SIMON’S FOOD AND DRINK GUIDE for the Coniston Water area
All the below pubs & cafes are dog & children friendly
Listed in order of distance from our Coniston Water cottages in Low Nibthwaite
TAXI – Blueworks – 01539 531995 I recommend booking as far ahead as possible
RED LION, LOWICK BRIDGE
Free house. The nearest pub to our Coniston Water cottages. Small pub with larger dining room.
Home cooked pub food. Good beer garden. Very dog friendly.
15 minutes’ walk or 4 minutes’ drive from our Coniston Water Cottages. I recommend checking for current opening times.
01229 885366
MANOR HOUSE, OXEN PARK
LA12 8HG
Only 3 miles from our Coniston Water Cottages.
Free House. The favourite pub for many of our guests. Lovely old pub in a tiny hamlet. Very good pub food and very popular Sunday lunch. Very good pub food and well-kept local ales. Lovely south-facing beer garden.
Booking ahead is highly recommended – https://manorhouseoxenpark.co.uk/
THE FARMERS ARMS, LOWICK GREEN
Café, pub & community hub
One of the oldest pubs in the Lake District. Renovated and run by the ‘Grizedale Arts Society’. As a result, evenings might be hosted by local artists or poets. They also have pizza nights, which are cooked in a special outdoor wood-fired oven that was made for them using local materials and wood. Check current opening times – https://lakedistrictfarmersarms.com/
WILSONS ARMS, TORVER
LA21 8BB
The most popular pub locally for good pub food. 15 minutes’ drive north from Nibthwaite on the main road to Coniston village. Another Free house. Lovely garden at the rear and a sunny, south facing terrace at the front. They also have a small deli shop.
Dog friendly. Booking advised or turn up and wait for a seat in the pub area – 015394 41237
BRANTWOOD TERRACE COFFEE HOUSE AND RESTAURANT
LA21 8AD
Highly recommended by other guests for great food including breakfasts and “stunning views”. Dog friendly.
This is a stunningly beautiful place to relax and unwind with a spectacular view. Brantwood is a 5 mile drive north of our Coniston Water cottages. The drive takes you along the east coastline of Coniston Water. The views and ambience are second to none.
HEFT, HIGH NEWTON
LA11 6JH – 20 minutes drive from Low Nibthwaite.
Cartmel Valley’s 3rd Michelin star restaurant with a separate pub where they serve ‘bar snacks’. I’m not sure why they call them ‘snacks’ as they range from pie and mash to venison casserole and more. See below for more details about the pub.
Owned by chef Kevin Tickle and his wife Nicola. Kevin is a very respected and talented Cumbrian chef. indeed, Nicola and Kevin are Cumbrian born-and-bred and this is highlighted in Kevin’s imaginative cooking.
Separate lunch and dinner tasting menus and a very popular, although quite pricey, Sunday dinner too. Booking is essential for the Michelin starred restaurant including Sunday lunch.
The pub itself is a lovely 17th century Lakeland pub serving great beer and wine and the ‘bar snacks’.
Dogs and well-behaved children are allowed in the bar which is open Wednesday to Sunday. You can’t book a table in the bar area. Wednesday is a good day/night to go to the eat in the bar as they open up the restaurant for their bar food too.
BLUEBIRD CAFÉ, CONISTON
LA21 8AN
Situated on the shore of Coniston Water with lovely lake views and plenty of outdoor seating. The café menu includes hot & cold snacks, sandwiches, soups, jacket potatoes, cakes, ice cream, milkshakes, smoothies etc. They also serve wines and beers and sell Donald Campbell & Bluebird memorabilia.
On a sunny day there’s not many better places to be. One of the café’s big draws is the lakeside location. Almost all the seating has views over Coniston Water. The terrace is covered and heated in places, making it a lovely place to sit even in cooler months. No reservations, it’s first come, first served and it does get very busy when the weather is good. Dog friendly.
BLACKSMITHS ARMS, BROUGHTON MILLS
LA20 6AX
A lovely 20 minute drive west of our Coniston Water cottages. One of the Lake District’s best traditional, old pubs and it’s located in the wonderfully named ‘Lickle Valley’?
Lovely views from the terrace in warmer months. Popular pub food. Dog friendly. Booking for food in the evenings is essential. Closed Monday lunchtimes.
Tel: 01229 716824
ULVERSTON – Lovely Lake District market town!
Ulverston has lots of great cafes, shops and several good restaurants too.
Ulverston also has a good street market every Thursday and Saturday and a good indoor market every day. We love Ulverston with its pastel coloured buildings, great shops, quirky shops and bags of atmosphere. Head for Market Street, park up and enjoy exploring this lovely, small market town. Irving’s butchers is excellent and there’s a great fishmonger opposite too.
BAKEHOUSE – BORN & BREAD, GREENODD
GREAT PLACE FOR BREAKFAST/BRUNCH
Excellent bakery, café and more. Widely regarded as the best breakfast in the South Lakes. Don’t be put off that it’s an industrial estate building, it’s great inside. Dog & child friendly. Really hard to get in touch with them as they’re so popular and busy, but take a chance, turn up and wait if you have to. It’s worth it!! Closed on Sundays unfortunately. 01229 861265. 9am-3pm
BASE
Very popular bistro and café. Usually open Monday to Saturday 10am – 2pm and Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings too. The weekend evening menu is excellent. I highly recommend eating here but you need to book well ahead. https://www.baserestaurant.co.uk/
L’AL CHURRASCO
Spanish, Portuguese & Southern Mediterranean Tapas. Very popular, small but regularly changing menu. Booking is essential at all times of the year. https://lalchurrasco.co.uk/ 01229 343160
P. D. HUTCHINSON BUTCHERS, GREENODD
Excellent old fashioned butchers at prices that will pleasantly surprise you. Don’t be put off that it’s rustic and basic, Peter Hutchinson has an excellent reputation for supplying great quality local meat and he supplies many of the local pubs. I drive a 40 minute round trip to get my meat here. Usually stocks a few pints of milk, vegetables and a few basic food provisions too. Closed Tuesday, Friday & Sunday. No website and cash only (old school 👍🏻)
FARMERS MARKETS
We’re blessed with lots of farmers markets in the Lake District. You can see the current list here – https://www.visitlakedistrict.com/whats-on/markets
The nearest places for provisions are either Greenodd village shop, the butchers in Greenodd or Coniston village. There’s also a small ‘Cumbrian deli’ at The Wilson’s Arms in Torver.
CARTMEL
20 minutes drive south, Cartmel Valley is a food lovers ‘must go to’ destination. Cartmel Valley has a wealth of great food producers, pubs, cafes, food shops and 5 shiny Michelin stars
L’ENCLUME, Cartmel
3 Michelin stars, 5 AA rosettes and lots more awards as well as being often being rated as 1 of the top 10 restaurants in Britain. Owner/chef Simon Rogan is also rated as 1 of the world’s best chefs.
A lot of the food comes from their own organic farm 1 mile away.
You usually need to book several weeks or months ahead, but it’s always worth checking in case they’ve had a cancelation.
Booking is essential https://www.lenclume.co.uk/
Tel: 015395 36362
ROGAN & COMPANY, CARTMEL
Cartmel’s 2nd Michelin starred restaurant.
Owned by Simon Rogan (L’Enclume), with a very talented head chef at the helm.
Rogan & Co. has now become one of Cumbria’s best restaurants.
What might sound simple on the menu often ends up with a few pleasant, subtle additions on the plate. Booking is essential. Check website for opening hours and to book online: https://www.roganandco.co.uk/ or Tel:- 015395 535917
CARTMEL WINE BAR & OSCARS
Opposite Cartmel Cheese shop with 3 terraces including 1 on Devonshire Square opposite Cartmel Priory. Constantly evolving, currently offering very popular ‘small plates’ meals. Great choice of wine by the glass plus a good selection of premium gin, vodka, whisky and malt. They also offer a ‘cheese board’ from Cartmel Cheese shop to go with your wine. Open during the day most days and evenings. Check to see current opening hours. Booking is essential at night time but you can usually get a table indoors or outdoors in the afternoons – https://unsworthsyard.co.uk/hot-wines/
CARTMEL CHEESE SHOP & UNSWORTH’S YARD
Opposite Cartmel Wine bar in Unsworth’s Yard. Great shop and selection of cheese all stored at the perfect temperature & humidity. Weather permitting, sit out in Unsworth’s Yard with a selection of cheese, crackers, bread and chutney. Drinks are available from Cartmel Wine bar and Unsworth’s Yard micro-brewery. Home-made pizza at the weekends, March to October. Large parasols and heaters enable alfresco drinking and eating in all but the worst of weather. The pizza nights are very popular. Get there early to avoid disappointment.
SUPERMARKETS
The nearest place to buy fresh milk is the butchers and Greenodd shop above.
Booths in Ulverston. As you enter on the A590. For those who don’t have Booths where you live-it’s like Waitrose, but better. Lots of local produce, great deli, cheese counter and cooked meat counter plus all the normal supermarket items too.
If you prefer ‘normal’ supermarkets, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Asda are in Kendal.
