Harley Young breathes in crisp country air and dines on Michelin star menus in Grasmere
The Lake District is known for being an outdoorsy person’s dream destination of choice thanks to its jaw-dropping landscapes, challenging walks (and not so challenging rambles) and, of course, England’s largest lake, Windermere.
A short drive from Windermere you’ll find Grasmere; a quaint and picturesque village in Cumbria with plenty of food and drink havens to keep you busy.
Our Assistant Publisher, Harley Young, was invited to stay at 4 star hotel Forest Side and dine at their four AA rosette, one Michelin star restaurant of the same name.
Checking in
After a pleasant taxi ride that took us from picturesque Windermere, through the bustling town of Ambleside and into storybook-perfect Grasmere, we arrived at our digs for the night. Far from your average hotel, this Michelin star destination truly is something special.
Like something out of a period drama, Forest Side sits proudly on the steep sloping woodland that surrounds Grasmere, Ambleside. Set back slightly from the road from Grasmere to Keswick, this imposing Lakeland stone building is breathtakingly beautiful and a testament to the construction of the times - 1853 to be exact.
Surrounded by greenery and livestock, with just the sound of birdsong filling the air, you can’t help but feel instantly at ease.
A member of the reception team greeted Dave and I with a warm smile and checked us in before giving us a tour of the hotel and its facilities before taking our case to our room for the night. Before she left us to get comfortable, she told us that we had a welcome drink waiting for us down in the bar.
Two slices of the restaurant’s cake of the day (a perfectly spiced Parkin) sat on the desk alongside a welcome letter. A lovely personal touch and a taster of what was to come from dinner that evening.
The room
Our room, 'Oak', sat at the right side of the property facing out towards the surrounding fields and scenic hills of Grasmere with large windows to stand by and take it all in.
A gargantuan bed with a gargantuan headboard and swooping fabric canopy stood in the middle of the room, a matching flocked sofa at the foot of it for further admiring the view from. This dog-friendly suite was light and airy with plenty of drawers and cabinets for storing belongings neatly away during your stay and there's no expense spared with the tea caddy either. All were spotlessly clean.
Despite being a 19th century stone building, the rooms are kitted out with modern electric fittings including USB ports for charging phones in a flash and plenty of plug sockets for doing a spot of work or styling your hair.
As for the bathroom, I could have comfortably lived in there for the foreseeable. Complete with a no-expenses spared four-piece bathroom suite, including the deepest free-standing bath I've seen in a long time situated by the bay window looking out to the front of the building, it was big enough to do a few laps in. On the shelf sat a selection of full sized toiletries made by a local business (available to purchase from the reception).
Venturing out
Before we embarked on a walk around Grasmere to get our bearings, we headed down to the bar for our welcome drink - a glass of delectable champagne each - and spoke to the hotel team about their recommendations of where to visit.
We were told a visit to The Grasmere Gingerbread Shop, claiming to make the world's best gingerbread, was a must. So off we went.
A short 10-minute stroll down a gentle hill and we spotted a line of people weaving around the church yard. This must be it.
Folks from all over the world were forming an orderly British queue to get their hands on Victorian baker, Sarah Nelson's famous recipe gingerbread. And for good reason, too. The stuff was like a dream; buttery yet spicy with just enough chewiness to still be crunchy. God knows how they do it. I suppose you'd have to get a job there as a baker, or conduct a seance and ask old Sarah herself.
With our gingerbread haul in tow, we mooched across the road to Tweedie's Bar & Lodge for a pint in the sun before heading back up to the hotel to freshen up ready for dinner.
Dinner time
Once we'd made ourselves presentable, we headed downstairs to the Michelin and AA award-winning restaurant ready for our minds (and tastebuds) to be blown by eight courses of what can only be described as pure culinary genius.
Under the watchful eye of head chef Paul Leonard, the team at Forest Side curate beautiful seasonal menus using freshly sourced ingredients. Most of which come from their very own herb garden and surrounding flora and fauna, like the pine trees that are used to create their BBQ glaze and pre desserts.
The menu journeyed across land and sea, starting with native lobster served with seaweed custard and chicken fat before swiftly moving on to duck agnolotti paired with last years walnut and celeriac (easily my favourite course of the evening) and heading back to the depths with hand dived scallop and morels.
Dinner was well paced and the sommelier was on hand to recommend wines to accompany (there was also the option to add on a set menu of tasting wines specifically designed to complement each dish).
Before our beautiful looking (and tasting) pre-dessert and Tomlinson rhubarb and custard, we indulged in three more savoury courses; beetroots cooked all day in their own juice, poached north sea cod and salt aged fillet of long horn - absolutely divine.
The eight courses ended up being more like eleven as we were treated to chefs snacks to start, milk loaf with fresh butter, and glazed sweetbreads around the midpoint.
Thoroughly impressed and suitably stuffed, we retired to our room for the evening.
Rise and shine
After a very sound sleep, we awoke and were greeted downstairs by the smell of fresh coffee and bacon - a winning combo in my eyes. We were told to pick a table of our choice and presented with a fairly comprehensive breakfast menu that asked us to choose a juice, tea, coffee (or something stronger) and a starter and main. It's not often you get to choose two courses at breakfast now, is it?
We both went for a bowl of fresh fruit salad and the full Cumbrian breakfast with all the bells and whistles including an iconic swirly Cumbrian sausage. Loved it.
After polishing it off, we (reluctantly) went to our room to pack our bags and check out.
The Verdict
The entire experience from start to finish was nothing short of spectacular. We were made to feel so welcome and couldn't get over how fabulous the food was. It's no surprise Michelin and AA have this spot on their hit list.
The Forest Side Hotel & Restaurant, Keswick Road, Grasmere, Ambleside LA22 9RN
Follow Harley Young on X @Harley__Young
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