A local’s guide to the best Bowness and Windermere restaurants
Fed up with searching for places to eat in Windermere? You’ve come to the right place to narrow your search, with real-life recommendations.
As locals to the area, our guide to Bowness and Windermere restaurants will help you find the perfect place to eat based on personal experience. Plus some handy hints for booking and food.
Best restaurants in Windermere and Bowness for a special occasion
To celebrate and dine in style, Henrock at Linthwaite House is our standout choice. The Samling and Gilpin Spice follow close behind, depending on whether the occasion calls for classic tasting-menu theatrics or something more informal. Let’s take a closer look:
Henrock
Cuisine: Modern British (farm-to-fork)
Price: £££ (Full tasting menu £125pp)
Henrock’s kitchen is led by head chef Mark McCabe under Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan. Most of the restaurant’s produce is grown on Rogan’s own regenerative farm in the Cartmel Valley. Its status is entirely well deserved – the food and ambience are pure class.
Good to know:
- Full tasting menu £125pp*. The whole table must order the same one.
- Dinner runs from Wednesday to Sunday from 6pm. Sunday lunch from midday.
The Samling
Cuisine: Modern European
Price: £££ (Tasting menu £175pp)
The Samling makes the list for its backdrop as much as its food. Set in an 18th-century house with 67 acres of stunning land, positioned above Lake Windermere, it’s widely considered to have the best view of any restaurant in the Lake District. The Michelin-starred kitchen and an exceptional wine list back up the setting for a truly special celebration.
Good to know:
- Request a window table facing the lake for sunset when booking.
- Tasting menu £175pp. Wine pairings available at £130, £350 or £950 per person*.
Gilpin Spice
Cuisine: Pan-Asian
Price: ££ (small plates £7-£12, large plates £16-£20)
We love Gilpin Spice for offering something different from the typical fine dining tasting-menu format. The Michelin-starred, Pan-Asian restaurant is built around an open kitchen and three themed dining rooms. It’s the perfect pick for anyone who finds classic fine dining a bit formal.
Good to know:
- Ask to sit at the chef’s counter to watch the kitchen work.
- The small plates are great for relaxed sharing.
Top tip: Book weekend dinners well in advance during peak season for any of the above to avoid disappointment. But note that Henrock and Gilpin Spice require 48 hours’ notice for cancellations or amendments, so book only when your plans are firm.
*Prices accurate at time of publishing.
Best lunch places to eat in Windermere & Bowness
For an easy and delicious lunch, Porto and Base Pizza get our vote, while Easy Breeze is the lunch spot to linger with a drink. They all deliver consistently good food and service, and have strong reviews. Read on to find out more.
Porto, Bowness
Cuisine: Modern British
Price: ££ (mains roughly £15-£30)
Porto is Windermere’s only independent restaurant to hold an AA Rosette. That status alone isn’t the reason it’s on our guide, though. Its friendly service, homely feel, and easy lunch menu make it a top choice.
Good to know:
- The rooftop terrace is the place to sit when the weather is good.
- Warm homemade focaccia comes to the table as soon as you sit down.
Base Pizza, Bowness
Cuisine: Italian (Neapolitan-style sourdough pizza)
Price: £ (£10-£20pp)
Base Pizza is a firm favourite of ours, and its reputation is well-earned. The Times named it among the UK’s top 50 pizzerias, and it’s known locally as the spot where the Lake District’s own Michelin-starred chefs go to eat on their night off. The sourdough bases are to die for.
Good to know:
- Base Pizza doesn’t take bookings, so arrive early to avoid a queue.
- Dogs are welcome.
The Easy Breeze, Bowness
Cuisine: International street food & grill
Price: ££ (mains £15-£20; bottomless brunch £55pp)
Head to The Easy Breeze if you’re after a leisurely lunch with friends on the weekend. The bottomless brunch is the perfect partner to keep the drinks flowing. With a lively beer garden and menu overseen by a triple-rosette chef, this place guarantees good times.
Good to know:
- Bottomless brunch runs 90 minutes, priced at £55pp, and booking is essential.
- The place to be for delicious cocktails.
Best cafes in Windermere & Bowness for walkers
Fuelling up for or refuelling after a fell walk, Homeground and Toast are our top picks. Both draw a loyal local queue, but each suits a different point in the day.
Toast, Windermere
Cuisine: British/Korean fusion café
Price: £ (toasties and sandwiches, budget-friendly)
We rate Toast as one of the best brunch spots in Windermere. It serves speciality coffee and is perfectly placed near Windermere train station. Regulars queue outside before it opens rather than risk missing a table! This is your spot to fuel up.
Good to know:
- Toasties are made with home-baked milk loaf; the Korean Shredded Chicken is the dish we can’t say no to.
- A bakery on Main Road is due to open shortly, alongside the existing café; Toast also runs the onsite food stand at the Lakes Brew Co tap room in Ambleside.
Homeground, Windermere
Cuisine: Gourmet British brunch
Price: £ (£10-£20pp)
Reward your walk with the ultimate comfort food. Homeground’s famous queue speaks for itself. If you want excellent coffee and a lunch that makes you go “ooh”, Homeground is worth the wait.
Good to know:
- It’s walk-ins only.
- Order the hash browns. Just trust us.
Related reading: For help choosing a walking trail, this Guide to Lake District walks from Windermere covers routes for every ability, from an easy stroll to a half-day fell walk.
Eating in Windermere with a lake view
Windermere town isn’t next to the lake, so you need to head to Bowness for a meal with a lake view. Boardwalk Bar & Grill and Lake View Garden Bar are the two best-positioned spots right on the water. Find out why they made our list.
Boardwalk Bar & Grill, Bowness
Cuisine: American-style grill & BBQ
Price: ££ (£20-£30pp)
Boardwalk earns its place for stunning, uninterrupted lakefront seating at Gilly’s Landing. It also holds a TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice “Best of the Best” award, backed by one of the strongest review counts of any restaurant in Bowness.
Good to know:
- Request the balcony for the best views.
- The early bird menu offers strong value before 6.30pm – great for families.
Lake View Garden Bar, Bowness
Cuisine: British pub/gastropub
Price: ££
Lake View Garden Bar is where we head when we want a beer garden with holiday vibes. Its two elevated terraces directly facing the water are the perfect place to let your afternoon and evening unfold around picky food and friendly banter.
Good to know:
- Recognised nationally as having the 3rd best beer garden in the UK.
- The menu is relaxed and picky – think loaded flatbreads and fries, burgers, and sharing plates.
Make Windermere and Bowness your base with a Coppermines Cottage
This guide covers a lot of ground, from Michelin-starred tasting menus to a queue-worthy brunch, but a trip to Windermere is rarely just about one meal.
If you’re putting a Windermere trip together and want a base nearby, take a look at our holiday cottages in Windermere, or get in touch with the team directly. We can help you find a property to match your plans, whether that’s a big group booking, an intimate celebratory break, or a few friends after a quiet week of fell walks.
