Turner Pavilion, Royal Botanical Gardens — Restaurant in Burlington

!!! Do not follow the Google Maps directions or the directions that OpenTable sends when you confirm a reservation here. That leads you to an overflow parking lot with no access to the pavilion. You need to park at the main Royal Botanical Gardens entrance and go through there, it’s a 5-10 minute walk down to the pavilion after admittance. Come early as they are strict about reservations !!!

I had a mixed experience here that left me feeling like some of the teahouse staff could have been trained in better communication, more empathy, and customer service.

I made reservations here 1 month ago and I tried calling and messaging the teahouse several times to get parking directions as the website was unclear but nobody ever picked up. We followed the parking directions sent to us in the OpenTable confirmation email and arrived on time for our reservation but found the directions led us to an overflow parking lot with a barred gate and no admittance to the gardens. There were several other people who were also there very lost and confused. The gardens map that was posted at the parking lot said the teahouse was right there but the gate was locked shut.

We had a baby and an older lady with us and had to walk about 10 minutes on the shoulder of the road across the street to the main botanical garden’s entrance. At that point we were 10 minutes late for our reservation and the Gardens staff told us the walk to the teahouse was another 5-10 minutes.

Once we arrived at the teahouse I could hear the servers talking to each other about how we were a no show. I told them we were here and I saw them roll their eyes at each other in front of us. The hostess came up and informed us that we were too late and had missed our reservation. They said they tried calling us and we didn’t answer. I checked my phone and they had called 4 minutes ago… right when I was helping my elderly MIL down the last flight of stairs to get there. So somehow within 4 minutes they decided we couldn’t be seated. I tried explaining what happened to the server, including the fact that their reservation system led us elsewhere and that I had tried calling them multiple times earlier in the day, but she didn’t show any empathy and told us we could go to another cafe.

I asked politely to speak to the manager. The server agreed and then left us to stand there for about 15 more minutes while we waited for the manager to arrive. The whole time many of the servers passing gave us dirty glances or studiously ignored us. Meanwhile one who had rolled his eyes at us told another table he “would do whatever he could to make their visit enjoyable”… It felt very humiliating.

The manager was kind and figured out a solution where the three of us were sat at a 2-person table and she added an extra chair.

The server that we did get was also so wonderful. She was very kind and sweet and apologized to us for everything that happened. She hosted us beautifully throughout and at the very end also gave us some free teabags and cakes to apologize for the way we had been treated. Just an overall amazing girl and I gave her a 50% tip because she deserved it!

We ordered the Turtle Tea set and the Botanical Tea set - the food was disappointing. The sandwiches were stale to the point where it was hard to chew. The tea and cream and jam for the scones was nice but the scones and tarts were stale to the point of crumbling and falling apart when you tried to eat them.

All in all, I think the teahouse and RBG needs to improve their communication with guests about where to go, and treat their guests with dignity and respect. I really appreciate our server and the manager in helping us where they could and I hope they get appreciated by their workplace as...

Service is “0”. I had a reservation for a party of 3 to celebrate my daughters birthday. We arrived 6 minutes before our reservation. The server at the desk told me she didn’t have a reservation for me and when I showed my confirmation she said she had given my reservation to the previous customers who came in. They could not accommodate a party of three. Our table was given to a party of two who found the table for 2 too small. We were told our only option would be to wait until a table was free or add a place setting to the very small table for two. I asked if they could ask the customers seated at our reserved table to move to the table for 2 and server went to get the manager. The manager told us we would have to wait until the diners were finished (they were seated 4 minutes prior to our arrival as I received a notification from my reservation app) or sit at a table for 2. We sat at a sofa area and while there the staff gathered at the counter and could be overheard speaking and laughing about our situation. We decided to leave as this was embarrassing and very uncomfortable. We were definitely not unreasonable. I hesitate to give this restaurant another chance as I felt humiliated. I have since called customer service manager “Julia” and left a message on voicemail but they have not responded. *Update * 12/08/23 My customer service call was forwarded, the following week, to “Jeremy”. I returned Jeremy’s call the next morning and I have yet to hear back. NEW UPDATE Jeremy did not return my call. It will be a very long time before I would even think of going back to try again. I have been an RBG member for years and I am contemplating whether to renew my...

Enjoyed the most wonderful Afternoon Tea here today. The tea itself was excellent and served in a large pot that stayed hot for the entirety of our meal. I had the RBG Blend which is a Rooibos, and my boyfriend's mom got the Peaches & Cream; we both loved ours. We each ordered a Tower - the finger sandwiches, scones, and other confections were absolutely delicious, each with unique flavours and fresh ingredients. I particularly liked the daily special scone which I think had some sort if ginger-marmalade baked into it. Our server, Ross, made helpful recommendations and was very accommodating of our dietary restrictions. The Pavilion itself is bright & airy and prettily decorated. And of course, it certainly helps that it is surrounded by / overlooks the most gorgeous garden. My only criticisms are that (1) the restrooms are located outside the restaurant, meaning you have to exit and walk around the front of the building to get to them. That would be unpleasant for anyone if it were raining or cold out, but it is especially inconvenient for those with mobility issues. And (2) there seems to be a leak from the ceiling right in the middle of the restaurant. They're aware of it, as a "Caution Wet Floor" pylon has been put up, but it is unsightly nonetheless especially at what is meant to be a classy place. Kind of surprising considering it's also newly-enough renovated. But other than that, we had an excellent time here and I much preferred it to the many Afternoon Teas I've had at the Old...