1863 Restaurant with Rooms is located in the heart of Pooley Bridge and offers high-quality…
1863 Restaurant with Rooms
“Cosy Lakeland setting for skilful modern cooking.” - AA Inspector
POOLEY BRIDGE, CUMBRIA
1863 is set in the quiet village of Pooley Bridge, not far from where the Ullswater steamer docks, and named for the year it was built, for the village blacksmith. This smart white painted building later became the post office, and its newest incarnation keeps it firmly at the centre of village life. The contemporary dining room is small and cosy, with a conservatory area and a little garden at the back. Inside you’ll find bare tables with linen napkins and a cosy, welcoming atmosphere, with some button backed banquettes arranged to form little booths, with wall mirrors and multitudes of prints and paintings giving a comfortably eclectic feel. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and there’s a three-course market menu as well as a tasting menu. The wine list is relatively short but effective, clearly curated with pride, and pairings are available. Cooking is skilful, using prime ingredients from Britain and beyond to underpin the modern menus. Naturally smoked haddock is a great starter, a lovely piece of fish, served with an unusually mild and creamy tartare sauce made with crème fraîche; crisp potato scraps and Cumbrian pancetta add texture and bite. A main course dish of Cumbrian lamb is a thoughtfully constructed and visually impressive plate of food, the meat incredibly tender – cooked pink, with a small, almost sticky glazed meatball packed with flavour and enhanced by vibrantly green wild garlic oil. Great skill and technique can be seen in a dessert of Valrhona chocolate, white chocolate, coffee, and walnut – a classic combination of grown-up, sophisticated flavours. Everything about a meal here, from the just baked bread and whipped butter to the canapes and petits fours really is as pretty as a picture and deliver all the attention to detail you could wish for.
Awards, accolades & Welcome Schemes
Facilities – at a glance
Children welcome
Credit cards accepted
Tasting menu
Vegetarian menu
Wheelchair access
Features
- Seats: 28
- On-site parking available
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accessible toilets
- Assist dogs welcome
- Closed: 23–31 July, 24–27 December, 2–9 January
- Wines over £30: 75
- Wines by the glass: 24
- Cuisine style: Modern British
- Vegetarian menu
Also in the area
About the area
Discover Cumbria
Cumbria's rugged yet beautiful landscape is best known for the Lake District National Park that sits within its boundaries. It’s famous for Lake Windermere, England’s largest lake, and Derwent Water, ‘Queen of the English Lakes'. This beautiful countryside once inspired William Wordsworth and his home, Dove Cottage, in Grasmere is a popular museum. Another place of literary pilgrimage is Hill Top, home of Beatrix Potter, located near Windermere. Tom Kitten, Samuel Whiskers and Jemima Puddleduck were all created here.
Much of Cumbria is often overlooked in favour of the Lake Distirct. In the south, the Lune Valley remains as lovely as it was when Turner painted it. The coast is also a secret gem. With its wide cobbled streets, spacious green and views of the Solway Firth, Silloth is a fine Victorian seaside resort. Other towns along this coastline include Whitehaven, Workington and Maryport. Carlisle is well worth a look – once a Roman camp, its red-brick cathedral dates back to the early 12th century and its 11th-century castle was built by William Rufus.
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