Lake Road Kitchen

Lake Road Kitchen, Michelin-starred fine dining in Ambleside

Lake Road Kitchen is an independent fine dining restaurant located in Ambleside, in the English region of the Lake District. It opened in 2014 under James Cross, owner and head chef, and in 2024 it was awarded a Michelin star. The venue describes itself as deliberately small and independent, with no external investors, and its approach is built around produce and tasting menus.

Tasting menus and prices

The food offering is organised into three tasting menus: five, eight or twelve courses. The five-course menu is priced at £105 per person; the eight-course at £135; and the twelve-course at £170. There is a wine pairing option for each of them, costing £65, £100 and £135 per person respectively. The restaurant states that it offers vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten-free and dairy-free menus, and that it can accommodate most other dietary requirements, preferences or allergies.

Opening hours and reservations

Normal opening hours are Wednesday to Sunday, with tables available between 5pm and 9pm. The restaurant is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Reservations can be requested via form, by phone or by email; the table is subject to availability and the booking is confirmed once the deposit has been paid. The restaurant guarantees a same-day response and recommends checking the spam folder. It also offers gift vouchers, available from its online shop or by phone, valid for one year.

Awards

In addition to the Michelin star, the restaurant features in La Liste's World's Best Restaurants list, holds the Exceptional rating from the Good Food Guide and three rosettes from the AA Restaurant Guide. The Michelin Guide 2025 highlights that its dishes are complex, creative and with a remarkable depth of flavour. The AA Guide describes remarkable combinations of taste and texture, and Michel Roux Jr rates it as one of his best meals in the UK.

Team background

James Cross began his career at Simpsons (Birmingham), with one Michelin star, and continued at La Pergola in Rome, with three stars, under chef Heinz Beck. He then worked at Per Se (New York), also with three stars, with chef Thomas Keller, and spent two years at Noma (Copenhagen), as part of the team that twice retained the top spot in the World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards. He moved to the Lake District in 2012 and opened his own restaurant without backers or investors. The team is completed by Nick Brown as senior chef, Adrian Ciufi as chef, Sally Cross as general manager, Darren Jennings-Love as restaurant manager, Estelle Gabriel-Ainsworth as waitress and Sandor Kovacs as kitchen porter.

Accommodation in Windermere

In September 2025 the restaurant added two accommodation properties in Windermere: No.1 Thornbarrow Road and The Snuggery. The Snuggery is a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, with a private courtyard and dedicated parking. No.1 Thornbarrow is a three-bedroom, one-bathroom townhouse, with an open-plan kitchen, dining and living space, designed for larger groups. Both are about a twenty-minute taxi ride from the restaurant.

Scheduled closures

The restaurant has announced closures for the 2026-2027 seasons: from Sunday 18 to Tuesday 27 October, from Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 December and from Monday 4 to Thursday 28 January. Likewise, during the Christmas and New Year festive period the opening hours vary from the usual schedule.

Location and contact

Lake Road Kitchen, Sussex House, Lake Road, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 0AD · Phone: +44 (0) 15394 22012 · Email: reservations@lakeroadkitchen.co.uk