The Secret Garden - Pooley Bridge

Featured reviews

• A

  Alison D

  ·1 month ago

  “Fantastic restaurant tucked behind the village shop which is also full of great local produce. The food in the restaurant is delicious. We had a burger and a wrap and both were very tasty and super fresh. The wait staff were friendly and service was quick. The view from the terrace over the river is also lovely. I'd highly recommend this place”

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• K

  Kyle Robinson

  ·2 months ago

  “Outstanding trip up the lakes, with the secret garden being exceptional. Food, service and scenery all top drawer. I think the pictures can tell a story”

• A

  Anu Barling

  ·3 months ago

  “Always fab food and atmosphere everyone I’ve visited. Most recent visit was for bottomless brunch- highly recommend, great portion sizes and drinks selection 🫶🏼”

• Z

  Z M

  ·3 months ago

  “A wonderful find on a beautiful sunny day. Attentive service and delicious food. We were lucky to get a river front table which was fantastic. Welcoming to dogs too.”

• N

  Nina Kuchcinska

  ·3 months ago

  “Arrived, got seated pretty quickly. However, the service was awful. It took 30 minutes for our table of 5 (3 adults 2 children) to get our drinks order taken. We were pretty much being ignored as other tables that have arrived after us and were a larger group had received their food before our drinks even came to our table. However, the mocktail mojitos were delicious. Once the drinks were made, it took over 20 minutes for our food order to be taken. Starter came out pretty quickly however the wait for the rest of the food was atrocious, it took almost an hour to arrive at the table. Most of it coming cold. The beef burger was mid at best as well as being completely cold. Price wise in my opinion it is not worth it for the portion you receive. £26 for a slice of salmon and a handful of mash. Not to mention, this also came cold. Kids meals were alright. After asking for the bill it took almost another 15 minutes to receive the card machine. A total of almost £130 for 2 adult meals & 3 kids meals, and a couple drinks. The atmosphere is nice, we sat in the "patio inside outside area" as the server described it, could see the river and the TVs. It also threw me off that there was spiders crawl up the walls and multiple spider webs in the corners of the doors for the patio area. I liked the vibe of it being "a secret" as you had to go through a shop in order to walk in.”

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• D

  Dan Bays

  ·4 months ago

  “We visited here back in October and I’m only just getting round to leaving a review, but it was definitely worth remembering. It has a really cool hidden feel, as you go through a shop to get to the secret restaurant area. They were busy when we arrived, so we pre-booked for around 1 hour later and had a wander around Pooley Bridge. When we came back, we had a seat right by the riverside, just as the sun was going down. A perfect spot to relax and watch the world go by. I had the Spicy Steak Rigatoni, which was similar to an arrabbiata sauce with a nice bit of heat, and the steak on top was cooked beautifully. There was plenty of parking nearby in the neighboring lakes car parks, so it was easy enough to get to. Overall, a lovely spot with great food, a relaxed atmosphere and a brilliant riverside location.”

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• L

  Lyndsey Edwards

  ·5 months ago

  “Kids burgers were great! Flat iron was good for kids too. Adults chicken burger was also tasty. However, two adults ordered duck and one ordered a kebab - all three were cold when they arrived and had to be returned. The staff arranged replacements but no explanation/apologies - quite disappointing as we’d heard such good things. We waited for drinks, it was busy. However, the second round the missed a drink off. We didn’t order starters or desserts so unable to comment.”

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• H

  H T

  ·6 months ago

  “One of the few late eve food saviours on a Sunday night in a remote place like Lake District. Never had a halloumi rigatoni and theirs didn't disappoint. Also had a salad that was quite nice and warm. Loved the views and he relaxed seating and the fact that it was tucked away inside a corner shop!!”

• J

  J C

  ·10 months ago

  “Called here weekday lunchtime at this fantastic riverside location, we walked through a shop to access this restaurant overlooking the river, there is a fantastic outside space that no doubt will be busy in the warmer months. The whole done to a very good standard and dog friendly. The flat iron Philly steak sandwich with chips was good (steak cold and the cheese sauce a little disappointing), the burger was good. A decent pint of Heineken. The staff who served us were both friendly and efficient.”

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• L

  Lauren Wilson

  ·1 year ago

  “Partner wanted to try here as he'd seen it on a social media platform. You walk through a tiny village shop into a modern bouje restaurant. But dont be put off by the fancy interior as they welcome muddy boots and paws! We sat inside as it was quite chilly out, now busy for a thursday lunchtime in October. I had a medium chardonnay and partner had a pint of cruz campo and a coke. Mains partner had steak kebab and i had the duck. The steak literally melted in your mouth, the duck tender, amazing flavours and generous portions. Servers polite and welcoming, great atmosphere. For all the above it cost £67.90 which imo is very reasonable.”

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