Lake Road Kitchen

Restaurant · Lakes

Lake Road Kitchen

Restaurant · Lakes

2

Sussex House, Lake Rd, Ambleside LA22 0AD, United Kingdom

Photos

Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by Lake Road Kitchen [Official Photo]
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null
Lake Road Kitchen by null

Highlights

Creative locavore tasting menus, intimate setting, wine pairings  

Sussex House, Lake Rd, Ambleside LA22 0AD, United Kingdom Get directions

lakeroadkitchen.co.uk
@lakeroadkitchen

£100+ · Menu

Reserve

Information

Static Map

Sussex House, Lake Rd, Ambleside LA22 0AD, United Kingdom Get directions

+44 15394 22012
lakeroadkitchen.co.uk
@lakeroadkitchen
𝕏
@LakeRoadKitchen

£100+ · Menu

Reserve

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reservations required

Last updated

Oct 26, 2025

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@michelinguide

"Nordic décor meets the Lake District at this intimate restaurant, where wooden planks line the walls and sheepskins cover the chairs. The Lakes provides much of the top-drawer produce, although the chefs do look further afield, with a few Japanese influences being incorporated, such as in the Ōra King salmon with karebushi, tomato and maple dashi. Dishes often look simple, but are in fact complex, creative and contain impressive depth of flavour – years of culinary experience are evident in every mouthful. Service is smooth, with the detailed dish descriptions delivered with confidence and pride." - Michelin Inspector

https://guide.michelin.com/en/cumbria/ambleside/restaurant/lake-road-kitchen
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@eater

The Best Restaurants in the Lake District, Cumbria | Eater London

"“Hyper-seasonal, cool climate cooking” perfectly encapsulates the food-sourcing ethic of chef James Cross but the brevity of the phrase only hints at the exceptional meals, served in this 19-seat restaurant. There’s a stripped down, vaguely Scandinavian feel to its interior, so no real distraction from savouring what Cross intends to be “one of the best meals” of diners’ lives. His protein heavy five- or eight-course tasting menus — a 12-course one is available too — might encompass muntjac deer from Scotland, lobster from Norway, and Herdwick lamb and veal short rib from the Lake District. Bergen steamed halibut with beurre monté sauce (based on one of five house-made misos) and the 120-day-aged Blue Grey beef, barbecued in the kitchen in front of your eyes and served with black truffle oil, are a couple of dishes to look out for. Cool climate cooking? The warmth is in the welcome and in the deep contentment of dining here." - Christian Dymond

https://london.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-lake-district-cumbria
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dave p

Google
We had the 8 course tasting menu in the wonderful Lake Road Kitchen. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and very professional. The food was exceptional. This is what a tasting menu is all about. Not everything scored top marks for us but we still recognised the skill and invention that had gone into the dish. The salmon was our favourite and the cheesecake was exquisite. A truly wonderful experience and we would thoroughly recommend.

Kwang Sujinno

Google
Great Michelin restaurant, perfect for a date. The intimate setting with few tables makes it feel private and special. The food was delicious, though we expected a bit more “wow” from the menu. Service was superb.

Amanda Riddle

Google
This food is unforgettable. This is the first Michelin-starred restaurant my wife and I have been to. My wife is vegan and I ordered the vegetarian menu. They were so accommodating and recreated most of the dishes based on our restrictions, but the food tasted like it was meant to be that way to start. The staff was also great, they were super friendly. Overall I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. The only negative was that it ruined the rest of the food during my stay.

Patricia Davis

Google
Did the 5 course meal to dip our toes into our first Michelin locally, definitely plan to do the 12 course. The flavors and dishes were well thought out and beautifully layered. The salmon dish and peas were PHENOMENAL. We even took home some fermented butter, which was insane! Definitely will make our way back and well worth the experience.

M Son

Google
It was a perfect place to wrap up my holiday. My friend recommended me the LRK and it was worth it! My favourites were iberico with egg yolk, octopus and wagyu and all the rest! Basically I haven’t left anything. I’m not a sweet tooth but both desserts were just right for me. Some sauce was a bit salty for me, but it’ll be okay for most people. Service was great and wine pairing was great too! Thank you!

Keiko Miyata

Google
We chose the 12 course meal with an added course and dessert, and it was worth every penny! Every plate was beautifully plated, and phenomenal. The head chef, James came out to explain several of the dishes in detail, from what makes the ingredient unique, to how it was sourced and prepared. The explanations of every dish made this a fascinating experience that set it apart from other Michelin restaurants since it’s never the chef, and the plates are not always explained in detail. The other servers/chef were all kind and friendly as well. We also loved how certain ingredients were paired with preparations that you would never think of, such as pea miso or barley koji. Being Japanese, I loved how old Japanese methods were used on untypical ingredients. Lastly, James and Darren (sommelier) chose a few wines for us, and they went perfectly with our meal. The wine pairing would be a good choice at this restaurant. The dishes are spaced with enough time that you wouldn’t have to rush drinking every glass, and their wines are incredible. If you are visiting Ambleside, this restaurant is a must! It was the highlight of our time in the UK, and will definitely be back if we’re ever in Ambleside again.

Andrew Reid

Google
What a brilliant evening. Truly one of the best restaurants I’ve had the pleasure dining in - but hands down the best overall experience at a restaurant. The staff are absolutely incredible, friendly, engaging, knowledgeable and genuinely enthusiastic about the food they are serving. The head chef is visible serving dishes and engaging with customers throughout the evening - even though he’s exceptionally busy as you can imagine. The wine pairing was a delight with a story behind every drop with generous pours. It is worthwhile. My husband cannot have dairy and this was taken into consideration flawlessly. Thank you for truly an amazing evening.

Shovi Anjum

Google
I was surprised with the 8 course tasting menu for my 25th birthday! James, chef patron, was a legend. You can tell he cares so much about his food. The bread was the BEST bread I've ever had. The butter that came with it was dry aged and it tasted meaty with the bread. My favourite dish, although it's hard to choose, was the salmon. I savoured every bite. I crave for pistachio gelato every time I visit a hot country in Europe. To have this at home in the Lakes, and not only this, but the best quality pistachios paired with British cherry jam. Incredible. Also, shout-out to Darren who was an exceptional server. Hats off, the experience really felt once-in-a-lifetime as I'll remember this meal for the rest of my life. They also made me feel very special on my birthday, which I didn't expect at all. Worth every single ££ spent and it was a privilege to be able to go there.
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Neil C.

Yelp
Started in June 2014, Lake Road Kitchen is an unassuming yet intimate restaurant in the stunningly picturesque town of Ambleside just north of Lake Windermere in the Lake District. Centred around North European cuisine, and looking like the interior of a Nordic log cabin (in a good way), young chef James Cross (with spells at Noma, Copenhagen and Per Se, New York on his CV) has gradually built a reputation from his open kitchen, for beautifully executed food, constructed from locally sourced, and locally foraged ingredients. With exceptionally good reviews from Northern food bloggers such as Bacon on the Beach and Cumbria Foodie way back in 2014, and recently from national restaurant critic Marina O'Loughlin, I decided a trip up the M6 to LRK would be a good idea. After warming hands on the hot towels that we were presented upon being seated, I ordered the 8-course tasting menu sipped some wonderful English sparkling wine from the Wiston Estate winery in West Sussex, and waited for the food to arrive. Perfection is defined as: 'the action or process of improving something until it is faultless', and this is exactly what James and his team are producing at Lake Road Kitchen. From their intimate kitchen, the bread through to the cheesecake could not be subject to a single complaint, grievance, or criticism. Not a bum note, not a missed trick, from 8 courses. Highly improbable - yes, but not impossible it would seem. Therefore, I can only end by saying thank you to James, Sally, and the rest of the Lake Road Kitchen team for such an incredible evening.
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Laura F.

Yelp
Following a ridiculously positive review by Marina O'Lochlan in the Guardian (giving an outstanding 10/10 for food) it was decided that our trip to the Lake District would HAVE to include a visit to Lake Road Kitchen. On the main stretch of Ambleside shops and bars, sits this Nordic-esque restaurant that is promised to delight. We were seated at a table for two, minimal decor and wooden tables with a fur shawl-type wrap draped over the back of one chair (which I should have asked about, but Neil and I came to the conclusion that maybe it was for the ladies who may get a little cold whilst dining?) We had the tasting menu and each dish was exceptionally presented and the flavours.. Oh god, the flavours. They were just spot on. Outstanding mentions go to the king Crab dish with white asparagus and Creme Fraiche with caviar and the venison main course with black truffle. Such a beautiful restaurant and very VERY talented chefs!!! I'm already planning my next trip back here in the summer!

Paul S.

Yelp
We've eaten here twice now, most recently about 2 weeks ago (just discovered Yelp). Both occasions have been amongst the best meals I've ever eaten, every dish is pretty much a unique experience, the food is meticulously prepared. I'd put it up there with the likes of L'Enclume in Carmel. The service is spot on, friendly, informative and relaxed. The atmosphere is a sort of minimalist Icelandic feel. The "drapes" review "1" referred to are local Herdwick sheep fleeces. It's pricey by local standards (I'm local) but London types would regard it as an absolute bargain in comparison to the prices in the big smoke. I can see why the Grauniad gave it 10/10 - and you can generally trust Maria O Loughlan's reviews.