Afternoon Tea at The Rubens Reviews Summary

Food Quality

Pros:

• "The food was creative and scrumptious."
• "Their teas, finger sandwiches, and sweets were delicious and beautifully presented."
• "The dessert were so fitting for a 'Royal Tea'."
• "The food was delicious especially the cakes."
• "The sandwiches and scones were both alright, nothing particularly noteworthy."
• "The food was excellent and the lobster sandwiches were the best ever eaten along with the scones."
• "The sandwiches were plentiful and served on lovely breads."
• "The quality of food, besides scones, is very underwhelming / poor."
• "The food was excellent, very impressed."
• "The food was brilliant head up to the chef thank you much."

Cons:

• "The sweets were especially disappointing, dry and gritty."
• "The food, especially the dessert, were horrible."
• "The pastries and cakes were poor - whilst they looked very well put together the taste was simply not there."
• "Sandwiches were dry and pastries were so sweet we couldn't eat them."
• "The quality of tea is good, but the selection is very limited."
• "Their vegan afternoon tea was really underwhelming."

Service

Pros:

• "The staff was attentive, knowledgeable and very pleasant."
• "Oljada and Odunayo were friendly and attentive."
• "Oliver took photos of us outside the stunning entrance."
• "The service was really, really wow! Carlota was really helpful and friendly."
• "Service was impeccable and the food was delicious."
• "Our primary server, Saif, was outstanding."
• "The service was warm, prompt and added greatly to the overall experience."
• "We had an excellent high tea experience here. Service was phenomenal, over-the-top."

Cons:

• "The service was prompt but they seemed very inexperienced."
• "The servers was so mechanical and I don't think they knew what they were doing or serving."
• "Was ok nothing special for the price I don't think it was worth it when we first got there seem to be a lot of staff but then all of a sudden there was no staff."
• "Very disappointing in the service as this was the second visit, where we’ve had to wait ~30 mins for the food to be served."
• "We received a gift of afternoon tea with champers at the Rubens. The staff were most friendly and helpful particularly assisting my 90 year old mother, who is not as mobile as she would like."
• "Staff were polite and friendly but poorly trained, not the experience you would expect at a fine dining establishment."

Atmosphere & Location

Pros:

• "The atmosphere and location were great."
• "The ambient was really cozy and comfortable and with good views."
• "The space is gorgeous, the atmosphere is wonderful."
• "The elegant atmosphere, attentive service, and delightful pastries made for a memorable occasion."
• "Ruben’s tea is classy and elegant without feeling alienating or pretentious."
• "Great atmosphere, the food was brilliant head up to the chef thank you much."
• "The surroundings are very elegant, and the tea/cakes/sandwiches/scones were good."
• "Fantastic experience here. My first time having afternoon tea and they went above and beyond to make me feel special. The location has wonderful views of the mews and beautiful piano music playing."

Cons:

• "Decor was too red, making the place look too dark on an overcast day."
• "The table-chair setup was a bit uncomfortable."
• "It felt like an Americanized tea experience."
• "The space where tea is served was cramped and busy."

Value for Money

Pros:

• "The bottomless champagne was a fun option that I took advantage of."
• "The service and quality of the food was top notch- highly recommend."
• "Totally exceeded my expectations! My daughter and I were so happy to experience the Little Princess Tea and the Royal Afternoon Tea earlier today. It definitely was worth the time and every quid spent."
• "A fabulous afternoon tea to celebrate my wife’s 30th birthday! Bottomless champagne on tap and a brilliant selection of sandwiches and cakes."

Cons:

• "At this price, I wouldn't go again."
• "It was not enough to make up for the shortcomings though and definitely not enough to justify the steep price."
• "For the amount of money I paid, I was expecting to be amazed a little bit."
• "Very disappointing, we visited today for the bottomless champagne platinum jubilee afternoon tea with my 80 year old mother-in-law. It was supposed to be a very special occasion but it was a disaster."
• "£60 for afternoon tea, which is outrageous considering the Ritz is £67 (go there instead!)."