The Queens Head

We stopped in for a meal and found the prices sky high. Left without ordering. I have to admit you can find better in Windermere or Ambleside

How can you NOT go to a place called the Queen’s Head in a town called Troutbeck?
Truth be told, it was dumb luck for us; while this place was only about a mile from where we were staying in Ambleside, we stumbled upon it, starving and looking for a cozy pub for a late Sunday lunch. Not thinking that the sleepy towns wouldn’t serve food all day, it was quite a trek (and for my ever-​foodie husband– okay, i’m a foodie too, even though we were H-​U-​N-​G-​R-​Y with a capital H, we just couldn’t stop anywhere… as four stops and no eating revealed…). But upon walking into the Queen’s Head pub, we knew immediately it was somewhere we were going to love.
Yes, it’s a hotel (which we didn’t realise until about half way through our meal), but it’s also an excellent dining experience. I suppose it would fall into the category of gastro-​pub, but it was so much cozier with the wood-​burning fireplaces, dark interior with low ceiling and scads of silk cushions adorning the benches and chairs. And the food– YUM. great specials– I had a wonderful ale batter goats cheese with white asparagus, rocket and truffle oil to start, while my husband had his favorite combination: hash brown topped with black pudding, a poached egg and pancetta. For my entrée I tried one of their Sunday roasts– in this case chicken. The potatoes and yorkshire puddings were cooked to perfection; The chicken was tasty but I would have preferred to have slices of a whole chicken with mixture of white and dark meat to just a chicken breast– you never get it quite roasted when you try to do that. My husband had their selection of Cumberland sausages and buttered mash– which I can’t even believe he was able to eat all of, it was so big. We skipped dessert– simply because we were so full; but i spied sticky toffee pudding (my favorite) along with a pretty healthy (as in big and impressive) dessert menu.
The staff was friendly and accommodating– not to mention on the ball. It’s rare, I find, anywhere in England that waitstaff is particularly attentive, and especially in the country, they move at a much slower pace. Not here– they were fast, all smiles and great company. We’d definitely return here, and may even stay over next time!

The Queen’s Head is a joy in every respect. The food is beautifully presented, tasty and generously portioned. The staff are attentive, incredibly polite and their menu knowledge is impresseive.
The bar area is constructed from a four poster bed and the ceiling is beamed (and studded throughout with 2p and 1p coins, which is a great feature). A roaring open fire, mismatched tables and chairs, scatter cushions, fresh flowers and spotlessly clean in all areas.
The food was some of the best I’ve ever had and the menu contains some unusual items (beef boboti, amongst others). The desserts were to die for (ginger crème brûlée and sticky toffee pudding) and the whole meal was just wonderful. I couldn’t fault it.

Good place to stay located in a beautiful village. The restaurant downstairs is great– with excellent food. Free parking is available by the sideway or at the main parking lot, just ask at the reception and they’ll give you a special permit.

Excellent country pub, catering for ramblers and more serious walkers. The food is just what one needs for either of these pursuits, with a varied menu (my favourite for over 10 years has been the shank of lamb). There are two inside eating areas: the bar is incomparably the better of the two, with a nice big fire in winter and the actual bar itself constructed from an Elizabethan four-​poster bed (it’s worth getting up early on a winter Sunday to get there by mid-​day to ensure a table in the bar area). A good selection of beers and some reasonably-​priced wines complement the high-​quality food.