Sunborn Afternoon Tea

Review summary

1. P

   Peter

   London2 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 4

   Our reservation was made at the hotel on the 16th December 2024, nearly 3 months prior to the visit. At the time the Duty Manager of the restaurant took details of some special items we requested to celebrate an Eightieth Birthday and a separate Wedding Anniversary; the booking was for 4 people at 3.00pm on the 6th March 2025. When we arrived on the day we checked to see that they had details of the special items which we had previously requested, and the Duty Manager confirmed all was in place. However, despite our best efforts all was in vain, nothing was organised or forthcoming. Very disappointing! Afternoon Tea was OK but nothing special or memorable for a special occasion. General waiter service was way below par and again very disappointing, how many times do you need to request water? My wife asked three times and nothing ever appeared. Love the location and the general ambience but the overall experience did not support the costs. We have previously stayed on the sister ship in Gibraltar with far better results, in fact it was our Gibraltar experience that led us to the London location. Only goes to prove that replicating things is not as easy as it may seem. We had made a special journey of some distance and would advice that unless you live locally or have to be in that area don’t waste your money.
   

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2. G

   Giorgia

   London2 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on February 26, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   The venue was very nice. The service left a lot to be desired. The food and drinks were definitely not worth £40 per person.
   

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3. A

   Anita

   London1 review

   4.0

   Dined on February 21, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Fabulous location and beautiful yacht. All staff incredibly polite and attentive. Food excellent sandwiches, scones and cakes. Bottomless coffee and tea. Our Gluten free request was fulfilled and a good selection of food. Plenty of time to spend with family and friends, never felt like we were being rushed to leave. We were able to have a drink in the bar before and after our tea. The outside deck was unavailable to sit due to the weather which was understandable. Would definitely recommend and would return.
   

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4. N

   Nicola

   London1 review

   5.0

   Dined on February 8, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   I highly recommend this afternoon tea. I went with my partner and daughter for my birthday but feel this would be an ideal experience to meet up with a group as we didn’t feel rushed in any way and neither did it seem any of the other guests. There was a wonderful choice of savouries with two perfectly sized scones ( one plain, one fruit) and a delightful selection of sweet offerings. There was also a lovely surprise I’d not been aware of when I made the booking, but I won’t mention it here so as not to spoil it for others. Unable to finish all the sweet items, we asked for a box to take the remaining items which we were given. My only criticism being that after being served our afternoon tea no one checked in on us to see if we wanted any drinks top ups ( included). My daughter managed to gain the attention of a busy staff member setting up for the evening service to request a top up of our tea. The tea seemed rather weak as if boiling water had been added to the original tea bag in the pot, which had been in there since initially served, and we weren’t asked if we required any additional milk. Based on prices paid for other afternoon tea experiences and the little included ‘surprise’, the location of this afternoon tea along with the ambience, I would say it is good value but you do need to take into consideration that a 12.5% service charge is added to the price of the afternoon tea, so it’s a little more than stated ( although, of course this is a voluntary charge)
   

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5. M

   Mark

   London1 review

   1.0

   Dined on January 24, 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 3

   Hi Amazing venue let down by service was very slow Lack of choice and overpriced Thank
   

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6. C

   Charley

   Surrey1 review

   3.0

   Dined on January 18, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 4

   Sadly the service really let the experience down. We had a dietary requirement that despite me calling in advance to make them aware of, hadn’t been noted, and when I reiterated the requirement when ordering I was told “I can’t promise that, I’ll need to check with the chef” and to be honest I felt like a bit of a nuisance. We ordered our teas straight away but had to chase for them half an hour or so later, as did the table next to us. We asked for a coke at the end but that never arrived. Trying to get staffs attention to order, ask for extras, pay the bill etc was impossible despite them making eye contact with us - two occasions they chose to ignore us. The menu itself was presented on an old flimsy plastic sheet folded in half which would’ve ripped down the middle if we weren’t careful, would’ve been nice to have it presented in a little more 4/5* quality that we were expecting. The staff weren’t overly friendly. The sandwiches tasted great but again, weren’t presented as we’d expect from a venue of this standard. A bit slap dash. Not the stereotypical elegant “finger food” presentation we’re used to. We’d been to an afternoon tea at Pennyhill Park in Surrey the weekend before and could clearly tell the difference.
   

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7. P

   Paul

   London1 review

   2.0

   Dined on December 14, 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   very disappointed. staff not very attentive. not organised at all. not very festive for the christmas period. felt very let down.
   

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8. A

   Afshan

   London1 review

   3.0

   Dined on November 21, 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   The service was quite poor, as the waiters didn't check up on customers to see if everything is okay or if they need anything. We were not served tea and had to call the waiter over to be served tea. Also we're not given an water
   

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9. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   London1 review

   3.0

   Dined on November 15, 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   There was a lovely atmosphere in the restaurant. The food was bought out quickly. The free cocktail is a nice touch. Staff was hard to find when wanting more tea and coffee. £10 service charge is so step considering staff hardly did anything!
   

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10. k

    kay

    Derbyshire2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on November 11, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    Excellent birthday treat for my husband. Gorgeous place to have afternoon tea. Food was perfect 👌
    

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