumble of bottles and cakes and bakes, illuminated by a mix of eclectic lighting. The cooking smells from the kitchen dominate the atmosphere and my clothing seemed to absorb the stench that lasted well after I had returned to base. A kitchen venting system seemed visible from the tables but its function seemed not to be working. My latte was fine and the heated mince pie brought out the lovely flavours of the Christmas fruit mix whilst the home cooked pastry seemed to have faired less well from the reheating which might have come from a microwave source. Staff were attentive and most helpful in assisting my departure due to my disabled gait.

We made a special trip to Harleys Bistro because we had such a great lunch on our last visit. We were not disappointed. Delicious food, nicely presented and good service. We will definitely visit again.

Visited here on a couple of occasions from breakfast to afternoon cocktails. Thoroughly recommend it as the staff are so friendly especially Daniel & Donna who is the owner. The drinks and food were extremely good in a great atmosphere. Nothing is too much of a problem even letting us have some milk as we had just arrived and couldn’t buy milk from anywhere in Grasmere as the small Supermarket was closed for refurbishment. Very accommodating and highly recommend. The group from Hertfordshire!

This cafe is in a converted church which is slightly tucked away from the main street in Grasmere but is worth seeking out. Really welcoming staff who love dogs giving a plenty supply of treats that were very much appreciated by our two spaniels. Food is fabulous - we had the garlic mushrooms which were so tasty and definitely to be recommended. They had just changed their coffee machine and we agreed that the coffee was exceptionally smooth with no bitterness at all.

Our touring coach took us to Grasmere on a rather dull and drizzly day. We looked for somewhere serving tea or coffee. As Harley's was in the old chapel, we chose to drink there. We ordered our tea and on seeing others with bowls of hot chips, we ordered a bowl to share. Friendly, efficient staff and lots of lovely food all around, but we were heading back to our hotel and dinner. The variety of food on the menu was very tempting. We may return next year on our own, to see some of the places we missed on this visit. We will definitely visit Harley's again.

Great food been here several times and it has never disappointed Great selection of food and drink. Staff very friendly. Will be nack as always next year.

Lovely food in a great location. Generous portions sizes. Would recommend if you are looking for a nice quite lunch in Grasmere.

Oh my goodness the grazing platter was amazing! Could not quite believe the size of it. Friendly staff. Great lunch. Will definitely be back.

Top notch service and great for hikers on the coast to coast walk. They have individual radiators under the booths they let you dry and warm some of your wet gear. Food was good and hit the spot on a rainy day. The staff went above and beyond to be accommodating and helpful.

We visited today as a family of 4 plus dog, the gentleman who served us was very friendly, gave the girls colouring things and made sure they got everything they wanted and more! He also made sure the dog had water. We enjoyed our visit.

Amazing staff and service it’s always a great place to call in. Thank you all. You always look after us. Best breakfast in Grasmere.

An excellent Chowder after a mornings walking. Helpful and polite staff and dog friendly. We will definitely be back next to time we are in Grasmere.

Really epic. Great food, fantastic vibe. Would recommend for everyone. It is so good. Really great. Enjoyed the pork and drinks

Had the grazing platter of the specials board , for the lakes prices it was good value , however advertised as having chutney with this and didn’t arrive , I asked the waitress and she said she would get me some but never arrived. Lovely coffee , nice atmosphere, service was prompt and prices reasonable.

Lovely quirky building but it did feel chilly, fortunately we were sat by a radiator, I imagine it's a difficult building to keep warm. Food lovely and fresh and homemade, great coffee served by pleasant staff. It was quiet midweek in March but the village was relatively quiet also.

Superb food superb service. Food freshly cooked 😋 . The staff were very welcoming and friendly. Would whole heartedly recommend.

The food was great, steak pie followed by sticky toffee pudding, friendly staff, quirky building, so glad we decided to venture inside, we are looking forward to returning in the summer to explore the outdoor area.

Lovely atmosphere and the staff were really helpful. We only came for a quick coffee, however staff could t do enough for us. The food we saw coming out of the kitchen looked delicious too

We were looking for a light lunch and came upon this place. Staff were very friendly. Not many people in at 12.45 on a Wednesday but it did fill up whilst we were there. We Ordered the flat steak sandwich and the Cumberland sausage sandwich which came with onion relish, a small side salad and crisps and chips to share. The food was quite good but they forgot the chips. They did however bring us some later and didn’t charge us. Hubby very much enjoyed the Swan blonde beer and had 3 pints! Worth a visit.

There is inside and outside seating. Food is good, but not overly exciting. Service is friendly, but slow. It is a very busy place. We had a Tuna flatbread and a savory Cheese flatbread.

Excellent breakfast, friendly staff and very very quirky place in the heart of Grasmere, would highly recommend

We found this lovely little bistro by chance . We called in for a drink & ended up ordering drinks & halloumi fries aswell . Highly recommend here , the staff are so lovely . We visited with our little dog - who got a bowl of water & some treats 😋 . We enjoyed our visit so much we are going back tomorrow & this time we will order lunch . The setting is do unique , in a converted church

Dry sponge, thin watery buttercream, poor value for money. Service very good by the younger gentleman who served me, pleasant and he was welcoming. Better places for a cake in Grasmere, glad I gave the place a go but disappointed with the offering.

Excellent pork pie with buttery flaky crust and yummy filling. We loved visiting with our waiter and will definitely go back next visit!

Visit Harleys, the venue is an old Methodist church which was very unique. Food was excellent, try the sharing platter (Ploughman’s) was very fresh and tasty. The staff were very helpful and friendly and dogs are allowed inside the bistro.

We were drawn to this eatery because of its quirky setting in an old church. The building had been thoughtfully converted. The food and service certainly didn’t disappoint. Our meal arrived quickly- it was freshly made and the portions were generous. Everything, including the cocktails was delicious and reasonably priced. The specials were varied, if I had one piece of advice, I would suggest displaying the specials board outside in the street by the front door so that people can see what’s on the menu before they come in to the restaurant.

Outstanding service. Food was delicious and delivered very quickly after we placed our order. The venue of the old Methodist church has been converted with respect to the original features and is a surprisingly comfortable place to enjoy a great lunch.

This is a quirky converted church in historic Grasmere serving food, ales and cocktails. We were drawn in by the sign adverting pizzas, but after we’d been shown to a table and left to choose when we ordered pizzas they told us they weren’t available… wouldn’t have been hard to lead with that. The quality of the food saved the day however, I had the chicken and stuffing ciabatta which was a huge portion, tasty and well made. Family ate the tuna and sweetcorn ciabatta and the kids chicken and chips. I saw others eating the burgers which looked huge, and the table next to us had the salt and pepper chicken which I was mighty jealous of!… gives me a reason to go back ;-) In short, customer service seemed a bit haphazard but the food was excellent quality and I would recommend to others!

How can you ruin sausage sandwich? Take a trip to Harley's Bistro & Cafe Bar and you'll find out. For a start, the menu said it would be served on a ciabatta roll but a plain white batch turned up. The sausage skins were as tough as leather and the teaspoonful of so-called 'fried' onions looked anaemic. This was clearly rustled together in a microwave. I expect to pay a little bit more in a busy tourist location but at £9.50 (each) for something that made a burger van look like The Ritz, is a rip off! Needless to say, we won't return.

Just came in for a coffee, but returned an hour later and had lunch. Staff very friendly, welcoming and accommodating. The food was off the specials menu was delicious and very reasonably priced. It has a well stocked bar with a range of fraught beers....

Staff were super friendly and Donna was amazing ! Me and my partner ordered all the specials for the price of what we would have paid for a starter and a main down the road (keep an eye out for these on the black board...

Visited twice during our stay in the village. Both times we received a warm welcome from Daniel & served up one of the best hot chocolates I’ve had in long time .

Nice atmosphere, shame we paid £9 for only 8 freezer quality chicken nuggets and £6.50 for 5 dry flavourless halloumi sticks with 10% cheese inside. For the price we paid we expected the portions to be larger or at the least homemade. We visited on...

This was our second visit as we remembered the excellent pizzas. Freshly prepared hot and tasty. There is a good ambience and a mix of diners including hikers, young people, families and OAPs like ourselves. Prices have gone up a lot since our last visit...

I come here regularly, every visit is a joy. The food served is warm, hearty and delicious. Their menu through from breakfast to lunch is well thought out. The specials they put on are a great alternative, today o had the spicy hashbrown and chorizo...

Excellent coffee and scones. The bistro is spotless and the staff are very friendly. Will definitely return when in Grasmere

We were on our way home from a 'room-only' stay in a hotel in Keswick. So, having had no breakfast, by 11.0 am I was becoming desperate for Coffee & Toast! It was a lovely surprise to discover Harleys in Grasmere. Nothing was too much...

Fancied something different during a day-trip to Grasmere and stumbled across this quirky converted church/bistro. Can’t recommend it enough - plenty of choice (both food and drinks) and a warm welcome from the helpful staff. The salmon and cod chowder fitted our “something different” needs...

Unhelpful staff Flat atmosphere Falsely advertised menu Made to feel unwelcome Very expensive Scones from a bag No idea of allergy ingredients in food

Nice looking restaurant, converted from a small church, and old seats have been converted to booths etc. Appreciate there are cost of living problems, energy costs etc....but £10 for x3 very small pieces of halloumi (each the size of a chip) couple breadsticks and a...

Long Island iced teas are to die for, the service is fab, a lovely warm welcome, amazing service and lovely food - AND dog friendly - what’s not to love??

Fabulous list of cocktails. A bit too much ice in them for me. Service from one guy wasn’t with a smile although the other staff seemed friendly enough. Would like to go back some time.

Wonderful find amazing building Wonderful staff and amazing cocktails Discovered this place by accident and worked our way through most of the cocktail list Freshly made genuine cocktails Nice atmosphere good beers wine and Prosecco Didn’t try the food so can’t comment but well worth...

Popped into this unique boutique establishment absolutely lovely my dog was welcomed with lovely dog treats we had a very warm welcome the food on offer was fabulous the Scone with fresh cream and jam was the best I've ever had highly recommend

Lovely staff and great service with drinks and food. A good variety of a menu and drinks selection. The soup of the day tasted so nice and fresh with also my favourite side of skinny fries with chilli , salt and pepper. Been to Harley’s...

Nice modern bistro in a converted chapel, tastefully designed. Visited on Thursday lunchtime. A few couples in. Beer on draught and plenty of food options. We had a lovely cold pint of lager and fantastic BLTs with sides of fries. Excellent meal! Staff very friendly...

Only stopped for a drink halfway round our walk. I had a vanilla milkshake with Oreo’s and was by far the best milkshake I’ve had in a long time. The staff were all really friendly and provided our pooch with lots of love and treats.

Friendly, cheerful and efficient service 💁 with fresh and tasty home made food 🍔 👍 😋 in a stunnig location 🏔 ☀

Ordered a bottle of water, a latte and an Americano to take away; cost £9 so not cheap. Got back to my car and we'd been given a latte and a cappuccino. If it weren't for the ever so slight discolouration I spotted towards the...

What a beautiful place. I had the best sausage and bacon bap that I have had in many years. Lovely staff team. I would highly recommend

There was a very good menu The food and coffee were delicious and were served promptly. The staff were first rate. Thank you!

Popped in one lunchtime out of the rain for a bite to eat and a drink. The place was busy but we got a table for two quickly and were served in no time with drinks (decent glass of white wine and a nice beer)...

Arrived at our lovely hotel, (2.1.23) put our bags down an decided to go for a walk and a bite to eat. Arrived at Harley’s, looked pleasant, wasn’t busy. Because no one approached us we walked over to one of the empty tables. HERE WE...

Very disappointed, over priced but that wouldn’t be an issue if the food was of a good quality but sadly this was not the case. Bowl mainly consisted of frozen veg, mainly peas and diced carrots, hardly any fish I had to search to find...

Nice church conversation with friendly staff. Food overpriced, for example, sandwiches £10. For that sort of money the product needs to be right on the button which they are not. Another example of extortionate pricing. Shmoo milkshakes, ( cost of sale 35p) selling for £4.25....

This was the best eatery we found whilst staying at nearby Rydal. The food is to a high standard and the opposite of 'Wetherspoons' like that of Ambleside Inn at Ambleside. We visited Harvey's Bistro twice and tried a range of food and drinks and...

From the outside you can't help but wonder. You get inside and you think "Um okay". But then you're greeted by lovely friendly staff. You take a seat, are given a menu and the specials board is pointed out. You order, which takes a tiny...

Within a converted chapel, clean and quirky. It’s a cafe that serves alcohol. Food was good, but a very traditional menu. Disappointed they even charged for sauce! Made it feel like we were in a fast food restaurant.

After walking around Grasmere, we stopped in here for a small bite to eat and something warm to drink. We had been rained on and were cold. I had the hot chocolate and I can't enough good things about it. It was the best I...

Whilst waiting for a bus at Grasmere, i went in for a take away tuna sandwich. What i did not expect and was pleasantly surprised with was a warm tuna sandwich Ciabatta. Gorgeous

Visited here last week with my husband and in-laws after walking up the beautiful helm crag and surrounding Grasmere. We are not from the area and were on holiday in Keswick. Whilst this cafe is in a good location after this walk we were unfortunately...

We stopped in for a coffee and a scone after a day exploring around Grasmere. The last time we had visited, the venue had not been open. There were lots of tables and space, so we didn't have a problem getting a seat. It is...

Had the spinach and mushroom lasagne, it was amazing! Such a beautiful building with great, friendly staff

This was a really nice place to eat. Dog friendly. Seating area outside but we sat in. Is in an old church. Decorated lovely, staff were lovely, food was good although thought a little bit expensive.

Been coming to the Lakes for many years now and have now found the most expensive underwhelming sandwich available. I know things have been tough and everyone has overheads, but £9.95 for two slices of bread with cheese and pickle is ridiculous. Avoid if you...

This was our second visit to Harley’s and both times have been fantastic. The food is amazing and reasonably priced. Good selection of drinks too, the cocktails are delicious. The restaurant is clean with a lovely atmosphere. The staff are very friendly too. Not 100%...

Don’t go here if you like coffee. Had a latte and a cappuccino that were grey and tasted like dishwater. We mentioned to the server how weak they were. She said sorry but that’s how they came out of the machine.

A very nice full English in a lovely converted church, it's a nice place to sit and relax, if it wasnt for their choice of music which I will get to later in this review. It was quiet this morning when we visited but it...

The place was very friendly we had creamed scones they were very nice the staff was very friendly they also gave us. A free drink from the bar for our diamond wedding great little place in a.old methodist church

Really friendly staff, great service and delicious steak sandwich. Amazing selection of cakes. Dog friendly. We sat out in the little courtyard and loved it.

Walked in and was immediately disappointed by the decor - the drinks took very long to come and the food even longer, we only ordered a sandwich and soup it didn’t have to take that long, especially with the amount of people in the kitchen...

Family four… I refused to eat! Terrible interior… tacky… think bad 80’s wine bar with faux black leather barstools. Limited food selection… unless you want cake… and poor service. £10 for a sandwich consisting a dry roll, slice of lettuce, slice of tomato, and two...

We ventured inside of this gorgeous building for coffee and cake after a walk up the fells. The staff were very attentive and polite. We were greeted by a blonde haired girl who allowed us to be seated anywhere we felt comfortable. We sat in...

Lovely little venue. Really enjoyed our fresh, Piping hot food that was nicely presented. We had homemade steak pie and vegetation lasagne. Guinness was apparently spot on (my other half’s favourite tipple that not everywhere gets right) There is only one toilet but it’s adequate...

Waited to be seated as instructed by sign. Looked at by harassed frowning member of staff leaving kitchen. Continued to wait, shown to pew seats with no cushions. I somehow missed seeing specials board stood on floor. Waited for order to be taken, others who...

Very nice salads and sandwiches right in the heart of Grasmere. All with tasty local ingredients and freshly made. Good price too.

Best spot for lunch: They serve a cheese platter with an extraordinarily good cheese selection and plenty of each. Add to that ice cold pints of lagers in a really peaceful courtyard - this is a place you want to return to.

We visited harleys last Wednesday 13/7/22 and had a fantastic lunch we shared the tex mex platter which was amazing very tasty and more than enough to keep us going all afternoon staff were extremely helpful and attentive and we will definitely return when we...

I was amazed at the quality of food served in ths Bistro it was excellent I had a steak pie which was very tasty. The service was also very good I wouldn't hesitate to go back. If i'm ever that way again

Ordered a Cumberland sausage sandwich which was most definitely not a traditional Cumberland sausage (breakfast sausage - yes) and some skinny fries which the staff said they didn’t have any of, but “would hand cut chips be ok?”. We said yes, but they weren’t hand...

Cool trendy bar offering lots of cocktails . Food reasonable , good portions and a fair price . The place looks like a renovated church from the inside . Only downside slow service .

We arrived and there were a few tables occupied but it wasn’t full by any means. We sat down as a family (table of 6) and waited to order. Were waiting 20 minutes before anyone came to take our order. When she arrived we were...

A definite 5 stars from this first time mama on holiday with a baby for the first time! Not only was the food delicious and the cocktails some of the best I’ve ever tasted. The staff here were absolutely top notch, friendly, accommodating and went...

Visited Harleys today (22 june). We're a family of 6, great grandparents, grandparents, parents and a baby, everyone was really accommodating and friendly. All the food was delicious, and whilst fairly expensive to someone from the North East, is about par for what you'd expect...

Whilst visiting Grasmere for the day we called into Harley's Bistro for lunch. Aside from the building which looked beautiful unfortunately the service and food were a huge let down. My daughter ordered a milk shake which had to immediately be returned as it tasted...

I found this place while visiting for the afternoon. I was skeptical at first but once I walked in I knew this was a winner. The place was packed but I was immediately seated. I order the soup of the day, which was tomato and...

Lovely friendly staff and excellent fresh scones and tea. Not cheap, but then that is par for the course for Grasmere. But when you pay it is great to see that you get a good product,

The setting of a converted church has so much potential but the way it has been done inside really doesn't suit the building at all. It lacks any character. We opted to sit outside instead. The menu is large and there were vegan options which...

The novelty of a converted chapel as a café is rather lost in the austere dreariness of Harleys' décor. It has a cold, impersonal feeling and was, on the evening I visited, also chilly in terms of actual temperature. It clearly wants to be a...

Pleasant decor, and looked promising. We waited a long time to be seated inside for lunch, by a less-than-welcoming waiter. To be fair, he appeared to be on his own at lunchtime, when the cafe was quite busy. Waited a long time for orders to...

On a damp rainy morning we found this little gem in Grasmere, and old church converted into a lovely little bistro/coffee house,with signs saying dogs welcome this was a plus as so many usher you to the outside garden tables, but not here, we were...

Visited this lovely little place for lunch (Cajun Chicken Burger, with fries & Salad) and liked it that much we went back for Breakfast the following day, everything was fresh & tasty and nothing was to much trouble, the staff were very friendly and welcoming,...

We visited Grasmere for the day and stumbled past this quirky cafe for lunch. There were no menus outside, so we ventured inside. They seemed to serve everything, from breakfasts and cakes through to steak and cocktails. They had a great selection of foods, although...

We popped in here for a bite to eat and a coffee whilst visiting Grasmere. It was relatively busy and there was a sign that says "Please wait to be seated" but I could see the staff was busy so I walked in to ask...

Absolutely lovely family run business. Went with a group drinking, nothing was too much trouble. Food beautiful Fab staff, will defo return!!

We dropped in for lunch after a wet walk. They Cafe was busy with people looking for lunch and somewhere dry and warm. It appeared cold and very cramped, probably too many tables. The food was average, although they have a large selection. With many...

On entering we waited by the sign ‘please wait to be seated’ no one came for some time so we found a seat ourselves. The staff member with a bald head was quite rude to us saying we should’ve waited. We apologised and asked if...

On entering sign said wait to be seated, staff just looked and took ages for someone to come over to seat us. Quick to take the order but waited over 30 mins for a member of staff to serve us drinks and food. Food okay...

Very nice and friendly, good price to quality ratio. Nice selection of food and seasonal menu options. We will come back :)

Lovely atmosphere and services with good tasting well portioned food. We had the hunters shared lunch which was huge. I recommend a visit.