Lake District Gluten Free Guide (Windermere, Bowness, Ambleside, Keswick)

Note: we visited in August 2021. I have checked these places are still open and appear to cater as of July 2022, but please always check with the restaurant before you visit as menus, ingredients and processes can change.

The Lake District is one of the most, if not the most, beautiful holiday destinations in the UK. If you’re lucky enough to get sunny weather (and we were) there really is no better place to be. The views over the lakes are just stunning, and all of the surrounding towns have so much to offer.

We stayed in Bowness on Windermere, at a guest house called Denehurst Guest House. The owners, Ken and Cindy, were absolutely lovely, and Cindy was able to offer a full gluten free and vegetarian fry up (including sausages and falafel)! Bowness is a great base from which to visit all of the nearby towns like Windermere, Ambleside, Coniston and Keswick, and do some great climbing of the Old Man in Coniston or Scaffell Pike.

We managed to find SO MUCH amazing gluten free food in the Lake District. If you are heading on a UK holiday and need to eat gluten free, I would absolutely recommend the Lake District. In this guide I’ve included some of the best places we found to eat.

I’m also vegetarian so rest assured that all of these places cater for veggies too

If you visit any of these or have any other recommendations, do let me know! You can comment on the guide or find me on Instagram @the.gfg.

Bowness

The Flying Pig

Traditional British pub with rave reviews for the gluten free offerings. We didn’t manage to visit but it was recommended due to the separate GF fryer.

Porto

Porto is more of a special occasion restaurant and a little on the pricier side. They don’t have allergens marked on their menus which is a bit of a pain - but were able to cater well for gluten free. I had a delicious risotto, a chocolate torte for dessert and some lovely wine.

Baha

Baha is a really fun ‘Pacific Rim’ restaurant with lots of street food style dishes including burgers, curries and ‘street fries’ with toppings. The menu is all marked with the gluten free options, staff were very helpful and there was tons to choose from.

Vinegar Jones

Vinegar Jones has gluten free, safely fried fish and chips. We didn’t get a chance to visit but it was recommended by a number of people.

The Fizzy Tarté

The Fizzy Tarté is a really fun cocktail bar. Based on Coeliac UK advice, all spirits are gluten free, but the Fizzy Tarté helpfully has allergens fully marked on its cocktail menu to give you extra peace of mind with all of the additional ingredients.

Boaters Bar

Boaters Bar has really lovely views over the lake so is a perfect place for a sunset drink. We saw gluten free pizzas on their food menu, but didn’t have a chance to ask them about cooking processes so please do check with them in advance if you’re coeliac.

Boardwalk

Boardwalk is another restaurant with gorgeous views over the lake. We were lucky enough to sit on the balcony, and it was just idyllic at sunset. There were lots of gluten free (and veggie) options including a gluten free vegetarian hot dog and chips, which I hadn’t seen before!

Choccobar

If you’re gluten free and in Bowness, Choccobar is a must visit. It’s a chocolate and waffle bar, and their waffle recipe is gluten free as standard! No cross contamination risk with the waffle batter, and so many delicious options to choose from. Definitely worth at least one brunch trip.

Keswick

Laura in the lakes

Laura in the Lakes is on the main shopping street in Keswick, and was a cute spot to stop for a coffee and cake. I had a lovely gluten free scone, which came in its packaging to avoid cross contamination. They had savoury options too, but please do check with them re. cross contamination in preparing these.

Thyme Bistro

Reviewers recommend Thyme Bistro for gluten free options including pasta and pizza, and apparently the owner is very clued up about coeliac disease.

The George

The George Pub in Keswick wasn’t the most modern pub, but it can be forgiven because it has some great gluten free options on the menu, including beer battered fish and chips, and dessert options.

Ambleside

Stiles Coffee Bar

We didn’t have a chance to visit Stiles but reviews mention lots of gluten free options including an excellent gluten free breakfast, and it was recommended by a number of followers.

Ambleside Fish and Chips

Reviewers report that all of the fish and chips here is gluten free as standard! So no cross contamination worries in sight.

Zeffirelli’s

Zeffirelli’s is an Italian restaurant, which also has a cinema in the same building. The menu contains loads of great gluten free options including starters, pizza, pasta and desserts. There’s also a lovely terrace for warm days.

Fellini’s

Zeffirelli’s sister restaurant, Fellini’s, is a fully vegetarian fine dining restaurant. It was fully booked so unfortunately we couldn’t visit, but reviews say it is equally great for gluten free.

Ulverston

Rusland Pool Hotel

Rusland Pool just kept coming up when I was looking for places to eat in the Lake District. Their website says around 95% of the menu has been designed to cater for gluten and dairy free diets, and they’ve won free from awards for their ability to cater! Reviewers say they felt safe with the processes here.