Second time visiting here as it was my birthday and I had had a good experience here half a year ago. Unfortunately, I was let down by unfriendly staff and changed recipes.

We arrived five minutes before our reservation (1:45pm on 10th September, 2024) and, despite the restaurant being fairly empty (only three tables occupied), we were left standing for several minutes before being acknowledged. When we were finally approached, the staff member said she wasn’t responsible for bookings, and we had to wait again for someone else. When the staff member “in charge of the booking” finally attended to us, she didn’t greet us warmly despite our smiles, giving us a poker-faced, cold reception instead. This was definitely not the welcoming atmosphere we had previously experienced.

We ordered a special set tea (£50) to share among me and my daughter and my husband ordered a luncheon (£22). However, we were taken aback when the staff member reprimanded us for supposedly booking three sets of high tea. Their website states that tea sets can be changed on the day of booking, yet we were made to feel at fault. Moreover, the website doesn’t allow guests to select different sets for each person, so it was confusing why this would be an issue. While the staff explained that baked goods are prepared in advance based on bookings, this level of inflexibility in the service and catering industry is unreasonable, especially when it wasn’t communicated upfront.

When my husband wanted to have a refill of teapot, he walked up to the baking display and asked the staff. His “excuse me” was ignored and his perfectly reasonable request was met with a glare and reluctant fulfilment. Not the service we recall and expected at all.

The food was also not up to our expectations. The scones were smaller than normal, almost like mini scones, and came cold! It also had an almost bread-like texture, which is such a disappointment as you would expect a tea room to make a decent scone, especially one with such a long history.

Throughout our visit, we remained polite and courteous, so we have no idea why we were treated with such hostility. Ironically, the staff were cheerful and jovial with other guests, even sharing a laugh with a table that paid their bill in loose change.

Was looking forward to a good memory to celebrate my birthday - guess it wasn’t meant to be!