The Jumble Room
Grasmere, Cumbria
Famous for William Wordsworth and gingerbread, Grasmere is awash with tearooms and tourists, so it’s refreshing to find the exuberant and aptly named Jumble Room in the midst of it all. Andy and Chrissy Hill have run the place as a fun-loving family affair for more than 20 years, filling it with good vibrations, music, jokey paintings of livestock, retro magazines, LP covers and all manner of gorgeous clutter. True to form, their food is a wildly eclectic hotchpotch that brings together influences and ideas from across the globe. Expect Middle Eastern meze, handmade pasta, curries and a slate of idiosyncratic creations ranging from fillet of salmon baked in miso, Lebanese lamb-stuffed aubergine and Calabrian chicken with chorizo to crispy pumpkin gnocchi with hazelnut and fennel dukkah, whipped Gorgonzola, sticky cranberry and orange ‘beets’. To conclude, Chrissy’s take on the local 'rushbearing' gingerbread is a rare treat, made to a family recipe and served with hot toffee sauce and caramel crunch ice cream (or piping hot custard). Wines (from £18.95) have been knowledgeably chosen (don't miss the specially curated 'dessert wine flights'); also check out the informed selection of rare Scotch whiskies. Note: because the Hills operate together as a family, opening times can vary – so telephone for details.
