Stunning blue lake with a terrace café an hour from Birmingham and you can eat above the water

Looking for a place to go for lunch with a view? Italy is known for its beautiful lakes. Think Garda, Como, Orta and Maggiore for romantic hideaways and showbiz glamour.

Now, we don't have anywhere with quite that pizazz around Brum but there is a set of lakes that's well worth a visit, especially on a sunny day. With the sunlight glistening on the water, Stanwick Lakes in Northamptonshire offers dazzling blue water surrounded by an abundance of trees.

The 750-acre nature reserve boasts six lakes and is free to visit. Best of all, there's a café which has a lakeside terrace on struts, enabling you to dine over the water.

Read more: The dazzling reservoir walk near Birmingham that looks like it is in the Mediterranean

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Even if the weather turns, you can still enjoy views of the lake, thanks to the huge windows in the café. The menu includes sausage and bacon baps from just £3 for breakfast, chicken and avocado paninis for around £8, halloumi fries for £6 and loaded beef nachos for £7. There’s even stone-baked, handcrafted pizza for around a tenner.

The cafe is licensed so you can have a glass of wine with your meal if you prefer, or go for a coffee and cake instead. There’s also a childrens’ menu. Open from 9.30am to 3pm on weekdays and until 4.30pm on weekends and during school holidays, you can find out more via the Stanwick Lakes website. Well-behaved dogs are welcome.

If you head over there for a day out, there’s an adventure playground with water features, balance beams, towers and bridges. You can also go bird spotting in hides around the lakes and visit a replica Iron Age roundhouse.

There's also a trail where youngsters can discover climbing rocks, a zip line, a rope bridge over the water, balance beams, swings and animal structures along the way. All the paths are surfaced to make them accessible for wheelchairs, bikes, pushchairs and scooters. If you'd prefer to take your own food, there are picnic and barbecue areas too.

How to get to Stanwick Lakes from Birmingham

You can find the lakeside cafe terrace at Stanwick Lakes, Wellingborough NN9 6GY. It takes around an hour and 10 minutes to reach from Birmingham, traffic permitting, via the M6 and the A14. Parking costs £3.30 for two hours or £6.30 for the day during the summer and the fees help to support the upkeep of the reserve.