Lucy's on a Plate in South Lakeland

Lovely restaurant with really tasty food and plenty of GF and DF options. Plus I enjoyed their funny plate names. Loads of dessert options too!!! 🤤

Amazing food. Highly recommend. Best food we have had in the lake district. Very cute personal touches too making you feel very welcome. Definitely be back when we next visit.

A wonderful dining experience, food was innovative and delicious, service friendly and efficient. We shall definitely be back.

Absolutely fabulous place to eat, food is fantastic and the service wonderful. Can not recommend this place enough.

Amazing food Very personal and attentive staff Hope to go again 😍

Nice buzzy place. Had high expectations based on other reviews but sadly didn't meet out expectations. All our dishes were on the cold side particularly the sauces, maybe the plates were cold? Was expecting a richer sauce with lamb shank with the braising juices but was more like a simple gravy than a slow cooked broth. Vegetable cookery was good. Stuffed figs should have been blue cheese but 2 seemed to be a regular orange coloured cheese and texture wasn't as good as blue cheese. Portion size was good. Some staff busy and good, a couple on their phones at the bar when we left.

I am proud to be Autistic and when booking restaurants request tables that best meet my sensory needs. Lucy's absolutely smashed it Lucy personally came to see my needs were met during the evening. Outstanding ❤️

Booked a table for a birthday meal and the evening started with a 10-15 minute queue outside in the rain to get seated. No acknowledgement of this and no attempt to make up for the fact we spent such a long time queuing in the rain. Once seated, took a long time to get our drink order (a lady who came in after us got a glass of something or other delivered by the manager before our drinks) and our drink order only arrived a couple of minutes before our meals. Lots of chatting to some customers but not a lot of checking in with all customers. Food was excellent and I have to acknowledge this. The mash with a couple of dishes on our table wasn't very warm but my main and dessert were both excellent. Really tasty and decent value for money. Bathrooms need some work. No paper towels when I went in and lots of black mould on the walls. Disappointed but there's plenty of choice in Ambleside

First off, the food was great and I suppose that's all that matters. However, the owner tried their best to ruin the experience. For some reason we had to be seated by the owner even when there were other staff available, this meant we got seated half an hour after we arrived due to the owner chatting to her friends and totally ignoring us whilst we were stood near the door. Later on in the evening, staff were unable to get to our table to attend to us as the owner had sat down at another table and totally blocked us off from the rest of the restaurant. I expect Gordon Ramsey might end up here with a film crew...

We were recommended Lucy's by a friend and I eagerly emailed Lucy there and then to see if we could come the next night and Success!!! We had a 7.15pm sitting and I cannot fault any part of our experience. Fantastic service, personable waitresses that were interested in us and food that was just out of this world. I do now understand why we were recommended this! Next time we hope we make it on to the newsletter!!

Really nice setting- the early-bird menu is a great price for a 3 course meal before 17:45 as well!

This place is truly wonderful Food is excellent, and the service is second to none! The menus always mention clients by name, and if they are celebrating, that is mentioned too. The owner treats everyone as if they are long-term friends. Love this restaurant 😍

Lucy was a great owner/host. All the staff were friendly! Also dog friendly! We had 3 courses and all of them were fantastic! Me and and my wife are both years and dairy intolerant and they catered for us no problem. We will be sure to head there again when I’m Ambleside.

Friendly, great food and great service. On a busy night they worked hard, found us a table despite no reservation and I was impressed with the Roe deer haunch in red Berry jus.

Amazing food. Staff very friendly and attentive. Very relaxing and enjoyable. Would highly recommend.

Just celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary here with our cocker spaniel, had an amazing evening, food superb, excellent service soo dog friendly, would definately recommend and will be back, thank you all at Lucy's on a Plate

Found this amazing restaurant by chance 6 years ago - had to go as in Ambleside again - wow personalised menu detailing who was dining that night & if celebrating- fabulous menu very different- superb food lovely service & a great atmosphere - credit to Lucy & her staff

Lovely, helpful staff and great vegetarian options. My husband gets fed up with being offered boring and repetitive veggie choices but was delighted with his meals. We enjoyed it so much we went again the next evening and will certainly go again when we are next here.I have some visual challenges and we were immediately offered a table in a brighter area without it being requested. Very impressed at the consideration.

So, the food was good. The chef clearly is very talented and only let down by the front of house staff. The "Raven" dressed in black and very rude, decided that it was our fault that we sat on the wrong tables and made no mistake in yelling at us! The food was brought out sporadically and the table service didn't match the chefs excellence. The 10% charge for service is an absolute joke and I cannot feel that this is a way of boosting service staff salaries. The toilets are also disgusting. Mould on the walls and for a restaurant of this size I would have thought there would have been more than 1 toilet for each male and female. In conclusion...the chef is the only reason this review got 3 stars.

Lovely restaurant. Lovely staff. Lovely food. Highly recommended

What a great little place. Without a booking they still accommodated us with a smile and a joke. The food was really good, both main and desserts. The staff were excellent and the atmosphere was first rate. The menu is defo worth a read. Changed daily and written by Lucy, it talks about what's going on locally, the weather, any events and people who have booked in for the evening. Would be a amusing surprise if you'd not been before. Never seen this done elsewhere but what an excellent idea.

Delicious food with a little twist. Staff very attentive. We will be back !!

Stayed in the lakes for a long weekend, have visited Lucy's before and was happy to dine on two occasions this time, quality food and service, they do an early bird evening 2 or 3 course meal if your going book first A+++

Was a real great time and after many years since the last visit I had the urge to drive 21/2 hours just for dinner In fact 5 hours round trip for food

What a way to spend an evening, a personalised menu with your celebration on, great service, atmosphere and even better food.

What can you say, great atmosphere, service and the food was amazing. from walking in to leaving you are made to feel welcome and the staff can't do enough for you. Personalised menus and did I mention the food and service A*

Arrived on time on Sunday the 3rd March at 19.00. Sat down at 19.05. We could not get anyones attention to order drinks, one of us had to get up and find a staff member at 19.25 to order drinks. Inexperienced staff who when was asked what the steak comes with replied I will ask. The menu states chips or skinny fries, the other staff member when asked said it comes with onion rings and salad. This did not do the dish justice as when it arrived it was nicely presented ( good work by the kitchen team). Food was delicious. Waiting staff not good atal. Only 2 deserts ordered and they still got one totally wrong. The waitress even knew it was the wrong one being placed in front of me but she didn't tell her colleague 🤔 so I had to tell them. To sum up as I could go on, food was really good service was shocking and really needs addressing. I know that the owner will not accept any of this as from looking on line etc she does not like criticism. This is not a personal attack on individuals but feedback on some extremely poor customer service from the front of house team at Lucy's on plate from an unhappy customer. Whats the point in getting good food from a great kitchen if the front of house can not deliver the service to the customer.

I always tell my friends & family how wonderful the food is & i worry that the next time it won’t live up to the hype. However this restaurant never fails me!! The homemade pate was delicious, my rib eye steak was melt in the mouth and perfectly cooked, the lemon & blueberry sponge was as light as a feather. There are cheaper places to eat nearby but if you want the best then visit Lucy’s and her wonderful staff. Thank you again!!

Lucy's is not just situated in the heart of Ambleside but is the heart of Ambleside.

Booked 3 weeks in advance for a Saturday night (and say on the on the booking form why you are visiting - see below), v relaxed interior, v friendly and efficient staff, extensive menu with the front page given to who is eating there tonight and why, that was a really lovely touch. We ate boozy liver, belly pork and black pudding, then beef rib and bobotie, followed by profiteroles and sticky toffee bread and butter pudding. All well presented, large portions and v tasty. Many thanks for a great meal, we will revisit and recommend.

Wow, incredible food, we are planning to visit again on the same trip. Both the vegan and meaty options were delicious and there are tasty mocktails.

Went as a big group and the food was delicious and the organization and service were impeccable. Great meal and look forward to going back again the next time I'm in Ambleside

We ordered a few starters and shared them between two, they were all amazing and tasty. We loved the daily menu, it was lovely reading about who was dining there and what they were celebrating.

The most amazing food and lovely venue for my mum’s 80th birthday.Staff and Lucy so welcoming and attentive.Nothing was too much trouble.Mum loved every second and we will definately visit again.A wonderful experience Thankyou 😊

Our visit to this lovely restaurant made our evening the welcome and hospitality was nothing but ***** Service was very attentive and friendly the lady who was managing the team credit to her the food was the very best, the pate wow this was off the scale very tasty A venue well worth visiting we left with great vibes

Amazing restaurant. Food beautiful and served with a smile from excellent staff. Lucy is a fantastic host . Dog friendly too.

Our experience of dining at Lucy's was quite honestly exceptional. We dine out a lot but it is rare we feel inclined to leave a review. The menu choice and food was top class - I opted for a special cod starter and my husband a chorizo starter off the mains menu - we always know it's a great sign when we will each other to try each others! The mains somehow surpassed the starters - fantastic beef and monkfish and steak cooked to perfection. We loved it that much that we have rebooked for tomorrow with our children in tow. Service, atmosphere and food all phenomenal! Thank you Lucy and team!

Our first time st Lucy's and it won't be the last. Very attentive staff and the food was stunning. A great time was had for my wife's birthday celebration. Thank you and see you soon 👍

After having a great experience a few years ago we decided to go back to Lucy's for my birthday but this time it was a mixed experience. The food at Lucy's is undeniably excellent but the overall atmosphere on our return visit was one of organised chaos. We had a table booked for 7.30pm (and we arrived 5mins early) but we were left standing at the front door without being greeted or acknowledged for an unacceptable 20mins or so. We were very close to walking out at this point but decided to patiently wait for a little longer. We were finally greeted and seated at about 7.50pm, but weren't given a drinks menu with our food menu. We then continued to wait another 15 mins before we were given a drinks menu and Lucy picked out the bottle of wine we ordered. Another 10 mins later (approx. 8.15pm) I frustratingly had to get someone's attention to order our food because we were now becoming absolutely ravenous due to only having eaten breakfast and spent the day hiking in the beautiful Lakeland fells. A couple of the staff were not prepared to take our food order and this is where Matty from behind the bar stepped up big time and salvaged our night out with attentiveness, taking our food order and taking time to talk to us later on when the restaurant had quietened down. Matty is most definitely Lucy's shining star and needs to be commended for the way he literally stepped up to the plate. He is proactive and from what we have seen it's obvious he also has leadership qualities. Like I said earlier, the food and wine was all excellent but the management of waiting staff needs to be addressed. I personally think the restaurant needs an extra waiter/waitress to alleviate the issues during busy periods. Someone should also be at the front door at all times to greet people as they come through the door. It cannot be underestimated how important it is to have someone greet their customers upon entry. On the night we ate at Lucy's many of the other customers looked noticeably upset and frustrated that they were not being acknowledged when they had entered the premises. Left to stand there awkwardly for tens of minutes. Please take this criticism positively because if these easy to fix issues are addressed then my 3 star review would quickly become a 5 star review, because there is obviously a lot to like with Lucy's On A Plate too.

This restaurant gives you the personal touch, I won’t give it away but you leave there feeling special. Service and food was outstanding, staff super attentive, highly recommended. Thank you for doing what you do x

A remarkable place with so much attention to detail. The food, atmosphere and service were fantastic!

Lovely restaurant, delicious food and fabulous atmosphere

This is an excellent establishment. I went with my family, and everything - from the atmosphere to the food - was top notch. The staff were friendly and informative and even patient when I was indecisive about what to have, providing me with recommendations to aid my decision. The food was cooked to perfection and there was nothing more I could've asked from them - I would highly recommend.

We booked this restaurant in hope that it would deliver on service and quality but overall very disappointing. We asked to move table as we were put next to a till and payment area. Also, there was a cold draught blowing on us so we made a request to move. We were moved and we ordered a drink which arrived in good time. However, 25 minutes later no one had given us any attention. We saw at least three parties who had arrived after us order food. We decided to leave and communicated our concerns to staff who were apologetic and said, "you can order now", we declined, paid for our drinks and left. We did eat at another local restaurant. Incidentally, whilst we were eating we were approached by someone who was also dining in Lucy's and was able to empathise with us. Not only dod they confirm that our response was appropriate and reasonable but they also informed us of similar negative experiences they had at Lucy's. In summary, I would avoid this restaurant if service, attention to detail and a fine dining experience is your goal.

Wonderful evening out at a group of friends. Highly recommend here. Cosy atmosphere, friendly staff, super food and drink. The overall experience makes other place locally feel a little mediocre. Will definitely be back soon.

Lovely place to eat , food delicious as always . Staff friendly and efficient

Food and service was absolutely fantastic, would have no hesitation on returning 👌

A great surprise, as we hadn't booked a table but the owner got one for us right next to the fireplace. The food was very tasty and the service and staff very friendly and attentive. We felt very comfortable and had a great time. We'll definitely be back in the future.

What can I say, our second time here. First time 2 years ago, delighted to see it was still here. Superb food, fantastic service. This place has the ability to make everyone feel special. One word Amazing. Thank you Lucy and staff

Delicious cake for a special occasion. Quick response to email enquires and very informative. Cake ready to pick up as advised. Everyone mentioned how tasty it was and the presentation was fabulous.

Outstanding dining experience from start to finish, and I highly recommend visiting Lucy’s. I booked a few months in advance as I wanted to ensure we had a reservation (we were there celebrating my son’s 30th birthday) and I received a confirmation email more or less immediately. Upon arrival we were warmly welcomed and showed to our table. I loved that there were several vegetarian options: not just pasta or burger dishes that vegetarians are usually offered. In fact I loved all of the effort that had gone into making the menu, not just the food - but the names of the dishes too! I also really loved (and appreciated) the little personal touches - like being mentioned in the menu. We really enjoyed our various meals, all the staff were lovely, and we thoroughly enjoyed our evening at Lucy’s. Highly recommended.

Great restaurant. Little personal touches and genuine friendly staff makes this a special place. Food is fantastic too. Lamb tagine is amazing.

Wonderful dining experience for a large group Highly recommended

Outstanding dining experience from start to finish, and I highly recommend visiting Lucy’s. I booked a few months in advance as I wanted to ensure we had a reservation (we were there celebrating my son’s 30th birthday) and I received a confirmation email more or...

Amazing food, lovely ambience and the two young ladies that served us were fabulous. Everything was faultless. Thank you

We ate here tonight for our evening meal during a brief stop over in the lakes en route to Scotland. Great location in the centre of town and was very busy, which is a good sign. The restaurant is somewhat poorly laid out, so entry/exit...

Food was amazing and staff were really friendly and welcoming. Definitely be coming back

I have been coming to Ambleside for many years and am now fortunate enough to live here, but this was my first ever visit to Lucy’s. The whole visit was an absolute delight, from the personal welcome given as you arrive, to the way that...

Excellent meal, made to feel very welcome from the start. Personalised menu was a nice touch too

Been going to this restaurants for many years and this last time just didn’t hit the mark. Advised on booking that it was either 5.30 or 7.30 sitting so went for the later on and as you can guess found lists of other guests arriving...

Got off to a bumpy start, We ordered and asked for our granddaughter meal to come with our starters, unfortunately she got her Chish n fips served 7th out of 8 main courses, only because the waiter who took out order forgot to put the...

Lovely cosy atmosphere excellent service. Celebrating a birthday for my husband, food excellent, all three courses were top quality. Favourites of lamb redemption and beef shin did not disappoint. Very attentive staff, missed seeing Basil, hopefully on our next visit which will be very soon.

Had a lovely meal for four on a Saturday night, wow what a find! Truly exceptional food with a lovely quirky menu and something for everybody! Starters were off the charts, followed by a blow out main… twist on chicken Kiev was best I’ve had,...

Such a special night at Lucy’s. Everything we ate was absolutely delicious. Belly pork and prawns and chorizo for starters, lamb shank and sea bass for mains. No room for pudding!the Lucy recommended pinot was very pleasant. The staff so attentive and the attention to...

Stayed in Ambleside and visited this little gem twice. Food is amazing.. Tagine was outstanding. Staff are really attentive and pleasant too. Prices are fabulous for the portions. Do not pass Ambleside without a visit. For the evening menu, it's printed daily and if you have a special reason to visit, you get a mention on there which I think is lovely. Also a little area for those who take their fur babies.

Squeezed us in as a walk in booking. Great food :0)

If you enjoy a different dining experience and are in the Ambleside then Lucy’s is for you. When booking Lucy will try her best to accommodate you and on the night you may well also get a mention on the menu! The choice of food...

Fantastic experience, highly recommend to anyone looking for a warm welcome, fun and friendly service, and excellent home-cooked hearty meals (arrive hungry as you're sure to leave full!). The Christmas-decorated table and customised menus for our early family Christmas dinner were a lovely surprise. Also,...

Okay vegan food, but lovely ambiance. Wouldn’t go there as a vegan 🌱.

Awful experience, overpriced food and drinks with meals being a let down. We ordered starters and mains and were disappointed with both - our starters arrived and were bland and very oily. Our mains were worse. Firstly, one of our party, specifically order a vegan dish. This arrived covered with cheese - when we raised this, the waiter was unsure if this was vegan friendly and went to check. Coming back promptly he confirmed this was not vegan and changed the dish - when it arrived for the 2nd time it seemed as if the pasta had been covered in a basic tomato sauce and had been horrifically seasoned with far too much pepper that made everything else hard to taste. The worst thing about our experience was the meal our daughter received. She ordered from the children's menu and received something, she herself said resembled something she eats at school. This being 2 tiny pieces of chicken breast, with no sauce or any seasoning at all with a small pot of gravy and peas on the side. The chicken itself was horribly overcooked, dry and inedible - for the price we paid (£9) this is totally unacceptable - we left having to find my daughter another meal to have straight after. Everything on the menu seemed overpriced - small glasses of wine were all £10 - bottles starting at £30. The spaghetti we ordered was £20 - for this we expected something quite special, sadly it fell well short! Service was very poor, we were waiting a long time to be seated and again to pay at the end of our evening. Many staff saw us waiting, and no one offered their service. We had to remind several staff that we had our coats taken at the start of the evening and were left waiting a long time before having them returned. Staff could see our displeasure during then evening and asked if everything was ok - we didn't raise this as we were paying with a gift voucher we had received for christmas - having later seen some of the reviews and responses from the owner, being defensive and aggressive, we are quite glad we didn't bother!

An early doors visit for a midweek meal was an incredible experience. Menu choices were superb, staff service was attentive, polite and customer focussed . We have been visiting Lucy’s for many years and they never disappoint - this visit was exceptional !! Food was...

Fabulous Christmas Dinner. Amazing food . Lovely friendly & helpful staff. Made our Christmas Day a wonderful memory

Really enjoyed my stay the host and staff were extremely helpful and friendly. And it felt like they enjoyed your patron, and the food was nice. Felt extremely welcomed there, would go again if I'm ever here

What can I say apart from so amazing we visited twice in a week!! We were in Ambleside when the snow hit. This meant cancelling our existing plans for Sunday roast to stay local and fortunately Lucy’s could fit us in. A wonderfully warm welcome...

4 friends visited Lucy’s on a wet Sunday evening in December. 3 of the group had been many times before and it has a really good reputation locally. So it was a bit disappointing to be largely ignored when we walked through the door. I...

I recommended Lucy’s to my friends having been quite a few years ago. I am happy to say I was not let down. The menu was tempting and varied, there really was something for everyone. I had the lamb which was absolutely divine. None of...

Not one complaint. Food bob on, staff friendly.

We have been visiting Lucy’s for many years and decided to take family whilst staying locally. I booked months in advance and advised it was a special occasion. We arrived on time and stood in the doorway for an unreasonable amount of time waiting for...

Can't believe we've been coming to Ambleside for over 20 years and only just got round to having a meal at Lucy's recently. What a great evening. Busy but perfect for a meal for 2. Staff were excellent, food was brilliant, classic but with a twist and all added to a great, relaxed time. We thought we might be in for a good night when we saw the menu, every booking gets a mention on an introduction page (a new one for me) and we weren't disappointed. For a special occasion or just a nice night out, we would recommend Lucy's in a heartbeat. We'll be back!

Great ambience, friendly and helpful staff, good menu choices, good selection of wines and beers. The food was amazing, as always, highly recommend this restaurant, value for money.

Wonderful experience for our Lake District reunion of our symi friends. staff very attentive, nothing too much trouble... food is exquisite and the menu keepsake given to each of our party of 10 with photos was quite an emotional read. Thankyou x

Great food, 2nd visit Please follow me on Instagram @outandaboutonindianscout

Lovely restaurant 3rd time visiting very good food and always made to feel comfortable and special

Great quirky venue. Staff were very friendly and service was excellent. Great menu and the food was beautiful. Was great restaurant to celebrate a special occasion or birthday. My wife and I thought it was a romantic restaurant too. Fantastic atmosphere and food.

Sharing platter followed by sea bass...and then birthday cake! Lovely!

A beautiful meal with great staff and a lovely atmosphere. Thank you so much for a great evening. A great menu with lots of choice. Definitely worth a visit, we will return.

It's now one of our go to destinations in the Lakes. We came here off of the back of a recommendation and were not disappointed. It had a really quirky, cosy environment. The owner is really friendly and tries to make the experience feel personal....

Repeat visitor to Lucy's and didn't fail to impress. Good atmosphere and friendly service. Food was excellent and well flavoured, ribeye steak was fantastic.

Returned to celebrate the Wife's birthday. Smashing food, superb ambience. Lovely time. I can't recommend it enough.

Very busy Friday night. Although booked, we unfortunately arrived at the same time as about 10 other people (I think we were just unlucky). A bit chaotic with staff trying to find tables. We were sat on a table without cutlery and not given any menus. However a wonderful female waitress noticed us and apologised for the situation and got us drinks and menus. The food arrived in good time and was delicious. Both our starters and main courses were excellent. We would definitely return. Lovely atmosphere. Much bigger inside than it looks from the front.

Lovely place with a great atmosphere, also they had really good options for gluten free. The whole experience was personal to us. Really enjoyed.

We eventually made it to this lovely restaurant last night (7th November). We were welcomed and shown to our table. The menu gave a lot of choice. Our meals were delicious along with a glass of wine. All staff very friendly and helpful.

The food and service was second to none. The attention to detail on the menu was a beautiful personal touch and we booked extremely last minute! Honestly can’t recommend this place enough xx

Lovely restaurant with a great choice of food. They cater for all dietary requirements. We were celebrating our engagement and my sister had secretly rang ahead. Not only did they serve the champagne she ordered, but they decorated the table and added us to their evening list of special occasions. Delicious food and great service.

Hubby and I popped In for the early menu served between 5-5.45 would highly recommend if you are in the area. It’s a busy place so booking is recommended. I had the soup of the day which was a spicy tomato served with lovely warm...

Firstly, I can't fault the food, absolutely superb. Recommend the early bird deal, 1700-1745, 3 courses for £26, had the best meal we've had for ages. Drinks and cocktail menu is broad and reasonably priced, including a range of Mocktails for us drivers. Ate on Halloween evening, and the staff put a lot of effort into creating as spooky an atmosphere as you can in a restaurant, which was fun. The only thing I have to mention is the service, fantastic, welcoming, friendly, all the things you expect, but.....somewhat slow, maybe laidback would be fairer, seemed a little unorganised with regards to getting orders from your table to the kitchen/bar and back to your table. This by no means spoilt the experience and the quality and presentation of the meals will see us returning next time we are up in this part of the country again

My grandson’s steak was very disappointing…..overcooked and he was still hungry despite having a starter. The other four meals were good. We were charged twice for one cocktail. Prices are too heavy. Wine prices are ridiculous.

We wanted a lovely relaxing evening but, being hurried to vacate the table before we had finished our drinks spoiled things.

On arrival despite there being two members of staff available we were not acknowledged until I announced ourselves . We were shown to our table by a friendlier lady , who was in fact the only one who raised a smile all evening.. indeed the...

Perfect dining experience! Everything was 100% food was cooked perfectly, every staff member we spoke to was extremely attentive and friendly. Would highly recommend dining here. We will be back on our next visit.