Cool Places
Drunken Duck Inn
Barngates Ambleside LA22 0NG
People drive from far and wide to visit the Drunken Duck, which stands as a welcome oasis on a rustic hill between Ambleside and Hawkshead. It’s as much about the rooms and boutique stylings – which make for a great weekend escape – but the food and drink come up trumps too: contemporary gastro fare, strong on local sourcing and seasonal dishes and flavours. The menu is relatively simple at lunch (sandwiches, mushrooms on toast, fish pie) and more adventurous at dinner (say, monkfish on saffron mash). Meanwhile, the really welcoming bar specialises in the inn’s own Barngates Brewery beers, most quirkily named after the old pub dogs (Tag Lag, Cracker etc).
