The Terrace restaurant Brantwood, Coniston

LIVING as we are lucky to do in one of the most glorious parts of the country, we are often spoilt for choice when it comes to our favourite place, so many stunning areas are there on our doorstep.

My own favourite is the east side of Coniston, setting for some of my happiest family memories. My husband Gordon also loves it, although his memories are not perhaps quite so happy – he remembers as a student watching Donald Campbell on one of his early morning practice runs the week before his fateful water speed attempt in Bluebird .

The narrow road between Nibthwaite and John Ruskin's home, Brantwood, may not be the easiest to negotiate (and at this time of year the overgrown bracken and brambles make it dicier than usual) but it's certainly one of the most beautiful in the Lake District.

On Wednesday Gordon and I meandered along that road, heading for lunch at the new Terrace restaurant of Brantwood. It is a delightful journey, with magnificent beech trees at the southern end of the lake, and ancient dry stone walls along the way which are so covered in moss that they look as if they were draped in green velvet. A few boats pottered along the lake which, after all the rain of recent days, was high – the shoreline was all but invisible.

Formerly called Jumping Jenny (after Ruskin's boat which still resides in the grounds of the house), The Terrace is housed in the former stables of Brantwood. It closed late last year for a refurbishment and rebrand, The Terrace opening to the public in April. And what an excellent development it is.

While the atmosphere and animal stalls of the old Jumping Jenny tea rooms remain, The Terrace has been extended into an attached storeroom, providing a light and spacious restaurant area, with French doors out on to the newly extended terrace area, which provides masses of seating for customers.

It was a bit drizzly on Wednesday, so we were happy to try out the new interior, getting the last free table. Orders are taken at the counter in the original part of the premises.

Lakeland lager for Gordon and a Lakes gin cocktail for me kicked off our late-ish lunch, my gin being so packed with fresh redcurrants and elderberries that it almost defeated the entire exercise of drinking gin at lunchtime, in that it came perilously close to being healthy.

After all that fruit, I struggled to finish my delicious bowl of leek and potato soup (£5.95), which came with a huge doorstep of char-grilled bread. The soup was very generous, thick, piping hot and gorgeous. I didn't particularly enjoy the bread, as it came smeared with some sort of oil which I found just a bit harsh on my palate. I'd have preferred a large knob of creamy butter.

Gordon, meanwhile, was tucking into a pretty-looking bowl of smoked salmon on toasted ciabatta, with spinach, a perfectly poached egg and hollandaise sauce, for £8.25. It was an elegant and well-judged dish, Gordon's only complaint being that he would have preferred it to have been served on a plate, rather than in a bowl. The high edges of a bowl aren't always conducive to using a knife and fork – and every time Gordon laid his cutlery down in order to have a swig of lager, the cutlery tended to fall into his food. Pasta in a bowl, yes; things that require cutting up, not really.

The decor of The Terrace is light and pleasant in cool blue hues and blond wood, with a huge copy of a sketch of the man himself, the polymath John Ruskin, adorning one of the walls. From our table we had a lovely view up to the main house, with the Lakes mountains forming a spectacular backdrop. As magnificent settings go, this place is hard to beat.

A massive fruit scone with jam and a generous bowl of cream barely touched the sides as pudding for Gordon – he polished it off before I got a look in. We loved our visit to The Terrace. I'm sure John Ruskin would have been delighted to know his beloved Lakeland home continues to bring so much pleasure to so many people. He'd have loved those scones, too, I bet.

Louise Allonby

Ratings:

Food 4

Value 4

Atmosphere 4

Service 4

Pros:

Glorious setting

Ladies who lunch will love it

Lots of outdoor seating

Cons:

Will be very busy peak season

Uphill hike from car park