The story
Paul Leonard leads the kitchen at Forest Side in Windermere with a focus on Lake District cuisine that shifts according to the seasons. His work recently earned 23 National Restaurant Awards alongside a Michelin Star and a Green Star for Sustainability. Ninety percent of the produce arrives from farms within ten miles, while the hotel’s own garden supplies vegetables at their peak. This method supports a detailed modern British cooking style that highlights local provenance through restrained seasoning.
Diners navigate a structured meal that begins with snacks served alongside a leather roll up holding the necessary cutlery. The courses feature Dexter beef tartare paired with whipped bone marrow and morning-picked oxalis, reflecting the standards of Cumbrian cooking. A playful touch appears later with a supremely crispy Waldorf salad bite, while vegetarian guests encounter salt-baked kohlrabi resting in a seaweed and Granny Smith apple broth.
The dining room sits inside a historic Victorian mansion designed to draw the surrounding nature indoors. Sunlight fills the space above bespoke tables crafted from reclaimed timber and steel, while a sommelier counter built from a windblown garden tree anchors the centre. Large windows frame views across a slate terrace toward open lawns and distant Lakeland fells. Colourful earthenware plates made by local ceramicists complete the setting.
Recognition
Ambience
Location
Facebook
Instagram
X