The Garden Court — Restaurant in San Francisco

Was thoroughly disappointed in the service at high tea. However, after speaking to the manager, he made things right. I’ll go back to give them another chance. Just be forewarned that if the service sucks, ask for the manager.

About the service: The service was the worst experience I’ve ever had. And we were not alone- the table next to us left 1/2 way through their meal.

We were seated and ignored for over 20 minutes- took 5 of us to flag down someone to just get water. The waiter screwed up our sandwich order five times! FIVE. Then, forgot to give us our tea until we finally had to ask for it. The dirty dishes were rarely picked up from our table, nor were our drinks refilled without constant waving down our waiter.

When dessert was served, our waiter neglected our extreme food allergies and never explained what we were being served. Worst of all he directly insulted two of us. I’m assuming he thought his comments were funny, but they were rude and uncalled for.

The food was tasty. I gave it a ⭐️⭐️ 2 star because of the issues we had with getting it right and working with our dietary needs. My friends really loved the egg salad sandwich with truffles.

Making it right: I spoke to the manager directly about the service. He made it right with our bill. He also had the chef prepare food that was allergy free. I appreciated his expediency of making it right, so my hope for the Palace tea service is not all lost. (Considering it took him no time at all to find the allergy friendly options, they had to have them easily available.)

Also special shout out to the harpist. She was fabulous. Really really enjoyed her playing for us - a true highlight to...

TGC is by no means a place I'd usually come to on my own - though, I realized upon arriving that I had been here once before, to nap at one of their tables while I was here for a tech conference. So, what brought me here for lunch? A farewell lunch to mourn the loss of our manager to another SF startup, his treat, and only because the other two places we were thinking of going were too hard to just walk in to at lunch, sans reservation.

So, after scanning their limited food selection for a bit, I settle for the seared scallops with fennel and rice. And, while it was by no means bad - the scallops were cooked well, and there was good flavor overall - they were by no means $29 fantastic, and were actually a little too salty. By the time I was on my third scallop, I was starting to gulp water with every quarter bite I took.

Would I come back again? Sure, if someone else is buying. And even then, I'd try and suggest something else in the area first, because there's definitely better food at this price point. Now, if you're just interested in gawking at and photographing the pretty interior, then, well, I have nothing else to say.

Accessibility Info

Venue - A large, open space, basically making up the hotel lobby atrium. Getting into the hotel itself requires going up a somewhat steep, curved ramp, but once inside, everything is accessible. The tables in this area are all round 2 - 4 tops, with somewhat wide bases, which does mean that it's a little difficult to scoot completely under the table.

Bathroom - Didn't check them out this time, but the hotel definitely had accessible restrooms the last time I was here for...

If it wasn't for the beautiful glass ceiling letting through sunlight, and the gorgeous Christmas tree, The Garden Court (TGC) would've gotten 1 or 2 stars.

I had a date lunch at TGC with their prix fixe lunch. We arrived about 10 mins early (11:30am was the reservation when they open for lunch). Not too many people in the lobby, and the gorgeous ambience greeted us. We were just so happy to be there in a historic hotel with high ceilings and amazing light. So naturally, we were excited for lunch. And who knew, this wait would be the highlight of the meal.

The hostess at the podium didn't show up till 11:35am. We were seated around then, and literally waited what felt like eternity for a server. Not many options (since prix fixe) and so the food came quick but it was clear this was cooked ahead of time in mass. I'd say the overall food quality was slightly better than a meal on an international flight.

The butternut squash soup was pretty good - smooth and cinnamon sprinkled. Salad was overly dressed, bread rolls were tough, sea bass was bland, and so was the short ribs. The yule log chocolate mousse was just sugar without character and I didn't even bother trying the lemon tart. Essentially, the food is below average and bland. Oh did I mention $80 per head?

Do not go here for a meal. Grab coffee and enjoy the ambience. Perhaps only once when you are staying at the hotel. It's an experience but after you've taken your pictures, there's...