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Forest Side

“A little piece of Lake District heaven.” - AA Inspector

LOCATION

GRASMERE, CUMBRIA

Official Rating

Inspected by

Awards

Book Direct

With spectacular views of the forest and hotel garden, Grasmere's destination restaurant, Forest Side, certainly lives up to its verdant name. There is an elegant rusticity to the contemporary dining room with linen napkins and pottery wares made locally from naturally occurring glazes and stone; tables have been crafted from the old floor boards of the house, making for further added interest. The tasting menus roll with the seasons and deliver big, bold flavours and plenty of technical prowess, as well as theatre as certain dishes are finished at the table. Chalk stream trout is smoked over green juniper and served with cured ham fat broth. It might be followed by loin of salt-aged hogget accompanied by asparagus and young shoots from the gardens. For dessert, try a sweet take on Waldorf salad with crisp apple sugar tuille, apple gel, celery and walnut with frangipane and crème fraîche.

Awards, accolades & Welcome Schemes

4 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence

AA Notable Wine List

Facilities – at a glance

Credit cards accepted

Private dining

Service charge

Vegetarian menu

Wheelchair access

Forest Side

Keswick Road, GRASMERE, LA22 9RN

Phone: 015394 35250

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Features

Facilities

Seats: 40
Private dining available
On-site parking available

Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible
Accessible toilets
Assist dogs welcome

Opening times

Open all year

Food and Drink

Wines under £30: 6
Wines over £30: 200
Wines by the glass: 32
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.