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Britannia Inn, Ambleside
Elterwater
Postal town: Ambleside
LA22 9HP
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9 of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about Britannia Inn
I always call at the Britannia if I'm staying in or passing through this part of the Lake District. Cask beers are now £5.50 a pint, with a reduction to £5.20 for Camra members if you feel like brandishing a membership card. They have been brewing their own beers here - they're styled as Langdale brewery - for a while now; they appear on a couple of other bars in the valley, but I remain unimpressed. Recent winter visits have found the cask beers generally below standard, but this is probably inevitable when the same number of different beers appears on the bar all year round. What does remain impressive is the service and the friendliness of the staff - a couple of visits during the Covid restrictions saw them coping very well, with a quick temperature check on entry, perspex screens across the tables to allow sharing, and a block of wood painted in different colours at each end to signal whether service was required. (Those were the days.)
On 25th January 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3740 recommendations about 3477 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about Britannia Inn
On my most recent visit I was shocked to be charged £4.80 for a pint of Jennings Sneck Lifter. All the other beers on the bar were £3.70, and although Sneck Lifter is stronger than average at 5.1% it's not a barley wine or an imperial stout. Another irritation on this visit was people making love to other people's dogs. I know dog lovers think this is normal behaviour, but to the rest of us humans it looks like something you shouldn't be doing in public. Apart from that, I had a lovely time. Please see review below from five years ago for something more positive.
On 19th June 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3740 recommendations about 3477 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about Britannia Inn
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.)
On 17th January 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3740 recommendations about 3477 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Jay Shore left this review about Britannia Inn
Superb , very dog friendly and very human friendly. Food is excellent as is the frequently changing beer. It does get busy as it's so popular but loads of room outside. Lovely walks nearby
On 26th October 2011
- rating: 10
[User has posted 4 recommendations about 4 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Andrew Bryers left this review about Britannia Inn
Good pub, food reasonably priced £10 -£11 for main course, good beer, Jennings available, always a good thing ! Very busy but lots of character, loads of seating outside for the warmer days. 3.5 out of 4
On 21st May 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 7 recommendations about 7 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gary Seymour left this review about Britannia Inn
What an excellent pub.(even if crowded)
Very good selection of well kept beer, six real ales min. Would mark it higher if possible. Dogs welcome
On 30th May 2008
- rating: 10
[User has posted 38 recommendations about 38 pubs]