Queen's Head Restaurant in South Lakeland

Nice pub! Mulled wine served without an orange

Nestled in the pretty little Village of Hawkshead is The Queens Head pub& Restaurant, My Wife and I have just Enjoyed a Fabulous Christmas Break 🎄 at the Queens Head, I would Highly Recommend this place to stay, and Eat.... Whenever you are visiting the Lakes... Truly Delicious Food, A Great range of Beers...and the Village is well situated for exploring the rest of the Lake District National Park... The Pub has literally just had a new Manager come in on the Cusp of Christmas 🎄....Jen and her Team have done a Fabulous job.... the Christmas Menu 🎄 and Food overall has been Absolutely Delicious...with Great presentation...there's a Beautiful Christmassy Ambience and warm atmosphere....its been a Brilliant Experience staying here..everyone's Efforts to make it Happen ,has been Superb and Greatly Appreciated..Thank you so much Russell & Angela Nicholson....

First time in for drinks .since new management and new staff. All are lovely and welcoming.

A great stay, easy to book in, great room , good food

Wonderful place used as base to visit family at Xmas 2025

The hotel staff are excellent, food really good and the pub atmosphere is just what you'd expect of a lake district venue. We we're a little surprised our room wasn't serviced following our first night and the lack of milk for coffee and tea was unfortunate. These minor issues didn't spoil a very enjoyable stay so thank you.

Absolutely loved the meals here, we went for some traditional fare and weren't disappointed. Flavours were great, serves were generous and definitely fresh. The publican fancied a bit of a chat, and was very happy to share tips for travelling both the local area around the lake, and further North where we are heading next. Definitely happy we stopped in here for lunch

Lovely pub with rooms in a separate building just across the back lane. Excellent staff, great food and drink, wonderful location.

Freindly staff , good breakfast, good food ( daily offers for evening meal), dog freindly, good location.

Lovely welcome great food selection /ambience ideal place for lunch served efficiently & with a smile good value for money Will be back

What a great pub this is. The food is super an and the food theme offer nights are excellent. The only downside was no Guinness.

Nice little pub, good food, fast service. A little on the pricey side for what it is but...thats just how it is these days I suppose.

A delightful 4 night stay with a super clean and spacious room, extremely attentive, helpful and polite staff. We ate here every night with lots of choice on the menu with it all cooked superbly. Breakfast was equally as good. Considering the busy bar, the staff delivered with a welcoming smile each time making our stay an extremely good one.

Great location, room and meal. Staff very helpful.

Faultless overnight stay with evening meal and breakfast.

Absolutely gorgeous place lovely comfortable room & bed very friendly staff & gorgeous food will definitely be back

Having read the reviews we booked an overnight stay at the Queens Head and we are so pleased we did! The room was lovely and the restaurant/pub has a great atmosphere. Both the evening meal and breakfast were spot on but the best aspect of our stay were the wonderful staff, all were very friendly and accommodating for our needs. We wouldn't hesitate to stay there again - brilliant!

Booked a break away for a few days,having not been to Hawkshead for many many years ,We had forgotten what a great location it truly is

Good pint, good food and great service... Particularly enjoyed 'Chippy Tuesday' fish'n'chips 👍

Not the cheapest but had the club sandwich which was great. A substantial lunchtime meal.nice pub albeit more expensive than other pubs in the village but not by that much.

Travelled from Lancashire for Sunday lunch. Lovely little pub with a friendly atmosphere and dog friendly. I had the Ceasar salad followed by Cheesecake, my dad had the small plate sausage and mash followed by ice-cream and my husband had sausage and mash followed by ginger and rhubarb cake with custard all very delicious and they even gave me a forkand spoon for my dessert 🍨

Great country pub very welcoming, log fire and a good selection of well kept beers. Have just popped in after the renovations, fortunately the downstairs bar area has not been modernised and still retains it's country pub feel, the beer is still up to it's usual standard.

Excellent hotel and restaurant. Lovely decor. Clean. Efficient and friendly staff. Everyone professional. Food excellent. Good value for money.

Great stay, great food, great room and great service! All great!!

Place is lovely, staff are pleasant and food was smashing.

Disappointed that we were unable to book a table for a family of 6 people. We were told they only did walk ins. When we asked how likely we were to be able to get a table for 6 people at say 6.30pm we were met with an unhelpful response. So much so, that we decided to book elsewhere to ensure we could get table. My daughter and husband did try the restaurant a couple of nights later. In fairness they enjoyed the food but felt the place lacked any atmosphere. Maybe they should allow bookings in future!

On a busy day (half-term crowds), we were warned that service might be slow, due to short-staffing. But we got served without much delay and the food was delicious, as usual. My lamb casserole contained more rich, tender, braised meat than I ever recall getting in such dish before, anywhere; and my partner's meal was equally delightful. We've eaten here before, so we always head for the Queens Head, and we will next time we visit Hawkshead. We recommend eating here, confidently.

Shambolic Management, I have never been in a place where the staff worked so hard to turn customers away on the pretence that they were short staffed, I was appalled at the way they dealt with an elderly gentleman who visited the pub with his daughter to make a booking for dinner, the staff flatly refused to take a booking and told him that he'd have to turn up and take pot luck that there was availability, disgusting. A shame really because the beer was good and the food was ok, but the bar manager, thought he was doing customers a favour by accommodating them. He and the waitress were leaving to return to London, she was very pleasant by the way. Liked the atmosphere of the place, but the way customers were treated was a disgrace, I've never seen so many people spoken to in such a rude manor, hopefully his replacement will have a desire to be pleasant and accommodating.

Lovely Pub, The very best Ales served at their best. unicorn was the best pint I’ve had in the Lakes. Food was excellent, Barnsley Lamb Chop was amazing. Staff were great and very friendly.

Great food in a lovely pub. Good choice of beers on tap. Well priced. Didn't stay in rooms so can't comment on that. I know it's not the pub's doing but parking in Hawkshead is expensive, a reduced rate after say 7pm or having parking validated by local businesses would be a good idea! Would definitely visit again.

We went there for drinks but wasn’t impressed by the service- we just felt as if we were invisible 🙄 Nothing great about the drinks…..

Lovely food and drink. We had a local ale, a pizza and a fish sandwich - all amazing. The staff were friendly and very efficient. Highly recommend.

Been here a few times now , meals are good , better booking if you can not many outside seats due to location but worth a visit

Lovely pub with excellent restaurant, bar and accommodation in a great village location close to Windermere, Ambleside and Grasmere. Great for walks and easy access to the whole of the Lake District

Room 10 with the private garden is our new go to and we have already booked to return. Make sure you pre book your table for meals as it gets very busy at meal times.

Just returned from a 2 night stay in room 10, with a private garden, that the dogs loved. We were so impressed we have booked another stay in the same room for February, as well as booking to eat. Couldn't get a table for food on the first night but did on the 2nd. We both had the pork belly and it was very good as was the sticky toffee pudding. Breakfast was very good and set us up for our walks. Familiar staff members were very professional and helpful. Not a criticism but a suggestion !! as this is a top end room a smart tv would have been a bonus as I missed the football😞. See you in February

We were made very welcome from the moment we arrived to the morning we left. Nothing was too much trouble and we were very reluctant to leave such a great pub/hotel in a delightful village.

Beautiful location, lovely hotel and cosy pub serving great food

Amazing location, fantastic service and food. We loved every minute here. Easy to get to other places from here too. Thoroughly recommend.

Made to feel very welcome. Ate in the restaurant on the first night. The steak and ale pie was excellent. A really nice inn, couldn’t fault it.

Lunch here 9 Sept. Very good Sausage & Mash + lovely Pizza. Service very prompt & friendly. Bit of bottleneck when arriving, as people were trying to check-in at the Bar, while we queued to be shown to a table. A lot of luggage being left by people arriving early and wanting to go off to do things. Staff torn between serving luncheon customers and acting as hotel staff. “Pet” dislike of mine, staff stroking dogs and then handling my food & drinks (I’m not against dogs in pubs).

Excellent food and service for dinner.

Really friendly team and absolutely delicious food, the pie was amazing … so good we’ve booked 2 x more return visits !!

We had a really enjoyable dinner here with our pooch Simba. The staff were so friendly and attentive despite how busy they were, the food delicious and a wide variety of dishes to choose from. Nothing was too much trouble and we only wished we lived closer!

Great little village pub with nice food and a good selection of drinks. Friendly staff and smashing atmosphere. Edit: returned Sept’ 24. Why can’t I give this place 6 stars? The food was exceptional. The staff were amazing. Especially the manager, I don’t know her name sadly but she has a lovely accent, was very attentive and generally wonderful. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Went with a friend for a meal and everything was outstanding. The staff were friendly and attentive, the food was amazing and the atmosphere was great. Can’t recommend this place enough

Great accommodation, food and service. Super pub in beautiful village of Hawkshead

Very cozy pub that we popped into. Would love to stay there next time. Matt was very helpful. Highly recommended.

Comfortable and cosy Inn. Perfect for a break in the beautiful and atmospheric old village of Hawkshead in the heart of the Lakes. Friendly staff and good food.

Not a great deal of choice on the menu nothing homely

Rude staff, apparently baffled by the concept that a group of people would want to walk in for food and drink after a hike to Hawkshead

Beautiful old pub in a perfect spot. Only boiling can be achieved by the way. Park your car on the edge of the village and walk for a few minutes. The village is car-free. Advance booking recommended. Excellent food at an excellent price. Please take the time of your reservation into account. You usually have an hour or two until your table is available for the next person (high season). Recommended.

The place is absolutely amazing! Great service, very tidy rooms with a stylish design, and very tasty breakfasts. 💯 Recommend!

Great pub, very clean and very helpful staff, really good beer choice and very nice decor throughout. Food choices were very good and the breakfast was excellent. good location for local walks and travelling further afield..

Excellent. Beautiful setting, comfortable and traditional. Food and drink very good. Friendly staff who welcome dogs.

Had a drink and something to eat. Good selection of beers. Good honest food. Staff friendly and helpful.

Just called in for a quick pint, very pleasant.

I’ve never been greeted with such disdain in my life! And the look that was given to my children and my friend’s children makes me think children are definitely not welcome in this pub?! We knew we were coming to Hawkshead and with high expectations when it comes to food, I did my research. The menu for the Queen’s Head looked lovely and we couldn’t wait to sample the delights! Unfortunately, we didn’t make it past the doorstep! The rude lady looked at us hurrying in from the rain - looked at my children and my friend’s children - and told us there was no room for us. When my husband politely asked if a table would come free anytime soon she rudely responded, “No…and anyway the kitchen will close soon!” I now completely understand why the lady in the gift shop recommended the Red Lion when we told her we had plans to visit the Queen’s Head for lunch. Long story short - don’t waste your time…go next door to the Red Lion!

Rude woman, made to feel very unwelcome!

Called in on a rainy day and after being ignored for a time by the "pleaae wait to be seated sign" a blonde burly woman almost marched up to us. We asked for a table for 2 she replied- Have you got a reservation? We said no- She then promptly pointed to a little board.That said fully booked tonight and a piece of card put over and said lunch was a bit confusing and said - sharply :fully booked" and then walked off. Would like to say we are locals of cartmel and we were popping past and thought we give another local establishment the money. You may have thought we were holidaymakers, but no, the rude behaviour and the attitude. Was disappointing. she never asked if we wanted a table on another day as I said , we were locals !!!

Friendly and welcoming staff food delicious

We drove into Hawkshead from Windermere and had a walk into the lovely town. We stopped in the pub for a drink and saw the food! We had a gorgeous Sunday Roast and couldn’t fault it! Staff were pleasant and accommodating despite us not pre booking.

Had two nice meals here on our week away in Hawkshead. Good friendly service from all the staff we met. Made to feel very welcome.

Serving staff were all really friendly and helpful. The layout, atmosphere and decor in the dining areas were very pleasant and comfortable. Food was good, maybe slightly pricey but guess that is the current world.

My teenage son and I found this place whilst having a mooch around Hawkshead and in need of lunch. My son really wanted pizza of which there were several in the menu and though my idea of pizza in a pub wasn’t that high we ordered one to share. It was DELICIOUS! Much nicer than some you get in Italian restaurants. The staff were very welcoming and the decor is really lovely, a sort of blend of boutique hotel and country pub. We had our not very small dog with us and the staff were very friendly to him too which was lovely. We liked it so much we booked in again for dinner another day, this time also with my husband. The food was absolutely fantastic. Very much restaurant quality and with beautiful presentation and little details that made the dishes really special. I had a wonderful fish dish and my husband had a pork belly with black pudding bon bons. The vegetable were really nicely cooked too. The teenager had pizza AGAIN:) but he didn’t regret it and ate the whole thing. The desserts were lovely too, something that can be a bit hit and Miss in my experience but these were worth the calories! The best thing though was the staff, they were so lovely and accommodating, very professional and really hospitable, kind people. Would really recommend to anyone. They seem great with younger children too, nothing is too much bother.

This place has changed soo much. Used to love going there over the years, but sadly not again.

We have just spent 3 lovely nights at the queens head rooms super food was great just a bit to large portions all the staff welcoming friendly very helpfull especially Amy who looked after us brilliantly the last time we came here was over 2o years ago our first holiday as a couple and it didn't disappoint brought back very happy and fond memories hopefully we will be back thanks again to all

Stopped in for a cheeky pint after a walk, good service, decent range of drinks! We sat inside as outside was full, good atmosphere all round!

Sunday lunch was OK. Went for the nut roast but they only had roasted cauliflower. It was fine but a lot of vegetables, would have liked a bit of variety.

Booked a table early evening after a day on the fells. Despite it being obviously busy we were seated quickly, got drinks and our orders taken. The pub is lovely inside and we could take our dog which was a bonus. The food was excellent, sea bean and chicken supreme. Generous portions that tasted great. The staff were attentive and very friendly. A really lovely experience.

Fantastic stay at this beautiful hotel in a gorgeous location. Brilliant food and very friendly and welcoming staff.

Excellent food staff accommodating very friendly and helpful excellent beers fast service dog friendly will come back again

Excellent friendly pub, food was superb

Food, staff and location all wonderful.

Friendly and efficient service, great food, lovely atmosphere, clean and comfortable room. We would definitely stay here again - easy parking too with a permit provided.

Staff accommodated a walk-in on a busy Friday, service was quick and efficient, food delicious (had same dish twice in the week)

We popped into this pub for lunch on our first day of our holiday! All I can say is that the food was amazing - so much so that we booked it again for our last day. Classic British meals cooked to perfection - sausage and mash/fish and chips/pork belly. Everything was amazing and very reasonable considering the food was top class. Will definitely be back when we are in Hawkshead again.

We only went for food at lunchtime rather than stayed there but the food was excellent. We visited twice over the long weekend. There were 9 of us and every meal was superb. Highly recommend.

Well appointed room in a quiet courtyard

Beautiful pub very cosy … had drinks but could not get In for food … fully booked all week , must be doing something right … friendly people within the pub

Excellent service very friendly staff and dog friendly too 👍

Lovely room, vegetarian dinner and staff. Most enjoyable

Excellent establishment (located in a very pretty little village) whose rooms have not been tested. We were only at the restaurant. Very pleasant setting, good service as well as the food. If you're in Hawkshead, don't hesitate.

Just called in for a drink while visiting Hawkshead.

Really fabulous place to stay, our rescue lab, Gibbs was made very welcome Thankyou Valerie

Don't think they deserve the one star; we're here on holiday and walked in at 17:00, and we had the audacity to politely ask for the dinner menu. "RIGHT", the girl at the bar replied as she threw a face at us. She led us to the back, chose the only table squished up against the only other patron there, and stormed off. My husband and I looked at each other in disbelief and then decided to walk out.

Amazing hotel. We were in a building across from the pub. So peaceful. Only a small room but adequate. Vika was very warm and welcoming. The food is fantastic. We had our breakfast and evening meal here. 5 min walk to the main car park, which you can get a permit for free parking if you book direct through the hotel. The location is great.. so much to see and do in the area. Highly recommended.

Superb stay even though weather was against us. Lovely little village staff were great and attentive. Evening meal was lovely & tasty. Breakfast which was included was nice and hot, but the only slight negative was that the bacon had the white stuff on it which I hate, and the sausage was anemic which could have been cooked longer to put some colour on it. I would definitely stay here again and have no hesitation in recommending it....👍

Beautiful hotel & rooms, everything you need. We stayed in room 10 in the adjacent Brown Cow Rooms & it was fabulous. Huge scenic window, massive bed & a lovely bathroom. Both dinner & breakfast were delicious. Would definitely recommend!

Great service and better beers! The barman was very happy, helpful, and friendly.

Been here multiple times, and every time, food never disappoints, especially, the steaks, the pies, and burgers.

Lovely room. Good delicious. Service very good and lovely atmosphere.

Lovely B&B - delicious food and very comfortable room.

Our visit was last minute in fact we booked the room from the car park in Hawkshead having only just decided to stay overnight. Booking direct over the phone was easy & we were given a car parking permit which saved us having to pay for a 24 hour car parking stay. We were most impressed with everything about the Queen's Head. All the staff were very friendly & efficient & although we'd requested the cheapest room we couldn't have been more satisfied with it. Everything was clean with a lovely shower & fluffy, white towels & tea/coffee making facilities & some lovely biscuits! Another thing which helped our stay was a leaflet with four circular walks from/to the pub. We did two of the walks during our stay & they were both lovely & very well planned. On our return the room was very welcoming & the evening meal was delicious in a very good pub atmosphere & friendly staff. We woke next morning to sunshine again & had the most delicious breakfast to set us up for another great walk. To be honest we have no complaints whatsoever & would not hesitate in recommending the Queen's Head if you're in Hawkshead which is also a lovely village to visit.

Excellent stay in the newly renovated Brown Cow rooms across the lane from the pub. Great staff and food.

Booked well in advance for the restaurant. Glad we did as so many people being turned away. Loved our visit. Vika, who was hosting, was very friendly. (Didn't stop, clearly very busy & understaffed as most places in the Lakes) We both chose a roast dinner. Was really nice. The nicest red cabbage I've had. We will definitely return when in the area. The pub itself is charming, cosy and has lovely decor. Tip for anyone wishing to eat here is to book in advance.

Lovely atmosphere for a drink after a days cycling in the forest nearby! Staff were so friendly!

Arrived Friday night for a two day stay and was greeted by a friendly Latvian who, because the hotels restaurant was full, found us a table at a near by establishment. The rooms were well furnished with everything you would want with hot drinks a plenty if required. Booked a table for Saturday night and the food was excellent and yet again the restaurant was fully booked. Only drawback is no parking close by but you do get a permit for the public carpark at no cost saving definite £8 par day.

Had a fantastic lunchtime experience here. Food was exceptional and the staff despite being busy were very polite friendly and helpful. Great customer service! Our best buddy Teddy got a lovely welcome too. Thankyou Queens Head we will definite come back. Chris John and Teddy Bentham

We spent three lovely nights at the fabulously refurbished Queens Head with our three well behaved labrador dogs.Staying in the spacious Room 10 which has great views and a door leading to its own private garden. Ideal for dogs! Dinner every night was very good and the breakfasts are wonderful. Rachael,Vika,Jeannie,Ammie and Matt could not have been better hostsThankyou. Highly recomended.