The Gilpin Hotel was long synonymous with Hrishikesh Desai and his highly-regarded restaurant HRiSHi. The flagship has now become SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel, and the hotel has pulled off a bit of a coup in tempting ultra-talented chef Ollie Bridgwater to Cumbria, after a decade spent at The Fat Duck in Bray.
This five-star, family-run hotel has a great reputation for good reason - this is easily one of the most friendly, welcoming teams we’ve ever come across. From being greeted to being waved off in a taxi, the SOURCE team - and indeed, the wider hotel too - are exceptional.
The room is equally homely and comforting, split into a cosy lounge and bar and a pair of dining rooms. There’s also a lovely al fresco terrace - very inviting on Windermere’s sunny days where you can sit with a drink and a snack and, if you’re lucky, visit with some nearby alpacas. We find ourselves in the more intimate dining room, which has a fantastic buzz and retains some lovely old-school charm thanks to starched white tablecloths and smart, besuited service.
SOURCE’s tasting menu kicks off with a bit of Fat Duck-esque magic - a gin and tonic, housed inside a sphere of cucumber jelly, so that it pops in your mouth as you eat it. It’s a signal of more innovation to come. Chilled herb gazpacho with scallop and pickled radish is a palate-zinging wake up, accompanied by the crunch of a smoked eel tapioca cracker on the side. A delicate piece of roast native lobster - cooked over the coals of a konro grill - is served with a rich satay sauce; a combination of sweet, earthy and creamy that comes off with top marks.
SOURCE still delivers some tried-and-tested comforts too, whether it’s an impeccable Parker House roll with whipped bone marrow, or a pleasing and perfectly-cooked dish of beef, onion, wild garlic and ale with a stuffed morel. The desserts don’t falter either - and it’s all accompanied by an excellent wine pairing that ventures away from the norms. Bridgwater has only been here for less than six months upon our visit - on the basis of this early form, this could easily become one of the very best restaurants in the Lake District.