Eating our way around Ambleside
Day 1 -we visited a place called 'The Lily Bar' -it was super cosy insider - with a fire burning and lots of candles. I was really taken by the Christmas tree tea lights pictured below. The music was really chilled and they served Gin and Tonic's in big chalice full of ice - instant 10/10. I opted for a chicken and ham pie which was incredible tasty. We really enjoyed the atmosphere in this bar and instantly felt at home - we were even tempted to return for the mid-week quiz!
Day 2-we found a lovely Italian called Dodds - it was relatively small inside - and if full the seating would have been very close together. On a Tuesday it was approximately half full and we had plenty of space. The waiting staff were really friendly and service was amazing. We ate the most amazing garlic bread with mozzarella to start with and then I had Hake, Prawn and Pea Risotto - photo above.
I have really got into risotto over the last year - it has become my go to meal of choice in most Italians. The dish was amazing - full of flavour - but you would to really need to like fish to appreciate it. Garry also had an amazing lasagne - but to be honest the whole menu looked amazing.
Day 3-we headed over to the Fulling Mill - which we were delighted to find open. We had walked past the restaurant in our first few days in Ambleside - but could never work out if it was open or not. The entrance to the restaurant didn't look particularly inviting - but once we entered the building we were met with a flood of activity. The building was in fact three floors high with burning open fires on each floor. It felt instantly warm and inviting. We were taken to the second floor where we had a great view out onto Ambleside - perfect spot for some people watching.
Tonight I had an amazing meal (yes I know three great meals in a row) - but this really was super yummy. The photo above shows the Salmon Wellington I had. It really was as tasty as it looked. They got the portion size spot on as well and I left feeling very content.
The restaurant itself is very nicely decorated - even the Christmas decorations were elegant. This is why I feel the need to mention the decor in the toilets - unfortunately no photos for you - but if you can imagine a wall filled with a big painting. The painting wasn't of a beautiful Lake District scene, but of an Emu and an Elephant cartoon - both dressed as ballerinas. It just really confused me and felt a little like toilets designed for a drunken bar.
Day 4 - our final night - and we went to Matthews Bistro - a place just around the corner from our cottage. The Bistro has a number of deals on the menu depending on whether you eat before or after 7pm. We went after 7pm and you could get two courses for £19.95. I was defeated after one course however as the portion sizes were immense. The above photos shows the Beef Bourginon I had. Although it was delicious I couldn't get through it all. We did also hear several other tables making comments on the portion sizes - so if you are really hungry and fancy a big feed in Ambleside - this is the place to go. The quality of food was outstanding, the service was really friendly and personal and the value for money was superb.
Four days have flown by and we feel we have been really spoilt for choice every night for dinner. We couldn't fault any of the restaurants for the quality of the food and would certainly return to all four in the future. For anyone visiting Ambleside you are in for a treat if you enjoy your food - as these places are all super yummy!