Excellent informal restaurant with plenty of vegan options and wonderful service. Grasmere’s best option for vegans.
Cuisine: Sandwiches, Wraps, Baked Potatoes, Buddha Bowl, Larger Hot Meals (vary by day), Selection of Deserts.
Opening Hours: Varies by month / season. Check website.
Location: College St, Grasmere LA22 9SZ
Date Visited: July 2018 & 2019
Price Range: Lighter Options £8-9, Hot Meals £13
Contact: 015394 35790
Website: http://greensgrasmere.com/
WiFi: to be confirmed
Device Charging: to be confirmed
Grasmere is a beautiful and quintessentially English village. It is worth a visit in its own right or as the starting point for a number of excellent hikes (including the author’s eponymous fell – Helm Crag). Greens Cafe and Bistro means that vegans need not go hungry when using Grasmere as a base.
The regular menu has plenty of vegan dishes and the specials usually feature more than one vegan option too. They offer three hot meal choices and on the day we went all three were either vegan or had a vegan option available. They clearly consider plant-based eaters whenever designing their offerings.
Service is excellent. We arrived on a rainy afternoon when it was full inside so we squeezed ourselves onto an outdoor table just barely sheltered from the rain. Before we’d even tried to attract anyone’s attention a member of staff came to tell us that an indoor table would be free shortly and invited us into the welcome warmth of the interior.
The inside is just the right balance of modern and homely decor, making it a relaxed dining experience. Hikers are welcome alongside families and groups. It does get busy, particularly in good weather or in the event of a sudden downpour, when many of Grasmere’s visitors dash in for shelter.
We’ve been twice. We discovered it in 2018 and made a point of returning in 2019. The food is delicious, well flavoured and healthy. The sandwiches, baguettes and wraps are good for a light lunch, but if you’ve returned from a long walk you might want to order some sides to go with them. The Very Veggie Hummus Wrap and Vegan Sausage Baguette With Red Onion Marmalade are pictured here. The hot meals are more filling and hearty, so probably a better bet if you’re particularly hungry.
There is a mouth-watering selection of vegan desserts. Brownie, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Ice Cream are always available, plus a range of cakes on the counter, several of which were vegan when we went.
For early risers or those staying in Grasmere they do breakfasts as well.
Gluten-free vegan options for breakfasts, main courses and dessert are clearly labelled on the menu.
Do note that the opening times change depending on the season, so check their website
All in all Greens is one of our favourite places to eat in the Lakes. When planning a trip to Grasmere put it on your itinerary.