Subject: Café del Lago, Ambleside Author: Cecilia Campbell Date: 1/16/2010 Body: RATING Total 14 Great atmosphere 3 Home cooked fresh food 3 Plenty of flavour 2 Good value for money 2 Service with a smile 4 Telephone : 015394 33338 www.elh.co.uk/restaurants/lowwood.aspx Original review: Lunch on January 16, 2010 After having re-joined the Low Wood health club (we love it!), we had lunch at the Café del Lago, conveniently situated down the stairs from the club. It’s a great spot, sitting overlooking lake Windermere, with Wetherlam in the background. We were there with another family and hence had two very hungry post-swim three year olds with us. The wait for the food, key when you have kids, was longer than it should be in an almost empty restaurant, considering the food we ordered. Three of us had gourmet burgers, which were made from good beef, if a bit dry, and came with a delicious relish from Hawkshead Relish company. The side salad was basically a lot of raw red onion (why, why, why do 90% of restaurants do this?), raw peppers, tomato and a very few lettuce leaves. Well dressed, but Martin only ate the tomato and lettuce. I had what, in the menu was described as, Fusili with Pancetta, Butternut Squash and Basil. In came a bowl of pasta drenched in a flavourless cream sauce, which the menu said nothing about, with some bits of bacon and mushed up butternut squash, the latter not tasting of much at all. No basil. At £9.25 that’s definitely not good enough. The kid’s meals were the best, one pizza which was fresh and tasty and another bowl of pasta, covered in the same cream sauce – more suitable for a three year old. The pizzas are priced between 8 and 11 pounds, which may be reasonable value for money. But £7 for a cold sandwich is a lot. As is £9-10 for a pasta. The children’s meals were £4.95. Our waitress was very helpful, acknowledged the boys, spoke to them directly and helped them out - a definite bonus! Posted by Cecilia Campbell   Cancel