The Black Bull Inn And Hotel in South Lakeland

Been here quite a few times for drinks and food which have always been excellent, first time though we had stayed and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, the staff were very kind and welcoming, nothing was too much trouble, we will be going back.

I can't understand the recent negative reviews for this place. We've eaten here twice this week and both times we've been very happy with the food, service and ambience. We've also tried a nearby hotel/pub/restaurant and found it to be wanting. There's no need to book as there are always tables available. Sometimes the bar is busy but the staff are friendly and efficient. There's a huge choice of beers available and they even do quality wines by the glass. So often the best wines are only available by the bottle but not here. Yes, they only take payment by card but I don't think there are many folk in the UK who would struggle to pay that way.

Rang to book on a Saturday night and told to just turn up. We did and got a table. Staff couldn't do enough for us and explained specials board. We both had gammon and couldn't fault it. Lovely, friendly staff and will definitely return. Well done to all the staff.

Would not accept my cash as payment. Barman was actually curt and rude when telling me legal tender was no more. Will boycott this pub in future

Possibly the worst pub food I have ever experienced. Extortionate prices, cheap ingredients. I can understand holiday destinations charging a premium to go out to eat, but to serve edible food is surely a minimum benchmark. Avoid at all costs

Stayed for 2 nights with my son on a walking break. Room was very basic but acceptable although extremeely expensive for quality of accommodation. £180 per night with breakfast for two. We ate in bar on both evenings but food was awful. 1st night I had half a roast chicken but it was so dry it felt like sawdust in my mouth. Unfortunately we couldnt get booked in anywhere else on 2nd night due to European Cup Semi Finals on TV so had to eat here again. We both had the pork chop which was ok but the boulangerie potatoes were a disaster. Unrecognisable as potatoes just a soggy mess.To add insult to injury the food is expensive.The only redeeming feature about this place is its position right in the heart of the village . They know they have a captive audience so don't have to try too hard which is a pity.

Really lovely friendly staff. It is cashless which doesn’t bother me as since Covid I don’t think I’ve carried cash. The food was quite expensive, but fairly standard in the area. I had rotisserie chicken which was lovely and my partner had salmon which was also really nice. Big portions so you are at least getting your money’s worth. There’s a good selection of beer on tap too, if that’s your thing. Surprised this place wasn’t busier as it was a really enjoyable meal.

The most unappetising and unappealing toastie I think I’ve ever seen. Not just mine, but the four others we ordered. And….to charge £10.50….utter rip off!! Never again! I’m so sorry we didn’t go elsewhere.

Lovely welcome by the lads behind the bar good food will be back plenty of choice good beers clean and tidy proper lakes pub

We had a pub meal at The Black Bull in May half term. You can’t book a table but went early for a drink beforehand. Food was excellent and friendly staff (shout out to Andrew). Homemade specials board for mains and desserts. Welcoming to kids. Recommend.

Stopped off for a quick pint after walking the dog on the first sunny day this year. Excellent beer (Oatmeal Stout) and a warm welcome.

What a find! After a very wet walk to Coniston village there was a choice of 4 or 5 eaterys. We chose the Black Bull. Great choice of beers. We had the three versions of sausage, served with mash and French beans. Really recommend it. Good service, nice open fire.

Very disappointing meal, the veg was hard as nails, I think it had been waved past the boiling water.. & the breast of chicken was so dry, I couldn’t swallow it. Chips thankfully were nice. The dirty plates remained in front of us whilst a female & a male member of staff were busy chatting at the far end of the bar. I might return for a drink but not to eat sadly.

Waberthwaite sausage and mash, the best sausage ever, and the gravy was so rich, totally amazing food. Thank you very much

Good pub food with a reasonable amount of choice. I had one of the specials (chicken and mushroom pie) and my partner had fish and chips, both of which were good. The desserts were a highlight and not too heavy. The staff were friendly and the wait time was short. Prices were quite high but not unexpected given the location.

Stopped in for a quick bite on a cool windy day. The atmosphere was cozy with an inviting fire and comfy seating. I had soup of the day and my husband had fish and chips...just a perfect pub lunch!

We - a glorious thrice - breakfasted at the Black Bull. Expensive! And not the finest. Staff very personable and welcoming but the offer needs improvement

Beautiful rustic pub setting in a fantastic area of the Lake District but the food is terrible. I’m not normally one to complain about food, i eat what i’m given but honestly the chicken breast was as dry as a bone, chips were greasy and hollow and the vegetables were half cooked. Such a let down..

Had a very pleasant family meal at the Black Bull on a busy half term evening. Really good food and generous portions and you don't have to book unlike a few other local establishments. My only criticism is that it was slightly more expensive than other restaurants/pubs. Other than that, all good.

What a splendid Sunday dinner! Meat options seemed appealing, generous portion sizes, friendly service and the nut roast was the best veggie Sunday dinner I’ve had! Delicious crumble too (bonus points for accommodating dogs too)!

Had lunch here to meet up with family. £9 for a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich, which by the way had hardly seen a toasting machine was very poor. Cheese not even melted. Waste of money

Great all round! Can't argue with the service, it was great. The food was delicious, and the warm ambience about the place was really nice. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Will definitely come back!

Ate here 4 times in one week. The service was consistently good and friendly. The food was excellent! We ate as a couple and as part of a large group. Again, excellent service and standard of food. Can highly recommend the Sunday roast!

good staff clean and tidy pub nice toilets fantastic food try the the steak and sunday dinner well recommended good to sit outside and eat

Visited for a Sunday lunch and we found it nice. My wife and I had roast beef and my daughter had half chicken & chips. We also had the home made jam roly poly. All very nice & generous portions for around £60 which is competitive in the tourist hot spot of the Lake District. Good front of house team that we’re friendly & fun. Very accommodating traditional pub

Pricey menu, poor portion size, long wait for food, we waited almost an hour after our food order wasn't sent through to the kitchen, after being paid for.. Our only disappointment to an otherwise rewarding visit to Coniston.

Great traditional pub, visited before and still as nice as ever. Sunday lunch was lovely. Great friendly staff. Great beer too.

Visited for Lunch after driving round the lake,great place,lovely food, followed by a good walk round the town.

It is very sad that this place has now gone cashless which now makes it non inclusive. It eliminates the disabled, elderly etc plus the people who still prefer to only use cash. The food was pretty average and very expensive for what it was.

Oh my word. We had the smoked trout with salad, coleslaw, potatoes and bread. It was absolutely delicious. The staff at the inn are so welcoming, the food is fantastic and the accomodation was great. Great location. You couldn't ask for nicer food.

Had been here the previous evening, had a great time and great staff. The following morning went for breakfast which was posted on a chalkboard by the door only to be turned away by an extremely grumpy older woman. When we asked if there was...

Beer good and food ok but expensive. Better places to eat in village. Only accepts card and not cash. Think about these implications. Will not use again because of this.

Stopped for a quick pint or two after long walk to support local brewery. We’re astounded after drinking it when I looked at my phone it was as priced at £6.50 for a pint of IPA. Come off it, even for craft beer! And the...

We swapped from the Crown to the Black Bull after none of my family wanted anything on their menu and I’m so glad we did. My 13 year old son said the cheese burger with bacon was the best he had ever eaten, my fussy...

Very friendly, reasonably pub grub and excellent beer from its own brewery. It seems to have a jovial local crows and had an authentic charm.

We visited for breakfast and a couple of evenings with a meal on one of the evenings. Very warm welcoming atmosphere. Really pleasant and happy staff. Fantastic feel to it, especially near the fire ! A trip back to a good old hostelry. Breakfast was...

Family of 9 visiting the area for the first time. A must to pre-book for this size of group. A busy, friendly venue with excellent real ale and food. The food was very good and hot when served. Even the grandchildren were impressed. I had...

Visited twice during our recent stay in Coniston. Once for drinks and once for a meal on Sunday evening. Even though it was Mother's Day it wasn't too busy. Lovely comfortable country pub with a real fire. Lots of images of of the Bluebird and...

Beer prices gone up by 70p plus this week. Food still great. Shame about the big price increase in its ale.

Very quick service in a cosy traditional pub. Excellent Coniston beers, catered well for gluten free and vegetarian. Dog friendly and welcoming

Always a good choice of superb bar food I recommend the chilli and rice, my partner usually has the duck salad. The epitome of a great night out. Fantastic ales great food and a great traditional pub with friendly staff! Very dog friendly.

Been a lot of times. Best pub food in Coniston. Friendly service. Good for family’s. Great selection of its own ales. Could argue it’s expensive.

Wonderful atmospheric pub in the heart of the village. A lovely fire in the fireplace (dated 1712!!) Welcomed us into this lovely pub. A busy early evening just before New Year but we managed to find a table near the fire. Food was superb. I...

Warm friendly pub with a brilliant range of beers. Lots of cosy corners to sit in. Dogs accepted. Vegetarian options available for meals which looked well presented. Didn't eat here on this occasion but would go back and do so.

Stayed at one of the outside bedrooms which was very handy for our dog. Friendly staff; excellent breakfast and plenty of choice in bar for real ales and food. Welcoming fire just the right place to sit and relax with your drink. Couldn’t fault this...

The staff of Coniston Launch had a Christmas meal last night and we have already decided that we will be coming back next year. The quality of the food was excellent and the staff were really friendly. Despite it being closure time when we dispersed...

Mediocre food, lack of atmosphere and overpriced I appreciate there isn't much choice in Coniston - especially on a rainy Sunday in December however it ended a lovely weekend away on a negative note. Won't be returning

I stayed with my husband and our dog at The Black Bull and had an enjoyable stay. The staff where very welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. The pub was very cosy a good place to relax after a long walk and sample the...

Didn't eat there but this place has a good range of beers. Bar felt a bit tired and dated. However I would still go back for the beer.

I visited the Black Bull with a group of 20 runners for dinner. I had organised the evening which was excellent on all counts. The communication from the start was easy and replies very swift. The Pub itself is large but very traditional with many...

Having had other trips here and advised many to do the same we called after attending an event at a local garage. We decided to have a bar meal. I can only describe the meal as awful. Two of us had the Haddock that was...

Had a late lunch yesterday in The Black Bull, fish and chips was great and reasonably priced. The building was very interesting 17th century inn.

I took my Grandson up Coniston Old Man and we stopped off at the Bull on the way back. A great place with expertly managed beer and seemingly good cake also. The beer won it for me. A pleasant warm September after a long walk.....excellent...

In a popular village for walkers this pub served your typical pub grub, alongside a good range of ales, brewed in their onsite brewery. Hubby was happy with the beers and the food was your typical pub choices, however limited choice for the kids. I...

After a washout attempt at the Old Man, I made it up to the kids with a pudding in the Black Bull. A good pecan pie and a nice brownie. Service was friendly and it was well worth it but a bit pricey for anything...

Good choice of food that caters for everyone, fish and chips really nice and recommended. The place is always busy but tables become available if you wait

The food was excellent, as was the service. The pub draws people from all walks of life so a nice mixture of groups. Great view of The Old Man of Coniston out the back of the pub.

Lots of local ales on offer at the Black Bull with the brewery apparently only round the back - we only stopped for a couple of pints but it was obviously popular with locals and walkers aplenty whilst we were there - they also did...

The Black Bull Inn and Hotel, built around 400 years ago as a coaching Inn provides accommodation and delicious meals for all. Good menues. Compartmentalized, the Pub offers quiet spaces for dining as well as open plan bar area for social drinking and teas/coffees.

The staff were. Wray friendly and the ladies was clean, my 10 yr old son reported the gents was “atrocious” I had the jacket with tuna and red onion, standard fare. The roast beef looked good. The potato and leek soup was watery according to...

We did not stay in the hotel, just popped in for food and drinks. The food was good and the menu offered an excellent selection all at very reasonable prices.

We called in the Black Bull with our 2 dogs after paddleboarding (not me) on Coniston. They do a lovely veggie burger with chips and a huge salad. Unfortunately I have a heart condition which flared up the day before our trip. The staff were...

Stopped for lunch at this traditional Lakeland pub. We found a welcoming log fire, decent pub food and some of the friendliest service we’ve encountered in The Lakes. Cheesy baked potato had a bit of a reheated flavour but was nevertheless tasty and my companion’s...

Food was ok. Beer (£9.40 for two pints of bitter) rather on the expensive side I thought. Staff not welcoming at all, quite a contrast with the pub on the other side of the road where we had eaten the previous evening.

3 friends and I stopped in here for lunch on a rainy Monday in October, and it was the perfect cure to the inclement weather outside. We had planned to go here after reading an article on the top 10 pubs in the lakes. It...

Excellent weekend away in Coniston. We ate in the Black Bull on the Friday night. I had the Cumberland sausage which was good quality meat and very flavoursome. Some of the other guys had the fish and chips which they all enjoyed. Some nice local...

We came across this Inn whilst driving around the Lake District. Coniston has a pay and display car park and a Tourist Information Centre, and a few shops to buy souvenirs. A gentle strolls distance you come across a few eating places and we chose...

We dined here when staying overnight on our Inn Way adventure - and of course supped a few of the fine ales on offer. The fish & chips was very good as was the service - and the beer was definitely the best in town....

We had a delicious meal at the Black Bull. The choice on the menu was really good. The service was second to none. It is a cosy welcoming restaurant with lots of atmosphere. Will return.

We stopped here to sample the home beer hawks head ale. It was great got talking to very friendly staff and locals . A dog friendly pub we had a cuddle or two. Brilliant menu also with loads of specials and vegetarian options.

The Black Bull is a lovely 16th century pub with plenty of character. I had an award winning Cumberland sausage, mash, green beans. Jan had black pudding, apple fritters and an apple purée. Now the beers are brewed on the premises. I managed two excellent...

A great pub atmosphere and the food served was OK. None of the places we visited in the area was outstanding but this pub did give us reasonable quality food. If you like pub atmosphere then it's worth a visit.

Lovely dinner, I had the vegetarian lasagne (I’m not vegetarian) it was so delicious I could have licked the bowl. I can also recommend the apple and ginger sponge with custard 😋. Thank you.

As the title would suggest, the food was totally average. Warm wine served with the food, albeit by a very polite waitress. The barman, however, was rude, ignorant and dismissive to the point that I'm certain I wont be back.

Situated in the centre of Coniston , great selection of local beers , food was excellent , visited a couple of times during our stay . Very atmospheric bar area and has outside seating , great place to watch the world go by. Definitely a...

Very busy during our visit. Nearly as many dogs as people. The food was good but not exceptional. Staff very friendly and helpful too. Excellent beers!

I had a lovely meal with friends, brocolli and stilton soup was superb as was the smoked duck and the gammon steak meal was superb chocolate brownie and local ice cream yummy! We will be back

Dropped in here for lunch with a group of guys after a morning on the water. Friendly and efficient service with a good choice of Ale. The Cumberland sausage and mash was a real winner, highly recommended.

Great wee pub with good choice of food for gluten free. Cosy atmosphere. Very comfortable. Nice staff.

Had lunch here today. I had the veg lasagne and o/h had burger. Was piping hot and really tasty. Pudding was a warm chocolate and pecan tart with choc chip ice cream. Best meal so far on our hols.staff were all friendly what more can...

Only had drinks but excellent choice of proper local beers & lager! Can’t comment on the food but it looked nice

A great evening at the Black Bull last weekend. A lovely cosy pub with a great atmosphere. The food was hearty and delicious. Local ale at the bar, and also does a good cup of tea. Just what was required after an afternoon swimming the...

My daughter and I visited whilst in Coniston for the weekend. The food was lovely, I had a home made burger my daughter had pork. The staff were friendly and helpful. Worth a visit

OK I love the lakes, a lot. The bull is my favourite haunt in Coniston. Where to start a review? The welcome is always warm after a days walking. There's a range of staff who all seem lovely. (I've only been going for 4 years)....

OK I love the lakes, a lot. The bull is my favourite haunt in Coniston. Where to start a review? The welcome is always warm after a days walking. There's a range of staff who all seem lovely. (I've only been going for 4 years)....

Had a few pints of ‘Tag-Lag’ here and it was great - good selection of ales and experienced bar staff.

Food was ok , pate was very nice with good quality toast and chutney but should be for £7.95, I had the Cumberland sausage and mash, the Cumberland sausage was ok but lacked flavour, the mash & onion gravy was nice and my partner had...

We called during a Sunday afternoon having been to two other pubs that didn’t serve food in the afternoon. We had burgers and fish (haddock) and chips, both of which were tasty, reasonably priced and good portion size. The Coniston Bluebird bitter is also a...

Excellent selection of local beer. Good food. Great character and good service. This is the standard I expect and my expectations on a first visit were met

Great selection of ales & beers. Good menu, great food. Dog friendly, friendly staff. Outdoor seating area was great on the sunny days.

We stayed for two nights at the hotel and ate at the restaurant on the Saturday night. The room was amazing especially the bathroom, the only thing is that it could be a little noisy when people are walking outside of the room but not...

On a rainy Saturday in August we were able to call up about two hours in advance to book a dog friendly table in the lounge for an early evening meal. The pub was getting busy but the lounge was empty. They serve great beer...

Wow this place has gone downhill. If they'd have bothered asking us how our meal went we'd have told them how heart-breakingly awful it was. This is particularly upsetting given our history with the place: years of memories with our daughter although we've not been...

Visited here far too often on our last stay in Coniston. Everything we tried on the menu was great, from the duck, the gammon or the lamb to a bowl of soup. It is the place we always go to eat every time we visit....

Had a lovely meal when we visited in July. Staff were friendly and helpful. Food was reasonably priced and lots of it.

Shocking service shocking staff Fantastic beer only reason to visit is the beer definitely not the staff They are rude arrogant and I’m sure the only reason the pub survives is because of their fantastic ales the fact they are at the end of the...

Nice food, cooked to perfection. Average prices. Good old fashioned interior, just as expected. Dog friendly inside and out front.

Ate inside because it was raining, have a dog but no problem. Excellent choice of food and local beers, all well priced. Would come again. Much better than our experience with The Crown the night before.

We visited for drinks. I tried one of their own drinks it was ok but not my favourite would of been nice if they had some well known brands of lager too. Nice big pub so plenty of space.

Nice traditional pub. Good pub-style food, big plates. Good selection of beers on tap. Friendly service.