Vegan and gluten-free eating in the western Lakes

Plan your days around a good lunch

The western Lakes are quieter than Windermere and Keswick, which is part of their charm, but it means fewer places to eat once you’re out on the fells or by the lakes. Buttermere, Crummock Water and Loweswater are all within about 25 minutes of Cockermouth, so a good breakfast or lunch in town before or after a walk makes the day easier.

Two apps are worth having on your phone: HappyCow for vegan and vegetarian places, and Find Me Gluten Free if you’re coeliac. Reviews there are written by people who eat the way you do.

What we cook for you

Everything at Dosa Chaska is vegetarian. Our pancakes are made from rice and lentils, fermented overnight, and everything on our menu is gluten-free except cookies and samosas.

For vegans, the Vegan Lentil Sausage pancake is vegan as it comes, most other pancakes can be made vegan by leaving out the cheese or paneer, and every chat bowl is vegan or can be made vegan. There’s vegan mango lassi, vegan iced coffee and coconut or almond kulfi too.

Whatever you need, tell our team when you order. They’ll talk you through each dish and happily adapt it.

If you have coeliac disease

Our batter has no wheat in it and we use certified gluten-free hing (asafoetida, a spice that’s often bulked out with wheat flour). We do also make cookies and samosas in the same kitchen, so please tell us when you order and ask us anything. We’ll tell you how your dish is prepared so you can decide.

Stocking the cottage freezer

If you’re self-catering, our home-made curries are a good thing to have in the freezer for the evening you get back late. Every curry is vegetarian and gluten-free, made from scratch with whole spices and no ultra-processed ingredients. Each 650 g box serves 2 to 3 people. Collect from our café in Cockermouth, Wednesday to Sunday, or our Indian Hub in Whitehaven on Tuesdays.

Days out from Cockermouth

For walks, rainy-day ideas and the coast, have a look at my guide to visiting Cockermouth. And if you’re here in December, Taste Cumbria Christmas fills the town on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December 2026.