John Ruskin Brasserie at Lakeside Hotel in South Lakeland

Vastly overpriced. Lack of choice and no healthy options. We both had trio 0f sausages with mash potato which was swamped with butter/cream. Very sickly causing tummy upset through the night for my wife.

Food and service was excellent - would definitely recommend. Given time between each course to relax but also felt that the staff were always close by if we needed anything. Very impressed.

Thought this place sounded fabulous. Booked in at the brasserie as it was less formal. Service poor, food served very quickly. More like pub food. Very disappointed. Staff did ask if all was ok but only when I had just put food in my mouth. We ate & left. Won't return & would not recommend.

We booked for a family lunch on Easter Sunday. At the time of booking we were not informed that they would only be serving sandwich or salad lunches. We sat out on the terrace overlooking the lake which was a beautiful scene. The staff were nice enough but clearly very confused about what food was available (initially offered us the afternoon tea at 12:30 and then another member of staff told us there was no afternoon tea available!). They took a long time to take a drinks order and then we had to remind them (after waiting 30 minutes) that we were still waiting for the drinks. The drinks arrived soon after and then we placed our food order. The sandwiches were delicious when they arrived. We had ice cream and cake to follow which was also good. Overall food is good, scenery is stunning but the service is really quite poor. With some effective staff training and clear leadership, this could be a really fantastic place. People expect better service these days, especially when paying quite a lot of money (£12 for sandwiches, £15 for a chicken Caesar salad).

Web pages are out of date, stating that restaurant is only open to residents. But a call and a £20 deposit confirmed our lunch reservation with a lake view. Initially we were told we couldn't sit at the table as it was reserved. "Yes, it's reserved for us". 1 hour after ordering the £12 twice-cooked chips (once yesterday, once today, at least that's what they tasted like) and sandwich, it arrived. There was more chutney than cheese, but otherwise nice enough. The view and some very nice staff made up for the weirdness. But following the signs for cloakroom revealed no ladies toilets, only gents, family, and accessible. Manuel or Two soups? Not quite, but 2 stars / C- must try harder. (Told by a local it's just changed hands. I hope it improves, and tell the cleaners to vacuum the several days-worth of crumbs in and around tables). Oh, and of course the bill didn't show the deposit that I'd already paid - not well organised, smashing surroundings, some nice service, some poor almost offensive service, chipped drinking glasses, average-quality but expensive food. It could be so much better with so little extra effort. A real shame for the staff that were nice.

We visited today after having spent the weekend a little further north - we stopped to get lunch as it was such a nice day. Good things first: the staff are lovely and the view is beautiful. Bad things: We order a drink to start… my jaw hit the floor when I heard £15 for a glass of coke and a draft Diet Coke. We also wanted to get lunch… but again were initially put out off by the price… £12 each. However, given the high price we assumed the ingredients would justify the price so we ordered the cheese and pickle and ham and mustard. The sandwiches were nice… but it was two rounds of bread, cut into 4 slices to look like more. The ingredients could have been bought at Tesco. The bread was basically warburtons farmhouse, with wafer thin packet ham on mine and packet grated cheese with some chutney on my partners. They each came with a tiny bowl of chips, which again were nice but there was about 5 chips each and the “side salad” was rocket leaves and a few slices of radish. So £38 later we left disappointed. Obviously I can’t comment on the hotel, but after this initial visit I wouldn’t look to visit again.

Congratulations to the head chef- for the worst meal I have tasted in any lakeside restaurant to date. The manager Marcus was the only saving grace - a 5 star review for him alone.. We all know there is a staff shortage in the hospitality industry.. I only hope and pray that the Lakeside hotel can redeem itself in the near future to its past glory - competent Head chef - Sack the the Muppets at front of house!

Rooms cleaned every second day. Only state this at arrival. The hotel states " DOG FRIENDLY" But really not.......AS NO dogs allowed in dining area...not even on the Veranda area... So this meant our small pet isolated from us outside with A family member and always being separate....from the rest of the family reunion vacation... Did find food very expensive... Service In Dining room breakfast....Excellent However...on the outside "Terrace " it was very slow... Maybe the staff need to be trained a little more. Overall experience very pleasant

This hotel is in a lovely location but it needs updating. The carpets on the stairs and in the corridors was very stained. The corridor leading to our room had a musty smell and cobwebs, my daughter said the smell reminded her of being in a church. The floral curtains and pelmets made the bedroom look a bit dated and the room was very warm, even on the days when it rained we kept windows open. The staff were friendly and the breakfast was good with plenty of choice. Didn’t have a evening meal at the hotel but heard some of the guests saying how repetitive it was.

We took the ferry to lakeside for a forest walk and stopped off at this hotel/bar for drinks afterwards. We sat outside in beer gardens by the road, we were not allowed onto the lakeside terrace as we were not staying at the hotel. I kid you not, 3 lemonade and limes cost £15.00. Not many other places to get a drink in that area, so they can obviously charge more as less competition around. Rip off, would not recommend stopping for drinks there.

We have had a pleasant bite on the terrace here before and wanted a repeat the experience . No terrace service available for non residents ( many empty tables) and just a small number of tables round the back. No table ordering , no service. 30 minutes to get served at the bar …. This was complacency at a new level . A snooty hotel trading on its past , avoid …

First of all I will say how fantastic it is to see businesses making such an effort to re-open and it’s very much appreciated! However..on visiting what was our favourite venue for afternoon tea we were very disappointed. The weather was very cold and had been raining ( the weather is no-ones fault) and the marquee was in place, although it was open ended and the sides were also open so did little to prevent the cold. We were offered blankets which was a lovely gesture. We asked if we could sit in the marquee and the woman who showed us to our table looked less than impressed, we were made to feel a nuisance. Our afternoon tea arrived with no ‘starter’. We still paid full price for the tea so was very expensive for what it was. Scones had hard bits in ( not sure what they were but almost broke a tooth... on a scone?!?) and panacotta gritty. Very pleasant gentleman settled the bill but other staff member sounded annoyed that I didn’t stop the door from closing so she could get out with her tray?!? So disappointed as this was our absolute favourite place to visit. And after a busy year of working on the front line, was very much looking forward to this. Left feeling ripped off, dissatisfied and saddened.

Called in for lunch and drinks. Rude and terrible service. After waiting for a considerable period rudely asked what we wanted to order despite no menus or drinks menu being provided. (waiter "don't you know what you want" - actually no because we are yet to see any menus!!!) After waiting another 10 minutes for an abridged wine list (still no drinks menu) and a food menu to be provided and another 10 minutes with no staff follow up decided to leave. Worst service I have experienced anywhere in the world. Empty venue with only one other table and multiple staff standing around doing nothing. Clearly despite covid they don't need the trade. Do yourself a favor and avoid this venue. There are plenty of places in the Lakes district with friendly welcoming staff, good service and great food.

We walked into the cafe side to get some drinks and we were told we had to walk outside and order at the pub. We ordered a pot of tea for two and a coke and asked for them to be passed through to the cafe side. They said we could not do that. So we walked outside in the rain with the pot of tea for two and a coke. There was 1 table free with old pots and cups, I asked for the table to be cleaned due to COVID. Guess they don’t know what covid is here as the table was just left and my dad had to clear it GREAT SERVICE. The table was not sanitised. We were also not asked if we had used the track and trace which a lot of places are doing at the moment. So we sat down and the waitress was doing some coffees for the people already sat down. So one rule for one and one for another??? Not sure why we were treated like second class citizens by the staff. Then to top it off the milk was OFF. Sent the milk back and asked for fresh tea which they sorted but said we’d have to collect from the bar. We refused. Eventually we got our tea after spending nearly £16 on a pot of tea for two, a coke and a pack of crisps. Not much to ask for a service with a smile or to be treated equally. You need to retrain your staff during COVID as it’s still around and you should be doing more than the bare minimum here. Not much to ask for. DO NOT COME HERE.

We travelled to Lakeside today on the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway (do that if you get a chance!) ... on a beautiful Steam train ... we had decided to try & have lunch before we caught the return train ... so before I write this, please note, I get the need for safety with COVID, I get keeping people safe in hotels & restaurants ... I shielded for five months indoors! So, this is not about that ... this is about plain old customer service, welcomeness & respect for the tourist economy! Businesses need tourists & holiday makers to keep coming to keep our economy afloat ... so please, treat them with some respect when they try to frequent your establishment ... this hotel should have been welcoming guests off a neighbouring tourist attraction, instead, they had a rude bar man/bar manager making people feel unwelcome & second class ... There is a very large garden terrace overlooking the lake with numerous tables that was open to residents only yet had only two occupants at lunch time and then was completely empty a short while later. Walk in guests or pre booked off the train guests could have easily and safely been segregated from hotel residents if the management had wished. The cafe and bar was serving drinks only to none residents who were made to sit around the back in a much smaller road side area and no food available. Not the Lakeside experience we had hoped for. To top it off when asked for water for the dogs the bar manager was trying to sell a bottle of water not just tap water for the dog bowl. When he had clearly heard it was for the dog. Every person who walks through the door is a customer ... not just hotel residents ... we had started off thinking wouldn’t it be great to stay there next visit to the Lakes, but the answer is now a resounding no! If the owners took the time to sit outside the roadside of their hotel & hear what everyone was saying ... I think they would be surprised & disappointed!

This is a really nice spot. The conservatory is a lovely place from which to look out at the lake on a cold day. The service was painfully slow, to the point where we had to cancel our lunch order and leave as we had been waiting so long. Christmas decorations were up on the 11th November. Call me old fashioned, but... All this said, we’d definitely come here again, if time was not a factor.

  8) 50 por una copa de vino mediana (el vino más barato que tienen) hubiera esperado un mejor servicio. Eso, junto con el personal del bar que vertió Guinness de una vez sin una recarga, me decepcionó mucho los precios.Al día siguiente, el personal del bar estaba inclinado hacia arriba, les llevó 5 minutos darse cuenta de que necesitábamos una bebida.Algunas de las personas que sirven eran encantadores, pero realmente no valía la pena los precios exorbitantes.A modo de comparación, vivo y trabajo en Londres, por lo que un buen vino mediano cuesta 6 y el personal del bar me ofrece un muy buen servicio.

Had an expensive sandwich here after getting off the boat. Sandwiches are about £14. They do come with crisps and a salad though, and are very generous portions. However I can't rate it higher as it took a very long time to recieve our order though, almost an hour. Also one of our group's order arrived 10mins after everyone elses, it was a salad! Another person in our group never recieved his drink, despite asking twice for it. The kids also never recieved the ice cream that was included in their meal. However the staff were very nice and did discount this from our bill.On a positive note though the view and location is fantastic and I guess that is what you are paying for. I guess the high prices and long wait keeps this place from becoming overcrowded with families getting off the boats. The hotel looks fantastic to stay in.

Lovely location next to the lake but staff were inattentive and severely lacking. I had to ask four times for our dirty table to be cleaned. I reminded them that I had to ask four times and no apology. We had to request menus. And then again for children’s menus Very slow service. Waited nearly an hour for sandwich. Children has ice cream as part of their meal. I had to chase it twice. Nobody came to check if the food was ok. When we asked where the loos were we got a ‘through the door with restroom on it’. Without so much as a hint of the direction. I don’t mind paying £14 for a sandwich if it comes with quality service and attentive staff but I’m afraid both were so lacking we absolutely will not return.

My wife, daughter and I visited the Lakeside Hotel for afternoon tea. The location is very beautiful and we were shown to our table with a great view of the lake, which was reserved for us as we booked 3 days earlier. I had Pre ordered the savoury afternoon tea (£32) at the time of booking, so my wife and daughter ordered their separate meals. Their food arrived....... but mine didn’t! They finished their meals, still mine didn’t arrive, another 20 mins and finally the beetroot and goats cheese salad arrived, some 60 mins after our arrival (remember it was pre booked). We eventually asked for the next dish to arrive, as there seemed to be no chance of that without our asking! The menu just said ‘tasting of soup’. There’s your soup said the waitress, any idea what kind of soup I asked? Think it’s celeriac! Great knowledge of the menu there then! Then the main part of the afternoon tea arrived after more prompting! The fish and chips was just fish, no chips. The beetroot and goats cheese salad was excellent and the rest of it was OK. I had not had much to eat beforehand as I wanted to really enjoy this experience, however with such a long wait, I couldn’t stop myself picking at my wife and daughters meals, so wasn’t that hungry when it finally arrived. So overall although the food was OK, the organisation and service was, I think I can safely say a complete shambles! What should have been an enjoyable dining experience with (at the same time as) my family was spoiled by lack of organisation and poor serving staff. At £32, I would have expected better. Some money was knocked off the bill to compensate! I would rather have just had it served on time!

We visited the hotel for a lite lunch on a blustery cold day.Lovely terrace overlooking the lake and the mooringsLunch was jsandwiches and cream tea - but beautifully made, extremely fresh and just a delight.We will be going back whenever we go near next time.

Stopped in for lunch and a drink to end a lovely birthday week.Ordered a Club Sandwich, a sandwich & chips for my wife and a couple of large G&Ts.Half way through as I was eating the sandwich my wife said “Stop” We were horrified & disgusted to find I had been served Mouldy Bread.Even worse to think the Chef missed it not once but must have missed it again while toasting it.The waitress was nice, but not had an apology from the restaurant manger or chef & then said “don’t worry we won’t charge you for your sandwich”.My concern is that I already ate half of it,and I know moulds can contain mycotoxins. which are poisonous.So let’s see if there are any side effects.Never would have thought it from a hotel that’s boasts its a superior hotel 5 star dining!

Decidimos venir a este hotel ubicado en un hermoso entorno del Distrito de los Lagos. Desafortunadamente las vistas fueron lo único bueno de toda la experiencia. Llegamos a las 4 de la tarde y agarramos una mesa afuera del lago. Una pareja de ancianos se sentó frente a nosotros, que parecía haberse sentado alrededor de 30 minutos sin que ningún miembro del personal viniera y les preguntara si les gustaría una bebida. Comenzó a compartir su experiencia con nosotros. No había menús en las mesas ni personal que se pudiera ver aparte del extraño que corría frenéticamente de un extremo a otro del conservatorio. Evitaron deliberadamente el contacto visual en cada oportunidad, así que esperamos unos 20 minutos antes de tener que entrar al invernadero para pedir un menú. Luego esperamos 10 minutos más y aún no hay señales de que alguien nos haya pedido que tomemos nuestro pedido. En este punto, la pareja que estaba detrás de nosotros también se quejaba, ya que habían preparado el té de la tarde, que es de 64 y el hotel se había quedado sin bollos. ! ! ! Finalmente, una camarera se acercó y nos confesó a todos que ella no estaba "muy organizada hoy" en sus palabras y luego salió corriendo después de colocar los cubiertos. Finalmente logramos captar su atención y ella dijo que no podría recordar nuestro pedido, por lo que necesitaba un bolígrafo y una libreta (solo queríamos pedir un bollo), así que desapareció de nuevo y comenzó a limpiar las mesas en lugar de venir. atrás. Estábamos cerca de irnos cuando finalmente nos sirvió 5 minutos más tarde, pero dijo que a pesar de que el té de la tarde estaba abierto hasta las 6 pm, la cocina no estaría dispuesta a hacer sándwiches o bollos frescos en este momento (eran solo las 4 pm), ya que se había acabado y no estarían contentos de tener que hacer algunos nuevos. Por la expresión de nuestras caras no tenía más remedio que ir y preguntar de todos modos. Hicimos algunos sándwiches de mala gana, debo admitir que fueron encantadores, pero en general la experiencia fue un desastre. Nos llevó a nosotros mismos a la recepción para pagar nuestra factura. Hemos estado en este hotel muchas veces, parece que tiene un montón de personal nuevo. No volveré.

Llamamos aquí para tomar el té de la tarde. Nos sentamos afuera con una hermosa vista en un hermoso día soleado. Pedimos el té de crema, el camarero cuando tomó nuestro pedido ni siquiera nos miró, y su actitud rozó el grosero. Los bollos y pasteles llegaron en unos 20 minutos, pero sin el té. Le preguntamos por el té y dijo que probablemente estaba en camino. 15 minutos más tarde, los cálidos bollos ya se habían enfriado, sin té, a pesar de haberlos pedido al menos 3 veces. Mientras tanto, todas las mesas alrededor de nosotros habían recibido sus bebidas. Cuando por fin llegó el té, el camarero lo tiró sobre la mesa, no se disculpó, cuando le pregunté por qué tardó tanto tiempo, simplemente respondió que estaban ocupados. Señalé que todas las mesas alrededor habían recibido sus bebidas en este punto, puso los ojos en blanco y aún no me disculpaba. Pedí ver a un gerente, el gerente tenía una actitud ligeramente mejor, pero aún no parecía interesado en el servicio al cliente, su único comentario fue para decir que hablaría con el camarero y nos daría un descuento. ¡Todo lo que quería era mi té con mi bollo! ! ! No me gustaría devolver la actitud de la gerencia y el personal es atroz.

Llamamos aquí para el almuerzo. El hall de entrada y las áreas públicas son realmente agradables en un estilo tradicional. La recepcionista fue muy acogedora y nos llevó al conservatorio donde se servía el almuerzo. Hicimos una pausa, esperando que nos mostraran una mesa, pero nos dijeron: 'siéntate en cualquier lugar que no esté reservado'. Así lo hicimos y miramos el menú. Después de un corto tiempo una camarera vino a tomar nuestro pedido. No hubo una sonrisa de bienvenida y muy pocas palabras en absoluto. ¡Todo el ambiente me hizo preguntarme si todos habían tenido malas noticias! Allí trabajaban dos jóvenes que estaban haciendo un esfuerzo mucho mayor. La comida era buena, pero el ambiente frío y poco acogedor lo estropeó para nosotros. He leído otros comentarios que son todos muy buenos, así que quizás fue un mal día, pero nos echó a perder y, aunque visitamos la zona con bastante frecuencia, no nos apresuramos a volver aquí.

Beautiful situation sadly spoiled by unwelcoming reception staff both of whom couldn't really be bothered! Restaurant staff better but service very slow. We had a sweet and a savoury afternoon tea and both were very nice with plenty to eat.

Tapas are highly recommended and price not excessive. Service could have been swifter and coffee was to weak to find its way out of the cafetiere!

Beautiful setting. Extremely over priced. £29 for scones, cake and tea. Poor staff interaction. No seeing if the experience was ok or if the product was to our satisfaction. Would benefit from checking out the Newby Bridge Hotel.

Such a beautiful hotel just a shame that when asking about evening food you get almost ignored and informed that unfortunately evening dining is restaurant only, no option to book for a meal, maybe because we were in casual attire, so obviously non residents are not welcome. Won’t be coming here again. Also decided to have a quick drink while asking about the meals and a shandy and half a coke was £8.20, scandalous prices and not even a 5 star hotel at that. Out of season you would expect them to appreciate all custom!

We came across on the cruise from Bowness, to find that everything had closed (it was apparently only open temporarily for half term, last week) bar this hotel, which is right by the docking station.

Buen ambiente agradable, un poco menos formal que el restaurante. Buena selección de comida. Habíamos comido en el restaurante en las noches anteriores, que es más caro. La comida en la brasserie es igual de buena, posiblemente las mesas estén un poco más juntas, lo que no nos molestó pero podría no ser adecuado para todos.

Hemos estado viniendo a Lakeside durante muchos años, ya que amamos el lago Windermere y el hotel es un lugar impresionante para disfrutar del lago y los viajes en barco a Bowness y Ambleside. Tuvimos nuestra primera cena en el restaurante John Ruskin, mi esposo pidió cordero de cordero, que fue simplemente cálido, la camarera no pareció molesta y como yo comí, continuamos. No se ofrece una bebida ni se reduce la comida. La noche siguiente nos reservaron en el encantador comedor, normalmente este es un menú completamente diferente con pequeños catadores entre los cursos. El pan era siempre de diferentes tipos en un precioso carrito de madera. Nos dijeron que el menú era exactamente el mismo que la noche anterior. Muy decepcionante. Pan en una cesta. Sin toques extra en absoluto. Los dos pedimos bistec, que era agradable. Pero solo me sentí decepcionado.

The food was very good with several vegetarian options. Service was quite slow but the staff very very helpful and polite.

Stopped here on the spur of the moment, fantastic food great location great staff would recommend to anybody

The food I had was nice - don't go if you're vegetarian or vegan as there are no decent options for you.

My friend and I had 40 minutes to wait until the next lake boat back to Bowness and as it was raining heavily we thought why not treat ourselves to a coffee in this hotel. So we entered there beautiful conservatory area and took a seat, removed our jackets and perused the menu. We both decided to have a cappuccino ( priced at a very expensive £4.75 each! ) So we sat there, and sat there some more, and a little bit more, whilst waiting staff walked past us several times and in the end we had to leave without even making any contact with the staff to order our cappuccinos as they’ll all ignored us and we didn’t want to miss our boat after 25 mins of sitting there. Pretty disappointed to say the least. I was a waitress for many years and all it takes is some acknowledgement to guests that you know they are there and waiting. Oh well we spent our money in a lovely little place in Bowness where they actually said hello to us as soon as we walked in

As a regular to the lakes and an owner of a small holding I have tried this place on three separate occasions. The last occasion was a standard example of the service, sat down by one waiter only to be questioned about whether our table was reserved by another.

We were staying nearby and decided to walk down and have a meal at the hotel .must say the hotel looked very appealing but the meal beyond disastrous ..the steak I ordered was pathetic to another level looked like it had been defrosted in a rush quickly cooked and served.. absolutely inedible sent it back once they tried to rectify it but came back even worse was blue inside ! My partners soup was decent no doubt but her risotto was atrocious and unedible too .. sad as most hotels in the lake district the food is mostly amazing ..yes the service was impecabble but that's about it !!

Can't fault the location and the service / presentation of food & drink but they certainly know how to charge a captive audience. With few other options around we sat down and looked at the menu which somehow managed to arrive at a price of £13 for an Egg & Cress sandwich with a few chips & salad!? We shared a club sandwich @ £16 + and extra £3 for a small pot of coleslaw - its was nice but certainly nothing special. My wife has a small glass of rose wine (£8.50!) so you get the idea!! The afternoon teas were the most expensive I've ever seen and even for a coffee or tea you were nearly paying £5 each. OK I get that you are paying for the surroundings, presentation etc., but I do think if they were more realistic with their prices people would buy more or have another drink so it's a bit of a greedy & daft pricing policy as it would also put people off coming back.

It was only 12 o'clock but we were looking for a snack, not lunch, and were happy to find that the teas and cream teas are served from 12. We could sit right outside in the garden with the lake literally only a few feet away. There was a relaxed atmosphere - people were sitting enjoying the sunshine quietly with cocktails, lunch or tea.

We were staying nearby and decided to come for a drink one afternoon. A sign stated that the lake-side of the hotel was for those dining/having afternoon tea so we went round to the front of the hotel which we presumed was for bar guests. There was no one around to confirm this. No table service.

Booked a 2 night stay for a short break. Hotel location and web site promises a great time. On arrival the receptionist told my wife I was pretentious for insisting on parking our car myself not good start. Tried to get seat in garden for an afternoon drink. All the tables were empty but reserved, had to find table elsewhere. Ordered drinks after 20 min nothing arrived had to find a waiter who eventually delivered our drinks.

We had a few meals over a long weekend & the food was average for the cost. One of my wife's dishes was so small that she complained to the head waiter, but he was unable to negotiate any more of that dish from the chef!

Disappointed that the management didn't take note of my correspondence made 6 months prior to our visit when booking that my wife & I would be celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary during our visit. The reason we chose the hotel was because we spent our honeymoon in the Lake District 40 years earlier. In a phone call to the hotel, a week before our arrival, when booking an evening meal in their restaurant on our special day, I reminded the receptionist about the anniversary, hoping that they would make a special effort & surprise my wife. No mention was made by any member of staff, which we both thought very remiss, considering we stayed 5 nights & used the restaurants every day. Just a word of congratulation would have been enough.I wrote to the Managing Director on our arrival home & received a bland reply. Save yourself £1800 for a 5 night stay & go somewhere that appreciates the requests of its guests.

We had a very good meal at Lakeside Hotel. Food was excellent quality and very imaginatively put together but generally the portions were very small. Here are examples.

My friends and I went for Afternoon Tea. At £64 for 2 we expected so much more. The cucumber soup was nice and well presented. Then came the sandwiches. Egg and cheese? Really? For £64 I think you could have found something a little more fitting. Having owned a cafe in the past, there are no cheaper fillings than cheese and egg. There were also Very few sandwiches. Very disappointing. When asked if there was an alternative, we were offered cucumber. The cakes were stunning and lovely. The tea was far too strong and we asked for more got water which we did get but in small jugs and just 2 between 11 of us. We asked for the tea later but got the impression this was too much hassle and it arrived first. The staff were hovering around the door looking like they were waiting to pounce and not one if them cracked a smile. We have been to many places around the area for afternoon tea. This has to be the worst for price, quality and quantity. Will not be coming back nor recommending

We stopped in to the Lakeside Hotel following a wonderful weekend with family in Ullswater. I can only say that the experience of the Lakeside Hotel was extremely underwhelming! It took over 20 minutes for a drinks order to be taken (we are a party of 4). It then took a further 25 minutes for the drinks to arrive, 2 of which were wrong, and one was spilt by the waiter on the tray. It took three attempts to get the correct drinks. The prices are overinflated- £4.75 for a bad cappuccino is a total rip off! Needless to say, we won’t be visiting again.

I had afternoon here with a friend yesterday - she'd been given a voucher as a birthday present - and we arrived with high hopes. But what a disappointment! For a start we had to pay to park - £2.50 for 2 hours, £4 for longer - as the hotel appears to have no car park of its own; if it does we certainly weren't told about it and it wasn't signposted. The hotel itself is imposing, well-kept with wonderful views of the lake and the staff were very friendly. Tea's served in the conservatory, and started off ok with a choice of tea....and then a long wait.....then a small bowl of cold cucumber soup.....and a wait......then the finger sandwiches arrived. There were two of us; there were nine sandwiches, three each of ham, cheese and egg. Dividing them up was a challenge - wouldn't it have been easier to serve numbers divisible by two, or is that too easy? Then the cakes arrived - they were ok, though not particularly good. The Victoria sponge in particular was dry, with a bright red jelly filling rather than the traditional jam, and the raspberry mousse had a covering that tasted like cardboard. Oh, and there were three scones between two of us. We decided to switch to coffee, and asked for it to be served on the terrace. Once again there was a long wait - by the time it arrived our parking ticket had just five minutes left on it (out of two hours), but luckily it turns out parking is free after 5pm. The staff were apologetic about the very slow service and I doubt if it was their fault, more likely there just weren't enough of them, but if I was going to "do" afternoon tea again it certainly wouldn't be there! And it's just occurred to me - the "granny smith sorbet" never made an appearance, nor was it mentioned!

booked for 5 45 but was 6.15 before being greated in but the food and service was very good rack of lamb was perfect bill was as expected not cheap but if you want cheap food go to mcdonalds

We had a very enjoyable meal here while staying at the Lakeside Hotel. The food was good and the service exemplary. Only gripe was the children’s food was very salty. However we mentioned it and they took the course off the bill.

I had mixed feelings about our dining experience. We paid 29 pound for 2 courses but in honesty we have paid far less and better at other restaurants. The dining area is very stylish and staff pleasant. My wife had fish cakes which she liked but her main of chicken was excellent. So moist and tasty. I had a cheese souffle for starter which was ok but lacked something in my opinion. For main I had pressed lamb which was slightly overcooked for my liking on a bed of a small amount of potato served with mixed beans. It was very nicely presented but wished I had picked something different. Drinks in my view are way over priced with wine about 10 pounds per glass.

Mixed feelings about our experience. Some points excellent, others not so. Not sure what to make of the brasserie itself really, ok decor, pleasant staff. Lacked much atmosphere. It seemed largely empty, and in view of this fact it would have been nice to have been seated with more space & privacy around the restaurant rather than all together. We’ve enjoyed better dining surroundings. Thankfully, the food was absolutely delicious, especially the main courses (the fillet steak and the seabass dishes). As an overall experience we felt it was probably a little over-priced for what it was.

We came here on Friday night during a two night stay in the lakes. I had wanted to dine here for some time. My wife made the booking, and decided on dinning in the Brasserie. She asked for a cosy table for two. When we arrived we were seated at the least cosy table in the nearly empty brasserie. In hindsight we should have asked to move, but my wife did not want to make a scene. I could see what the owners were trying to achieve with the brasserie, but the decor finishing was poor, with screw holes in some of the wood, a bad paint job and unity carpentry. The food was ok. We shared a fish platter, and both decided to have the 'famous' fish and chips which was so greasy, my wife felt ill for the next 24 hours. I was bunged up with a cold and asked for a hot toddy. I was brought a measure of whisky and some hot water. Where was the sugar/honey and the lemon? My wife did decide to say something at the end of the night but only received a small apology. The food and drinks were very expensive for the quality. I don't mind paying for a good meal but this was far from it, and nearly cost £100 for 2. After the meal went into the conservatory for a drink while we waited for our taxi. I ordered a glass of wine for her and gave the waiter £10, I never saw any change from this. We should have saved ourselves a taxi ride and dined at the Whitewater hotel where we were stopping, the staff there were very attentive and the food is definitely on a par but half the price (a separate review). I will not be returning, even for a pint while passing in the future

Having stayed at this hotel and eaten there on several occasions, the service and food has really gone down hill.

We ate here for an evening meal twice during our stay at the Lakeside Hotel. The Brasserie is friendly and relaxed, and popular with families. The menu isn't extensive, but the food is pretty good and the service is very cheerful. At time of writing they do 2 courses for £29 or 3 for £39 plus drinks. They have a "U14" menu for children under 14 that's good, including the "Create your Own Pasta" where they get to order exactly how they want it! At time of writing this menu is £13 for under 7s, £18 for 8-13s for 3 courses.

Sitting in the sun enjoying lunch at the side of the lake, watching the boats come and go: what is not to like. The soup and sandwich option suited us all and the lightly curried Butternut squash soup was perfect.

I enjoyed the Brasserie, a little more than my wife who says that her pie was a little dry and that the room had a cold feel to it! We both tried the fish cakes for starter and both enjoyed them. We then had the Beef and Ale pie, my filling was ok, however the pastry could have been better and my wife felt the same about her pastry and that he filling was dry. The highlight was without doubt the sweets, my wife says her pannacotta was delicious. I tried the chocolate pave with Blackcurrent sorbet and blackberries, I believe this to be the tastiest sweet I have ever eaten, truly outstanding! The staff were very good and overall we had a good evening.

Second night was better than the first. Service was good. Wine a bit pricey. Oil and balsamic,......delicious! Cheese souffle hadn't quite risen but tasted nice. Desserts where very very good. Cocktails worth a try too...the Windermere one

We visited the Lakeside for a quick lunch this September, having previously stayed at the hotel a couple of years back. Initially we planned to have a drink on the terrace and maybe a sandwich but at 14 quid for a sandwich and soup or 17 quid for a club sandwich we decided to have a panini and a coffee instead (see attached pic).

A tiny americano and a tiny cappuccino. Two soft drinks. Stale and tasteless "chocolate fudge cake". Non-existent service. £19.

Our grandchildren, who are vegetarians, were able to choose the ingredients for their pasta dishes and the pancakes for dessert!

Beautiful spot. Traditional hotel. Service used to be better. Rooms individually pleasantly decorated and the leisure facilities are fine. Conservatory is lovely to enjoy the lake views. Stunning but the car parking and busy lake boat access area can cause problems.

What an incredible concept! Food was chosen from categories of Land, Sea and Earth! Whatever order you chose, was the order the food arrived in. So no conventional starter, main etc! The flavours were amazing. The only minus (from my husband's view) was the portion size. Fine for me, but he has a bigger appetite!

Well where to begin...... The place had absolutely nothing to eat unless all you like is posh snobby food and the prices were reddiculous and far too expensive. The service was rubbish, we were told to find a seat and he would be over in a second to get our order that turned into 25mins and when our drinks arrived I wish we hadn't bothered waiting. My partners cappachino cost £4.50 but they must of thought he wasn't thirsty as it was in a cup the size big enough for a dolls house and my so called "hot" chocolate turned out to be barely lukewarm milk and a horrible bitter dark chocolate ball on a stick that you meant to stir into and it melts. Instead all it did was make the milk look grainy and did nothing if the sort to melt plus I tasted alful and that cost £3.50!!!!! In the end I wasn't in the mood for hot chocolate and left the whole glass of warm gritty grey/brown milk on the table. Absolutely never ever againWouldn't recommend to anybody not even my worst enemy!!!!!!!

A lovely place in beautiful surroundings. The sun was out so we sat on the terrace food was ok, but very expensive for what you get. We had an iced offer which was lovely and came with ginger shortbread which were gorgeous! Then I had a croque monsier which was really nice and other half half had a club sandwich which was average. It was a bit to well cooked on the bread and not a great deal of filling for £17 yes really £17 for a sandwich!!!! Wouldn't of minded if it was filled and not burnt bread. Aside from that service is very slow, it took about an hour to get our sandwiches but the weather and view were beautiful luckily so we didn't need to rush to much.

The general attitude of the staff should've been our cue to turn around immediately. Popping in here for a quick drink turned into a drawn out fiasco. Our drinks were flat and off smelling, our substituted drinks took over 20 mins to turn up. Staff had all the customer skills of a plank of MDF. Prices completely overblown. Don't be fooled by the demeanour of the building, Horrible experience. Please avoid.

Stayed at the hotel for 4 nights. Used this restaurant twice. Staff and food very good. Modern decor and very clean.

We had lunch here on a relatively quiet day, there were very few other people in.It took ages to take our order and when the food arrived several of our party had no cutlery and part of the order was missing. The cutlery took so long to arrive that by the time it did come we'd eaten the food by sharing out what was available. At a low price cafeteria this wouldn't have been acceptable but given the (high) prices charged I could only give a low rating. The waiting staff were very pleasant young people who appeared to be in training but with no supervision or direction. Not fair on them or the customers. The location is amazing and there is a lot of potential here which appears to be squandered by poor/ non-existent management.

Still waiting for a drink half an hour after ordering. Brilliant service!!! You will have to keep chasing staff if you want anything it seems. After query told it had been charged but not gone through to the bar.

Bar food by the lake - delightful on a sunny day. Food - good enough; service - amateur but charming. Furnishing old fashioned, but clean. Lots to look at - swimmers in the lake, boats, and Gummer's How across.

Had the 'Contemporary Menu' in the John Ruskin Brasserie, simply stunning!!the presentation and flavors of this menu were spectacular.

Appearances can be deceptive and sadly in this case it is not a positive comment. We had to chase the staff to get our lunch of three panini, which eventually arrived after more than 30 minutes. The mozzarella, vine tomato and fresh pesto sandwich was adequate, although the tomatoes were the larger, cheaper variety; the accompanying salad had seen better days and the 'smoked chicken, cheeky chilli and lancashire cheese' had no cheese of any type present, no chilli that I could detect and a small portion of the cheap variety of chicken that really did not come close to justifying a price tag of £8.50. The staff were not rude but were generally vague and did not ask how our meal was. On balance, this was probably because they knew that the product and the experience was wholly inadequate. Apparently the toilets were very nice, and maybe they do a better job of dinner times than they do lunch, but I would strongly recommend avoiding this place.

Excellent menu, and staff pleasant, although a couple distracted at times. Appreciated being able to have small dining room twice with 2 friends who have hearing problems - thank you Daniel! The weekend tapas style menu was stunning - air, sea and land - with the food so tender and piping hot. The sauces were magnificent.

Our first night in the Lakes and found the Lakeside Hotel, so we decided have some food. I found the staff unhelpful and the food disappointing considering the cost. A table next to us walked out after waiting over a 1 hour for food, I had to ask twice for our drinks order and also some bread for the table. A lot of changes needed hear!!

We called on our way homefrom Hawshead at 12.10 on Monday, we parked up and thought it would be nice to have a drink and possibly eat a little later on. It was a beautiful day but being a Monday wasnt busy outside on the terrace. We went to the bar to order 2 lime and sodas at £1.80 each for basically cordial and water these were expensive but worth it for the lovely view. We were asked if we were residents and as we said no we were told we were not allowed our drinks outside on the fairly empty terrace and we had to sit at the back of the hotel, what a shame and what awful service. We left and stopped at The Swan at Newby Bridge where the same drinks were 60p each and we were allowed to sit outside with a nice view. We dont live far away but will not be going back for drinks, meals or celebrations in the future.

We were late everywhere for lunch due to traffic (bank holiday) and apparently arrived when the work shift to the dinner crew was happening. Slow, confused service was mostly offset by the beautiful view and the nice people surrounding us. Our bill was wrong (charged to someone's room), we had to beg for drinks, food. There seemed to be no one in charge. When we had interactions with staff, they were polite and mostly responsive. When we asked for a beer, we were told it would "take awhile ".? Which was true; about 30 min. No complaints on the food we were served, it was simple and tasty. We just had to stop and ask everyone for help- no volunteers. Really liked that guy who bought us lunch - jk.

I called into the hotel restaurant for lunch with my wife and miniature wirehaired dachsund yesterday.The staff were friendly and approachable and loved our dachsund.My wife ordered the fish and chips whilst I opted for the lamb ragout.At £22 I expected a decent meal but what arrived was of very poor quality.There was far too much salt on all the ingredients, whilst the borlotti beans were burnt, the potatoes undercooked and the sauce quite rank.I pondered for some time about whether to complain or not but not wishing to embarrass my wife decided to leave it.I must emphasise that the staff were rather good I felt that they were being rather let down by the kitchen.My guess is that my meal was not freshly cooked rather it had been re-heated using yesterday's meals.This also goes for the sweet, sticky toffee pudding which had all the chewiness that comes with the use of a microwave oven!

During a recent stay in the Lakes we decided to have a drink and afternoon tea for my wife. We sat outside and I must say the position on the lakeside is superb. The service however was not what we expected from a four star Hotel. My drink arrive first, with a pot of tea arriving for my wife, no sign of any food! After a period of time a plate of sandwiches arrived with a bowl of soup! After a prolonged period I went to find the member of staff with whom I had place the order. We informed the staff we were not waiting any longer and would pay for what we had consumed. The cakes that my wife should have received were boxed for her and we were not charged.We expected decent service, with afternoon tea arriving on a tiered plate as is the usual way of presentation. I would add that it was not especially busy and plenty of staff were evident.

We had dinner at the Lakeside, the food was nice but nothing special, but the prices certainly were special! So expensive! We just had one course, £22 for an average fish and chips. We could have had 2 courses for £29 but at £5 a pint our budget was spent! Did fancy a steak but the £20+ supplements for a steak put it out of my price range. The food was nice, just not amazing which would be expected for the price. Massively overpriced all in all.

On the plus side you can dine indoors with the dog and to be fair the place looks very smart inside. The staff are friendly and service is ok, unfortunately the food was a huge let down and extremely over priced. This place boasts 5 star dining and yet there are no accolades to support this claim. We were staying nearby and had just arrived, we wanted an evening meal not too far from our accommodation so this seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Initially I walked into the bar and was directed to the bistro next door, we found seating and ordered some drinks, we were the only diners in this part of the dining room, more were through in the brasserie I believe. We were given a set dinner menu which wasn't very exciting, no other choice was offered, I chose to have the soup of the day and a lamb dish. The soup came without bread, admittedly there had been some sour dough placed on the table initially but my other half had demolished this already. The soup was Tomato & Basil but I couldn't taste any basil, it was very acidic and I would be hard pushed to distinguish this from a tinned soup. I did feed this back to the kitchen but had no response. The lamb was slow roasted and the top layer was dry, it wasn't very exciting and sat on a bed of mixed beans. We ate here in end May 17 and I had hoped for something more in keeping with the season. The menu was limited and despite the set prices, should you want a steak these were priced with additional supplements which made it incredibly expensive. We were encouraged to dine here and offered a discount by our accommodation but I thought it was a rather expensive disappointment.

It's such a nice looking hotel, but as a day visitor we popped in for a cream tea, the service left a bit to be desired as when we arrived there was no acknowledgment too start with that we were there. The scones were over baked to point they were crunchy and dry, you had to pick the stone out of the damson jam although we were warned about this. We feel it was very over priced at £29 for four scones, two small slices of fruit cake, tea and coffee. Also there is no hotel parking so you will have to pay for parking as well.

The music needed variety and updating. The servers were bored with their jobs. The food was just ok - nothing special.

My partner and I stayed at the lakeside hotel and ate twice in the John Ruskin Brasserie. The first meal was in the week so we had the a la carte menu. We both found the meal excellent. I had steak with a bernaise sauce. The bernaise and the steak were excellent and I do have a comparison I lived in Brussels for some time and the food there is of a very high standard when eating out, the bernaise at the John Ruskin was as good as the Bernaise I have had in Belgium!The second meal we had was on the Saturday night when the menu changes. You can choose three courses from three sections any combination of the three, these were superb and we so enjoyed the creativity of these dishes as well as the stunning presentation. I also must mention the service and staff once again a delight they were attentive, polite, friendly and entertaining, quite amazing.My partner and I would highly recommend the John Ruskin Brasserie we will have fond memories of our two special evenings there. And we will return.

This is a gorgeous hotel in a fantastic location at the south of the lake. We felt that a sandwich and soup for £14 served with packet white bread wasn't good value. Some of the staff were lovely. Some looked bored. We had a very pleasant hour though sitting in the conservatory. Thank you.

A four star hotel on the lake? It took 1 hour and 10 mins to get the soup starter for our afternoon tea and even though we had said there was one dairy free member of the party there was no dairy free soup or alternative. Slow service, ok sandwiches and lovely cakes but not worth £44 for two people. It was a gift from our daughter and even though we wanted the cocktails on a separate bill it came together... surely not difficult! We won't be repeating the experience.

Whilst in Lakeside following a boat ride, myself and my boyfriend visited here for lunch. We looked at the menu outside and commented upon the expensive prices and considered looking for another place to eat but struggled to find somewhere. We went inside and asked to go to the conservatory. When we were taken there, by a friendly member of staff, we asked for a table for two. The member of staff at the desk appeared disinterested and said it was probably full. Following this, a lady, who appeared to be the manager, came over and told us it was full. We asked if she thought a table might be available later and she reiterated that it was full. As we turned to leave she said probably 45 minutes. We felt upset as it appeared that she didn't want us to eat there. Once we left, I phoned the hotel to see if a table would be available later for lunch. We were told one would be free in 30 minutes. I gladly accepted and we returned later. Whilst sat down, we witnessed a disagreement taking place between two members of staff which appeared quite unprofessional, and for the price we were about to pay, quite inappropriate. For the price, the service was absolutely not was we expected and did not live up to a 4 star hotel rating. The food itself was nice and we enjoyed the lovely views of the lake whilst eating.

We did not stay at the hotel but stopped here for lunch and sat outside on the beautiful terrace. The views and grounds are spectacular and there is a little pebbled beach where the kids could play around, a really idyllic setting. That's pretty much where the positives end unfortunately. The staff member who looked after us (I believe her name was Elaine? - she was the trainee manager) was unsmiling and borderline rude. Despite our best efforts to be smiley and pleasant she was sour-faced and miserable. We looked at each other wondering what we had said.The prices are eye-watering. £36 for a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon, £9.50 for a 175ml glass of very ordinary plonk. However, we thought "well we're here now, let's just grit our teeth and enjoy the setting"! The food was sadly also a disappointment - £17.00 for mediocre fish and soggy chips. I was served a Houmous, feta and chickpea flat bread which was literally a flat bread on a plate with a scrape of houmous and a couple of bits of feta chucked on top. There were about 5 chickpeas. It wasn't even folded or made to look remotely appetising which for £14.00 is ridiculous and lazy. The club sandwich was on cold, dry toast.We are from London so quite used to high prices but this place left me speechless, it is just so wildly overpriced - what you're paying for is the location. And the location is very lovely, so just consider that the price of admission!

Visited several times for coffee and light snacks and the food is good, prices reasonable and great service.

We ate here for two nights and on each occasion the food was well cooked and plentiful. Choice was not huge but we had no problem with picking dishes we liked on both nights. The pace of the meal was just right as we do not like to be rushed. Wine, beer is expensive but as we do not drink much it was fine. There is no view from the Brasserie but you can have your coffee in the conservatory which overlooks the lake.

Saturday night meal for 8 in the Brasserie. Shown to table promptly. The host was welcoming, but only provided us with the tapas menu (the most expensive) which was not what we were expecting. We had to ask for a wine menu and also the Brasserie menu. This took ages to arrive. The waiter seemed uneducated re the food he was serving-as we asked him what mead was in the menu, and his response was "I don't deal with the menu" and he didn't offer to find out. After much deliberation about what we wanted, some of us were interested in both menus, but we were told we all had to order from the same menu. Everything we asked the waiter seemed to be a hardship. Drinks were not regularly topped up, and we had to ask about the wine which was kept away from the table. The same guy also snapped the cork in the bottle of red wine; took it away from the table and returned with "a" bottle of wine-presumably the same one. Bread was provided, but the waiter only provided a small plate of dipping oil/balsamic, which had to be passed around the table-and no butter either. To be fair the food was good, but on the menu there were no actual starters, and there was a very limited choice of main course. They were trying to be "fine dining" but the fact was- it was either fish and chips, pie and mash, the fish of the day, or a veggie option-and that was the Brasserie menu!!After the sharing platters-(which we had as a "starter" but was in fact a "main")- an elderly man appeared and asked how we were, without offering any introduction...and we did not see the need to complain, as we had no idea who he was! We can only assume he was in a management position. The waiter did not make much effort to communicate with us, make us feel at ease, and actually seemed quite clumsy, spilling water when pouring and did not clean it up. There was a good selection of desserts, but after all the hassle, we declined. When we received the bill, they had not made the discount, which we had explained to them on arrival that it came with our accommodation, and we had to go and find a waiter to amend the bill. Then on coming to pay the bill, we were informed we must go over to the far side of the hotel to pay at the Reception. Although the food was very good, it was very limited and we would pass the Lakeside Hotel Brasserie by next time.

Took the opportunity to sample the fantastic food on the relaxed brasserie at The Lakeside Hotel. Great food and great service.

Overpriced , rubbishFish and chips clearly out of a packet and cost £16 This is the sort of food the Lake District offered 20 years ago There are so many more places to visit than this in this area

I have stayed at this establishment many times and I have always been very pleased but on this occasion I left feeling a little disappointed. On entering the hotel it did appear to be in need of some renovation but that didn't concern me too much. We had a nice room with a lovely view of the lake and my charming companion and I were looking forward to our dinner which I felt would be a fine dining experience. I was wrong, firstly the choices on the menu were very limited and I knew that it would be the same choices on subsequent evenings because the menu changes only seasonally.However the main disappointment was in the quality and the presentation of the food. I felt that the cooking was simply not worthy of the awarded two rosettes. I could also complain about the quality of the wines. The bottles that we chose although quite expensive were of a poor quality unacceptably so I feel. Breakfast was of a better quality but I do wish that they would dispense with the revolting looking sausages which they constantly use.Everything else about the hotel was fine. They certainly don't appear to skimp on the staff numbers, there was always plenty of smart and attentive staff around to attend to our every need and despite the very cold weather at the time the hotel was always warm and comfortable all of which makes the above even sadder still.

Friendly, helpful restaurant staff, excellent service. Fish cakes starter and salmon main course, cooked perfectly !

Really good value, quality food. Great service and lovely atmosphere. The set menu is £39 a head for 3 courses which we felt represented good value for the quality of her food on offer.

Had forgotten to write this review which is well overdue.Decided to treat the wife to a surprize afternoon tea at this Hotel in summer 2016 but wish we hadn't gone.Should have complained really but just wanted to leave.Sat in the conservatory overlooking the Lake but the view is nothing to write home about and in fact quite boring.Completely misearable staff who did not smile once during our time there.Anyway we were presented with funny looking leaves etc in laboratory test tubes and we had to choose one as the substance oinside was going to be made in to a drinkable tea.When it came it had no taste and just like coloured water.Then came three slices of white bread made and then cut in to 9 small finger sandwiches. HOwever whoever made these obviously didn.t do the maths and realise that 2 does not go into 9 so we had to half one of them.Also bread was going hard on the edges so clearly mot fresh bread and also filling was plain and boring.Finally the Cake stand came withSeveral small Cakes that were okay but again nothinv special.We took what was left home with us after paying the extortionate price of this terrible experience.I certainly will not go again or recommend this to anyone.

Simply delicious...dinner and breakfast. Superbly prepared and served by delightful people. They really try to make food interesting for juniors too!

Great food, try a shared steak experience, fantastic, reasonable range and price of wines and the same great service you get everywhere in this hotel

Ordered a steak. And they gave me margarine with it. It was only until I spread it over the steak I realised the con. Disgraceful.And the beer was flat! They did replace it free. Very crowded and hectic not a place to go and chill that's for sure. Like a bit of a circus. It has the prices of an inner city Melbourne restaurant but the quality and ambiance of a bowls club in Sebas

Some of the best food that we have eaten in a while. Wonderfully presented and tasted great. Quite expensive but worth it.