A Cause for Tea

I liked the idea of the place. I like how it’s in a historic house with a beautifully updated interior and gardens. Some of the food was tasty, especially the tea. I had the hot ‘Apple of my chai’, gluten free tea sandwiches, and a gluten free bananas nut scone. The wait staff was very knowledgeable of the menu and of pleasant demeanor. Why I’m leaving a one star review is because of what I had to go through to get to the food. My friend who coordinated this event for a group of 12 tried to make a reservation weeks in advance. She was informed that it wasn’t necessary, so we agreed to arrive at a certain time, with her getting there early, to reserve a space. She did get there at least 30 minutes early (if not earlier) and was informed when the rest of our party arrived we would be seated. Everyone was there at the agreed time, the hostess was informed, and we waited. And waited. Waited some more. Usually, I would have left at this point. Since there were some elderly ones in our group who were really looking forward to this afternoon tea experience, I remained patient. They started to lose me when after over 30 minutes we were still sitting outside in the brisk weather waiting for a table they said would be ready in just a few. Finally we were told a table for four was ready, so we had the elderly go in first, and a table for 8 would be available shortly. We proceed to be let in almost another half hour later and didn’t get the table we were promised. Instead, it went to another party of eight who arrived well after we did. The hostess, Cindy, did not greet us, acknowledge us as we waited outside, or apologize and communicate the problem that led to our wait in the first place. To add insult to injury, the gluten free bread for my sandwich was cold, the center having ice crystals, and severely under seasoned, if seasoned at all. The gluten free scone, although having great flavor, was just as dry. If they are unable to host a party of 8+ or multiple large parties on a busy Saturday afternoon in that space, I wish that had been communicated. I wish some type of acknowledgment, compensation, or apology (especially to the elderly in our group) had happened. I WILL NOT RECOMMEND OR COME BACK

Love this place. It’s truly one of a kind, that takes you back in time. I’ve brought so many friends and guests here. And everyone enjoys it. Very happy that they have a couple gluten free food & dessert options (would love to see more gluten free savory items pls). The atmosphere/decorations are great, and gift shop is fun to explore. Everything is quite good, but we especially like their beef pot pie, pea salad, & lavender macarons. Highly recommend their peaches & cream tea, with steamed milk. Cons: The wait times are long, so prepare to wait 30-45mins on a Saturday. I wish they were open past 5pm during the week.

I took my mom here for her birthday and we had an AMAZING time. Every single thing is so well thought out. The seating, atmosphere, and customer service is amazing. The tea is the best I’ve ever had. The food was very high quality, lots of flavor, and beautifully presented. They also had lots of gluten free options that were delicious! I would recommend this place to anyone, we will absolutely be back.