Subject: Badger Bar, Rydal Author: Cecilia Campbell Date: 4/21/2009 Body: RATING Total 10 Great atmosphere 3 Home cooked fresh food 2 Plenty of flavour 2 Good value for money 2 Service with a smile 1 Telephone: 015394-34500 www.theglenrothay.co.uk Original review: April 20, 2009, for dinner. It didn't start out well. Here is clearly another establishment with what I call the Underscar Manor style of management (see separate review) – i e where seeing off unwanted people takes priority over welcoming paying guests. As we drove into the car park of this road side hotel and bar in the stunning village of Rydal, we spotted a deer at the edge of the wood in the evening sunlight. Martin happened to have the video camera in the car, so he parked up and then jumped out to try and catch it on film. I took my time, and hadn't even gotten Luke out of his carseat when a man (I assume the manager; he didn't introduce himself) came up: "Can I ask what you are doing?" I was a bit confused as to who this was and why he was asking me to account for myself, but truthfully told him that Martin was trying to catch the deer on film. The manager went back inside. My advice to him is to maybe change his default setting to one where he greets people who park outside his hotel as if they were paying guests rather than trespassers. (Although his bartender was doing his best to be nice and cheerful, I'm afraid my lasting impression of the service here is the "welcome" we got from the manager.) So – we still decided to stay for tea, having our meal outside in the beautiful weather. I'm always a bit suspicious when I see items such as Burritos on Lakeland pub menus, so I went for a cheeseburger instead. Martin had two starters; Chilli prawns and Chef's paté with toast and onion marmalade. Lukie had childrens fish goujons with chips and beans. His meal was probably the best one, the fish was actually well cooked (if not home made). My burger was passable, if a bit tough. Also, it is rare to get toasted buns with burgers in these parts, which is a pity because untoasted buns tend to disintegrate before you get to the end of the burger. Martin's paté was OK – not the best he's had but not bad. However, the Chilli prawns were frankly a joke: small Atlantic prawns in a small bowl full of what can best be described as warm Thai Sweet Chilli sauce (definitely out of a bottle). It came with a salad garnish but no bread or anything else with which to soak up the abundant sauce. Zero cooking skills, zero finesse. Badger Bar's saving grace is that it is located right in the middle of the wonderful Coffin Trail walk around Grasmere and Rydal Water, and it's probably best left for a walker's pint if you should happen to pass it.   Cancel