Lake Road Kitchen

Incredible experience from start to finish. Sally was wonderful to correspond with to arrange the booking. When we arrived, we were greeted by Chef and it only got better from there. We loved the playlist which created an upbeat yet relaxed atmosphere. Once settled in, you’re taken on a culinary adventure served by passionate staff who provide such beautiful origin stories of each dish and ingredient. You truly understand the intention behind every single element - both in cuisine and service. We had the 5 servings plus wine pairing and felt satiated. It was seriously the best gelato I’ve ever tasted in my life. My husband and I were celebrating our 10 year anniversary and they truly made it special. Our only complaint is that haven’t dined here sooner! We’ll definitely be back.

Lake Road Kitchen in Ambleside is an absolute gem! From the moment we walked in, the warm, inviting atmosphere and the attentive staff made us feel right at home. The menu is a delightful foodie journey, each dish expertly crafted and beautifully presented. There was no standout dish for me as they were all outstandingly good. The wine pairing was impeccable, enhancing the flavours of each course. The attention to detail and the passion for culinary excellence are evident in every bite. It's clear that the team at Lake Road Kitchen takes great pride in what they do. This was more than just a meal; it was an unforgettable dining experience. Highly recommend!

I was surprised with the 8 course tasting menu for my 25th birthday - no better way to celebrate 1/4 of a century! James, chef patron, was a legend. You can tell he cares so much about his food and in particular, how you enjoy his food. And somehow the food tasted even better than it looked. The bread - the BEST bread I've ever had. The butter that came with it was dry aged and it tasted meaty with the bread - I don't know how. My favourite dish, although it's incredibly hard to choose, (other than dessert because that's a different category) was the salmon. It was the best salmon I've ever had and I savoured every bite. And the PISTACHIO GELATO. 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. Amazing. Wonderful. Also, shout-out to Darren who was vibes. He 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.

We had the pleasure of dining here last night, and the experience was nothing short of exceptional. Darren and the front-of-house team were absolutely brilliant—attentive, professional, and incredibly hardworking, ensuring every detail was perfect. The kitchen team delivered an outstanding 12-course tasting menu, with optional add-ons for an even more indulgent experience. Every dish was beautifully crafted, bursting with flavor, and executed to perfection. From start to finish, it was an unforgettable evening, and we can’t recommend it highly enough!

Every dish at this Michelin-starred restaurant exuded simplicity yet showcased an incredible level of care and attention to detail, resulting in an explosion of flavors with each course. The impeccable balance achieved in every dish, despite pushing culinary boundaries, was truly remarkable. Opting for the additional Wagyu dish was a decision I won't soon forget. Having recently returned from Kobe, I had high expectations, but James' steak surpassed even the renowned Kobe beef in taste and quality. Discovering Lake Road was a delightful surprise, and it's safe to say it may become our new favorite spot in the Lakes. L'Enclume might need to brace for some competition! Thank you, to James and his team - a very well deserved star.

Possibly the best place we have ever visited for food. Each meal is incredible. A chef from the kitchen brings out each meal and explains where the food has come from and what has been done to get it to the plate. The monkfish was surprisingly good and the desserts were my favourite. We would definitely visit again.

What a great restaurant, deserving of a Michelin star. The 8-course menu was superb - the amount of preparation, the quality ingredients, the attention to detail and most of all the flavours were superb. It was lovely to have Nick and Thomas, the chef's, bring out the dishes and talk about them and the restaurant manager Darren was very knowledgeable and friendly too. It's a very nice restaurant with a good atmosphere and local sheepskins on the chairs. Highly, highly recommended.

What a wonderful meal! Every dish we had was excellent down to the finest details. While every course was indeed amazing, the tiger prawn was the unexpected star - since I'm generally not a huge fan of prawn. The tastes just worked so well together with the perfectly cooked prawn. The service was great and the chef was delightful, friendly, knowledgeable, and would come out of the kitchen to serve a number of the dishes himself. We'll definitely be back as he promised to make the cheesecake next time I'm in town! But also we'll be back because it was so good 😁

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.

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!

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.