Lakes Bar & Bistro in Allerdale

Perfect meal! Steak was one of the best I've had and perfectly cooked, lamb shoulder was also super tasty good size portions and good pricing, lovely atmosphere, great service! And dogs allowed 😁

Cosy little Bistro in the town of Keswick, good menu, good service and great fish and chips. Jake.

Wonderful bar & Bistro, excellent food and generous portion sizes. Will certainly visit again when in Keswick. Good vegetarian choice ... Halloumi burger is excellent, best I've had, well recommended.

Had an absolutely WONDERFUL lunch here yesterday. I ordered the garlic chicken sandwich with pesto on ciabatta. I never expected to eat the entire sandwich since I'm not a big fan of ciabatta, but the bread was like garlic bread with huge chunks of chicken breast and the pesto sauce was genuine pesto sauce and not an aioli, which I cannot stand. As an extra plus, they gave me the option of chips, skinny fries, or sweet potato fries. Nice to see options to the classic chips here. Absolutely loved it! 👍👍

Lovely food and the staff were very attentive and friendly. We went in on the off-chance and they made sure we had a seat. The steak was amazing!

Was very clean. But quite. Would call again

Lovely food, nicely presented, friendly staff and nice atmosphere

Went there for an evening meal, I had the meat lovers pizza, which was chock full of various meats, no skimping that's for sure. The service was super friendly and welcoming. Would have no problem recommending this place for dinner. They have a varied menu, my companion had meat pie and veg which she was very complimentary about. Very reasonably priced too.

Lovely to see the Bistro has reopened - it's one of our favourite places to eat when we visit the lakes. The food is delicious and it's very doggie friendly. Perfect!

Extremely slow service and greasy food

Great food and service. Delicious steak pie and fabulous vegetables.

Food is excellent. I had a roast beef Sunday roast and the vegetables and beef were perfect. Fresh ingredients cooked by someone who knows. The waiting staff were also very good

Booked back in September well in advance for new years eve, knowing that Keswick would be absolutely packed. Received a confirmation email and an email from Opentable on 30th December to confirm the booking.We walked past the restaurant on the lunchtime of new years eve to see a sign on the door saying that it was temporarily closed.Not knowing if this meant that it would open later in the day, I rang a mobile number posted on the door, and also the landline number, leaving messages on both. No response.We were then left to find somewhere to eat on new years eve with virtually no notice and no one even had the decency to let us know that they wouldn't be openWhat a bunch of amateurs, just avoid it as they clearly have no interest in customer service...

When we arrived it was closed due to unforseen circumstances (a note on the door) which is fair enough, these things happen. However, a text or email to let us know would have been greatly appreciated as it was New Year's Day, and there no chance of getting anywhere else booked at that point.

Disgusting disgusting. Made a booking and received confirmation and they are closed. Shame on your business in these testing times. Two children and no meal. Absolutely no excuse: this is disgusting

Disgusting its closed but still confirming bookings

It was not open ! We had 2 bookings and we arrived to find it was closed. We think you should have informed us

This place isn't open and hasn't been for weeks now! I found out through TripAdvisor, I've had a booking for next week for over a month and now have to make alternative plans (and most places are now booked!).

We have eaten here before on our last two visits to Keswick so were looking forward to taking friends with us this time. Booked online on 10th October for 20th November. Like other people, we had the text reminder the day before only to find the place in darkness when we arrived. Could understand if there had been an emergency on the day but this place had clearly been closed for weeks and know one made the effort to let us know to make alternative arrangements. Even more disappointing is that online bookings can still be made from the link to open table through trip advisor. Won't be going back if this place reopens!Fortunately the Wainwright Pub rescued us and we had some very tasty pub grub.

Very poor experience. We booked in October and were looking forward to an evening with friends. Recieved the text confirmation the day before. Arrived at the restaurant only to find it in darkness with a note on the door. Appalling customer service as we found out that the restaurant had be shut for a number of weeks. Whilst a text saying the venue was closed would have been disappointing, it would have allowed us to book an alternative.

On booking this restaurant, I then had to confirm booking day before which cost me money through open table. Turned up to restaurant at booking time to find restaurant closed and has been closed for two weeks before and is still closed. Not impressed!!! And on their website they still state they are OPEN!

The booking was confirmed twice..arrived on Sunday night.. and it was shut due to unforseen circumstances .. looking at reviews this has happened before... won't bother again

I booked this restaurant for a family meal for 10 people in half term. Although I received a reminder the day before my booking, the restaurant had been closed for a least three weeks prior. Unless you speak to the restaurant, don’t book.

Booked and turned up place shut!!!!!!! No call or anything, looks like shut for a while!

What can I say!? Booked table in advance, received a confirmation email a couple of days before and I confirmed our attendance. Turned up in good time on the Friday to find the place closed, with a sign on the door saying CLOSED sorry for any inconvenience. Then receive this request from OpenTable to post a review. Thankfully we only drove 20 miles for this meal and managed to find alternative restaurant as a walk-in on Friday night during half-term.

This restaurant is closed and has been for a month apparently due to lack of staff. Very disappointed as finding somewhere else to eat last minute in Keswick isn't easy. We would however recommend the bar at the Skiddaw Hotel for accommodating us and for their delicious food and excellent service.

Closed! Had booked well in advance. Even got a text asking to confirm and an email from open table. I confirmed we would be coming and guess what? Closed! Least you could do is gave the courtesy to let your booking know. Ended up going to "the round" and glad we did. There's a reason why it's highly rated on tripadvisor - their customer service is second to none

They were CLOSED! didn't even bother to notify us we have a 3 year old son and had to go wondering around keswick to find another place to eat. Absolute no reward for their customers

Arrived for our meal to find the restaurant closed. Would have been nice if they had cancelled my booking! Not impressed!

I booked this table on the 22 Sept for Wed 20 Oct and despite getting a reminder email the previous day I was advised by the bar person in the Bank Bar that The Bar and Grill was closed. This caused us a problem for somewhere to eat as most places were fully booked While I appreciate the current situation regarding the hire of staff I think if you could have advised customes who had booked on line of the closure

we had pre booked a table at this Bistro before our well before our weekend break. We received a text message the day before to confirm we were still eating there we confirmed by replying. We arrived at our b and b booked a taxi -when we arrived at the bistro we found it in darkness with a note on the door saying closed due to unforseen circumstances!!! This is very unprofessional and we would have been very understanding had we been contacted well before we were due to eat!! we will not be returning-bad manners and no way to do business. Take note and contact your diners!!

I had a table booked here for tonight - 17th October. No notification sent to let me know that they would not be open...struggling to find somewhere else with a table at short notice.

terrible customer service. We booked this bistro weeks before arriving-we had a confirmation text the day before to confirm. We arrived in Keswick checked in our b and b then booked a taxi to take us to dine-on arrival we found the bistro in darkness with a note on the door- closed due to unforseen circumstances!!!!! Not the way to run a business!!! We would have completely understood had someone called us to cancel and give us time to book elsewhere-will not book here again if this is how they treat customers-whats the food and service like???

It was closed, we had no notification to say so, really poor experience that we were not contacted after driving for 2 hours to be there!!!

Check open before booking! Restaurant took our booking despite having being closed for a number of weeks, we called ahead and not even a message on the answer machine to inform us. Left wandering around Keswick on a busy Friday night with elderly parents unable to find anywhere to eat.

Closed! No update from opentable that restaurant was closed, though we did get a reminder to go.

We arrived on time and the establishment was completely closed. They did not have the courtesy to notify us in advance. In the small Keswick community at 8:15PM we had no similar alternative dining option. We had just driven almost five hours from Southern England. Being from the US we were unfamiliar with the area, tired, so retired without dinner. Beyond disappointed.

Great food, varied menu, something for everyone! Lovely service too

Excellent burger good quality beef. Generous portion of chips and garnish with it. Scenic outside views of the hills

Not as good as when we last went few years ago. Service a little sloppy but the food was good. Good value as always.

For an evening meal in a bistro I was expecting a little more in terms of ambiance and decor. Tables were bare with cutlery dropped on the table wrapped in a serviette. The people serving were relatively friendly but I felt that I was being served in a roadside cafe rather than a “Bar and bistro” . Food, however was of a decent standard.

A wonderful family restaurant. Superb menu and quality of food excellent. Staff could not have more helpful from booking to service

Had a lovely meal at the Lakes bar and Bistro food tasty and well presented the staff were friendly i fact we enjoyed it so much we went again tonight and will definitely come back here again next time we come to Zkeswick for our holidays

Eaten here many times over a number of years. Been twice this visit. Only 2 front of house staff on. Very slow service. Food average and not as good as before. Very disappointed. Not staff fault. No management available.

Very friendly, good food and quick service. Ideal for a casual drink and a meal.

Food was very nice but service was poor, not enough staff to diners……

Booked here for our anniversary meal on 4th September after reading good reviews. Unfortunately I cannot agree. The food was just 'ok' and rather basic. There was no atmosphere and it was more like a cafe than a bistro. There were only 3 staff on and they did their best but could have done with more staff to give a more personal touch. The young lad who served us was very pleasant but explained he wouldnt be able to take any alcoholic drink orders as he was only 16. The couple on the next table complained about their meal being burnt and there followed a disagreement which was quite uncomfortable.

We have eaten in here a few times on our various trips to Keswick and were not disappointed this time either.Fab meal and lovely friendly service.I highly recommend the beef bourginion, very tasty. I can't believe people on here are moaning about having to wait for food. The staff work really hard in what has been a tough time, the town is still very busy and they are trying their best to keep everyone happy.

We dined at Lakes Bistro and Bar on a Sunday evening, having booked through OpenTable less than an hour before. I think we were lucky, lots of others who arrived after us were turned away. It is away from the Market Place and a good choice as it didn’t seem as crazily busy as the pubs and restaurants there. They serve Wainwrights from a hand pump so we got off to a good start. The meals being served to other tables looked huge so we had a careful look at the menu.I had Lamb Tagine, which was very tasty and just the right size, while J had Wild Mushroom, Rocket & Parmesan Risotto, which was also delicious but more than she could eat. They were happy to put the rest in a takeaway box for lunch the next day.Good food, good service and not as crowded as other places in town. We’ll look forward to eating there again.

We had 3 different food orders in our group and all were very happy with their meals. Service was great and were made to feel very welcome

Highly recomend. Excellent food drinks and friendly staff

A relaxed cafe style environment. First observation was a request to wear masks and sanitise on entry which was really positive. We were quickly shown to our table by the waitress (not in a mask or face shield) who abruptly placed the menus on the table and pointed out the specials boards. We selected our meals and waited for over 10mins before someone came and took our order along with our drinks order - it would have been nice to have a drink whilst reading the menu.The food arrived in good time after ordering but again by the waitress without mask who I believe personally was a little too close for comfort given the ongoing CV19 and asks at the door.The food itself was tasty and well cooked, but let down by poor service.After finishing our meals/drinks (no offer for another drink for our empty glasses whilst eating) we waited over 10mins trying to catch their eye to pay - failing this I visited the bar to pay.The manager/owner explained that they had been let down by a staff member and therefore were short staffed this evening. Had they explained this upfront we'd have known what to expect I feel.

We arrived and was told they may be some delay with our food order as there was only 1 chef working and we accepted this. We were booked in for 7pm arrived slightly early and order taken fairly qui ckly. We waited a while for our wine and had to ask again for the water. We finally received our food at 8.30pm .No updates or explanations for the delay. The waitress did take the cost of the wine off the bill but overall we felt totally neglected.

We managed to get a booking for the same evening which was good. The bistro was busy and it was a while until our order was taken. Another long wait for our starters to arrive but they were nice, our drinks had arrived by then which helped pass the time! The waiting staff were very busy and communication was minimal. Merely an announcement of the dish as it was placed on the table and “enjoy” called over her shoulder as she rushed back to the kitchen. When she did return to us we had eaten our meals and were disappointed to find that one dish was so over cooked that it had stuck to the dish. We pointed it out to her and she said she would pass on our comments. We said we were disappointed, we didn’t want desserts or coffee, despite her prompting and offering menus, and we asked for the bill. We waited and waited and had to eventually ask another staff member who asked yet another one to provide the bill. He brought it over and we were again disappointed to see that the bill hadn’t been changed. We raised the point and he went to see what could be done. We were offered various explanations about how busy the kitchen was, how bad the day had been, excuses that the dish had been eaten so nothing could be done for legal reasons (what??) and it was important not to upset the chef. We stood our ground and asked to speak to the chef. He did eventually come to see us and, although initially rather defensive, he courteously listened to our point and, following a discussion, as our other meal had been perfectly good, he offered to change the bill. The revised bill showed that the dish in question had been removed and we were glad to accept this. Again the staff were busy and we had to seek someone out to take the card payment. In summary, the evening we had wasn’t good overall, and we had expected better. The customer service wasn’t what we had received in other local eateries, one dish had been a disappointment and the reluctance to deal with this did nothing but compound the problem.

We had a great family meal here. We messed up the booking but the manager was very accomodating and fitted us in.

Reliable booking system on line. Helpful reminders near the time. Staff friendly and welcoming. Good range of food and drink options at reasonable prices. Service prompt. A pleasant evening.

very nice staff good food and great atmosphere

Very nice bistro. Good atmosphere, a little noisy when full but didn’t bother us. Nice food, a little on the pricey side - was nothing fancy

Had to sit outside with the dog but a really friendly lady served us today. Bacon and egg sandwiches were lovely and so was the veggie stick sandwich. Cappuccino really good. Even let us borrow a disc for parking as the machine was empty. Would go back for food if in the area again.

Short staffed, we received a wonderful service with tasty food in a relaxed setting!

Wonderful food. The lakes chicken burger is the best burger I've had, full stop. My partner can't stop raving about the Thai red curry. Staff were great, very friendly. Lovely atmosphere. So good that I've bothered to write a review, and we're going back tonight.

Food was not very hot and waitress heated it up twice before getting me a completely new dish. Very little atmosphere😩

Food was very nice but a little pricey. Service was slow (we waited around 45 minutes after the starter for our mains to arrive). Waitresses were lovely.

Good food & service. Would definitely go back or recommend. Has food for everyone’s tastes.

Friendly staff, dog friendly. Food very tasty, well cooked. Only a small criticism with the starters, my husband ordered the scallops but felt they were overpowered by the balsamic vinegar and I ordered the goats cheese tart, it was tasty but I did think it was on the small side even for a starter. Both our mains of the steak and steak burger were lovely. We did get a funny look off a couple as we brought the dog in but we did ask if we could bring him and we’re told yes they were welcome. Perhaps put a sign up to let all guests know that dogs are welcome. Dog was well catered for as a bowl of water was brought out for him. Would eat here again.

Nice place and good food, lacked any atmosphere but staff were friendly and seemed a bit understaffed but understandable right now. Would return in the future.

It was okay, not somewhere to shout home about but does a job and the staff where pleasant. Place was clean but no background music and had more of a cafe feel to it than a restaurant

A very warm and friendly atmosphere and the best meal we’ve ever had in Keswick, highly recommend.

Great place to eat lovely food and atmosphere

Lovely small but big on food quality and detail

Staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome. All four of us asked for a variation off the menu and the staff were more than happy to oblige. Excellent food, can’t fault it.

Second time this week eating at the Lakes Bar & Bistro Great food

Nice bistro with lovely staff who appeared to be run off their feet. Food is well presented and tasty. Tables need to be booked in advance to make sure of a slot. Observed numerous people being turned away as all time slots were booked. Outside seating area if you just need a drink.

Great food, great service, lovely staff and good value, plenty of choice on the menu. Not really sure if there is any more I can say - try it for yourself. Just one tip, as the lakes are so busy make sure you book to avoid being disappointed.

Not worth the wait. Last night of our holiday, we’d eaten some lovely food - sadly , this was not one of those places. We arrived on time but the wait for food was ridiculous. Other tables , who had arrived after us , were served before us, despite us asking a couple of times if our food was arriving? In the end, it was just over an hour for our first course. If there had been some kind of communication from front of house , it would have helped. When eventually it did arrive, it wasn’t worth the wait. Undercooked pizza (which was sent back with the promise of a fresh one being prepared- it wasn’t, the same one re appeared only blacker on top…) The vegetable lasagna, with the promise of layers of vegetables- was such a disappointment. Having waited all that time, what was presented was well below par. A couple of meagre slices of pasta (not even reaching the sides of the dish) and swimming in a sauce. Not a vegetable in sight! I was too hungry to send it back, but we all left disappointed and some still hungry. Needles to say, we weren’t asked how everything was or indeed if we had enjoyed our meal. That speaks volumes- they must of known it was bad. There are better places to spend your money, so I would suggest choose elsewhere.

Great food and welcoming staff made the experience fantastic, so good we booked again for later in our holiday.

We popped in on a very busy Saturday night having wandered around Keswick in the rain like zombies in a disaster movie looking for somewhere to eat. Fortunately they'd had a last minute cancellation and we got a table. We had excellent service from Joanne who was friendly and attentive. Two of us had pizzas which were delicious. Overall the food and service was excellent and we'd definitely come back.

Outstanding food, wide menu and able to cater for dietary requirements (eg one diner no gluten and one diner no dairy). Would highly recommend for a family meal.

Always dine in the Lakes Bar & Bistro when we visit Keswick, great food and service. Highly recommend.

Food was excellent especially the cheesecake. Service was spot on .would recommend a visit .

We had an excellent meal here whilst staying in Keswick! All three courses were delicious, someone really knows what they're doing in the kitchen! The server was so friendly and chatty too. If we ever come back to Keswick, we would definitely return.

An excellent evening, delicious food and friendly service - would definitely recommend.

Good service, good food - calm atmosphere - super big portions for a good price!

We had an evening meal at this restaurant and had a great experience. The atmosphere was informal and friendly, with the staff being extremely welcoming. The food was excellent and the portion sizes were generous. We will certainly return when we’re next in the Lake District!

Excellent service and lovely food. Was a little chilly as the door was open but understand this as is for ventilation for covid reasons. Friendly staff. Would definitely return.

Lovely to find somewhere that had a good selection of gluten free options on the menu and pizzas for the family. Friendly and welcoming staff. Very tasty food and good portion size.

Good food in a relaxed environment. Need to book but has an efficient online booking service

Lovely meal here. Staff were under pressure with isolations meaning they were understaffed, but they managed admirably. Very helpful and dog friendly.

I’ve worked a lot in Shoreditch and the more ‘trendy’ parts of London and this establishment from the outside looked like one of the many ‘up their own jacksy’ eateries so I wasn’t keen. My Daughter persuaded me to go in and it was a good call. The vibe was good, music but not too overbearing and quick service. The food was very tasty and reasonably priced. I’ll admit that my first impressions were wrong, good food, good service and a pleasant lunch.

Our only complaint is I had no room for desert. Book ahead tho' as we saw several people turned away. Food and service was excellent. Portions very generous. We had kids Sunday lunch, beef top notch; fish and chips (connoisseur daughter said very good); Lamb Tagine was excellent as was the risotto. Will be going back I'm sure. Ps we even had time for one game of uno flip between ordering and eating.

Lovely food. Had the Sunday roast, plenty of it. Nice attentive staff.

Day trip to Keswick and we had reserved a table for lunch. Best decision of the day. A fantastic bistro. Service is excellent and welcoming. Decor is very nice and the food is absolutely delicious!! Highly recommended by me are the scallops, the beef bourguignon and steak pie. If you don't visit here while in Keswick ... well ... it's your own fault.

We walked in as a last minute find and it turned out to be ace!! We really rated it. Portion sizes were excellent, I had the club sandwich, see below! The misses also recommended the goat cheese and pepper ciabatta. Dead friendly service as well

Food was very tasty and portion sizes very generous. Staff were very attentive and friendly. Would definitely dine there again.

Good value delicious food in a relaxed setting, with friendly helpful staff. Well worth a visit.

First visit since lockdown ended and we really enjoyed our food and the service was very good as well.

Great food choice, lots of specials. Real ale on tap

Most amazing pizza in Keswick. I didn't think I would be able to ever eat a whole pizza but it was just delicious. My husband loved his pizza as well. We finished off with a chocolate brownie with ice cream. Another plus was the lovely lady that waited our table. Thank you for a lovely experience.

We came here during our stay in Keswick. The food was delicious and very reasonably priced. Staff were nice and food came out in good time! Sadly we were too stuffed for pudding!

Super menu and friendly staff. Would definitely go back.