Gilpin Spice has entered a new phase at Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, the Lake District retreat set between Kendal and Windermere.
The 2 AA Rosette restaurant now has Ralph Rojas at the pass, bringing experience from Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat to a Pan-Asian menu built around sushi, small plates, sharing dishes and carefully handled heat.
It’s a notable appointment for a restaurant that has always worked best when it feels lively, generous and a little theatrical.
At a glance
- Gilpin Spice has introduced a new menu under Head Chef Ralph Rojas, previously of Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat.
- The restaurant’s Pan-Asian direction now leans into sushi, spice route flavours, small plates and open-kitchen energy.
- Small plates run from £7 to £17, while larger plates range from £21 to £42.
Ralph Rojas brings Lucky Cat experience to Gilpin Spice
Rojas arrives with a background that suits Gilpin Spice’s current direction.
Lucky Cat is known for its Asian-inspired cooking and polished urban rhythm, while Gilpin Spice has a more relaxed country-house setting with an open kitchen at its heart.
That contrast is part of the appeal.
The restaurant doesn’t need to become louder or more formal to feel current, but it does benefit from a chef who understands pace, balance and the visual charge of food being assembled in front of diners.
Seats at the chef’s table counter put guests close to the action, with woks, grill flames, sushi preparation and plating all becoming part of the evening.
For a hotel restaurant in the Lake District, that sense of movement gives Gilpin Spice a welcome edge.
Sushi, small plates and spice route flavour
The new menu is structured around the kind of food that suits sociable dining.
There are prawn crackers with coriander and sweet chilli emulsion, sushi selections including otoro, and a broad run of small plates that move between Japanese, Korean, Filipino and broader Asian influences.
The Wagyu Tataki is one of the more indulgent dishes, with lightly seared Wagyu beef finished with truffle ponzu and truffle emulsion.
Grilled Octopus brings a more muscular note, combining a Korean BBQ glaze with tofu foam and chimichurri.
The Kinilaw of the Day is particularly well suited to the menu’s lighter side, pairing fresh tuna with coconut milk, vinegar, calamansi, chillies, ginger and crispy shallots.
Spice Fried Chicken, or SFC, takes the comfort-food route with crunchy chicken tossed in Korean hot sauce.
The important detail is restraint.
Gilpin Spice isn’t chasing heat for its own sake, and the better dishes use chilli, acid, smoke and sweetness as part of the architecture rather than as a blunt finish.
Large plates with a Cumbrian accent
The larger dishes keep the menu grounded, with prices ranging from £21 for Tandoori Spiced Hispi Cabbage to £42 for a 30 Day Aged British Rib Eye.
The Beer Brined Cumbrian Pork Steak is the dish that most clearly links the restaurant’s global outlook with its local setting.
The beer brine keeps the pork tender, while wild mushrooms and a Thai Phat Phet glaze add aroma and gentle heat.
Side dishes continue the same mood rather than feeling like afterthoughts.
Gilpin Spice’s Egg Fried Rice remains a signature comfort, while Tenderstem broccoli with crispy arare and tofu foam adds crunch and texture.
For dessert, the Coconut and Lime Sorbet offers a clean finish, with enough tartness to reset the palate after the richer dishes.
The terrace and the mood of the room
The new Laurent-Perrier Terrace adds another layer to the experience, giving guests a place for welcome drinks and snacks before moving inside.
In a restaurant like this, the pre-dinner setting matters.
The Lake District location gives Gilpin Spice a different rhythm from a city Pan-Asian restaurant, and the best version of the concept is one that lets the hotel’s calm surroundings and the kitchen’s energy work together.
That balance is what makes the new chapter interesting.
Gilpin Spice now feels positioned for diners who want polished food without stiffness, whether they’re staying at the hotel, travelling through the Lakes or looking for a relaxed dinner with more personality than the usual country-house formula.
With Rojas leading the kitchen, the restaurant’s Pan-Asian identity feels more focused, more vivid and still entirely at home in its Lake District setting.
