We were camping in the Lake District and realised how close we were to the Sharrow Bay so booked in for dinner

The service and food were exceptionally good. It wasn't cheap but you get what you pay for at the restaurant

Will go back next time we are camping in that area

After a long trip through the Lakes, we arrived a a tranquil and stunnig hotel with a beautiful room (Grace) with aawelcome complimentary sherry to get us in the mood for the sumptuous food ahead... A treat. Oh and I highly recommend the porridge for breakfast.

I stayed in a room perched just yards above the battering waves of Ullswater ( I spent a lot of time looking out during the night, as the noise of the storm didn't favour sleep.) I breakfasted overlooking the sweep of rolling waves, white mountains and blizzards racing across the lake. A totally stunning experience and totally priceless. Worth twice what I paid for the night. Lucky me - in mid-summer it wouldn't have been half as special.

But the breakfast itself was not up to the level of a really top hotel. The toast was a mixture of strange breads that appeared to be the same as had been served at dinner - no half-decent brown bread and I wasn't asked what I wanted. Difficult to gather from the menu quite what the various dishes would look like and to guess the portion size, and while the black pudding and the sausage were excellent the rest of the items of the fry-up were mediocre.

My bathroom was new and beautiful but the hotel decor is generally getting tired, the dining room carpet dirty and the clock in my room was oddly stuck on 11.30. Curiosity got me into looking behind its face, where there was a space for the missing battery. Otherwise it's still a stylish place, with the ability to serve up great food anad wines, but there is a sense of clinging on and hope of a wave of a magic wand.

We took our daughter and son-in-law to Sharrow Bay for lunch, celebratng their silver wedding. Sitting in the comfortable lounge with a glass of champagne while we surveyed the 5-course lunch menu, there was a real anticipation of something really special. And really special it was.
As one would expect in such a hotel, the wine list is extensive - so much so that it is advisable to download the list from the hotel's well-organised website for the leisurely study it deserves. Our champagne followed by Fleurie were both served at perfect temperature, but of course noble clarets (with prices to match) should be ordered in advance so that they can be opened decanted and rested to be served in perfect condition. The sommelier was both knowledgeable and talkative!

The amuse bouche of pickled tuna was delicately flavoured and utterly delicious. The seared king-scallops (three of them) were perfect, as was the cup of bean soup that followed - then an intensely favoured mango sorbet prepared us for main courses. I had chosen venison which was succulent and accompanied by a nice selection of vegetables. Portion control was perfect - generous enough to feel that one was eating real food, not just taste sensations, but leaving room for dessert! My bramble and apple mousse was light but intensely flavoured - my son in law was of sterner stuff and managed to demolish sticky toffee pudding - with cream and ice-cream before declaring himself replete.
Back in the lounge for coffee, watching the constantly changing sunlight on Ullswater lake just a few yards away, our contentment was complete.
This was the perfect choice for a celebratory lunch, but for those wanting something a little less sumptuous there were also 3-course menus at tempting prices.