Bordo Lounge — Restaurant in Carlisle

I been in a few times, so I have picked a few things up. They have done a really good job, looked at alot of designs, and put alot of thought into their decor. They say words are cheap, but from the floorboards to the ceiling, everything intergreats and is not there by accident. All together they have 299 portraits, prints, photos and tapestry hanging from their walls. (I should know i counted them- the things I do for you folks) The menu is quite extensive, and prices range from just under £3 to just under £16. On the back of the menu, you will find the drinks menu. Again you will find anything that can hold a cup, glass, or bottle, all of various shapes and sizes with the prices to match, alcoholic or non alcoholic. I learned today, that they also have a vegan and gluten free menu. This establishment is very fastidious, and careful, as everywhere else should be, in asking ALL customers if they have any allergies, which is a good thing. There is a lounge area, to drink coffee, large flowing staircase, and seating upstairs. Remember everywhere you look you will see a picture. Also upstairs you will find the toilets. I was disappointed here, though the toilets are clean, they are just not big enough. 1 loo for that size of establishment isn't really good enough. Down stairs at a side entrance there a level area for wheelchair access. Also downstairs you will find a disabled toilet. Well I hope that's through enough for you folks.

UPDATE 30/5/25 I was back in again, and I noticed that as you enter you will find some crayons for the children to use. On a table near the staircase you will find colouring pads, so definitely child friendly. Also to the establishments credit, I noticed that animals were also welcome. Outside i noticed they had placed some...

We don’t often visit Carlisle, but we decided to take a trip on the Settle–Carlisle railway. When we arrived, we had about three hours to fill before our return journey, so we went in search of some lunch — though we had no idea where to go. After quite a bit of wandering, we came across The Bordo Lounge on English Street. It’s a large place and easy enough to spot once you’re looking for it.

The décor is the first thing that really grabs your attention: bold wallpaper covered with an incredible array of pictures, ranging in size from tiny to huge. It sounds chaotic, but it works brilliantly and makes a striking impression. There are plenty of tables of all shapes and sizes, all with comfortable seating, and spaced out well so nothing feels crowded.

The menu covers just about everything from breakfast to tapas, and the drinks list includes everything from soft drinks to cocktails.

I chose the Big Breakfast — and that turned out to be a mistake on my part! The food was excellent, but there was so much of it that I was completely beaten. My partner had an equally impressive selection of food, and theirs was just as good.

There’s also an upstairs seating area and a large outdoor space. Once seated, you order at the bar and then simply relax — and you won’t be waiting long. The food was very good in both quality and quantity, and the staff were polite, friendly, and happy to chat.

We couldn’t find anything to dislike — not that we wanted to. The food isn’t cheap, but it’s certainly worth the price.

After spending a very enjoyable couple of hours there, we returned to Skipton on a beautiful evening, with fantastic scenery over the moors to finish the day perfectly.

Thank you to...

We have been waiting for a while to go here. We've waited in the past inside the door and been frustrated that we haven't had a member of staff greet us so just walked off after waiting a few minutes. This time we actually had someone greet us and took us to a table. The walk to the table was probably the best thing about the experience here. It was easy to order and the food sounded amazing. It wasn't. We waited a while for the drinks to arrive but as it was busy we understood the slight wait. The food when it did arrive was tiny portions and I mean tiny. The flatbread we ordered was shop bought and the toppings were minimal with no mention of all the ingredients on the menu - it's a good job neither of us has an allergy. The chips that came with both meals were lukewarm and in such miniscule amounts that the metal cup they arrived in was hardly overflowing. I mean who serves chips in a cup anymore. As we were eating we noticed that the place had emptied out but this didn't mean that we had attentive service, quite the opposite. No opportunity to discuss the meal with the staff until they came to collect it. We did say we were disappointed with the meal and were offered a second round of drinks for free. This was taken up but even with the free drinks we thought the whole experience was overpriced and underwhelming. We won't be going back. Take our advice and either go for overpriced drinks with a decent view of town or avoid. We will avoid it and go to one of the better...