Fellside Studios

Our selection of the best inexpensive, informal and interesting places to eat in the Lake District

The ideal Lake District café should have cheap, fresh, well-cooked food, a cheerful atmosphere, a robust decor that can cope with boots and wet anoraks, and the choice of just a coffee, a light snack or a full hearty meal.

Our best cafés also have something extra – something special about their location, design, or menu that makes eating there a memorable experience, bringing you back again every time you visit the Lake District.

Cafés in and around Ambleside

Zeffirelli's Garden Room Café
We've been coming to Zeffirelli's for almost 20 years now, ever since our children were little and we camped every year at Low Wray Farm. Zeff's has had quite a few changes since then, but the good range of (veggie) food, great coffee, and restful classical background music all remain exactly the same. In the evening the cafe now transforms itself into Zeffirelli's Pizzeria with an excellent new Jazz Cafe Bar and Zeffirelli's cinemas upstairs
• Compston Road, Ambleside (on left of one-way street coming into town centre from Windermere).
• Open 7 days a week, 10am - 5pm.
• Tel: 015394 33845.

Chesters Café
Chesters is a contemporary-styled café in an idyllic setting alongside the River Brathay, and just a few minutes walk from Skelwith Force waterfalls. Coffees, fresh baking and an excellent light lunch menu, a real favourite of ours before an afternoon stroll up Loughrigg.
• Skelwith Bridge, 2 miles from Ambleside on A593.
• Open 7 days a week 10am - 6pm.

Baldry's Café
A tiny room, often crowded with walkers, but with a very warm welcome and possibly the best rarebits, home-baked apple pie and cakes in the Lake District.
• Red Lion Square, centre of Grasmere Village, 3 miles from Ambleside, off A591.
• Open every day except Thursday, 10am - 5.30pm.
Tel: 015394 35301.

Lucy's-on-a-Plate Café
Country kitchen atmosphere with scrubbed pine tables and a tiny rear garden room. Good cakes, snacks and friendly service; transforms itself into a busy restaurant in the evenings.
• Church Street, Ambleside (follow one way system leaving town centre towards Windermere, then turn right just after the Post Office).
• Open 7 days a week, 10am - 5.30pm.
• Tel: 015394 31191.

Cafés in and around Windermere

Booth's Supermarket Café
Super modern café in an impressive conservatory at the front of Booth's supermarket. Very clean and efficient, good value for 'full English' breakfasts, coffees and snacks. Ample car parking, boot, child and rucksack friendly.
• Behind Windermere Railway Station on A591.
• Open 7 days a week 8.30am - 6pm, except Saturdays 8am - 5pm, and Sundays 10am - 3pm.
• Tel: 015394 46114.

Wilf's Café
Hidden away in a former bobbin mill in a small industrial estate, Wilf's was once a local secret. Now with a big new conservatory and a wonderful deck area overlooking the River Kent, Wilf's has become everyone's favourite. Reasonably-priced wholefood menu, soups, salads, bacon baps, and always friendly enthusiastic service. The big car park is an ideal starting point for several good local walks and cycle routes.
• Staveley Mill Yard, Staveley village centre, 5 miles from Windermere off the A591 towards Kendal.
• Open 7 days a week, 10am - 5pm.
• Tel: 01539 822329.

Brockhole National Park Visitor Centre Café
Perfectly located at the front of Brockhole's stately main building, with a stunning terrace dining area overlooking Lake Windermere. Bright self-service cafeteria, fresh sandwiches and cakes, and an especially good single-choice Cumbrian-recipe lunch. There's a £3 charge for car parking, but the visitor centre and gardens are free and well worth a visit.
• Ambleside Road, 1 mile from Windermere on A591.
• Open 7 days a week, 10am - 4.45pm
• Café and main building closed November - February.

Cafés around Coniston

Jumping Jenny Coffee House at Brantwood
Adjoining Ruskin's former home at Brantwood, in a beautifully-converted stable building with a small terrace overlooking Coniston Water. Excellent quality cakes, snacks and salads, home-made soup and a roaring log fire in winter.
• East side of Coniston Water, 2 miles from Coniston, off B5285 towards Hawkshead.
• Open every day, 11am - 5.30pm, except in winter Wednesday to Sunday only, 11am - 4.30pm.
• Tel: 015394 41715.

Bluebird Café
Right alongside Coniston Water, in a bright refurbished building next to the boating centre. Most of the seating is in a shaded outdoor patio shared with friendly ducks. Sandwiches, hot snacks, coffees and cakes.
• Lake Road, Coniston, 1/2 mile south of town off A593.
• Open every day in summer, 10am - 5pm; Saturdays and Sundays only in winter, 10.30am - 4.30pm.
• Tel: 015394 41649.

Cafés further afield (but worth stopping for)

Hazelmere Café and Bakery in Grange
Winner of the Tea Guild's Tea Shop of the Year Award 2006; great teas, coffees, breakfasts, snacks, lunches and home baking, served with old-fashioned care in bone-china crockery. Perfect!
• On B5277 from Windermere going into Grange-over-Sands, just past Grange Railway Station.
• Open every day, 10.00am to 5pm (4.30pm in winter).
• Tel: 015395 32972.
• Web: www.hazelmerecafe.co.uk

Low Sizergh Barn Café
Also a bit out of the Lakes, but this time ideally placed for a memorable pit-stop before the M6 south. The café is above the wonderful Low Sizergh farm shop, in an 18th century Westmorland stone barn, and overlooks a real-live milking byre (in action every day from 3.45pm). Fresh-baked cakes, scones, soups, quiches, salads etc.
• Southbound side of A591 dual carriageway, 4 miles from Kendal.
• Open every day, 9.30am to 5pm (4.45pm in winter).
Tel: 015395 60426.