Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
Pizza
Italian
Mediterranean
Beer/Wine
Take-out
Vegetarian cafe and restaurant set in a complex that also houses cinemas and a jazz bar. Menu offers snacks like olives and potato wedges, pizzas, pasta dishes, salads, and mains like wellington plus drinks and ice cream for dessert. Established since the 2000s. Open Mon-Sun 10:00-22:00. Restaurant is closed Mon but the caféi s for drinks and cakes until 5pm.
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Last update on 05 Aug 2023 by geometric-noise
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115 Reviews
First Review by jonnie
LesleyRigby
Points +99
Vegetarian restaurant! - Edit
Lovely atmosphere, very busy, excellent staff and service. The menu was very vegan friendly with gluten free also well catered. We sat upstairs in the Jazz restaurant and there was a great singer on.
Read morePros: Great food, Lots of choice, Great atmosphere
Guest
Leafn4give
Points +355
Delightful - Edit
Delightful vegan food, photogenic, tasty & served by friendly and attentive staff. Another vegetarian establishment catering better for vegans than many vegan eateries. Mini Buddha bowls for starters were great but forgot to take photos
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-12-02
Pros: Ambience, Tastey, Attentive & helpful staff
Guest
MeganDonovan
Points +28
Fantastic - Edit
Friendly staff, great atmosphere, we ordered the vegan nut wellington and the sticky toffee pudding, both were 10/10 delicious. Would definitely recommend visiting if you’re vegan in the Lake District! Will definitely return.
Read morePros: Fast service, Menu, Quality of food
Guest
JaredLin
Points +423
Amazing - Edit
Very fancy vegetarian restaurant. We had the vegan option food and was delicious. Definitely recommend visiting for dinner if you’re in Lake District
Read moreGuest
JoeandJane
Points +28
Such a shame no dogs allowed indoors - Edit
Have visited Zefferellis regularly since the 90’s . Always loved the food & cinema deals.
Read moreSadly nowadays it’s not possible or desirable to leave your dogs in a car, motorhome or holiday cottage so unless it’s a really warm day where we can sit in the rather uninspiring ground floor outdoors bit we can no longer visit.
Surely you can allow dogs in the front bit? Think you did in the front cafe bit in the early days?
You must lose so much trade because of this.
We just went elsewhere yet again, which was a shame.
Pros: Great food, Good interior , Vegan & veggie
Cons: No dogs allowed indoors
Guest
FionaWallace
Points +247
Perfection - Edit
Can’t go wrong here, great ambience, knowledgeable and friendly staff with years of experience. Menu extensive for both vegetarian and vegan.
Read moreAlways a must if you’re in the area
Guest
DroopySnoopers
Points +122
Not the best experience - Edit
Had two dishes, one vegan which was quite nice and one vegetarian which was not good at all.
Read moreThe menu for a Sunday was different to any other day according to what we found online and we weren't very pleased with the options.
The restaurant itself was very nice and the service was also really good. Just a shame about one of their dishes not tasting good at all.
Guest
susiehaha
Points +278
Great food, sumptuous surroundings! - Edit
Zeffs is a little touch of class in Ambleside 😉. Loads of vegan options at this otherwise veggie Italian restaurant. Rather over the top but delightful decor, always feels slightly decadent and swanky! As usual, I had the pecan and cashew nut roast wellington with mash, veg and a rich gravy, which is very savoury and delicious. Mrs HaHa had a pizza. Only drawback is it ain't cheap! But then nowhere is these days, especially in the Lakes. Always nice to visit again.
Read morePros: Good quality food., Nice surroundings , Great choice
Cons: A bit pricey
Guest
GracePlant
Points +1363
Gorgeous location - Edit
Vegan options are clearly labelled and a beautiful restaurant. The meal deal included with a cinema ticket, so worked out a good price:)
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-02-08
Guest
Ashphyxiaa
Points +34
Gorgeous - Edit
Some of the best pasta I've had since going vegan - which you'd think is a surprise! The tofu cheesecake was lovely but a bit rich. I adored the whole menu - as well as the vegan wine selection! Alcohol free Shiraz was lovely. Movie deal made it worth it.
Read morePros: Delicious, Lovely interior
Guest
tolmeia07
Points +575
Delicious and clearly labelled - Edit
Actually disappointed we only managed to go here once as the food was delicious (we had the vegan lentil spaghetti bolognese) and the restaurant was lovely itself. They offered vegan cheese and vegan butter for the bread and it was nice to know they understood the assignment 🫡 Highly recommend booking the cinema deal as you get a discount ticket included in your meal!
Read morePros: Delicious pasta, Reasonably priced, Lovely restaurant
Guest
PeskyBunny
Points +615
Excellent pizza and pasta - Edit
We really enjoyed this restaurant, fully vegetarian with lots of vegan options.
Read moreThe pizza was by far one of the best vegan pizzas we've had.
The nutball Spaghetti pasta was lush.
Can't say I enjoyed the cheesecake too much, overpowering chocolate and not much 'tang' , very rich but nice enough, just not very cheesecake-y
A tad pricey but worth it for the mains alone
Pros: Nice staff, Central location , Fully veggie and great choice
Guest
Coeliacsquirrel
Points +606
Ambleside Institution - Edit
I first came here in 1992! (yes I am that old) when vegetarian food, never mind vegan, was hard to find outside big cities. It’s offering of veggie/vegan pizza & pasta may not be as unique as it was then but the food is still lovely & the vibe still relaxed yet stylish. And most of the dishes can be made gluten free. Good to see it busy on an October lunchtime - hopefully it will still be here in another 30 years.
Read morePros: Wide selection of vegan options , Most dishes can be made gluten free , Good selection of vegan wines
Guest
cazrl71
Points +100
Good vegan food - Edit
Had the vegan aubergine parmigiana and it was delicious.
Read moreTofu cheesecake was really good. Very rich.
Pros: Aubergine parmigiana and tofu cheesecake., Nice surroundings and ambiance., Given a jug of water without having to ask.
Cons: Not cheap
Guest
shonamaule
Points +478
Incredible Vegan Food - Edit
We’ve been coming here for years and it never fails to amaze us! Such fresh, delicious Italian food and lovely service. The restaurant is gorgeous too! I had the vegan roast and it was brilliant.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-08-06
Guest
darrenb
Points +2205
Fab food with decent portions - Edit
Second visit to this lovely restaurant. Great to see it really busy.
Read moreThere's lots of choice for vegans and gluten free options clearly labelled. I had the nut roast which was delicious (if a little salty). Friendly and helpful staff. Will be back next time we're in the lakes.
Guest
EleanorBP
Points +104
Amazing Italian food - Edit
Delicious vegetarian and vegan food - no compromises! Friendly service, tasty Italian food and loads of variety- what's not to love
Read morePros: Wide range of delicious vegan and vegetarian food, Stylish decor, Kids can order smaller portions of standard menu
Guest
Simon_Keller
Points +2007
Lovely place - Edit
Okay, so I get why there’s some scores lower than 5. My main (lentil bolognaise) didn’t pack a flavour punch, although it was nice. The vegan cheese garlic bread was amazing. The interior is also excellent, it may have had some modernisation compared since other reviews. Service was good. Will certainly be returning.
Read morePros: Menu selection, Interior, Cheese garlic bread
Guest
maisiemoo99
Points +306
Great pizza !! - Edit
We loved our takeaway pizzas after a long walk - really easy to order online and collect !! We both requested vegan cheese and had The Big One and The Rainforest, which were both really tasty. When I collected the staff confirmed it was vegan cheese without me having to ask which is always nice 😁
Read moreGuest
LesleyDargie-walker
Points +674
Lovely restaurant - Edit
Stopped off after a walk, when we walked in I was a little worried we were in walking clothes/boots with how nice it looked inside but they didn't seem to mind. Other walkers out as well, we had a pizza with mushrooms and tofu and the avocado and roasted pepper panini, both were really good! I did want a pudding but I thought they were just a little pricey.
Read moreGuest
ConnorFam
Points +52
Lovely place - Edit
8 of us, half vegetarian and half vegan, 4 adults, 4 children and 2 dogs.
Read moreAlthough dogs are not allowed inside, there is a lovely covered over outdoor area with patio heaters which meant on an absolutely cold and pouring it down day, we could still enjoy a vegan/vegetarian meal in the dry and warmth of the covered patio.
Between the 8 of us we had pizza, chilli nachos, mezze board, garlic mushrooms, avocado toastie, wedges, poached eggs with avocado. Hot drinks cold drinks and deserts also. Only one vegan desert but it was so delicious and filling. My son who is autistic was also catered kindly for.
The manager was lovely as were all the staff. Thank you for a lovely visit, we’ll be back.
Pros: Great vegan choice, Great vegetarian choice
Cons: Dogs only allowed outside but is heated & covered
Guest
mockingbird
Points +3139
A big let down - Edit
This place has been on my radar for so long and I finally got round to going but will not return.
Read moreMenu is mainly veggie pasta and pizza with vegan options. There’s a bunch of unimaginative starters and salads too. Big plus for me was a decent alcohol free drinks menu, a very rare thing anywhere.
I went for a focaccia and olive starter, it was nice enough although focaccia was dry. Main was the nut wellington - very well presented and I was excited to eat but after half the dish, the flavour was too much, very saltie, boring, not enough veg to make the dish interesting.
Staffing situation was weird, loads of staff but we didn’t feel any of them were on it at the table. Have feedback on food when asked and served just looked at us blankly. Decor need attention, rough around the edges. Very big shame.
hack_man
Disappointing to hear for what is supposed to be an established marquee listing. Been thinking about going here for years but it may not be worth the long trip across the Pennines.
Read moremockingbird
Maybe the pasta dishes are better. Just do not get that wellington!! My eating partner had stomach upset the next day too and thought it was the food. It really felt like a place that was once something and is now a shadow of its former self.
Read moreGuest
izzwiz
Points +788
Unreal food - Edit
Food here was absolutely amazing and it was so hard to choose what to have because everything on the menu sounded perfect.
Read morePros: Good portion sizes , No meat!
Guest
waldry
Points +212
Superb food - Edit
I am shocked that it was so busy. The place is huge in a small town and yet it was full of people enjoying veggie/ vegan food. Brilliant!!!
Read morePros: Lots of variety , Extremely good food, Atmosphere
Cons: Tiramisu was not vegan
Guest
chrisssiiy
Points +24
Okay at best - Edit
I'm really shocked at all the 5 star reviews. This place really needs to sort out their pizza, it was so bland. The base tasted like a cheap make-your-own pizza from a supermarket. The pasta dish on the other hand was LOVELY. The service great, the actual restaurant is gorgeous. But wow, you can't be serving pizza like that for those prices at that quality. I'm sure most of these reviews must be eating pasta!
Read morePros: Pasta was lovely, Staff were really attentive , The restaurant is gorgous
Cons: The pizza was the worst we've had in a long time , The service charge automatically added to the bill
Guest
Bathsheba
Points +293
A Real Treat - Edit
Amazing atmosphere and the customer service was just right. It was a nice evening out in a smart restaurant, which seemed pretty reasonable value for the early bird movie deal. The menu for vegans was very extensive and it was difficult to choose between the vegan pizzas or the selection of mains which included a vegan pesto dish.
Read morePros: Smart atmosphere , Menu range
Cons: Olives
Guest
TonyW
Points +67
Superb Italian food - Edit
So much choice for vegans in Ambleside and this restaurant is a highlight.
Read moreGreat to be able to select so many dishes off the menu and the food was excellent ; had garlic pizza starter (shared between 2) and pasta main, both were delicious. Lovely decor and friendly service, felt like a special occasion meal.
Updated from previous review on 2023-12-27
Pros: Great menu with lots of vegan options, Friendly service, Good wine list
Guest
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