Lake District
Ambleside
Slate streets, good food and every fell within reach.
Ambleside is where the Lake District gets on with itself: outdoor shops, a cinema in an old chapel, coffee that is genuinely good, and a ring of fells beginning at the end of the street.
It suits guests who want to walk seriously by day and eat well by night, without driving anywhere.
Restaurants
- A tiny tasting-menu kitchen with six tables
- Wood-fired cooking on the road out towards Rydal
Pubs
- A walkers' inn at the foot of the Struggle
- A riverside pub with a proper snug
Walks
- Loughrigg Fell for the classic Lakeland view
- Stock Ghyll Force before breakfast
- The Fairfield Horseshoe for a full, honest day
Things to do
- Guided fell days
- Bike hire towards Grizedale
- Lake cruises from Waterhead
Signature recommendations
- Walk up Loughrigg for sunset rather than midday
- Book dinner before you book the walk