Queen's Head Restaurant in South Lakeland

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.

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

Beautiful location, lovely hotel and cosy pub serving great food

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.

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!

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.

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.

Rude woman, made to feel very unwelcome!

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!

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.

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!

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

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.

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

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

Excellent friendly pub, food was superb

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

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.

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

Lovely room, vegetarian dinner and staff. Most enjoyable

Excellent service very friendly staff and dog friendly too 👍

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.

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

Just called in for a drink while visiting Hawkshead.

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.

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!

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....👍

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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 had high hopes after reading the reviews. First impressions mean alot and upon arrival the bar man was clearly stressed saying things like “if there’s a few of you I can’t make coffees for you all” and left me standing for five minutes after I said I had a reservation without asking I wanted a drink or showing me to my table. The food was average for a high price and service average at best. Some improvement needed I think. Maybe higher ratings as not much choice?

Went for our tea and was very glad we had prebooked a table. Bought our drinks at the bar then meals ordered from our table. Food was excellent and the staff were very friendly. Would definitely go there again.

I quickly popped my head in to ask if they were still serving food, got told no by a guy behind the bar so I thanked him and as I was leaving I heard "turning up to the busiest place in the lakes without booking and thinking they can just get served straight away. What are they like, ay?". Firstly, I didn't"think I could just get served", I asked politely and it's such a shame that a member of staff can be so rude!

Oh dear, Fawlty Towers springs to mind, at first I was ignored at the bar in favour of a group of females that walked in while I was standing waiting to be served. They asked if there were any tables free to book for food which was actually what I was going to ask. They were told nothing available, fully booked. I checked and asked even for as early as 5:30 sitting - but was advised not. So we sat at a table with a reserved sign for 7:30 the manager(?) came rushing up to us at 5:30 telling us we had to move because the 7:30 party had a change of plans and landed 2 hours early - so we had to move! Fortunately a couple on another table had finished their drinks and offered up their table. Remember it was said there were no tables free at 5:30 yet this group were accommodated almost at our expense without any problem. After eating at the very friendly and accommodation Red Lion, we popped back to the Queens for a last drink around 8:30, spotted a free table with a 7:45 reservation (clearly they'd failed to show) and asked the waitress if we could sit there. She told us to go back to the bar until she had finished cleaning some other table!!? The one we were looking to sit at was clear and hadn't been occupied. After standing at the bar for an awkward 5 minutes we were then told we could go back and sit at the table (which had remained unoccupied throughout). Bizarre behaviour if not downright rude - just like Basil Fawlty in fact. Having read similar complaints in other recent reviews we have to agree with them that this place is disorganised, not welcoming at all and looks to be flying by the seat of its pants. Such a pity as it's in a lovely situation & recently refurbished to a nice standard.

Fabulous stay at the queens, room large and beautifully decorated! Pub is perfect and food and service 10/10! The village is so quaint and walks easily accessible from the village centre. We had a great weekend and will be back!

Good food. Good service. Good atmosphere. Very nice. Chicken burger was fantastic. Great pub!

Visited 31st April for Sunday which was very good and reasonably priced. Went again on 4 th April for evening meal. I had the Barnsley chop which was excellent. My wife had the chicken supreme which she was very impressed with. The chances of walking in off the street for food at busy times are very low and we witnessed numerous people being turned away as we did last year. We booked our tables at the same time we booked our holiday last October and it was well worth the wait.

Walked in and walked straight back out again. Girl behind the bar was rude and didn't even look up to help us. Not recommended.

Great little pub in village of Hawkshead. Very busy so book in advance if you can. Generous portions and tasty food, extensive menu too. Lovely real ales and family friendly.

Cute, quaint pub in the heart of Hawkshead. You may well need to book in advance. Menu was quite traditional, really good food, great wine and lovely service. Dog friendly too. Would highly recommend.

Shockingly bad service. Rude bar staff rude waiting staff. Not accommodating at all. Very hostile environment - not sure if it was because we were an obvious gay couple. Other people seemed to be happy in there. Terrible experience all round.

Lovely welcoming pub in this quaint village - visited 2 nights running and both nights had a lovely meal with fab service (Amy) - defo recommend if you are passing by. Dog friendly and spacious.

Fabulous bar, welcoming staff and good selection of drinks. Stayed for a few drinks Saturday night, bonus for my husband to find football being shown too

Once again an excellent stay, in super hotel with amazing views and walks. First rate food, drinks and service.

We visited this dog friendly pub last week with my whole family and miniature schnauzer Eddie. Food and service was excellent. We sat near an open roaring fire and all the dogs were treated to a sausage snack. Lovely people and we would definitely come here again.

Food is amazing, the red cabbage is so delicious, great place with fabulous staff

Excellent food, service and atmosphere at good prices. Must book to avoid disappointment though as it gets very busy

We have now stayed at all 3 pub b & b's in Hawkshead and this is by far the best. The staff are brilliant and can;t do enough for you and the food is superb. Thank you for an excellent 2 night stay. Will definitely be returning.

My wife and I spent 5 days at the queen's head over the Christmas period.What a wonderful time we had thanks to all the wonderful staff and accommodation.You all made our stay a very memorable occasion Thanks to all again.We will be back!

Nous sommes allés y déjeuner, délicieux et service très agréable, super pub

Comfortable hotel with great bar and very good restaurant in the picturesque village of Hawkshead. The refurbished room was really good with a good-sized en suite bathroom. Pie night on Thursdays is not to be missed. Great selection of local, national and international beers. Great, friendly atmosphere

We’ve had a wonderful week in Hawkshead, the weather was dreadful but The Queens Head was the best place to go to after a wet walk on the fells. The atmosphere is perfect as are all the staff, really friendly and attentive. The 2 for £25 on Thursday’s pie night was the best. Steak and ale packed with tender beef, yummy. Thank you to all of the staff who made us welcome.

Traditional country pub great food and good beer. Lovely warm pub super dog friendly. Great atmosphere and friendly staff

Starter of soup was very good. Main course of Steak and Ale pie was inedible. Pastry was over cooked and as hard a concrete Hard to swallow (excuse the pun) as not cheap. Won't be back

Came last night for a Roast dinner and was a really lovely meal. The bar man was a really friendly man, and also the waitress was superb. Superb food, and the staff were excellent. Just a really nice evening

We both had such a lovely experience at the Queens Head. A lovely Olde Worlde Inn experience, very warm and clean. Excellent food both morning breakfast and evening meal. The evening meals were of such a high standard and good value. First time in the Lake District and one of the best experiences we both had and the Queens Head was a big part of that. Fantastic staff and very welcoming.

Friendly, warm welcome, we dined here booked in advance book earlier on Fridays as gets very busy the food was excellent would highly recommend it if you love walking this pub is a starting point will be coming back next year x