Old Stamp House Restaurant

The Old Stamp House oozes historical charm as it was once the office of William Wordsworth, the famous English poet, and maintains many of the building’s original features. Since opening its doors in 2014, the restaurant has attracted a lot of attention and won a series of accolades including the Cumbria Life Restaurant of the Year and the Lancashire Life Dining Experience of the Year awards which ultimately led them to receive their first Michelin star in 2019.

The cuisine at The Old Stamp House is primarily influenced by the local landscape and, rather surprisingly, by the historic seafaring trade with the Americas, Caribbean and India. Although deeply rooted in the local Cumbrian cuisine, many of the dishes on the restaurant’s menu make use of imported spices such as pepper, mace, ginger, sugar as well as rum that were brought into the UK through the ports of Whitehaven and Maryport. By combining traditional recipes with more exotic ingredients, chef Ryan Blackburn creates unconventional and innovative dishes using locally sourced and hand-reared ingredients.

With just 28 covers, The Old Stamp House is an intimate space that is nestled in a quiet corner of Church Street in the charming village of Ambleside in the heart of the Lake District. Drawing from the history of the building as the former office of poet William Wordsworth, many of the original features have remained untouched. The restaurant itself is in the repurposed cellar of this old building and is split over two, low-ceilinged rooms with local art hanging from the walls and a stunning flagstone floor. All of this comes together to provide diners with a traditional Cumbrian experience and showcase the heritage that has had such an influence on the cuisine.