Fino is a quaint wine bar in the village of Ambleside and was a stop off for us before heading to…read moreLake Road Kitchen for an evening meal. The decor is lovely and you can tell that the place is relatively new. The staff were helpful and knowledgeable when Neil C. asked to try a local gin. I would most definitely come here again!

This place gets four stars for the banter with the bar man. In terms of the bar itself, there's…read morenothing overt that sticks out to make this place unique -- it's cosy enough, with a fireplace and candles etc, but it's small and the decor doesn't say a great deal. You may notice it's got quite a local vibe too, since on our visit there were a few loud-to-rowdy locals crowded at the bar. Not that they were unfriendly, but for a single gal it could be intimidating to muscle in between 'the lads' in order to purchase a beverage. They have a cocktail menu, which is what we were after at the time, so I approached to see if we could knock up a few drinks. I was hankering for a straight up daiquiri, but this wasn't going to happen in Ambleside. He did, however, gladly make my Dad his very first white Russian -- which he loved. Happy days! Especially as that wasn't on the menu. For me, I had one of their in-house cocktails, which was strong, super sweet, and about 3 of my 5-a-day (it was loaded with fresh strawberries). That alone was enough to make me forgive Ambleside for the lack of proper cocktails. He blended it with ice, filled it with rum, and although it was slow to drink (ice cream headache central) it was delicious. Really decent lad behind the bar, and of course, plenty of lagers and such to choose from. They do food as well, I believe, but I've not tried.

I was only in Ambleside for a quick weekend, but The Fulling Mill right down from the tiny building…read moreon the river was the best meal I had in Cumbria. The space inside is 2 stories and dogs are allowed in the lower level area. The interior is slightly less "warm and cozy" than other pubs in the area, but it has a more posh feel. Prices were pretty much the same, but the menu has some fancier items like fresh pasta. There is an outdoor seating area, but it was much too cold to eat outside when I was there. I went with the crispy duck salad to start and it was delicious. The server recommended it and I'm glad we got it. The flavor profile was great with sesame oil dressing and bean sprouts. I got the fish pie as my main and it was also very good. Large portion and very hearty. It was £12.50. Good service and good food. Highly recommend. Especially over the way more packed, but much crappier food White Lion Pub.

Excellent service, friendly staff, whether the girls or Mike, you're sure to get a nice pint and a…read moregood chat. Brilliant place to meet at the beginning of the night with friends for chat and bizarre, eclectic drinks. Fantastic bar in kendal!

Off the beaten track on Lowther street. Fair sized bar serving many local and international beers…read moreand ales. New. large sun deck is great especially in summer. Opening hours are a bit random so check in advance. Mike the owner is very friendly.

If you love bubbles then this place is for you - basically a champagne tasting lounge where you can…read moretry loads of different small batch bottles in tasting flights or drink the whole bottle! Ok so I think may need to remortgage the house if I was to hangout here every day but as a special treat (or weekly indulgence to enjoy life ;-)) it's worth it. We went for the oak and rare flights with 3 glasses each for less than £20 each - perfect for an aperitif before dinner next door at Norse. The staff were super friendly, professional and knowledgable. At first I did think this is the worst name I'd ever heard for a place since Ned Flanders 'Leftorium' - but it really grew on me the more I've thought about it. Maybe because the experience was so nice and chilled out - it could be called anything!

Had some lovely bubbles here for a friends birthday late last year, barely open and clearly already…read morea roaring success..service impeccable, enthusiasm and product knowledge in abandon and tasty tasty champers. Everyone also knows that I'm a cheapskate but I thought the tasting flights were super reasonable and very generous at £12 for 3. I was also really impressed at the shop bottle prices which for 'exclusive grower champagne' were much less than I thought for such a unique product...I will be heading back to sample some more next time I'm up north although I think there is an online shop now too...hmmm options!

Excellent food and service, really friendly staff. We had a really lovely evening here and would…read moredefinitely go back!

Omg this is my forever place in hsatigate food wine service atmosphere is all fabulous. I highly…read morerecommend and will come each time I am back.

Enjoyed a bottle of wine and a top draw charcuterie board. So tasty and fresh. I would happily pay…read moremore for the quality. The service we received couldn't have been better, and it was such a comfortable yet lively atmosphere. Get yourselves there if you haven't already. There's nowt not to like

Loved this spot--everyone is down to earth and friendly. Great selection of wine and beers!…read moreAtmosphere is great!

Had a couple of drinks here on Boxing Day. Great little find…read more Pretty good selection of wine and beers. The food we tried (free samples brought with drinks) was very tasty! Would definitely go back for drinks and a proper meal again.

We walked over to Dacantus on a Friday afternoon, this is a gin bar recommended by Johnny and Chris…read moreat The Botanist (feels funny saying Gin Bar, like Carrie Nation and the Prohibitionists are going to come charging through the door and challenge my femininity and sobriety). Out of curiosity... I made a note to look up the meaning of Dacantus (this is a Spanish place, only one person working here (the bartender when we arrived) isn't Spanish) - the closest I could get was "wine aerator" but I think that's because there's a wine aerator branded Decantus. We'd never seen Beefeater 24, so hubs ordered one with grapefruit and cardamon garnish and Fever Tree Light Tonic £6.50. When hubs tasted this, he said "wow" very softly and his eyes lit up. I had Bombay Sapphire with juniper berries and lemon peel and Slim Schweppes Tonic £5.95. They really twisted those peels to get as much aromatic oil out of them as possible (and they did it with two sets of tongs, not their bare fingers). The cardamon was a ground spice. The ice was very large - less dilution of the cocktails. I liked the juniper berries quite a bit. We were offered an aperitif to accompany our gin & tonics, chicken in a mustard sauce, quite tasty. Then we ordered the pork cubes. Not at all what we expected! It was a larger portion and the food was universally delicious! We'll be back in summer of 2016!