Cambridge Tea House — Restaurant in Marble Cliff

I will never come back to this establishment. Save your money.

The first time we went, we were told we couldn't do the afternoon tea service because it starts after 11 a.m., and they recommended getting a reservation. Which is fine, even though the first time we went the tea was bland and the food was stale I still wanted to get the experience.

Therefore, I booked a reservation for 1:30 PM today we got there 10 minutes early and as we sat down we were told that they couldn't provide the afternoon tea service for us because they were sold out.

So, you are telling me they sold out of their main dish in less than 2 1/2 hours? Talk about the owner not stocking properly.

Looking at other reviews, I see selling out of desserts has been a consistent problem for over three years. Maybe figure out how much to prepare for reservations in a small three-hour booking window?

Then the waitress told us we could just order the scones and tea, and mind you as I looked across the whole restaurant, there were four tables with the service we were hoping to get with our reservation.

What is the point of a reservation if you cannot provide the service this place is supposedly known for?

The best was the shock on the staff faces when we decided to leave, like why would we pay money or keep our appointment when you can't provide us with the services you recommended? No thanks!

I do not recommend coming here, as the reviewer Jeanne stated, they won't serve you if you don't have a reservation but there is no guarantee if you have a reservation they'll keep aside the product they promote. Feel bad for anyone who had a later booking than I did.

Per your response: Similar to Jeffrey's review, it is a shame you can't handle real feedback. The fact you have to make multiple reservations (one for sitting and one for afternoon tea service) for this place is ridiculous and too much of a hassle. It's a good thing you are the only British themed tea house in Columbus. It's probably the only reason you are successful! Hopefully there won't be competition in your future or you might have to put more effort in your business practices and potentially worry about this business staying...

My husband posted the review before you called and apologized which is not even ok. Yes the food was excellent but the customer service was ridiculous. I was not going to put a review but based on your response below, I feel obligated to do so. The Waitress was extremely rude and very unprofessional. We did talk to you before we left about the food being great. She was basically kicking us out of the place while we were trying to buy some teas upfront. The waitress knew you had a party coming at 3:30, she could have come to our table and nicely ask us to finish up and ask us if we needed anything upfront before the store closes. The way she treated us was just ridiculous. It looks like the issue happened again a month ago with other customers even if it was addressed. It is not acceptable to treat people the way she did us. We all get stressed from time to time, but do not put that on your customers, it is not a way of doing business.

Response from the owner2 hours ago I’m sorry if you feel your wife and her friend were rushed and treated poorly. It is not our intention to provide sub-par service to anyone. I actually spoke to both your wife and her friend today and personally apologized after we received her phone call - before you even posted this review, so I’m not sure why you say we aren’t owning up to anything. I also spoke to your wife and her friend at 3 pm when they were leaving on Sunday and no one mentioned the server being rude or any other complaints. In fact, they said everything was good. It seems the only issue was that we were extremely busy between 3 and 3:15 setting up for a private event. As you can see from our other reviews, we pride ourselves in providing excellent customer service and we do run a successful, much-loved family business. I am truly sorry if you...

This is a cute, quaint little spot near lots of other restaurants in the Marble Cliff area. Tea houses are lacking in the Columbus area, so this is a nice place to go and try different types of tea, and offers a different dining experience. In addition to the pastries to compliment the tea and coffee, there are several brunch dishes and normal sized portions to prevent from overeating. The reason for 2 stars is, I don't recommend dining here without a reservation. There isn't enough parking or seating, and it happened to be the first cold day of the year, with only outside seating available. This wouldn't have been an issue, but the outside tables are somewhat neglected. We arrived around 1:30pm, and were there until past 3pm, outside in the 45 degree chill, just to try the Tea and Sweets, for 2 people, a cup of soup, and a bacon and cheese omlet. We waited 20 min just to receive menus and order drinks. If it weren't for keeping busy chatting among the 5 of us, we would have walked out sooner. Then, since we were finally able to order drinks and food, we felt kind of stuck, and it took another 40min just to receive that small order of mostly pre-made foods that simply needed plated. They ran out of scones, but still included the jam and cream with nothing to spread it on, so we had to ask and pay for a piece of toast. I also don't recommend ordering anything other than tea or coffee, because the hot cocoa was literally about 5 sips (maybe 4-6oz?) for $3, which is a total rip off. It was cute with blue sprinkles, but didn't keep my kid warm for the extended stay due to slow service. Overall, the service was friendly, just a snail's pace. For a similar experience and less hassle, I prefer Mozart Cafe. I am willing to give this place another chance and possibly update my review...