"Victorian Gothic house above Grasmere, a Michelin star since 2016 and a 2026 Green Star — book it for a proposal."
About Forest Side
Forest Side has held a Michelin star since 2016 and won a Michelin Green Star in 2026. The kitchen sits inside a Victorian Gothic mansion on a ridge above Grasmere, in the National Park, with a three-acre walled garden behind it and the western fells beyond. There is one tasting menu and no à la carte. Dinner is six or eight courses from £95; lunch is shorter and cheaper. The room looks west over the valley, and at sunset it earns its reputation as one of the more romantic dining rooms in the Lake District.
The Kitchen
Paul Leonard runs the kitchen, and his cooking is built from what the garden and the fells give up that week. Over a hundred vegetables and twenty-five herbs are grown on site; meat, dairy and most of the fish come from within ten miles. The dish to judge him by is the scallop dressed with house-made tabasco and Worcestershire sauce — Michelin inspectors named it one of their dishes of the year for 2025-2026, and it earns the billing. The heat is built in the kitchen, not bought in a bottle, and it reads as seasoning rather than gimmick. Expect Morecambe Bay shrimp, mountain herbs, sea buckthorn and salt-marsh lamb across six or eight courses, paced over roughly three hours. The Green Star is not decoration here; the sourcing radius is the menu. From £95, with a wine pairing extra, it is honestly priced for a one-star kitchen of this seriousness. Two valleys south, Simon Rogan's three-star L'Enclume does the same hyper-local idea at twice the length and price. Forest Side is the version you can do on a Saturday night without surrendering the whole weekend.
The Room
The dining room keeps the original Gothic detailing and dresses it down: low contemporary furniture, candlelight and firelight in winter, the big west-facing windows doing the work in summer. Noise stays at easy conversation level — this is not a room that hums. Tables are generously spaced, the lighting is low, and the dress code is smart-casual, though most guests lean dressier for the setting. Seating is small, in the country-house manner. The sommelier tends to stay with you through service, working a list with real depth in Burgundy and the Rhône. Stay the night, and the morning walk down to Grasmere village is half the reason to come.
Best for a Proposal
Book Forest Side for a proposal for three reasons: the west-facing windows over Grasmere at sunset, the unhurried three-hour menu that gives you time to choose your moment, and the bedrooms upstairs that mean no late drive across the fells afterward. Tell the team in advance and they will handle it without theatre. Pair it with our Lake District dining guide and the wider list of best restaurants for a proposal, or read how it ranks among birthday tables worth the trip.
Not for
Not for a quick supper or anyone in a hurry — there is one tasting menu, no à la carte, and the kitchen takes around three hours to walk you through it. Come hungry and clear your evening.
Frequently Asked
Is Forest Side worth it?
Yes, if a garden-led tasting menu in a beautiful room is what you want. Paul Leonard cooks from a three-acre walled garden and the surrounding fells, and the scallop with house-made tabasco and Worcestershire sauce was named a Michelin inspectors' dish of the year for 2025-2026. From £95 it is fairly priced for a one-star kitchen with a Green Star, especially if you stay the night.
How hard is it to book Forest Side?
Plan four to eight weeks ahead for a Friday or Saturday dinner. Forest Side is a small country-house dining room and weekend tables go quickly, particularly in late spring and summer. Midweek and lunch are easier. Booking a bedroom in the hotel makes securing a dinner table simpler, since residents are accommodated first. See our Lake District dining guide for alternatives.
What is the dress code at Forest Side?
Smart-casual. There is no jacket-and-tie rule, but most guests dress up for the room — this is a Victorian Gothic dining room, not a gastropub. Walking boots and waterproofs are fine on the fells; change before dinner. The kitchen runs one long tasting menu, so come prepared to sit for roughly three hours.
Is Forest Side good for a proposal?
Yes — it is among the strongest proposal rooms in the Lake District. The west-facing windows over Grasmere, the candle-and-firelight dining room and the unhurried three-hour menu do the work for you, and a bedroom upstairs means no late drive home. Tell the team in advance and book a few weeks out for the best window seat.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Forest Side
Via OpenTable / hotel site · 4–8 weeks ahead
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
AddressKeswick Road, Grasmere, Cumbria LA22 9RN
NeighbourhoodGrasmere
CuisineModern British tasting menu
SignatureScallop, house tabasco & Worcestershire
Tasting menuFrom £95 (wine pairing extra)
Dress codeSmart-casual
ReservationOpenTable / hotel · 4–8 weeks ahead
RecognitionMichelin star since 2016 · Green Star 2026
DietaryVegetarian menu; notify for vegan / gluten-free
