The Wainwright in Allerdale

Visited this pub for the first time as visitors. We had planned on having a few drinks and a meal however after 1 drink we were pretty much evicted from our seat by a large group of very rude local pensioners who clearly thought we had no right to even be there as they wanted to sit there. They had booked 3 tables and arrived with clearly more people than they had booked for. I think that was a them Issue rather than my issue. They should have booked for the correct amount ! I was given the constant evil eye from a woman customer at the bar clearly wanting me to move so they could have our table to accommodate their party. The minute my partner got up to go to the toilet the pensioners surrounded me and took over the table while I was still sitting there !to the point I literally felt so uncomfortable I got up and left the pub. How is that behaviour acceptable ?? I found this behaviour absolutely disgusting to treat people with such disrespect and disregard ! I am aware this was not the staffs fault however I do feel they should have addressed this behaviour but they did not. Surrounding a person on a table and making them feel so uncomfortable they leave is terrible ! So visitors beware ! if you want to visit a pub where you are fine to sit until rude pensioner locals come in and evict you from Your seat then yes this is the place for you! It has social club mentality ! Absolutely terrible experience for visitors. I really do hope the large group of extremely rude pensioners enjoyed their afternoon as they absolutely ruined ours thanks to their rudeness ! - thanks so much for a warm Wainwright Welcome visit ! NOT !!!

Little disappointed as we expected an old Inn named after Alfred Wainwright to be quite traditional. The modern furniture really took away from that vibe unfortunately, it didn’t quite match the expectation. Lots of interesting pictures and articles around the walls are a nice touch and the staff are friendly. Not sure we’d go back though.

Best fish and chips ever Just had the best fish and chips I've ever had. Large, tender piece of fish in light, crispy batter. Excellent beer, and super friendly staff.

Always good here, especially on rainy days when theres not many people

Cracking beers, good staff and service, made to feel welcome every visit, not pretentious like so many pubs in Keswick.

Busy pub, good food and excellent staff! Just the place on a cold and wet February day! Sensible prices too and a good choice of beers.

Visited several times.es when we have been to keswick. Nice welcome each Time. Had Cumberland sausage and mash with veg lovely meal the mashed potatoes was divine.

Food was average. The bar was very cold so we didn't stop for long after eating. Not a bad choice of real ale.

Sometimes TA gets it wrong. On the strength of previous reviews we went for an evening meal. The food was pretty dire (apart from the chips which TBF were the best we had in Keswick). The beer was not much better, - 6/7 cask ales on offer. I tasted the stout which was 'thin'. Ordered a pint of a local brew and (unusually for me) left half of it. Ordered another beer (having tasted a couple more) and not much better. It seemed to me that all the lines need cleaning. The good thing (apart from the chips) was a roaring fire on a cold February night.

A cool little pub. Good quality food, great service.

Popular walker and tourists pub, basic but tasty menu.

Another great stay in Keswick and visit to our favourite pub,the Wainwright. Thank you to Johan and Laura for yet again providing a warm,friendly welcome and delicious food. Today, it was the Beef Sunday Roast with a pint or two,of course 😀 of Inches Cider to wash it down with. Cannot rate this pub enough. We come year after year and always come here.

Only went in for a beer. Six cask ales available. All local ales.

Good choice of local beers from Cumbria, IMO, the best pub in Keswick

Nice pub with delicious and not very expensive ribeye steak (little over salted though) that comes with mushrooms, tomatoes, onion rings and potato - bargain!

Nice pub had a drink in here and it has very pleasant surroundings. The cask ales is very nice.

My friends and I came to this pub for lunch whilst visiting Keswick, and it was absolutely lovely! The pub is cosy and welcoming (with a roaring fire), and all of the food we ordered was delicious. Would definitely come again!

Dog friendly pub. Superb array of beers and the pork scratchings were fabulous... Eddie gives them a 10 out of 10!

Enjoyed a pint from the fabulous Fell Brewery. Very quiet when we visited, which meant it lost a couple of stars for atmosphere otherwise it would have been a 5 star job. Have been past when its been full but I suppose it was getting late on a cold January night.

Steak pies here were delicious. Big slabs full of meat. Good selection of beers and very dog friendly too. Great place

Great pub! Very nice vibe and great beer! Very dog friendly with water bowls aplenty!

Great steak pie. Maybe best onion rings I've ever had!

4 of us had drinks and a meal lovely

Great location after a walk with the dogs

We visited this pub whilst visiting Keswick. My partner is a real ale drinker and we like to frequent pubs with a selection of real ale. The bar area is somewhat clinical feeling. We ordered a pint and a half of one ale. When we started to drink it we realised it was cloudy and didn't taste right. We returned it to the bar and the staff immediately changed it for another beer. Unfortunately, this too was not of a good standard and although we really didn't want to complain we took this back too. Again the staff were great. They accepted that this was not of a good standard. They changed the barrel and brought new beers to our table. It was very unfortunate that both of our chosen beers were not good to start but we must congratulate the staff on the way that they handled this. They were pleasant and helpful throughout. We did not eat here but the lunches that were being served looked very good. A couple we got chatting to said they had both had great food. So all in all we would recommend this pub!

The rib eye steak was very tender and tasty. Cooked to perfection. Staff friendly. Good atmosphere

Good pub for beer. Didn't eat here

Popped in for a pint, friendly service from the bar. Good atmosphere and an interesting.collection of coasters from around the world above the bar.A screen showing Hill walkers playing in a corner.

Ace place, on the edge of the busy bit of Keswick so quieter... Good beers good food, good pub and nice staff, our dogs and us were welcomed and catered for perfectly 👌🏼

Best real pub in Keswick, good quality food, friendly service, good variety of beers, homely welcoming and not too ram packed (like dog n gun) My fave 👌🏻👌🏻

Proper traditional pub with friendly staff and real ales

Great pub, always friendly staff, good quality food and drink

Very pleasant staff and very welcoming

Nice pub. Service a little stiff and food a little heavy - normal pub food!

Great place, great beer 🍺, great food 🍔, great staff 😁👍🏻

Lovely little pub in the heart of Keswick

It's a pub, sells beer, serves food etc. Gets exceptionally busy on a Saturday.

A proper pub! Had steak pie which was delicious 😋

Best walkers pub in Keswick with a brilliant range of ales with discount for CAMRA members. The GoPro videos can be dusted but add to the ambience. The Victorian gents loos are just wonderful

We have frequented this pub every time we visit Keswick, unfortunately this visit will be our last time. It was very cold and whilst waiting for our meals to arrive one large table and a couple left due to the temperature. The bar staff were under the impression that they left due to the limited lunch menu but as we were sat within hearing distance, we heard the people saying how they were leaving due to the cold. We had our food which would have been an enjoyable experience as no complaints but we were not staying due to the cold having to sit with coats and scarves on! Even when mentioned how cold it was to bar staff the door was not shut? Our first visit to this pub was in November a few years ago and in snow shower it was then lovely and cosy. We went to another pub and had coffee to warm up next to a lovely fire. Best wishes for the future, but we will not be back, we were warmer outside than in.

We often come to Keswick and at some point have visited most pubs but this one had somehow been missed. Real good choice of well kept real ales. Not the largest menu but both opted for the steak and ale pie which in most places is often overfacing and dry but here, it was absolutely fantastic, good veg well cooked and a gravy to die for. Won’t elude us again

Decent pub with great Ale, very dated inside and could do with some tlc.

Excellent selection of ales and a warm welcoming atmosphere after a long day hiking.

After ordering drinks we sat down and smelt an awful smell. I think someone had done something in toilets and it was wafting through the pub. Either that or they have a drain problem.. it absolutely stunk. I certainly woudnt want to eat in this pub with that disgusting stench. They seem expensive on the drinks also they charged me nearly £10 for a pint and a half of lager. The pub needs some updating and some TLC.. We supped up quickly and left.

Really good atmosphere, many people, had to wait for a table. Good food. Dog friendly.

Really nice place, dog friendly, staff friendly, food was delicious and reasonably priced. All I could ask for :)

Great selection of Cask Ales and great bar-staff and good place to meet-up

We were fortunate to get a table (three people were leaving as we arrived), as most were occupied. Although the menu devoted a lot of space to the 'build your own burger', there were alternatives. I enjoyed the steak and ale pie. I'm surprised to see the place described as an Irish pub; the stout was Theakston's rather than say Guiness. As the name suggests, keen hikers are celebrated and welcomed here. The ambience was warm and the decor functional rather than luxurious.

Love this pub in Keswick its a must if you visit the area

A couple of pints after a walk around the lake or up a crag is rewarding.

Good wee free house pub. Good ale selection and very dog friendly. I didn't eat there but the food coming out looked good.

Great pub ran by lovely local people

Great traditional pub with excellent choice of local beers and good value for money

Tasty food had the chicken burger, dog friendly!

Limited menu but covers all requirements, including vegetarian. Good home made food in a traditional style pub focused on fell walking of course. Nice favourable experience

Excellent pub definitely go again on my visit to Keswick friendly staff five stars

Looking for somewhere to eat in Keswick this traditional pub is in the town center serving limited menu but cover all requirements including vegetarian. Little bit of a wait but worth it all home made. Surrounded by wainwright walk photos and reference to fell walking. Nice place.

Great little stop off while tourism-ING!

Nice pub with a good selection of beers, for us the amount and strong smell of dogs put us off eating.

Genuinely one of the crispest battered fish (cod I think) I’ve ever had. Fish was good. Good selection of ales. Meals were a tad cheaper than some other pubs. We got there just in time as they stop serving around 8.15, which is early. So be aware. However we had been booted out of dog and gun because they stopped serving at 8pm, and this was peak season in Aug. Almost 5 stars but I would have to knock off a star because of the sauces in sachets. I don’t know what goes through the managers mind when faced with the option of Heinz ketchup in bottles or low grade sachets. It can’t be cost because A 1kg bottle of original ketchup (140g tomato per 100g) from Costco is £3, that’s equal to 111 of those little 9g single use plastics with only 30% tomato. Just makes a place look cheap. I don’t want to sound ranty but they taste awful and you need about 15 sachets for one meal. A nice homemade or premium tartar sauce in a pot would also have been a nice touch. I consider it a personal crusade to eliminate the world of sauce sachets. No connection to A. Wainwright.! Otherwise it was a good experience.

Amazing food, gave it 4 star only because it was busy and had to try couple times for a seat but I suppose that reflects how popular the pub is for all the above. Would definitely return, I had the goulash...amazing

Great ales,sat watching the sun set

Great pub, food acceptable, but nothing to write home about.

The food was excellent and the staff were very friendly

Great food and even has gluten free options which is great as my husband is celiac. Would certainly recommend

One of the best pies I've had. Amazing. Great selection of local beers too. Discount for CAMRA members.

Quick lunch before we headed home and it was really really good. Nice atmosphere, really well priced, delicious food and generous portions. Definitely a great place to visit for some food and a good selection of local beers too.

Small but perfect. A popular pub, great atmosphere. Always busy but the service is great. Very friendly staff.

Great little find in Keswick for lunch! Although we are all so full we might not need dinner. The food was fantastic, reasonably quick for such a nice meal and the portions are generous. Nice selection of beers too 🍻

Accidently stumbled in out of the rain and decided to have a bit of lunch. And what a good decision that turned out to be!! Huge portions and all delicious food. Chips were lovely, batter was super crispy. Chilli was fabulous. Staff super friendly. Would recommend!

Came here on a Saturday in peak holiday season having not booked anywhere. Keswick was really busy so ended up here which had a menu which suited us. Great to have a choice of potatoes (chips, mash or jacket) rather than the usual chips with everything! We ordered scampi with jackets plus steak and ale pie with mash. Portions were great, the pie was packed with meat which was a pleasant surprise, and it was all cooked well. This place may not look much from outside but definitely worth a try!

Good beer and location but the staff were very rude, unfriendly and seemed to find it a chore to serve us.

Friendly, bit rustic,good atmosphere

Excellent Ale..enjoyed few pints of Wainwright..staff friendly and helpful..food great recommend Sunday Lunch..toilets clean

The food here was excellent as was the service.

Small number of tables but able to get a good seat. Lady behind the bar & serving the food was excellent, really friendly & helpful. Food was really lovely & portions were massive. Really good value for money.

Nice pub in the centre of Keswick. He’s a bar area and a dining area for table service meals. The pub was warm and cosy on a very rainy evening. Quite busy and not much room for lots of people. Reasonable price for lager and nice staff.

Staying in Keswick for the weekend, we had Sunday lunch today here, service wasn’t good, we were not offered a glass for our j2o’s just help yourself to straws which was difficult to drink as the straws were dropping right in the bottle all the time, a glass would have been nice, obviously they don’t like washing glasses, we waited ages for our food as everyone was, but when it arrived it was the worst mash we had ever had really lumpy , roasties were hard, dinner didn’t taste right, and I still have a upset tummy now, so something wasn’t prepared right , I am a chef myself, so I knew it wasn’t right, cross this place off our list for next time.

Laid back pub, serving a good selection of beers. The perfect spot to rehydrate after a day out on the mountains

We've been here many times and never disappointed . It's a, brilliant pub in Keswick and highly recommend

Dropped in here after a long walk, so we needed a drink and food. Food is not normally served until 5pm but it's well worth the wait! My wife had the fish and chips. The fish was enormous and she struggled to eat it all, the batter was light and crisp. I had steak and ale pie which didn't come in a separate dish with just a pie topping but was a real pie. And very tasty too. A great choice of cask ales and gins too!!

Great local pub to have an awesome local Burger.

The toilets in this pub are the worst I have come across in a very long time. In the gents 2 sinks with only one cold water tap that works and no soap and it was like this last time I visited in March 2024, thought there was a plumbing issue then but clearly not. Looks like the owners just can’t be bothered to sort out the basics. Makes you wonder what the kitchen is like. Won’t be going back.

Good real ales, food smelled good but we didn't eat here. Always quite busy.

Good food at a good price. Great servic friendly staff

All I can say is ‘A smile costs nothing’… Your bar maid today could not have been more unwelcoming and abrupt. It’s like you don’t have to try. You obviously get enough passing trade not to bother. I will not be back and surely find better hospitality elsewhere.

Loads of drinks options, didn't eat but it looked lovely

Dog friendly pub seving good food & ales

Do not go for Sunday dinner it must be the worst I have had in 60 years on this earth the meat was steam not roasted the mashed potato had to much pepper or horseradish in

Great selection of beers. Food looked great but we never tried as already eaten

Beautiful Sunday dinner served by very attentive and polite chatty staff

Delicious braised beef with cheese scone, veg and chips. Mother had the special duo of duck legs but it was a bit overcooked but she still enjoyed it.

One of the best pubs in Keswick. Great beer and great food. Fell Tinderbox is often on and is a great West Coast IPA.

Overall good experience with good tap selection. Food was good pub food what you need after a long walk. Only downside was by the toilet was a bit stinky.

Nice pub. Good selection of ales. Just tucked away from the busier pubs Futher in to the town. Still busy but I've never found it rammed unlike some of the more central pubs. My pub of choice.

Great real ale pub. Dog friendly

Fantastic pub experience with very friendly and welcoming staff. Very lively atmosphere. Good selection of drinks and an excellent food menu.

Fantastic little place, great atmosphere, food amazing and will definitely return

Such a friendly spot! We came off the hill around lunchtime, sun was blazing and we’d earned a pint and some food! We were fortunate enough considering the weather to grab a bench outside, 4 adults and 3 kids all ate and drank there! Burgers were nice, the kids meals were well portioned and the sandwiches were plenty for a big lunch meal Mat, the Barman was excellent, couldn’t have done more for us, fast service, explained some of the menu, recommended drinks, kept us lubricated and made sorting the bill easy. It’s not a extra special place to look at per se, but the welcome, the service and the quality of food, and range of drinks makes this a stand out situational 5!

Nice pub friendly and nice atmosphere nice food