Lake District: First look at luxury champagne bar Errol's of Bowness

Errol's of Bowness opened on Saturday (April 27) to a plethora of table bookings with a reservation already made for its exclusive private party area in the evening.

The giant bottles of bubbly that peer out from its windows certainly make the venue stand out on the street, offering just a preview of the huge selection of champagne inside.

The venue sits below luxury aparthotel, The Rockefeller, and you certainly feel like a member of the billionaire banking family amid the faux gold bullion bars dotted around. 

The site has been transformed with a six-figure investment from the Lakes Luxury Club which has a portfolio of premium apartments across the Lake District as holiday lets.

The club has restored the building and the special attention paid to the former bank’s features, such as vault, add a touch of quirk to the affluence. 

Perhaps adding to the authenticity is a modern day cash machine conveniently located on the front of the building. 

Glistening proudly in the centre of the bar is the only champagne vending machine outside of London, New York and San Francisco.

Even those who purport not like champagne could not fail to be impressed by this, with a range of small to large bottle insides including rosé champagne and rosé prosecco.

Customers can acquire a token from the bar which is then inserted into the machine for it to lovingly and carefully extract your selection. 

As this is the Lake District's longest cocktail bar, a premium list is on offer with most tables in the bar offering an excellent vantage point to watch an expert mixologist make your drinks. 

The utmost thought has gone into presentation with ice cubes stamped with the old banks logo. 

The smoked old fashioned with Laphroaig drink is particularly impressive when it comes out.

At the moment, an exquisite curated selection of small plates is available.

If the meat and cheese platters are anything to go by, then the launch of the full menu on May 1 is a very exciting prospect.

The bar has an atmosphere as chilled as its champagne with the likes of Parilament-Funkadelic playing through the speakers.

Though the description of gold bullions bars may sound a little 'Donald Trump', the venue gets the balance of luxury and elegance just right.

The bistro windows, green velvet booths and white marble tops create a subtle ambience of opulence. 

The private dining and drinking area located in the former banks' vault is truly special.

It houses the biggest chandelier to adorn the ceiling of a real bank vault and can be dimmed upon request.

The golden glow from inside welcome guests through the original vault door - which the Gazette can confirm is incredibly heavy. 

Here, there is a touch of contrast to the rest of the bar with a red velvet booth and black marble table. 

The Moët & Chandon penguin stands attentively in the corner holding a bucket of champagne whilst looking up at the foliage fretted ceiling. 

On the walls, as with the bar outside, there are old photographs of the building's former life to add a whiff of nostalgia.

The relaxed atmosphere of the bar means coffee and patisseries can be enjoyed by day with exquisite drinks sipped in the evening.

If you're looking to pop the cork for a special occasion however, there are very few venues that can offer this level sophisticated finery for a celebration.