All vegetarian with plenty of vegan options, Zeffirellis and sister restaurant Fellinis are the reason Ambleside has been the location of choice for vegans in the Lake District for many years.
Cuisine: Italian – Daytime: Salads, Sandwiches, Burgers, Pasta and Pizza. Evening: Pasta, Pizza, Salads and Mezze. Breakfasts available in the morning.
Opening Hours: 10am-10pm
Location: Millans Park, Ambleside, LA22 9AD
Date Visited: July 2015
Price Range: to be confirmed
Contact: 015394 33845
Website: https://www.zeffirellis.com
WiFi: to be confirmed
Device Charging: to be confirmed
While Keswick has made progress in the last few years, since vegan became “cool”, Ambleside has had Zeffirellis and Fellinis since 2009. As dedicated vegetarian restaurants that cater for vegans they have drawn plant-based diners to town. We suspect they are one of the reasons that Ambleside feels so much more welcoming for vegans and vegetarians. Keswick still has some work to do to catch up, although it’s making great strides in the right direction.
Zeffirellis also run the Ambleside cinema and have a well respected Jazz Bar on site. It really is a cultural hub which any town would be lucky to have.
The decor is very smart, Art Deco style, with lots of mirrors and glass. It feels like a treat eating there.
Another major plus is that they open into the evening. So many of the good vegan places in the Lake District are cafes and shut by 5.30. It can be hard to find somewhere to go for a smart evening meal rather than a light lunch. Zeffirellis and Fellinis both fit the bill for this.
We won’t comment on the food and service because it’s been a while since we went. This isn’t a slight on Zeffirellis, it’s because we tend to be in Ambleside in the daytime and as campers we’re often a bit scruffy. I suspect we’ve felt we’d make the rather beautiful interior look untidy. However, next time we’re there we’ll make an effort to scrub up nicely so we can post a more comprehensive review.
They offer breakfasts until midday and a daytime menu before 5.30, after which they change to their evening menu. There is a small outside seating area which is a lovely spot to watch Ambleside go by on a sunny day.
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We visited the restaurant tonight. We came across it on our last evening staying in Windermere. We are vegan and struggled to find anywhere suitable in Windermere so decided to try Ambleside.
As soon as we arrived we were greeted with friendly, smiley, attentive staff.
The atmosphere was relaxed yet felt high-end and as we dressed up for the occasion we felt we had made the right choice.
There was plenty of choice for vegan food. We opted for spaghetti bolognaise made with lentils and a vegan pizza. The meals arrived quickly yet was piping hot and delicious.
After being disappointed with the service provided by restaurants so far over the weekend, we simply could not fault Zafferellis and will definitely be back!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, it will help future visitors to this site and to the Lake District.