Huffkins Cheltenham — Restaurant in Cheltenham

We visited on a Friday after receiving a voucher for afternoon tea.

We were initially running late due to traffic and so called Huffkins and the server was very understanding and advised to call back if we would arrive later than 3pm as the kitchen would close and would be difficult to cater for our afternoon tea but they would accommodate as best as they can.

We arrived before the kitchen closed thankfully and the service was top tier from entering Huffkins.

It was clean and tidy with plenty of cakes avaliable. We were promptly offered a choice of tables and our order was taken promptly.

Our server, a young male with brown hair (Couldn't get his name) was attentive, informative and friendly throughout and nothing was too much of an ask. Our server checked in with us to ensure we were enjoying our afternoon tea.

The afternoon tea itself is one of the best we've had as a family and despite having a gift card, this was simple and easy to use. Cakes were fresh and drinks were hot and the offering of the afternoon tea was plentiful. So much so, we had to take some home with us.

The rest rooms were clean and well stocked. The only improvement I can put forward is that there is no baby change avaliable in the male restroom or a shared space for baby changing. I had to gingerly knock and use the women's rest room and prepare an apology just incase I prevented someone using this restroom whilst I made use of the baby change facilities.

I noticed in the male restroom there was space above the toilet which could fit a changing mat. Not ideal but allows for more inclusivity if a dad and baby were out alone.

Overall 10/10 service...

On arrival at the Cheltenham branch of Huffkins, I was excited by the prospect of a creamy, textural mocha coffee, to be accompanied by a fluffy, luscious sweet treat. To my dismay, nothing but disappointment arrived on that tray. The mocha was tepid at best, with a dastardly lack of viscosity. The mouth feel was not dissimilar to that of tears. Furthermore, the "artwork" I was presented with left, shall we say, a bitter taste in my mouth. It was a mere Picasso of chocolate sprinkles to hide the disgrace of what should have been delightful, foamy goodness with a perfectly centered Rosetta. But the list goes on: the trek to the lavatory was a discombobulating labyrinth of twists and turns. But alas, I am no anomaly - in my ventures, I found a fellow Cheltonian who expressed her resentment and anxiety regarding the lack of signage and continuity in the depths of this establishment. After returning to my comrades, we decided to scope out the cakey possibilities. To my heart's discontent, the selection of home-bakes was, well, sub-average at best. To add to this, the restaurant style service pressured us to return swiftly to our tables. Which brings me on to my next point; the mess. We seemed to be perched within a wasteland of crockery and half-devoured scones. A distressing sight, that was not cleared within the entire duration of our stay. To top it all off, the mocha was £2.75 - a disgrace given the average price within the 'genuinely' specialty coffee houses within the local area charge the standard £2.60. I can safely say, it has been an experience I do not wish to live...

Pros: It's close to the bus stop. Service is split: nice guy at the entry, although in between clearing the table for me, he was dealing with two other people and making me wait. The woman adult with regarding getting whole milk for my tea, was abrupt and dismissive. I promise you that if I had treated her the way she treated me, she'd have me chained to the stocks. I asked for whole milk for my tea & without even eye contact, was dismissed with "I don't have anything but semi." These restaurants that are cheaping out by only ordering so that they don't have to have two kinds of milk in stock, really pisses off those of us who are paying for an overpriced cup of tea. We want a decent cup of tea and that's impossible with watery milk. I mean, why bother? Food: I ordered the cream tea. I got one puffy "scone." About a tablespoon of jam in the tiniest little jar I've ever seen, and I've been in the Cotswolds for 2 weeks, in Devonshire for 2 weeks and Dorset for 2 weeks. I know a decent cream tea when I have it and this wasn't it. In the scheme of things, bad food is probably a good thing because I am a diabetic and eating too many carbs is bad. (Of course I'm being sarcastic. I would like to be the one determining how much jam or cream I use. Not them.) Finally, I have to admit that this was my last choice. The others, that I got recommendations for, were no longer serving tea at 4:00 p.m. Definitely go anywhere else and I promise you that you...