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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103 Reviews
First Review by jonnie
antiadona
Points +54
Amazing food - Edit
Went today for the first time and I was amazed at all the vegan options I could chose from. Had the Wellington and it tasted incredible, the red wine sauce complemented perfectly the plate.
Read moreThe rest of the family party (all omnis) had vegetarian main dishes and desserts and also enjoyed the food.
Big portions and good quality. The menu had around 8 vegan dishes, and the possibility of veganising 2 more (stated in the menu), plus 3 desserts. Will come back when visiting the Lakes.
Pros: good value, about 8 vegan options
Cons: nothing
Guest
aewalker
Points +22
Great Vegan/Vegetarian Cafe in Ambleside!! - Edit
Visiting Ambleside for the day and arrived with an appetite for lunch. Used Happy Cow to locate this great cafe. Lots of Vegan/Vegetarian options!! Has the Mexican Red Bean Chilli stuffed baked potato along with organic ginger beer. Excellent!!
Read moreGuest
SarahStubSloth
Points +23
Great meal out for the whole family - Edit
Zeffirelli's provided me and my non-vegetarian family with an amazing meal out.
Read moreThe menu was clearly marked, there were many vegan options and all of the dishes were cooked and presented beautifully.
It is classic Italian food done incredibly well and the service was very quick (we had a the course meal in under an hour with no more than 20-30 minutes waiting). We booked a table and, although quiet at first, it soon got busy in an atmospheric way.
The staff were very friendly and helpful, explaining what things were to my sister and being very kind and knowledgeable about my vegan diet (they even replaced my coffee when it came with chocolate powder on - I felt so bad
Pros: lots of options and delicious food, friendly and helpful staff, lovely atmosphere
Cons: None other than the pizza could have had a bit mor
Guest
konlish
Points +5321
Great place but no proper breakfast - Edit
We were on our way back and came here for a breakfast. Very disappointed we had to eat junk food for breakfast cakes and coffee. They wouldn't make us a proper meal and we had no time to wait for lunch time. I hope they will improve their breakfast menu. This was mid Feb 2015
Read morePros: Vegan options
Cons: No good breakfast options, Serves flesh and secretions
Guest
naouk
Points +58
Loved it! - Edit
Went here twice during my stay in the Lake district, but was most impressed by the Pecan and Cashew Nut Wellington. Really really good! Staff is really friendly and I would def visit again.
Read morePros: Pecan and Cashew Nut Wellington, Nice staff, Cinema
Guest
Janey.m
Points +42
A must for the itinerary of anyone in the Lakes - Edit
I've been to Zeffirellis several times - most recently last week with my father on a visit to Ambleside. I've always found the food and service excellent. A surprisingly large restaurant for one that is exclusively vegetarian, and it always seems to be busy. Vegan options are clearly marked on the menu, and there is a choice of starters, main courses and puddings (I recommend the summer pudding!) In an ideal world there would be vegan ice cream, but other than that I can't fault it. Definitely 5 stars for a vegetarian and 4.5 for a vegan. Reasonably priced too, and they do special offer cinema evenings.
Read morePros: delicious food, excellent service, reasonably priced
Guest
jennyc32
Points +4057
Tasty meat free food - Edit
This place gets busy very quickly, so I'd recommend booking. The food is tasty and the portions are generous. I had the vegan wellington, and it was really flavoursome and delicious. It would be nice to have a few more vegan dessert options - there was only sorbet and a summer pudding. Service was fast and friendly.
Read morePros: Good vegan options for mains and starter, Tasty food
Cons: Only 2 vegan dessert options
Guest
orangensaft
Points +460
Lovely way to spend a rainy few hours in the Lake District - Edit
The meal and cinema ticket was a good deal and would be a great way to spend a rainy afternoon/evening in the Lake District. The starter I had was excellent and the pizza was OK. Overall I would thoroughly recommend it.
Read morePros: meal and cinema ticket a good deal
Guest
goodseiken
Points +16
vegan paradise - Edit
I'm just finishing my vegan wellington and have nothing but rave reviews for the food. The red wine special is fantastic as well. Quite happy. Presentation of food was lovely. I came early and I'm glad I did as it gets quite busy. Highly recommended.
Read morePros: excellent
Guest
Braidy
Points +395
Probably best in Cumbria - Edit
Zeffirellis has been reliably excellent over the many years I've been going there. High-class place with delicious food. Staff are very aware of vegan concerns and the one time they gave me a cheese pizza by mistake I got a grovelling apology! Some good and interesting desserts, which vegans sometimes struggle to find. And on top of all that you can go straight to their cinema!
Read morePros: Good main meals, good vegan desserts, convenient cinema
Cons: None I can think of
Guest
Janeycat
Points +40
Fantastic vegan pizza! - Edit
Great meal. The Vegan cheese on request made this the most enjoyable pizza experience we've had for a long time. Both pizzas we ordered were delicious. Along with the sweet potato and potato wedges, it made for a very tasty, filling meal. Luckily we got a doggy bag to take away the pizza we couldn't finish at the time! Made a for a lovely supper snack ;)
Read moreGuest
ejthiggs
Points +143
Vegan pizza! - Edit
I have been to Zeffirelli's a number of times since about 2008 and I have always liked it. On my most recent visit in June 2014 the menu seemed to have been updated. It now includes more vegan main course options, such as a pasta and artichoke salad and a veggie version of beef wellington (i.e. lentil roast wrapped in pastry). I was very happy to see that there is now the option to have vegan cheese on your pizza - I ordered 'The Big One', which was delicious, but it was so big I had to take half home with me! I would recommend Zeffirelli's to anyone - especially cinema-loving vegetarians - but it is still a lacto-ovo vegetarian restaurant with some vegan options, rather than a restaurant that caters primarily for vegans. Hopefully the most recent menu changes are evidence that vegan dishes are becoming more central to their menu. I hope so!
Read morePros: Cinema+meal deal is good value, Vegan cheese on pizzas, Good for mixed omni-veggie-vegan groups
Cons: A little expensive (esp. drinks)
Guest
anarchistanimal
Points +563
Pretty good - Edit
Tasty food in a pleasant and cheerful setting. A decent number of vegan options, but a mostly vegetarian menu. We had antipasti followed by stuffed onion and red beans, which were good.
Read morePros: Tasty, Pleasant atmosphere
Cons: A few more vegan options wouldn't go astray
Guest
OneNightStanzas
Points +127
Zeffs is so fabby! - Edit
I went to Zeffirelli's as one of a party of five. We had booked but showed up early -- they didn't seem to mind and made us comfortable in the bar upstairs while they made our table ready. This was done quickly and we were welcomed and seated by friendly staff.
Read moreUnfortunately the five of us were seated at a table that was really only big enough for four, with bench/booth type seats and no space to put a chair at the end... so we were a bit squished! A bigger table would have been appreciated! But it was a weekend and very busy.
I was extremely excited to see the sheer choice of vegan options on the menu. The Lake District is busy and cosmopolitan but vegan options are usually still quite limited. I was impressed! And all the food was delicious. In particular the vegan summer pudding with cashew cream which I ordered for dessert. A big portion and absolutely heavenly! My vegetarian friends were actually jealous of my vegan option! Everyone in the party was super happy with their meals and again, the desserts were especially popular. My partner raves about their frozen yoghurt to this day!
The restaurant is very busy and can be quite noisy, but personally I like quite a lively atmosphere. The decor is a bit, er, 'cruise ship', with lots of coloured lights/fountains/fake Italian stonework/statues and whatnot... kind of tacky but also fun and not taking itself too seriously! The staff seem very busy and sometimes rushed but they are still pleasant and make sure you have everything you need. Prices are medium range -- perfect for special occasions. Thanks, Zeffs!
Pros: Loads of vegan choice, Desserts om nom nom, Try the summer pudding!
Cons: Teeny tables!, Quite busy/noisy, Cruise ship decor ;) Not really a con...
Guest
pansypuss
Points +56
Vegan choice - Edit
We ate there twice while on holiday in the Lake District. The vegan options were good but limited and they can not (in my experience) 'veganise' dishes. I ordered a pasta dish which the waitress said they could make vegan. It was terrible I ordered a tomato sauce to go with it as it was completely tasteless and dry and I wouldn't have eaten it. I am not a fussy eater (apart from my veganism) so for me to say this really is bad. I can veganise most dishes and they always are tasty so basically the chef lacks imagination. If they can't do better than that they should stick to the vegan choices and not veganise dishes. They could do with some more vegan sweets - chocolate! Ice-cream would be good as well.
Read morePros: All veggie, Friendly staff, Good value
Cons: Poor vegan choice
Guest
kool_kitchen
Points +862
Average food - Edit
Basic menu, international, but largely pizza & pasta based with the odd soup/casserole was uninspired, as was the food itself. Nothing bad going on here, just nothing special, the type of dishes you get too bored to eat, rather than full, before finishing your meal. Decent location, good staff, just nothing to write home about. And that's the crux of it: there's very little to say, because we are in the land of acceptably average.
Read morePros: Location, Large Portions, Prices
Cons: Mundane menu, Mundane Cuisine
Mimi
I love the phrase "acceptably average". Where, I would love to know, is the land of "delightfully delicious" or "amazingly ambitious"? Please tell me!
Read moreI love Zeffs . . . but I think you are right about the context ;)
Guest
Mimi
Points +165
Great Place - Great Food - Edit
Have been to Zeffs a few times and have always found it a good place for vegans, also staff are very friendly. Recently went to the restaurant for an evening meal - it was excellent, tasty, beautifully prepared, and a lovely experience. Highly recommended.
Read morePros: Great Food, Vegan Friendly, Friendly Staff
Guest
Alyson
Points +789
Yum! - Edit
My partner and I were in the Lake District for 5 days and ate here twice in the evenings. We had absolutely no problem getting a table, but it was not peak tourist season. The waiters and waitresses were excellent, we had a great choice of vegan food, and all our meals were very tasty. Would highly recommend.
Read morePros: vegan options, friendly staff, flavoursome
Cons: only 2 vegan desserts
Guest
Andie321
Points +27
Recommended - Edit
Great restaurant with good selection of veggie dishes but not all of the cheeses (Parmesan and Mozzerella) on the evening I went were suitable for vegetarians. So it's best to check with the staff on the night as this information is not clear on the menu. After I did this I ordered a suitable starter and it turned up with Parmesan cheese grated on top! That said, it was quickly whisked away and replaced. Overall, the food was very good, the staff friendly and we had an enjoyable evening.
Read morePros: great food, good portions, helpful staff
Cons: not all cheeses suitable for veggies
Guest
alansmith100
Points +36
Fab food - Edit
Hi ate here with my wife and we really enjoyed the food the place fills up very quickly and is huge the great thing for veggies is being able to order anything off the menu service was attentive and very quick considering how large the place is I was surprised at how good the food was we had a meal deal with the cinema. I agree its noisy but in a good way, as it was people chatting and having a good time rather than loud music. Book if going in peak season because they do get very busy, I think this is due to the fact that its probably serving the best food in Ambelside and everybody know it.
Read morePros: Great food, Great staff, well priced
Cons: gets very busy
Guest
marcstevens
Points +114
Mixed feelings - Edit
We ate at Zeffirellis as part of a bargain cinema/meal deal on a jam-packed Saturday evening. The service was excellent and friendly, and we were amazed when the waitress not only pointed out the vegan options but produced a specially marked up menu which was much appreciated. Unfortunately the pizza without cheese that I ordered was indifferent and similar to that described in another review and the level of ambient noise was so high that I couldn't hear myself think - I won't be rushing back but really did appreciate the fact that for a change vegans were at least knowledgeably catered for in what is obviously a very popular venue.
Read morePros: Good value meal/cinema, Menu marked up for vegans, Nice and friendly staff
Cons: Very noisy, Lack of cheese on pizza, not compensated for
Guest
jonnie
Points +33
I beg to differ - Edit
Perusing the menu I could see there were going to be vegan difficulties and once again opted for pizza without you know what. The pizza was bland with a very chewy base. Garlic or chilli oil (to enliven it)was unavailable. I have never had such a flavourless pizza.
Read moreThe dining room was dark and cramped and the service was indifferent.
Cons: Bad italian food, dark
Guest
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