The Lamplighter, Windermere

This small hotel bar sits just off the main street in Windermere and has clearly been styled with restaurant service in mind. Entry is through a hotel lobby space into a bare-boarded bar room with the servery off to the right. The counter has a modern wooden frontage in a geometric pattern and pendant lights hanging above, while the back bar is functional, with simple shelving. Tables are all formally laid with white tablecloths and fresh flowers, surrounded by comfy padded chairs. A few design touches – funky wallpaper, a stone fireplace lined with wine bottles, and a large unused TV screen – hint at more ambition than the average hotel bar. The only real drinkers' area was a set of sofas around the fireplace, although there seemed to be more relaxed seating to the left of the bar, just beyond view. The front patio was excellent – a multi-level terrace catching the evening sun, with plenty of tables and views back towards the town. There was no cask ale, but Thwaites Wainwright and Brooklyn Defender IPA were among a handful of decent keg options alongside a few less common lagers and ciders. Service was friendly and welcoming, with background music at a gentle level and the food was of a pretty high standard, beyond what you’d expect from a pub menu. This place felt like a restaurant first and foremost, a hotel bar secondly and a pub as a bit of an afterthought. It seems like quite a nice building, and I liked the outdoor terrace, but aside from that, it doesn’t offer a whole lot for the casual pub goer. As we left, a young lady who had been seated at the table behind us, started taking a whole, elaborate photo shoot of her dish that they’d just brought out for her from the kitchen, and I think that’s probably where this place’s demographic just about lies. Date of visit: 9th April 2025