Address: 65 Waterside, Ely, CB7 4AU, United Kingdom
Phone: +441353661100
Rating: 4.7
based on 222 reviews.
Ambience and Decor
Pros:
"The decor was so pretty and unique, you definitely should check this little gem out."
"It has a vintage ambience that makes it feel very idyllic from a time lost to us a few generations ago."
"Instead you have a beautiful Regency house and garden, with attentive staff and an attractive touch of bohemia."
"An absolutely huge range of teas in wonderful surroundings with eclectic collections of tea caddys and other things."
"The decoration, atmosphere, and friendly service make this place a must to visit with friends or family."
"All to enjoy while you take in the nice views by the river!"
"The place itself is so well decorated, it’s just fun to ‘explore’ different rooms and their vibe."
Cons:
"The only slightly negative thing I have to say is that the managers are sometimes a little bit cold/dismissive."
"However, as suspected, the cake was too sweet, and sandwich was too salty, which was probably my personal preference."
"Cute location, great for tourists who don’t know better, but you’ll be hard pressed to keep locals."
"However on a busy day we waited and waited for our toasties and when they arrived I can only say they were disappointing for £17."
"Sad to express our disappointment about this place. We had to wait outside in the cold and then once we were finally inside it took a really long time to get any attention from the staff."
"The only let down was that the table we had was too small even for two people."
"Very slow service. We were the second group to come in at opening and it took over a hour to be served."
Service
Pros:
"All staffs were friendly and cheerful."
"The staff are very friendly and helpful."
"The staff were some of the friendliest and attentive I have ever been served by."
"Excellent service, particularly from the lady who is in charge of the loose leaf tea sales."
"The waiting staff were friendly and seemed interested in our party."
"Servers are really friendly and attentive too."
"Very helpful staff providing the ramp for disabled access."
Cons:
"The service was lacklustre, I think they were a member of staff down."
"The service has definitely dropped and honestly ruined the latest visit."
"Upon arrival, the establishment was full of staff, and yet we, along with other customers were left waiting at the door for seating."
"We waited so long for any further service in our room ie for coffee and pudding that we just had to leave."
"In those 5/10 minutes some waitress rudely told us that my baby HAD to sit in the highchair."
"Regardless, the staff were not attentive and I had to wait over 30 mins to pay, all the while our plates had not been cleared."
"The person who appeared to be in charge appeared more preoccupied with putting her phone on charge then noticing we were ready to pay."
Food and Tea Selection
Pros:
"Had lunch in the garden, had an egg and cress sandwich and my husband had a bacon and brie sandwich on granary bread both were excellent."
"The food was delicious also, I had a goat's cheese salad. Portion sizes were significant."
"Good value for money as well, I felt like I had an afternoon tea with flexibility in choosing my own dishes and the bill for two came out so reasonable."
"The food is absolutely delicious, and the setting absolutely fits the mood of the experience."
"The brownie has chunks of walnut in it which tastes amazing, the scone was huge and delicious."
Cons:
"Today we were charged £5 for 2 small pieces of half rye toast - one slice for each of us at £2.50 each!"
"The tea was good, food average at best."
"However, as suspected, the cake was too sweet, and sandwich was too salty, which was probably my personal preference."
"Croque Monsieur was average with the bread quite soggy on the inside, the Welsh Rarebit which was a tiny slice of bread, left my husband still hungry. The carrot cake was quite soggy."
"An impressive selection of tea, which were very good. Also has good changing facilities for babies. Only downside was that, when brought, I had no idea how brewed the tea already was, and it ended up too brewed."
"We had toasted ham and cheddar sandwiches with a salad garnish that consisted of half a dozen rocket leaves grated carrot and half a cherry tomato. All in all, it was nothing special."
"Service grumpy from the go not even a hello & £40 spent on afternoon tea was bland. Sadly the scones & chosen cake were dry."
Value and Pricing
Pros:
"Good value for money as well, I felt like I had an afternoon tea with flexibility in choosing my own dishes and the bill for two came out so reasonable."
"The price that we paid was reasonable given the quality of the food and service."
"All reasonably priced."
"Doesn’t cost an arm and a leg either."
"This was all at a very reasonable £24."
"I have known cheaper and I have had bigger scones! But for friendliness, for service and for attention to detail and quirkyness absolutely brilliant."
"Food excellent and very helpful and friendly service throughly recommend great value for £20 too!"
Cons:
"Today we were charged £5 for 2 small pieces of half rye toast - one slice for each of us at £2.50 each!"
"It is a bit pricey but it is worth it."
"I thought it was over priced and over rated."
"The portions were much less than previous visits. And the price is still much too expensive for what you get."
"Service grumpy from the go not even a hello & £40 spent on afternoon tea was bland. Sadly the scones & chosen cake were dry."
"A bit expensive but was in a tourist location and upmarket area."