Forest Side
Grasmere, United Kingdom
⭐1 Star
The Experience
From Michelin Guide
An engaging team welcome you to this substantial Lakeland mansion; start with drinks in the lounge and take in views over the surrounding fells. The room has a rustic feel and a glass-topped table crafted from a wind-blown tree takes centre stage. Provenance and sustainability play a major role in the ingredients, often coming from their Victorian kitchen garden or local suppliers, as well as being foraged by the team. Skilfully prepared, creative dishes are full of vibrant colours, textural contrasts and sublime flavours.
Unique Things
From Visitor Experiences
Glass-topped table crafted from a wind-blown tree: The dining room features a unique rustic centerpiece, a glass-topped table made from a wind-blown tree, blending natural elements with elegant design.
Ingredients sourced from a Victorian kitchen garden and foraged locally: The restaurant emphasizes provenance and sustainability, using produce grown in its own Victorian kitchen garden and ingredients foraged by the team from the surrounding area.
Located in a secluded Victorian mansion with literary connections: Situated on the fringes of Grasmere, known for its association with poet William Wordsworth, The Forest Side offers a secluded, luxurious experience in a historic Victorian setting that enhances the culinary journey.
Ingredient Stars
From Visitor Experiences
The most honored or signature ingredients at Forest Side, Grasmere, reflect the restaurant's commitment to provenance, sustainability, and local sourcing, often from their Victorian kitchen garden or nearby suppliers. Key ingredients include:
Cumbrian rare breed pork: Featured in a signature dish with smoked potato custard, damson, and microgreens ("garden shenanigans"), showcasing local meat with creative accompaniments.
Dale End Cheddar and Ragstone goat cheese: Used in dishes like charred cauliflower with quinoa and beetroot with sourdough crumpet, highlighting regional cheeses with strong, creamy flavors.
Penrith aged Texel lamb: Served with grilled garden brassicas, lamb pâté, barbecued lamb belly, and a rich lamb sauce with confit tongue and pickled condiments, emphasizing complex, locally sourced lamb preparations.
Signal crayfish: Paired with alliums, mead, and guanciale, demonstrating the use of local freshwater seafood combined with bold flavors.
Foraged and garden vegetables and herbs: Including beetroot, damson, microgreens, ramson oil, and pickled lemon verbena cucumber, these ingredients add freshness, acidity, and aromatic complexity to dishes.
These ingredients are significant as they embody Forest Side's ethos of modern British cuisine rooted in local, seasonal, and sustainable produce, skillfully prepared to highlight vibrant colors, textures, and flavors.