The Lake District Guide

Your guide to the best vegetarian restaurants and cafes in the English Lake District.

The Lake District has not traditionally been a place where vegetarianism has had a big following - too many sheep for that, I guess! But recently, with the advent of the gastropub/restaurant, more sophisticated country house hotel restaurants, and modern bistro/cafe bar, the vegetarian visitor to the Lake District has been better served. Unfortunately, exclusively vegetarian places are still a bit thin on the ground, but we offer you a selection of places where there is at the very least a good choice of caringly prepared vegetarian meals.

If you've stayed or dined at a hotel or restaurant and you think it should be included in this guide, please send your comments and observations (good or bad) to info@lake-district-guides.co.uk

If you're a restaurateur or hotelier, email suppliers@lake-district-guides.co.uk

Please confirm all opening hours before you visit the restaurants!

A reader emails: Hi, I was just looking at your guide and would also like to add:

Ambleside - Fellinis - owned by the same people as Zefferellis - we had an excellent meal there, it is quite sophisticated and good for a special meal. www.fellinisambleside.com

Also in Ambleside - the Rattle Gill café - more info here on veggie places - has lovely soups, jacket potatoes, veggie chilli etc, in a location by the river and old waterwheel. The taster plate of cakes is not to be missed!

South Lake District Vegetarian Restaurants

Ulverston - The World Peace Cafe

Lovely little place with a great atmosphere, run by Buddhists. Lunches, no dinners. 100% organic and vegetarian. Absolutely delicious food!
World Peace Café, 5 Cavendish Street, Ulverston, LA12 7AD
Phone: 01229 587793 Web: www.worldpeacecafe.org

Kendal - Pumpkins Bistro (not exclusively veggie)

Pumpkins has a special emphasis on vegetarian food but they're also very happy to accommodate individual dietary requirements upon request. The restaurant is licensed and has a pleasant ambience enhanced by attractive artwork, some by a local artist, which gives it a Mediterranean feel. The menus are varied and very reasonably priced, all the food is sourced locally and the meat is predominately produced in Cumbria. Eggs are sourced from free range "happy hens", and they grow a considerable amount of the vegetables used during the summer months. Opening times are Monday to Wednesday 9.30am until 5.00pm and Thursday, Friday and Saturday 9.30am until 8.30pm. They even open other nights of the week for larger bookings (with the exception of Sundays).

Pumpkins Bistro, 7 Allhallows Lane, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4JH
Phone 01539 728722 for reservations and enquiries.

Kendal - Tapestry Tearooms

The award-winning vegetarian Tapestry Tearooms provides an eclectic mix of delicious food to suit all tastes. In November 2007 the Tapestry Tearooms received the Vegetarian Society Award for "Best Provision for Vegetarians at a Visitor Attraction". In May 2008 Cumbria Tourism awarded the Exhibition Centre & Tearooms the "Small visitor Attraction of the Year 2008".
(If you're wondering about the tapestry, it's a tale of 350 years of history, an award-winning exhibition which has been compared with the Bayeux Tapestry! The famous Quaker Tapestry was created by 4,000 people in 15 countries and is one of the world's largest community textile projects. The Tapestry celebrates social history from the 17th century, including such events, subjects and characters as George Stephenson, the Irish Potato Famine, the Slave Trade, the Crimean War, William Penn and Pennsylvania, Pope Pius VII, Tsar Nicholas I, Joseph Rowntree, science, marriage, criminal justice, botany, railways and unemployment.)
Family facilities include: multi-lingual personal audio guides and large screen video, interactive displays, costume, gift shop, garden, and award winning tearooms.
Open: Mon-Fri 10.00-17.00, April - Nov. Tearooms: all year. Open some Saturdays 11am - 3pm throughout the year. Closed Bank Holidays.
Quaker Tapestry Exhibition Centre & Tearooms, Friends Meeting House, Stramongate, Kendal LA9 4BH
Directions: Friends Meeting House in Kendal town centre. Entrances on Stramongate and New Road, facing the river.
Phone: 01539 722975
Email: info@quaker-tapestry.co.uk Web: www.quaker-tapestry.co.uk

Kendal - New Moon

A super little bistro/restaurant, serving local food with a sharp contemporary edge. Good for vegetarians and fish lovers. It's got something of a reputation as the local "foodies" choice!
The New Moon Restaurant, 129 Highgate, Kendal, LA9 4EN
Phone: 01539 729254 Web: www.newmoonrestaurant.co.uk

Kendal - Waterside Cafe

Great little vegetarian cafe serving soups, salads, baked goods and cakes, with tortillas and so on. Veggie whole food, good and reliable.
Waterside Cafe, Guffs Road (Bottom of Lowther Street), Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4DZ
Phone: 01539 729743

Kendal - Union Jack

Well established daytime eatery serving daily specials and vegetarian dishes, fresh hand cut chips and home baking all at very reasonable prices.
Union Jack, 15 Kirkland, Kendal
Phone: 01539 722458

Central Lake District Vegetarian Restaurants

Bowness - Elephant and Camel Internet Cafe

A reader emails: "I enjoyed your web site. Would just like to recommend the Internet Cafe in Bowness. You get far more than the standard 'cappucino with emails' - I can thoroughly recommend the food for a light lunch. The chef makes a variety of lovely soups, wraps, and light meals. My wife and I are vegetarian, and we always have a choice of menu. Well worth a visit - up the hill past the cinema on the left side of the road - worth the walk."
4 Windermere Bank, Bowness, LA23 2JJ
Phone: 015394 88707

Ambleside - Zefferelli's

With cinema, pizzeria, and cafe, this is a complete entertainment centre! The cafe is famous for its inventive veggie food. Even devote meat eaters will find something tasty and delicious here, for there's lots of choice to satisfy even the heartiest appetite.
Compston Road, Ambleside (on left of one-way street coming into town centre from Windermere).
Phone: 015394 33845 Web: www.zeffirellis.com

Grasmere - Lancrigg Hotel Vegetarian Restaurant

Unreservedly recommended for their great dinners, available to residents and non-residents of the hotel. See the entry in the hotel section of this site.
Lancrigg Vegetarian Country House Hotel, Easedale, Grasmere, Cumbria LA22 9QN
Phone: 015394 35317 Fax: 015394 35058 Web: www.lancrigg.co.uk

Northern Lake District Vegetarian Restaurants

Rosthwaite - Borrowdale, near Keswick - Hazel Bank Country House

A country house hotel with a vegetarian approach. Highly awarded for its cooking.
Sumptuous bedrooms and stunning views.
Rosthwaite, Borrowdale, near Keswick, CA12 5XB
Phone: 017687 77248 Web: www.hazelbankhotel.co.uk

Excellent little bicycle centre and wholefood cafe.
Bell Park Close, Keswick, CA12 5JD
Phone: 017687 74492 Web: www.lakelandpedlar.co.uk

Thoroughly committed to producing organic food of the highest quality, this brand has become a national institution. You can see where it all started and enjoy the superb veggie food from breakfast till late afternoon. Dinner is not available.

Edenholme Bakery, Lazonby, Penrith, CA10 1BG
Phone: 01768 898437
Email: info@village-bakery.com Web: www.village-bakery.com

Penrith - Upfront Gallery

Ah, what a delightful oasis in this part of the Lakes! A combination of interesting theatre art by a talented designer John Parkinson, exhibitions of paintings and sculpture of the highest quality and a super coffee shop providing delicious meals and snacks of sumptuous veggie food. I always think that coming across a place to stop and eat while having the chance to view good art is one of the great pleasures of travelling, and it's a wonderful thing that we can do it in the Lakes.

Upfront Gallery, Nr Hutton-in-the-Forest, Unthank, Penrith, CA11 9TG
Phone: 017684 84538 Fax: 017684 84187
Web: www.up-front.com