The Good Sport in South Lakeland

Very disappointed, expensive food and drink and you have to serve yourself, even down to getting your own cutlery. Bar staff don’t seem busy enough to justify the lack of table service. Food was bland and very expensive, Thai red curry was tasteless and the sportsman platter tasted like it was reheated food, came out very fast. We used to love this pub but something has changed recently and we won’t be back. *updated* I am not too “grand and important” to not get my own cutlery , and have been to many lovely casual pubs in the Lakes, but if I’m paying £60+ I want a decent meal and won’t be spending it on the rubbish food and drink that was served in your pub thanks. Not a chance that food was fresh being brought out 5 mins after ordering and the empty tables spoke volumes. Maybe spend more time improving your food and service and less time insulting honest reviewers and you may have a chance of not going under. I for one will make sure I tell everyone not to bother wasting their money here.

Great food (venison burger) and service. Disappointed with the Grasmere brewery beer selection. I tried three, all of which I found watery and lacking taste. There are much better Cumbrian beers available than this.

Visited with family while staying in Grasmere. We came here twice while staying in Grasmere in 2021 and the food was amazing, we were really looking forward to returning but were unfortunately disappointed this time. Having now read the reviews and management responses the quality and cooking of our food now makes sense. Staff seemed uninterested and there was very little interaction or service. Food was very basic home cooked type food lacking in quality ingredients or flavour. Loaded chilli fries, the chilli was very bland and the chips seemed to be frozen. Tortillas chips resembled those bought from a bag of crips at ALDI. Red Thai curry was very bland, there was no actual flavour and the sauce was watery. Burgers were overcooked, the burger bread was like a stale sandwich bun. I will say the puddings were good and the most enjoyable part of the meal. Unfortunately I felt I could have made a much better meal at home, the prices for food I feel are high for the quality of what is being served. We ate at Tweedies during our stay which had similar prices and the food was much better. After our experience I probably wouldn’t return to eat at the Good Sport again.

Amazing flat white with an extra shot!

On arrival the lady at the bar was busy putting washed glasses away and then after a while said, “I’ll be with you in a minute” and then kept me waiting for another minutes rather than serving me and taking my money. I was on the verge of walking out and spending my money elsewhere before she served me. The beer wasn’t anything special and I don’t think I will be going again.

Our food was good... loved the damson and venison burger and the starter portion of Korean style chicken wings could've fed two for a starter (nope, I am not on a diet, it genuinely could have!) I must agree with others that staff not knowledgeable about the beer and the ambiance was a bit lacking ... was an evening though, with not many customers. On previous visits, we have been there during the day, sat outside and it has been busy ...maybe more a place for pint and a snack after a walk. Dog friendly 👍

Nice bar we went in the afternoon and had a few drinks staff were nice. Went back in the evening as the menu looked nice. My husband loved his prawn pasta dish which was served with an abundance of prawns and a large bowl of pasta. I had the beef off the specials. It was ok basic beef stew with one carrot cut in half lengthways and half a parsnip. It could have been served with some mash and a couple more vegs on a plate and presented better. Seemed overpriced for £19. The food was also served very quick after the starter it wasn't busy so maybe a bit slower and you would have got another round of drinks. Drinks were nice my husband had a dark IPA and I had a red wine.

Lovely food and plenty of it. Drinks very reasonably priced. £5 for a cocktail! £5for a single shot gin and tonic including the mixer!! ..and only £2 to make it a double. This was when we visited beginning of October so prices may vary!!

First visit was great, lots of nearby brewed ales to try, so I recommended it to friends. Now it is extremely expensive (£6.20 for a pint of Cranberry juice! £4.50 for a pint of diet coke) and there was only one or 2 nearby brewed ales. An order of 1 beer pint, 1 pint coke and 1 pint cranberry juice cost £16! Too expensive

Great place to hang out, have a drink and great food, service was excellent.

The Good Sport has been our go to for a nice meal during our last few visits to Grasmere. Unfortunately this time it was a let down. Table service has been removed, so upon entry, we had to stand in the queue of people ordering at the bar to let someone know we had a table booked. Following being shown to our table, I then had to stand in the queue again to order food which took a while. The service was cold, no smiles, no chit chat. The general atmosphere was not great. Plus point, the food arrived quickly and was nice. The most disappointing thing however was the beer. This place prides itself (or used to) on being connected with a microbrewery. Last year the offerings were amazing. The IPA was the best I've tasted. This year it was truly shocking, the IPA tasted like water, zero taste. Tried the larger instead, also zero taste, didn't even taste like larger. One might suspect there is major watering down being done here. As a huge fan of the previous beer offerings I was hugely disappointed with this poor show. We will not be returning here next year for our annual trip to the lakes. Suggest the 1769 down the road instead, great atmosphere and great beers.

Filipino style specials below par and not as described on menu, appear to have been prepared off-site and reheated. Also cocktail provided not as requested. Ref the owners response a). We queried the dishes with the waitress and received a vague response which definitely didn’t indicate that the dishes were prepared “fresh”. We were polite and the staff were far from helpful. B) if the owner thinks a negative review is being rude they shouldn’t be in the service sector

Very disappointed with this pub, they offer a tasting option for their beer and cider of 3 half pints for £6. Sadly the 2 beers and cider were very weak tasting, almost watered down in flavour. The food was overpriced with a simple burger and chips at £18 and being very average in quality. The atmosphere was not great either on a Wednesday evening in August. Can't really recommend sadly, the only thing that was good were the people working there.

The lager was bad and hard to stomach even for a half pint. It tasted of dishwasher soap it was hard. This is disappointing since the alcohol used to be very good but I can’t in good faith recommend this at all, instead I urge you to avoid this at all costs! Visited 2 weeks ago.

Nice enough bar, but food uninspired especially if you’re vegetarian. Feels like they don’t really care. Much better options in the town. Please try harder.

Only had chips, pint, and some kids drinks. Quick service and everything was delicious. I also love that they have self-serve jugs of water and glasses.

5 star bit - pretty much all of it. Great, relaxed layout, mixture of table sizes, good for families or couples or even a quick drink alone. All the food was pretty fairly priced and tasted good. The two staff members I interacted with were welcoming and genuine. It's much harder to find that these days. Only improvement - the beer I had from the tap was a little flat and a bit watery but I can be a bit of a beer snob so most people may not notice. Great spot.

A brewery pub. Offering also the local sheep meat - Herdwick.

Having visited the Good Sport last year, we looked forward to returning - we were very disappointed. Last year we were welcomed and shown to our table, our order was taken and the drinks and food were brought to us. This time, we walked in as several staff members walked past us. Eventually we were shown to a table. We then ordered at the bar and collected our own cutlery. When the food arrived, this was a big let down. I had a veggie platter which while not terrible, was cooked without any finesse and I thought how could this cost £17? My wife's cous cous salad was poor with salad, couscous and hummus set out on a plate with lots of olives plonked on top. This looked and tasted very basic yet still cost £16. Overall, a poor experience with basic but over-priced pub food. It was a real let down after last year.

Really good food and drinks and catered for our large group very well. Lots of tasty food to choose from, visited 3 times during our trip up. The staff are great and the girl behind the bar has the most beautiful smile

Unfortunately The Good Sport has gone downhill. Used to be great place with quality ales and tasty food. On our visit on 11/08/24 we found the ales were lacking taste and the food was decidedly average. What has prompted me to write this review was the poor attitude of the waitress on the night we attended, no manners or attempt at amiability.

The beer is TERRIBLE! Lovely spot for gorgeous views but I’ve never left a beer behind and it broke my heart to do it for the first time ever, went to a beer shop in the next town over that specialized in local brewery’s and even they wouldn’t sell it. I admit I haven’t tried the food, the service was lovely and the setting was too but not a place for beer drinkers.

Service was fine, drinks were ok. Food was immensely disappointing. We ordered the beef chili with cheese, which was palatable, although the rice could have been cooked longer. The tomato soup however, was clearly made from tinned tomatoes, if not dumped straight out of a tin, as you could taste the metal from the can. Food was unlikely made fresh.

Worst beer selection just flat rubbish, not what you need after a long walk. Avoid if you like a few beers. Food’s ok

Nice place to grab a sandwich and drink for lunch

Nice location. Dogs allowed. Good gluten free choices. Friendly staff.

Mixed feelings on this place. Lovely setting next to the river with some nice outdoor seating. Food was all cooked really well, the burger and the vegetarian Thai curry were both very good. The stuffed pepper felt overpriced at £18 for what was really a starter sized portion - it had maybe 75g of lamb in it tops and was mostly couscous. Tasted nice but really need more for the cost. Drinks were disappointing. The black IPA was passable, but the Ekuanot lager, simcoe pale and Amarillo IPA all lacked character and tasted very watery. The service was excellent - friendly and welcoming. Atmosphere was decent, a nice crowd when we were there. It’s the sort of place I’d revisit to try again in the area, but was underwhelmed on this occasion.

My wife and I stopped here after visiting Dove Cottage and as we waited for our bus back to Keswick. The beers are local and brewed there. We tried a 4 different beers and they all tasted a bit bland for flavor. The local is great and this a great place to wait for a bus, but don't be expecting too much from the beer.

To be fair, they did offer to make a new one, but instead give us our money back. But it should never have come to that. I can't understand how you can throw some chicken, some rice, and a sauce together and make a bland anaemic dish and then charge £17.50. Not sure what the chef was on tonight but you can't just throw something like this out and expect folk to be OK with it. Take a bit of pride and produce something people enjoy and will talk about. Throwing in some peppers, chillies, herbs, onions, other veg isn't too onerous is it? The other meal was the venison burger which was very tasty. The beer at the Good Sport isn't great. I'm not sure if they are still working out how to make IPA but it is aweful - insipid, watery, no flavour of hops or anything else. Throughout this week I've tried all of their beer and to be honest you may as well walk up the road to one of the other pubs and grab a decent pint. The gin on the other hand is a different matter.

This brewery / tap room has cut corners in its brewing and the beers and ciders are now very weak, flavourless and watery. Very disappointing as they used to brew some nice beers and ciders.

Had a meal here on Sat night, prawn starter was average and not hot. The main meal which was the lamb, Greek style was very poor. No taste and was basically lamb mince mixed with cheap cus cus. Three of our parties sent this dish back and in fairness to the staff they refunded us with no fuss. The beer wasn't to any of our taste. The venison burger was good but the Korean style chicken wings were poor and tastless. Very disappointed and will not be going back.

This was a random drop in for something small to eat and it was dog friendly. It turned out a delight. We ordered the tiger prawns and skin on fries, well the prawns were superb, big portion delicious prawns with garlic bread and perfect chips. Brilliant thank you never change !

Great range of local beers and ciders, plus gin and vodka. Would have been rude not to try them all! Offered 3 half pints for £6 which was good value and a good opportunity to sample what they had to offer. Food was good too. Nice atmosphere, service was fine but not outstanding.

Let's make it short: food was fantastic and service very friendly. We had the Herdwick lamb, chicken wings and the warm brownie with ice cream. Everything tasted delicious.

If you have an idea of a bar with a plethora of beers to choose from, do yourselves a favour and walk a bit further. 2 beers I saw and a cider. That wasn't really the problem. However, the bar staff was extremely rude and looked like a dog chewing a wasp. Atmosphere extremely questionable, had a lady at a table opposite me ask me to stop my son from shooting his plastic toy gun because it makes her dog nervous? I'm not sure why you would take your anxious dog a dog friendly pub in the first place. Sorry guys, I really wanted to give you a nice review in such a beautiful location of countryside. Do better, you came across very entitled and up your own backside.

Imaginative menu, especially GF options and in-house brewery.

Friendly staff and nice atmosphere. But the cider was awful . Both ciders were a struggle to drink. Quite tasteless

Nice enough place, worst cider I've ever had past my lips, and I've had plenty of cider over the years.

Worst gin tonic of my life! I couldn’t even finish it. Tastes like moonshine!

Great dog and people friendly place. Nice staff, good food and local beer. I like.

Very disappointed with the food. I had the Greek Lamb, which was nothing more than Minced Lamb with a couple red pepper thrown in and a drizzle of Minted Yogurt on top. Very poorly presented. Staff seemed disinterested. Will not be returning.

Interesting bar / brewery tap. Nicely presented. Modern but local feel. Beer refreshing, but i personally prefer other local brews. Staff polite. Good value for Grasmere

Great service from the girls, good food and drink. Go here often.

Went in here with friend instead of waiting at the bus stop - great decision. Burger, chips and salad were great. Service very friendly. Atmosphere nice and relaxed, with some happy dogs.

Just finished our meal at the good sport after ordering two burgers, the food was epic and I would go as far as saying probably one of the best burgers I have ever eaten, my wife and I both agreed. A lovely team and we wish you all the best for the summer months ahead, should we be back this way we will call in again

Came here for dinner again. this time ordered the curry prawns with spinach and cajun fries. the curry was really delicious! as usual, fries were crispy. great service. The food was delicious and portion is big. Chips were crispy! Wanted to have dessert but too full. Service was great!

Good all round but would like a better selection of beers 🍻

Staying in Grasmere for the evening this place was recommended to us and didn't dissapoint, I have food allergies and its really hard to find places that cater for me Gluten is the main allergy, this place had many choices on the menu for me, we both chose the chilli Concarne with creme fresh rice and cheese is wanted, this was quality, good friendly service, we also ordered pudding which is something I very really do as very few places do anything that I can eat other than boring icecream, however I had options and went for apple and raisin crumble with vegan icecream this was so delicious and was huge, my husband went for sticky toffee pudding and icecream, all in all friendly staff, lovely food, catering for Gluten free means this place has to be a 10 out of 10 and highly recommended

My girlfriend has worked in hospitality for 5+ years delt with the rude staff, and made her feel uncomfortable. Asked for a change on her meal and it was made out this is impossible. The staff represent orcs and trolls from the mountains near by. I had the version burger and it must of been dispatched with a car as it was so tough and tainted with adrenaline no way the animal had a quick death. I won't be recommending this place to anyone due to the attitude of the staff.

Poor and overpriced food. "Posh" kebab had hardly any chicken, fries were obviously from a supermarket. The beer was nice though

Arrived to find kitchen closed 15 mins before we arrived. But the lady chef decided to cook us some food. Which was really appreciated. Chicken curry and chilli con carne was outstanding. Really tasty. Deserves 5 stars for customer service and taste. Thanks again, will definitely be back.

Absolutely loved it. My partner and I had a beef burger each. The burger was absolutely amazing, every component was so tasty and we absolutely loved it.

No stars is what I would leave . Very very rude. No disabled access and the friend that I was with couldn't even get her wheelchair in the door. On asking the staff is it was possible to provide a ramp we were sneered at by someone who could barely look up from their phone. So rude !! No apology and no effort

Food was good but service was poor one waitress got drinks order wrong and with gluten free options on the menu they offered onion rings as an alternative to another non gluten free item, if gluten free is offered waitresses need to be clued up.

Lovely pub. Came here after a long hike for some food and hot drinks. Ended up going back to hotel and changed, came back out for more boozy drinks right after! Lovely place to sit after a long days walk. The pub has its own brewery and we tried a lot of their own drinks. Ps the food pls order the lamb burger! So tasty!!!!

We have eaten here before Unfortunately tonight service was lacklustre with no real help given. Selection for a vegetarian myself was only one option which considering they make a point of being vegan /vegetarian is surprising disappointing. Unfortunately we will not return until they fix these sort of issues.

Stopped in this pub with my family for some lunch whilst out walking, the food really hit spot, very tasty. Staff very helpful and the pub had a good atmosphere. We will be returning.

Brilliant pitstop on hike around Grasmere and Rydal. Lovely IPA and some great loaded fries.

We had a fantastic meal here on Monday 6th November. The welcome was warm and friendly, selection of food is great portion sizes really good. We had starters and mains but could not eat it all , sadly no room for dessert. Really worth booking which was easy too . Thankyou for such a great experience and the chefs too !!!

What Find ! This was our first visit to the lakes and we stayed in Grasmere. We stumbled on this wonderful place. All the beers, cider and Gin all from the village brewery. I had the cider. The strongest cider I’ve ever had and I’m a Worcestershire boy. The food was amazing too , had the lamb burger in a gluten free bun as I’m coeliac. My partner had lamb burger too. Both were fantastic. My partner had halloumi to start and I had a mushroom dish , both again were fantastic. Friendly staff too. We also loved the hand made bar and decor. We will be back next time. I just love the whole local thing, pity more pubs can’t take this on board round the country. Good work guys 👍

Came here on a Sunday for a fell and left another pub called the Inn to try this the good sport for its local brewery. Ordered fish and chips and the platter. Platter was dreadful. Wings were basic, onion rings greasy, halloumi crap... Sausages were ok but it's not hard to make a nice sausage. £19 and £19 for fish and chips. Will not be back

We arrived on spec and noticed that all the tables were reserved.A nice young lady came to assist and found us a table but said we would have to vacate it at 7:30 which was ok.I ordered Catalan fish stew with rice which arrived quite quickly and was piping hot.Nothing wrong with the food but the ladies toilet was out of order which left just 1 toilet for the whole pub.I really think for the size of the place extra toilets are needed

We ate here last year and had a good meal This year the meal was ok but we felt super rushed by our female server We had not even taken our coats off before she asked for our drinks order She returned so often trying to take items away before we were finished with them Not sure if we will be keen to return

We had a lovely meal here recently. The pub looks so inviting from the outside and it lived up to expectations - a great atmosphere, friendly staff and delicious food.

Great place to sit out and vibe

About the only place where you can book a table that welcomes dogs.

Chicken wings very bland and poor quality meat. Their own gin was not at all to my taste. Disappointed. Portion sizes huge but would much prefer smaller thus tastier dishes. Seems like they’re going for quantity over quality. Would not visit again.

Arrived at 2040 hrs - asking for a dessert and 2 drinks . Only to be told we could not have a dessert as we hadn’t eaten a main meal there . I was asked if I had just walked in and when I said yes was told I couldn’t have food then as they were closed for food yet there were still people eating their mains and people walking in being served drinks . She also complained to her staff to turn the music down as she’d had enough . Must have had a bad day !! Not impressed

Disappointing beer which was watery and lacking in taste. I have never before left a pint unfinished’

Visited Grasmere on Monday for a wander. Saw a sign saying 'Brewery' and a seat outside in the sun, that was that! Great seat sat outside in the sunshine. Other half went in to get drinks. He came out with a tea for me and a lager for him. (He doesn't drink lager!) I asked what ales were on and he said none! So, he'd opted for a lager. Disappointing. It's no good calling it a brewery when there are no ales on.

Sadly it was disappointing. Nice busy vibe and quite friendly service but our food literally arrived about three mins after taking or order. As a result we didn’t stay long! Dirty fries were bland and very expensive for what they were. Lamb burger was delicious though. Not sure I’d recommend unfortunately but maybe in the summer and sitting outside just for a drink it might be better!

We came last night for our sons birthday 3 out of 4 had the lamb burger 3 out of the 4 have been up all night and spent all day in bed with very upset tummies 🤮💩 Everything seemed ok while they was eating it but all commented that the lamb burgers were very spicy?? Son ordered rice pudding for dessert 1 spoonful and said that tastes horrible I tried it and it was awful 😞 No questions were asked when they came and took the whole bowl back ??? £150 + later and no change returned we left and all spent a very long evening in the the bathrooms and spoilt the last as couldn’t go far from a bathroom 😡

Just a quick lunchtime drink at the halfway point of our circular walking route from Ambleside. I think this place was a cafe not so long ago but is now a small brewery making beers and gins (and probably more). We had a pint of their lower alcohol lager and the IPA. Both really nice and easy to drink. Had a decent looking food menu but we didn’t give it a try. Could imagine a good atmosphere on a busy night.

This is the tap room for the Grasmere brewery. We booked for dinner. The ambience is casual. The staff are very friendly and efficient. The breweries' beers are superb (I had the dry hopped lager and the IPA). Food choice good and food quality is excellent. One word of warning, the portions are large so go when you are hungry.

Daylight robbery. Came here with family for some drinks at lunchtime. £6 for an orange juice and lemonade. Absolutely shocking.

Sold me a out of date beer keg from last Christmas it was old and gross and at full price as well. This is not right!!!! I was looking forward to trying a local beer as part of moving to the area but selling me a out of date keg was just unexpectable. The staff where nice though not blaming them but management in allowing the sale of out of date kegs.

Excellent service. Happily accommodated my garlic allergy without making me feel a nuisance. Food specially made to meet my needs. Staff went above and beyond for me. Nothing too much trouble. I would definitely recommend this establishment. Lager was a big hit with my husband.

Booked a table and glad we did as it was very busy and fully booked (7pm). Server forgot to let us know it was table service (the menu says to order at the bar) and no specials were mentioned until we checked but this was...

Nice enough place but the beer is not up to the mark. Pint of bitter was well below average

Lovely little pub, stopped for a drink and some food after a hike. Met a lovely lad called Elliot who lived nearby, had a cup of tea and a chat with him. Such a nice young man, I'll be coming back again soon, hopefully I will see him again...think he works nearby

Stopped in at The Good Sport for dinner (booking very easy online) and the service and food were both spot on! Amazing burger and aubergine veggie option followed by a glorious crumble - really generous portion size too! Thoroughly enjoyed our evening!

Fairly typical lakeland pub that's focusing on maximising their revenue rather than really caring for the quality of the fayre. As they make a point of being the tap house for the local brewery I'd have expected a bit more enthusiasm for the beers from...

Was given a dirty teacup and when I asked to replace it, the manager said she was busy and that I needed to queue up at the bar to let other staff deal with it. I expected better service. I’ll not go back, I’d rather...

Lovely sunny beer garden, nice ales and wines. We had Cajun spicy chips which we really good. I think we’ll be back here!

This is the first restaurant we have visited where we would return for a meal. The dirty fries. Very tasty. Good helping of components Vegan meal cauliflower dish was excellent. Thought and effort went into the dish

First restaurant in the Lake District at which we’ve eaten that would return Cauliflower vegan dish was excellent. Thought and effort went into the dish. Dirty fries 🤤

A lovely pub in a beautiful village with great staff! Absolutely fantastic veggie food (possibly the biggest and best veggie burgers you could buy!)

Had a really good meal tonight with friendly efficient service and a good atmosphere. Would definitely return next time we are in Grassmere.

Four of us enjoyed our meals, friendly and welcoming.

The perfect place for pub grub after a long walk. Lovely atmosphere, great staff, and everything we ordered was delicious! Highly recommend the Bratwurst, Roasted Vegetabels and the Halloumi Fries!

Food was super (burger, chips, onion rings). Beer is great and overall very nice!

A good selection of beers and food all delicious and tasty

Absolutely fabulous meal with lovely attentive staff. We had the ham hock to start, which was fabulous. I just wish I didn't agree to sharing it with my other half! We then had Diry fries and the lamb burger, which were faultless. Had to try the dessert, which we really didn't need, but had to have 😀 Would happily recommend and revisit any time. Thank you

Absolutely fabulous meal with lovely attentive staff. We had the ham hock to start, which was fabulous. I just wish I didn't agree to sharing it with my other half! We then had Diry fries and the lamb burger, which were faultless. Had to try...

Cocktails here are very nice. Place looks great and is in a great location. Place was kept clean and has great views of the river.

Had tea here last night ordered chicken and new potatoes absolute rubbish the chef has no idea it had a really weird taste we couldn’t eat . We asked the waitress what it was she asked the chef and the answer was Herbs ( really)...

Finished off a lovely afternoon (16/8/23) exploring Grasmere and Ambleside with a drink at the Good Sport. Gin and Tonic for my wife, pint of local microbrewery Bitter for myself which I had high hopes for. Instead we were served by very unfriendly bar staff and the ale was past its best. If I wanted stale beer served by an unwelcoming barman I’d have gone to Wetherspoons, but unfortunately made the mistake of wasting £12 on two drinks at The “Good” Sport. Would not recommend to others.

Great place very accommodating for gluten free diet. Highly recommended.

Seemed and appeared under staffed and it reflected on the lack of smiles and appreciation of business, drinks and food were fine no issues just didn’t feel welcoming, shame really just felt you were sick of tourists

Great friendly pub with sound grub and a nice selection of local ales. Had a lovely lunch basking in the sunshine outside.