Chesters By The River

Featured reviews

• G

  Google user

  ·1 month ago

  “Outstanding service and quality of food. My favourite cafe in The Lakes and even when busy, the queue is worth the wait. A great team, always striving to make your visit enjoyable. Everything is delicious! We were given the wrong cake when getting a takeaway and didn’t notice until later. We called and they remembered my brother (we’ve now named him Me Bakewell) and they offered a refund AND replacement. They make the Bakewell slices we’ve ever tasted! Vegan and gluten free!! I can’t wait to go back.”

• G

  Google user

  ·2 months ago

  “Delicious food served here, and there are plenty of different things to choose from! The setting is great at the water stream and the staff is helpful and friendly. I got a blueberry scone with coffee, a great combo!”

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “An absolute gem of a café tucked away near Skelwith Bridge near Ambleside. If you're vegan, you must (!!!) visit as almost everything is vegan bar a few veggie options. The counter is filled with freshly baked pastries, sausage rolls, buns, cakes and sandwiches. They also have a separate breakfast and lunch menu if you fancy a fry up or flatbread. I visited three times in four days and took food away as well - when you're spoilt for choice, you have to make the most of it! I went for breakfast twice during the week at 9am and lunch at 12pm on a sunny Saturday. Reading other comments, I was prepared for the place to be rammed but it I found it quiet and not as busy as people suggest. Super lovely service and beautiful location. I spent a small fortune and would be visiting weekly if I lived nearer. Highlights were the chocolate hazelnut croissant, sausage rolls and maple pecan hun. Even the chips are lush. I recommend walking from Ambleside via Loughrigg and back to make a day of it. 10/10 for the dreamiest café (-:”

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “Really enjoyed our visit here. After 2 hours on the motorbikes, this was a well needed stop and we could park right outside. We ordered the harissa rice with cabbage, a samosa and Jaffa cake cake. All of it was excellent! It was so good, we ordered two more samosas, an onion bhaji, carrot cake and strawberry and rhubarb cake to take home with us. We will definitely be back!”

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “We came here a few years ago and really enjoyed it (especially the doughnuts!) As we were in the area we did a walk from the Elterwater National Trust car park to Chester's for a reward after the walk! Was busy when we got there but managed to get an outside table. Stood in the queue for over 30 mins which felt like a really long time. However once the food was ordered it did come very quickly. I got the kale, carrot and onion Bahji sandwich with mint and coriander and tamarind chutney, and it was amazing! Very large Bhaji which was perfectly crisp on the outside and had very interesting flavours. Served in an amazingly soft fresh Ciabatta style bread. Have no idea how much it cost as there isn't prices on most of their items on display but I really enjoyed it and would happily have it again! I also got a really really good gingerbread buckwheat cookie. Big and very strong gingerbread flavour. My wife enjoyed a fruit scone with jam and cream and what I thought was a cheese and onion pastie (maybe I read the sign wrong but it was full of cooked onions and potato, no sign of cheese) Got a sourdough loaf to take away which was also really really good (although again no prices so no idea how much it cost) I highly recommend the food here, and we will definitely come back next time we're in the area. Yes the queues can be long but worth it for the quality of the food!”

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “Delicious food! If you are vegetarian or vegan there are many options here for a lovely meal. Very different too compared to your normal vegan/vegetarian options that others seem to serve. The dairy free deserts are amazing too. Well worth a visit for the food, service, the gift store next door and it is a 5 minute stroll to a waterfall and riverside stroll. Oh, dog friendly inside and out!”

• G

  Google user

  ·4 months ago

  “Absolutely delicious. What a wonderful cafe, such a lovely time sat outside by the water treating ourselves to a delicious cake and coffee after a walk. All of the food looks absolutely incredible, and some really creative and interesting flavour combos, more than just the usual pastries and cakes. Wanted to try a bit of everything.”

• G

  Google user

  ·4 months ago

  “I don't understand why there are any negative reviews for this place. To address some of the points people have brought up in previous reviews... 1. All the food served to the tables was in proper crockery. 2. All the staff team that I dealt with were lovely and smiley. Maybe other customers have gone to them with an attitude because a popular place is busy and you might have to wait a while or they're upset because not everywhere sells meat. 3. I went at about 10am to get some food to takeaway for the fells. Most of the indoor tables were taken as far as I could see but there was plenty of outside seating. I was served quickly and with a smile. A popular eatery in a popular place like the Lake District will be busy and you might have to wait: be realistic. 4. The prices were very reasonable. For less than £15 I bought a salad tub, a large curry pasty, and a slab of Rocky Road. I paid that much for just a salad at the café in Grizedale Forest. 5. The food is really tasty. The pasty I had was full of flavour, the pastry was light and flakey, not stodgy at all. The salad was delicious. I can't comment on every dish but hopefully I will be able to in the future as I'll definitely be going back. 6. It is a vegetarian café and almost everything is vegan. It has been since 2016! A quick Google will tell you this. All the meat eaters stumbling in upset that they can't eat flesh at every opportunity: you will survive eating just plants every now and then. In fact you might thrive! The planet and its animals will thank you as well.”

• G

  Google user

  ·7 months ago

  “The food looked absolutely amazing and the quality was outstanding. Their selection of desserts was huge which I found incredible as someone with a sweet tooth. The cake was really nice and fluffy (although the icing was a bit too sweet for me), but the pastry is what stood out to me, it was an absolute 10/10 in terms of texture, taste and looks. For that amazing dough only, I will definitely come back to try more of their breads and pastries! Although I didn’t get to try them, all the savoury options looked delicious as well, offering a whole selection of healthy and unique vegan/vegetarian options. Beautiful location and excellent service as well!”

• G

  Google user

  ·8 months ago

  “I always visit Chesters by the River and have been going there for years. Called for lunch after a long walk and ordered a tofu burrito and jackfruit gyros with chips, two teas and oat milk. The food was fantastic, good sized portions and gorgeous. We were too full for cake but just check out the selection in my video and all vegan too. Chesters is a legend in the Lakes and I'll be back very soon...Highly recommended.”