The Drunken Duck Inn is a country pub with rooms, situated on a crossroads in the middle of the fells just to the south of Ambleside.
Our room was in the courtyard and had a little first-floor enclosed balcony that looked north over the fells to Ambleside and beyond. We had afternoon tea delivered to our room, and discovered a little glass jar with shortbread and chocolate cookies.
Dinner
The Inn has recently become entirely non-smoking (to match the small country to the north), so we were able to enjoy a drink in the bar before our dinner. The pre-dinner appetisers were potentially the best part of the meal – a black sausage and a cucumber with haddock mousse.
The Flookborough potted shrimps with malted toast were excellent, and Jacqueline enjoyed her shredded duck with chilli. However the lamb was a little tough and served with pea puree the consistency of mushy peas – maybe that’s the northern influence! And Jacqueline’s skate wing didn’t live up to expectations either. The trio of lemon puddings for dessert – lemon meringue ice cream, lemon and thyme brulee and lemon pudding made up for some of the main-course let-down.
Breakfast
The breakfast was excellent. Fresh orange and raspberry juice followed by yoghurt, raspberry coulis and granola. Haggis has become the new black pudding – the full English had a very good haggis, along with Cumberland sausage, poached egg, tomato and mushrooms. Jacqueline had brioche French toast, with apple puree and maple syrup – very reminiscent of Canada.
Service throughout was friendly, helpful and efficient.
Overall rating: good gastropub, well worth a stay.
[...] We arrived in Grasmere at around lunchtime on Friday and had a relaxing stroll around Grasmere and Rydal Water in the sunshine. Unfortunately I forgot my camera for the walk. We spent Friday night eating and sleeping at the Drunken Duck near Ambleside. See food blog. [...]