The Chef must be very talented. We enjoyed a beautifully presented and delicious dinner and…read morebreakfast. Staff is very accommodating and rooms are nicely decorated and comfortable. View of hills in the lovely Lake District, close to shops and convenient for walks.

We saw signs on the way to Helm Crag about a cafe/bar nearby and decided to check it out after the…read morehike. The smoked-duck salad was splendid, and my husband was quite pleased w/ his ham sandwich (sides of green salad and potato salad scored well, too). But the winner was the orange-carrot cake for dessert. I'm going to try to get the recipe: dense, moist, not-too-sweet... I am reasonably sure the sweetener was orange marmalade. Reminded me of my grandma's (steamed) Christmas pudding. Oh, and the atmosphere was cozy, and service good. Beautiful location just outside Grasmere.

Delightful place, in part because staff is SO good. I booked this place based on recommendations…read moreon Trip Advisor and then booked through Expedia. I clearly messed up the booking and wound up with two separate reservations -- for one night and the next two. I thought it was a little pricey, but I liked the recommendations and location so I took it. Then I got here and the dining room staff explained to me that both of my reservations included breakfast and one of them included two 4-course dinners for two -- now the price starts to look like a bargain. The staff has been on top of everything. We did not give our room number or names at breakfast, but they brought over the newspaper with our room number on it. Woman at the front desk clearly remembered me when I went up to discuss on which night we would use our second dinner. Our room is one of their basic ones, but it is comfortable in all respects with a bathroom that appears to have been updated in the last few years. Excellent wifi, which I was glad to see after struggling at the last place. Highly recommended, but if you want to stay here, I would recommend phoning and talking with one of the nice front desk staff rather than booking on-line as I did.

There are many positive things to be said about this hotel. The building is quite attractive and…read morethe rooms are first rate. There is a lovely garden in back. Unfortunately, the staff suffers from an attitude that seems all too frequent when small hotels hold themselves out as providing "luxury" service: the service is quite good -- if one falls in with the way the staff likes things to be done. Our experience was that even the simplest special request was met with much eye rolling followed by grudging assistance. Not sure we would return.

Note: I only give out 5 stars to surprisingly EXCEPTIONAL, best-in-class establishments…read more John & Lyn Kirkbride own and operate this lovely bed and breakfast. My wife and I vacationed here for our honeymoon, and we were absolutely thrilled with The Ryelands. Lyn is personable and very professional. She exudes a genuine concern and care for her guests. The rooms are fantastically comfortable, and extremely well situated within walking distance of "downtown" Grasmere. Our room, the Silver Howe, has a lovely view with an ever so faint glimpse of Grasmere Lake. The "negative" aspects of this property are actually what makes it wonderful as well. The flat screen television is VERY small with a limited channel selection, and is not easily visible while lying down on the bed (it should be mounted on the wall for better viewing). This is actually a positive, since one shouldn't expect to spend much time in the room, and time would be better spent reading Wordsworth than watching a rerun of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" The staircase leading up to the bedrooms is moderately steep and narrow--a daunting gauntlet for large suitcases or obese rear ends. And don't expect to wheel a suitcase or anything up the gravel driveway to the property. It makes a lovely crunching sound as you walk, but it's impossible to drag anything with wheels smaller than a moving dolly or hand truck. Still, the property is utterly gorgeous. The owners/operators are personable, helpful and inviting. Their breakfasts are delicious. The towels are surprisingly soft, and smell of soothing lavender. It's easy to get "caught up" in the romantic feel of Grasmere from The Ryelands. I HIGHLY recommend The Ryelands over ANY other property in Grasmere, including the famous Wordsworth Hotel. I would award The Ryelands a 5-star rating if: 1. The flat screen television was wall-mounted and maybe connected to a simple DVD player. It's a seemingly silly request, but it's what I would expect from a 5-star establishment. 2. Breakfast service ends slightly too early (around 9 or 10 AM). I would expect a 5-star establishment to provide a simple, continental breakfast option for guests who choose to dine after those hours. 3. The downstairs office uses a secured wireless internet connection, but no access is provided for guests. I would expect a 5-star establishment to provide or charge for in-room internet access. With the relatively low cost of wireless-N routers, I do not believe this to be an unreasonable request.

We had dinner there and it far exceeded our expectations! We ordered the focaccia bread, tomato…read moreand whipped goat cheese salad and skewered prawns as appetizers. There was plenty to share. There were only two of us and easily was enough for 4!! Chateaubriand for 2 was amazing!!! Chef and sous chef and wait staff really know what they are doing! Amazing dinner and this is a must when visiting Grasmere! You will not be disappointed at all... and the views are beautiful.

My wife and I stayed here for two nights, midweek in June 2018. We enjoyed it very much and would…read morego back again. The building is beautifully renovated with classy modern decor, airy and bright. We booked the most expensive room, a lake view room with balcony for 250 British Pounds per night, including breakfast. The balcony overlooks fields used for sheep grazing. We enjoyed being close to all the birds and the flock of 20 to 30 sheep. The man who cared for the sheep had a dog who helped round up the animals. It felt like we were living on a working farm, and we loved it. The room was spacious and modern with a very nice bathroom. The in-room coffeemaker was a fancy model, too complicated for me to use, even after the staff gave me two demonstrations on how to brew the coffee. Apparently my Masters degree is not adequate for this task. In the room we could clearly hear every step people took in the room above, but luckily it was a quiet couple in that room, so not a big issue. The dining facilities and bar at the hotel are beautiful and spacious, with lots of windows, views, and natural light. The decor is modern and tasteful and there is an open kitchen, making it more interesting. Breakfast was done very well, offering a combination of buffet service and waitress service. You can eat indoors or outside on a lovely patio. It should be noted that views of the lake are minimal. You can only see a very small portion of the lake from the hotel, and there is no lake access from the hotel property. Nevertheless, we were more than satisfied with the views -- mountains and farm fields, all lush and green. The hotel is not in the town center. It is on the edge of the village, just a 2-minute walk to shops and restaurants. I highly recommend this hotel.

Hotel -8* Location 5*…read moreRestaurant 5* Michelin 1* Result 3* I would not choose to stay again at the Hotel, it's suffering from a degree of pretentiousness that you may have encountered in the 18th century 'à la' Marie Antoinette but, lets put that aside and see the silver lining :) It's all about the incredible location & the restaurant there.... Meat is delivered at it's succulent best, sous vide cooked in a way that ensures no brining. Head chef Kevin Tickle is on his way to Michelin stardom with what can only be described as food porn. Originally at L'Enclume (Grange-over-Sands) with Simon Rogan, he has created a kitchen garden at Forest Side in order to provide the very best quality for as much of the year as possible. Vegetarians are also well catered for here and take a close look at the website when you are ready to book as it is seasonally based so will vary as fresh produce comes into season. For my visit I had Saltcod with Caviar followed by Shorthorn rib & ended with Japanese wine berries. Just what the Dr. ordered ! :) Go, eat, have an orgasm of the palate and know you have been satiated. #fullwallletrequired