Britannia Inn, Ambleside

Very popular with tourists, the Britannia's clientele tend to burst out onto the extensive patio and even the village green in summer months. It's really quite small inside, with a dining room to the left of the entrance lobby, which itself has a few chairs and tables, and it's sometimes quite a squeeze to get into the bar on the right. Six hand pumps serve mostly local beers, including Jennings. Service is very efficient and friendly. To the rear, with its own entrance but also now accessible from the lobby, is a village locals bar that used to be served from a small hatch counter. There's a solid fuel stove in here, and its usually the quietest part of the pub. Like a lot of tourist pubs, the Britannia's excellence tends to cause overcrowding and consequently a less than excellent experience, so I like coming here out of season. But if everyone did that, it would be overcrowded in winter too, so KEEP AWAY PLEASE! (Only kidding.)