The Wild Boar Restaurant in South Lakeland

We have been going to the Wild Boar for over 40 years. The restaurant has always been a consistently superb meal. Not any more. The menu has been altered from a sensible easy to choose from many delightful meals, to now gone more trendy - ruined. How can a restaurant that is famed for it fillet steaks, now only have them on the specials board, no offer of the fantastic smoked version they always sold. We wont be going back till it reverts back to its proper menu. The staff blame the directors for changing it - whoever it was needs to sort it.

Great traditional Lakes hotel, very friendly staff, excellent restaurant and certainly recommend the Hawk Walk from the back of the hotel.

Had the most amazing Afternoon Tea. The host and other staff were all very welcoming and made the experience very enjoyable. The food was delicious and unusual and we particularly liked the local meat and beers. The restaurant where it was served had bags of character and a lovely roaring log fire.

As you can see from previous reviews on my account, we are happy to pay the price for the best food. You won’t find it here anymore. We’ve been here a few times over the years and each time it got worse. This meal will certainly be our last. The staff arn’t welcoming & don’t even try to be, as other reviews state. We all ordered steaks, fillet & tomahawk, to be cooked the same, rare. When they arrived the tomahawk was more than medium & stone cold. I went to the bar to find a member of staff to show them. It was agreed a new one would be cooked. An hour later.. I went to the bar for an update. The lady snapped at me to be patient, the man saw this and said he would check for me. When it finally arrived we had been there over two hours and past hungry. They had obviously found the fattiest steak they could & the chips were were inedible, for £100 for one steak it’s just unacceptable. There’s so many other places to support in Windermere and the surrounding areas with far better food and friendly staff, don’t waste your money or time here.

The Wild Boar was always my goto restaurant, always good food and ambience. Sunday evening, a last-minute booking for 2, a quick meal, and leave. Both had the burger absolutely delicious, but at £25!! maybe expected a bit of salad garnish to finish off the presentation. So, as I said, a quick 1 course meal and away: I left a tip, paid, and left realising another £10 had been taken as a standard service charge! Yes, it's my fault. I should have read my bill fully.... I'm disappointed in the underhand way this was done. I won't be caught out again because you have now lost my customer.

Stayed 3 nights at The Wild Boar. Food - Breakfast was very good. Staff friendly. Our Classic double room was disappointing cramped no seating or fridge, nothing like web site photos. Charged £30 a night for our small dog, nothing provided for him. Don't know how this charge can be justified!

Well what can I say we've stayed at wildboar quite a few times really enjoyed it .we went on 18th February for 1 night christmas present of our 2 granddaughters .we went on the grounds near our room to walk to resteraunt for tea .at round about 6s.it was quite dark only a small light .when we were walking I fell into a sunckin drain broke my ankle been house bound since .got in touch with them and they say its not wildboars fault .Well I'm sorry it is your fault I was in agony and ruined our Christmas present I'm not leaving it their I'm going to a solicitor .disgusted with yhe way you have treated me

Our meal - we had fillet steak. My husband requested well done and l asked for medium to well done. The waiter asked if l preferred more medium than well done, l advised more medium. Our meals arrived, the steaks were both well done. I didn't say anything as the steak tasted fine. However my husband's triple cooked chips had definitely not been triple cooked. He tried one and they were hard, so he left the rest. I thought for a restaurant of this standard it was not acceptable - a restaurant unable to cook chips! When the waitress cleared the table. I mentioned the chips being hard. She advised she would inform the Chef. I expected someone to come and give us an explanation, but no one did! We are disappointed, as we have been several times before and the food and service has been exceptional. With a price for steak at £41 you definitely expect triple cooked chips to be cooked.....definitely won't return.

What a beautiful place set amongst beautiful countryside. We booked for the new years party night, and we weren't disappointed. Food was amazing all 7 courses. Dj gary mills was brilliant & kept the dance floor full all night with his brilliant choice of music and the fantastic choice of prop box for us to use. Thankyou everyone for the lovely welcome on arrival & for a brilliant night. We will definitely be back.

Lovely rustic bar , very nice and clean room , down in the bar warm and cosy surroundings, all staff very attentive, good quality food, would highly recommend for a short stay

Amazing Sunday lunch we had the turkey dinner. The potato’s were slightly hard on one side but still very nice.

Had the pleasure of having the alternative afternoon tea here. The staff the venue and the food were excellent, and we really enjoyed it. From our experience I would recommend it to anyone. The only thing I didn’t like, and didn’t notice until we got home was the automatic addition of 10% on the bill as a service charge. It’s not cheap already and thought it a bit cheeky, and even if I had noticed at the time it is awkward to ask for it to be removed. Had it not been for that I would have given 5 stars.

Very disappointed with afternoon tea, the food was luke warm then we ate off cold plates, not good. Not enough cream for the scones for 2 people. The table was far too small for the huge food display unit, drinks (tea, coffee and water). The table wasn’t cleared as we ate and the staff disappeared at 4.

Called in for a drink today during a rainy walk from Windermere ... Warm + comfortable surroundings ... Staff not particularly friendly or welcoming ... Makes a real difference if you are greeted with a smile + a bit of a chat.

3 generations came to this most beautiful and atmospheric pub near Windermere. You have to book here and there were 7 of us but we had plenty of room . The staff are amazing especially Jorge and Cristian and the lady who led us to our seats. The food is all local and first class . My son in law had a tomahawk steak and it was fine exactly to his requirements. My stickiest sticky toffee pudding was the best I have ever tasted. All our meals were faultless and my grandson loved the mash so much he ate his own and his step mum’s!! The loos are very different but in keeping with the electric nature of this wonderful place. Not cheap but well worth the money for the whole experience. We will return xx

Went for the alternative afternoon tea.. Myself and my sister don't eat fish, we told our waiter.. I thought it would be replaced... It wasn't. So we paid 35 pounds each for a tiny burger. Some bites and small sausages. A tiny cup of soup and some chips.. The sweet side was a regular scone. A small slice of brownie and a bit of lemon meringue.. Oh and a glass of pressecco.. Not worth the money. The fish and chips and salmon bread that were on the menu should have been replaced.

We have had the most amazing day it is our 42nd wedding anniversary and along with our best man and his wife we were served the most delicious afternoon tea.at The Wild Boar.The staff were kind and efficient the place is beautifully decorated. Thank you for our card and a lovely afternoon. Di & Ian

We stopped here whilst on holiday after seeing there alternative afternoon tea pop up on our social media pages and wow it did not disappoint. We loved that there was a good balance of savoury and sweet and the roasted red pepper soup tasted incredible! We couldn’t eat everything so we’re given a box to take home which was lovely. My only reservation is that I wasn’t drinking and asked what non-alcoholic and sugar free options there as opposed to the bat of beer or Prosecco and all they guy could suggest was Pepsi max.

We've eaten at the Wild Boar several times over the last few years when visiting The Lakes. On this occasion, we ordered steak and falafel & halloumi burger. Steak was excellent, however the falafel burger was overcooked and didn't contain the marmite mayo or crispy onions as stated on the menu. A disappointing dish for £21. Whilst the service was good we didn't appreciate having the 'optional' 10% service charge added to the bill. We would have paid less due to the quality of the food.

Bad attitude of staff. This place looks like the place and it might be but…. Today was the second time we have gone to eat and left after a negative welcome by the staff. The people that we have encountered when we have been here are in the wrong industry. They were rude, smug, unfriendly and unhelpful and that makes the place one to avoid.

After arriving and because we had a small dog aparently we were stuck at a table in bright sunlight by reception area.people coming every few minutes. Everyone else who arrived wirh dog 3 times the size of ours were put in room in front of us l was livid as to why we hadnt be put in there the barmaid was going to set a table up for us in there but Jorge said no and told us to sit were we were put!!! Also we noticed everyone else was given a water bowl for dogs we didnt just as well l had my own the nicest person was the lady who offered dog biscuits. Food was ok chips were poor chicken overcooked l had to go ask barmaid for the Tea. Very dissapointing on this visit gone down in my estimation ee loved it last time definitely not a 5 star and for service..

We were super excited as we had heard very good things, plus TWB online reputation boasted this venue to be top drawer - Both myself and my partner have worked in fine dining restaurants all over Manchester and the north west and love trying new experiences... Upon arrival for a meal booked for a family birthday, disinterested staff offered no greeting or welcome and we had to wander around in a venue we weren't familiar with looking for someone who would offer any sort of eye contact to help us find our booked table... Great start, staff that hide, and duck out of human interaction. Sat down in what was a well lit, warm and good looking venue, when the server arrived to take our drinks order we hadn't decided as we were sat without a menu, 2nd issue but easy mistake to make. Whilst the server took our order for food and drinks he was uninterested, minimal eye contact (head buried in an iPad) and when asking for a request of a Blue cheese sauce (Cheese in many dishes on the menu, even a cheese board was on offer) with a £40+ steak I received a reply with an aloof and gentle put down of "we're too busy, won't have time" - I would have paid any additional supplement for this, and wasn't expecting it for free nor the same price as a different sauce, I understand this was an off menu request but to be given attitude and no real attempt to see if this request was possible unimpressed me, so with a cheeky smile I asked if it's possible to ask the chef to which it was a no, fair enough I'll have the bernaise sauce instead. The meal arrived in a flash which did concern me, I had asked for a Medium Well Dry aged smoked Ribeye and of course it was under cooked more like Rare, and a Rare Ribeye often hasn't had time for the fat to really render and crisp up also and the upgraded parmesan chips didn't come too.. excellent.. I'd even challenge whether it was the right Ribeye as well having had alot of Dry aged smoked steaks it didn't have the same flavour profiles... But impossible to prove so lets move on.. One of our parties' burgers was overcooked, a bland Curry which had been wilting under a hot lamp too long and a chicken kiev that looked bought in from a cheap supermarket. Absolutely no check back was done so I was unable to raise the steak/side issue until we had finished our meal and had empty plates in front of us. How can a fine dining restaurant charge the fees they do and have no steps of service or any sort of service criteria? I topped up our champagne and water all meal, again basic level of service you'd expect from a £100+/Head meal - truly shocking, it seems there a real issue with finding/maintaining and training quality staff in the lakes, we saw on a social media page that staffing has become almost impossible in these areas - Maybe it's time to pay more and attract the best? The costs of having more expensive and higher level staff would pay itself back 10 fold. Simple steps of topping up drinks and offering another bottle, additional sides, wine pairings, liquors, coffees and other suggestive selling techniques etc would all help raise the average spend per table and levels of customer experience too which would pay for the better higher level staff or keep the good ones at least - and higher spend per table also increasing the 10% service charge for staff! Win Win! Of course the service charge wasn't paid in this example as there wasn't any service. Table full of empty plates and glasses for some time always looks terrible... Then it took about 30 minutes for us to give up trying to ask for the bill as again, staff with heads down and unwilling to make any eye contact. Venues like this will always do okay because of the sheer amount of visitors per year to the lakes.. But is okay good enough? Won't be coming back, brilliant location, beautiful setting, but style over substance has a finite existence.

Booked afternoon tea for a 70th birthday for 3 couples & 3 little girls to share one…rang x3 before arrival to request they add sone additional nuggets & chips to the girls to pad it out…even in reminding on arrival, still didn’t happen, they then...

Lunch menu is not very exciting. Placed our order, then when 3 of the 4 meals were served to the table we were informed that the option of shepherds pie was not available. Realising that all 3 meals would be consumed before my alternative was...

Visited to enjoy the Alternative Afternoon Tea and it was as delicious as it sounded! Started with a glass of Prosecco, then a huge display of savouries and cakes arrived! The new menu is amazing and we enjoyed every dish! The smoked salmon was particularly...

I did not actually go but want to write review for their service which was amazing. We had lost a gift voucher from Christmas but the lady (Emily) was so very helpful and cheery on the phone. What fab service. Will definitely go here when...

The smoked filet steak was one of the best steaks I’ve ever eaten and the bone marrow mash to die for. We will definitely be back when next visiting the Lakes. The only downside was the bar, my partner was excited to read about the...

We went to the wild boar with our 14 year old son to celebrate our anniversary. Lovely, friendly staff, lots of choice on the menu. Tasty food, loved the crab tacos and the specials turkey pie and Jack Daniel ribs. Would highly recommend for that...

Wait 1:45 minutes for two courses, the restaurant was empty. Unfortunately certain staff looked disinterested in service, just passing the day by. Whoever the head of service is needs to visit a restaurant or even a local pub, I have seen more attentive staff at...

Went for afternoon tea but didn't like half the things on menu so had lunch instead Warm goats cheese for starter was lovely but the lettuce leaves covering half the plate were limp.Main course burger and chips McDonald's has more taste. chips were big ones...

Myself along with my daughter visited your wild boar this Sunday evening for her birthday just for an evening meal. We were expecting good things as we've had your afternoon tea recently much to our delight,  We use the Blue smoke and your thermal journey...

Alternative afternoon tea and overnight stay with breakfast . Very very disappointing. Had heard great reviews but was really disappointed with the afternoon tea, service and accommodation and breakfast. Will definitely not return. I could go into detail but would overmax my allowed words

Five of us had afternoon tea which was a real treat , the food was amazing as were the staff , really lovely atmosphere ,

After a long drive we felt like having a quick and hearty lunch. As we passed the hotel we saw a lot of activity, hence we decided to turn around since the restaurant was obviously popular. And it was. The setting and vibe of the...

We come back every year. What. Ames this place special is the interior and its lovely, polite, attentive staff. Natalia and Ryan looked after us so well. Thank you

Absolutely fantastic food, atmosphere, service and price. I would definitely revisit. Great place. I had the smoked on bone ribeye, my wife the vegetarian option. We both started with the apple and parsnip soup, it was fabulous.

Looking for a traditional pub and we were recommended this lovely lace. It has been extended over the years but the old part has a lovely fire and large comfortable sofas. Great beer and an interesting menu with lots of Cumbrian comfort food.

Visited the Wild Boar for wife’s birthday meal tonight. Went all out for the 10oz fillet. Got to say it was fabulous .. Chefs can sometimes be a bit precious about how to cook steak but got to say it couldn’t have been better than...

6 of us ate here in January after hearing good things about the restaurant from friends and family. it was frustrating as soon as we arrived at The Wild Boar as the parking situation was horrendous, cars parked in places they shouldn't and over lines...

We had been a number of times for drinks and always thought we would love to eat here. We booked for Sunday lunch and were left feeling very underwhelmed. I don't know whether it was because we had high hopes but just didn't feel it...

What a beautiful hotel with fantastic staff. So friendly and helpful, fillet steak was utterly amazing ! Can't wait to come back ! Thank you

8 friends meeting for a birthday celebration meal & overnight stay. My wife made a birthday cake and we asked if we could have it delivered to the table with a knife. They advised there would be a £3 per person charge to eat our...

When I ordered I clearly stated I was gluten free. Approx 45 mins after I had eaten I had a severe reaction, leading me to being unwell for two days. I contacted the wild boar to ask them to investigate. The contact with the assistant...

Visited as menu is really well annotated around allergens and I have Coeliac Disease and cannot have gluten or wheat. No issue with this when ordering and no strange looks either! Service was attentive! Really enjoyed our meals and would deffo visit again when we...

We arrived and we’re shown to our table promptly … specials availability we’re delivered verbally. We chose chicken liver pate and venison from the specials. Pate was very smooth, however only 2 small pieces of bread for what can only be described as a slab...

We visited last week for the Alternative Afteroon Tea, it's was our second visit and will sadly be our last. The resturant was surprisingly empty when we arrived. It was freezing cold and had awful loud music playing! The food was very disappointing, the soup...

I booked Alternative Afternoon Tea for yesterday for 7 members of my family to celebrate my recent engagement and for my parents to see where I was considering for my wedding venue. As one family member wasn’t feeling well, only 6 of us had The...

Used this as a taster to see if we’d spend the money with the new year package. Service wasn’t brilliant. Food was nice but over priced. I asked about availability of rooms but didn’t get the info back, my partner asked for a couple of...

As you can see from my previous reviews we have enjoyed the wild boar in the past however I can’t help but feel it’s lost it’s sparkle and has sadly gone down hill. We received a voucher for the alternative afternoon tea, when I booked...

What a great place! Great atmosphere, excellent food and super service. The smoked steak was sublime. Such an enjoyable evening and we would definitely go again.

Booked for Sunday Lunch was very disapointed with the lack of quality of the meal. The roast potatoes were inedible and the sprouts were soggy and over cooked there was lack of choice on the menu as there was one choice of roast meat. The...

Went to the Wild Boar as a birthday treat for my partner. Great experience from start to finish. Friendly, efficient staff. Well-paced service. A wonderful spread, all perfectly prepared and displayed on a wooden cake stand. I was particularly impressed how clean everywhere was and...

The afternoon tea has plummeted from previous years. The food quantity and quality has dropped so much I would struggle to return. The price has gone up, but that's to be expected in recent times. Staff weren't very helpful, we were a party of 9...

Went here with the Wife whilst holidaying in the Lake District and we weren't disappointed.. Lovely restaurant with great friendly service..The alternative afternoon tea was amazing..packed full of fab savoury dishes.. lovely sweet treats..hot drinks and the prosecco and paddle of beer a bonus..If you...

Really looking forward to this treat for my 50th birthday having heard so much about it. Quiet in the restaurant and we were served relatively quickly. Afternoon tea is only thing on menu at £27 and we both opted for a glass of Prosecco sleuth...

we stayed at the hotel and yes the rooms were a little small but the restaurant was excellent and the BEST chips ever. The atmosphere in the restaurant is great and the staff were really nice as well

Just back from a lovely two night stay. Lovely hotel, bedrooms very nice, lovely bathroom with fab shower, nice touch of shower Gel, shampoo, body lotion. The tea tray was fab, lots of different teas, normal and Herbal, also nice selection of coffees. Packets of...

Lovely food and unusual bar area visited in December excellent cheese soufflé and friendly staff. KEBAB looked amazing and tasted the same did not have dessert as we were all very full. A good time was had by all of us. Thank you to everyone

While visiting Cumbria, we were keen to visit the Wild Boar again. We remember being impressed then and, if anything, they have improved! We arrived early to take in some mulled wine (delicious), and then settled for the mushroom starter to share, followed by espatada...

Wonderful surroundings and wonderful inside. Warm welcome, all the staff were professional and super friendly. The food was top notch, well presented and cooked to perfection. Generous size portions presented beautifully. If you are ordering the waffles for dessert (which are delicious) sharing one between...

Wonderful meal in the superb restaurant. Very lovely setting, amazing food, and excellent attention from the staff.

Absolutely delicious afternoon tea and completely unique - we were absolutely stuffed and loved every single minute of it! Would definitely recommend it

We enjoyed the afternoon tea here so much last September we had to revisit with my in Laws on our return to the Lake District. To say it didn't disappoint is an under statement. The menu has change, and I can't really say which one...

Came here for their alternative afternoon tea. Every item was so tasty and well made. Pork scratchings, soup, cheese scone, salmon tart, fish and chips, burger, popcorn chicken and sweet cakes. So filling, would definitely come back

Great service and delicious food, just wish the main course portions were a little smaller and priced a little lower accordingly! Even the biggest eaters struggled to finish their meals... it just felt very wasteful, especially when the prices are quite high.

We have stayed a few times at The Wild Boar, and every time it is excellent. We stayed for two nights in one of the best rooms with a wood burner, a huge room (room 2). Lovely bath robes after a nice bath make a...

4 of us, on holiday in the Lakes, decided to treat ourselves to afternoon tea. Browsing through local places on the Internet, we came across the alternative afternoon tea at the Wild Boar. Boy, are we glad. It was fabulous. A meal in itself. Lots...

As it was my Boyfriend’s 30 birthday during lockdown, I decided to ‘whisk him away’ to the lakes for a few days as a present. Before hand, I made a reservation at the Wild Boar and, because it was a special birthday, I emailed the...

First post lockdown Sunday lunch. Well organised , clear floor markings , sanitiser, staff aware with friendly efficiency. 2 course meal £20 - very good sirloin and smoked salmon. Enjoyed by all and didn’t feel strange in the “COVID secure environment”

Food superb - service pathetic, after service even more so. Met with aggression and rudeness. Ignorant staff.