Mackintosh at the Willow Reviews Summary

Interior Design and Atmosphere

Pros:

• "Both the downstairs and the mezzanine level feature stunning elements, including original Mackintosh-designed lights, chairs, tables, and decoration."
• "Even if you don’t know much about Mackintosh, anyone who appreciates art will love the spectacular feel of the place."
• "This place is so beautiful, and it's clear how much care was put into the restoration."
• "A beautiful reconstruction of the tea room, but gone is the golden age…"
• "The atmosphere is lovely and very relaxed. You could just sit by and people watch through the window."
• "The decor is absolutely stunning and very true to the original art Nouveau period."
• "For those wanting to experience a taste of the Rennie Mackintosh design style."
• "A fantastic place with real connections to the past. Since its renovation, the tea rooms themselves look astounding and brought back to their former glory."

Cons:

• "The actual space was dark and cold and lacked ambiance."
• "Don't be taken in by the front page on the website. The tea rooms are nothing like that now - no lovely purple and silver high-backed chairs, just dull semi-high wood."
• "The soup though... very nice indeed."

Food and Drink Quality

Pros:

• "The tea was superb, and the food was delicious. I can't recommend it highly enough."
• "The pumpkin tart is a must! Large Tea selection. Everything was delicious!"
• "One of the most beautiful cup of hot chocolate I’ve seen. Beautiful latte art, airy, not too sweet, warming up my stomach and soul."
• "Chicken liver pate is beautifully silky. Blue cheese has a nice strong kick."
• "The desserts are far too sweet for me, unfortunately."
• "The tea and desserts were scrumptious and lived up to Willow’s reputation."
• "The sandwiches were really tasty and a nice combo of flavors."
• "The food was delicious. The staff were friendly and helpful."

Cons:

• "Sandwiches look a little like the catering pack at our faculty’s meetings, but the warm sun dried tomato quiche is lovely."
• "However, there was a piece of sushi on the plate, of which the rice was half-cooked and didn’t stick together as it supposed to be."
• "Food is appalling. 1. Butter bean toast with spinach - great recipe but has 2 leaves of spinach mashed with the butternut."
• "The sandwiches and cakes could have been fresher. The sandwiches were slightly dry around the edges and the cakes were cold."
• "The cucumber sandwiches were so soggy they were floppy and we asked for them to be remade."
• "The service was initially very slow for a quiet day. Then become somewhat intrusive."

Service and Staff

Pros:

• "The staff were all very courteous and pleasant."
• "The service is really friendly and warm (Thank you Megan for the stories!)."
• "High tea is plentiful, and everything is freshly prepared."
• "Our waitress Zara was lovely, uniform perfect, and she was so helpful and she looked like she was enjoying working here."
• "The staff are friendly and the food is good."
• "Wonderful experience. Waiting staff were so attentive but not intrusive."
• "Fantastic afternoon tea with a huge selection of teas that you could try."
• "My wife and I were in the tea room today and from the minute that we entered the establishment we were greeted with a warm welcome."

Cons:

• "They were a little slow in getting us a table despite it being fairly empty."
• "WHY THE DIFFERENT TREATMENT?? Conditions couldn’t have changed that much in such a short time."
• "Went with partner the other afternoon and extremely disappointed with the welcome we received."
• "The waitress leaned against the wall to take the food order in a disinterested fashion."
• "Waiters should pay more attention to their customers."
• "The service was almost non existent after we were initially presented with our order!"

Value for Money

Pros:

• "Price was reasonable and their store next door sold many of the teas to take home."
• "The tea and food were very good. We had to go back into the Tea Room for another look after going through the exhibition."
• "Best afternoon tea we have ever had. Best prices too."
• "Best afternoon tea in town and having been to the duck Bay marina the willow tearooms the best for miles 😀 thank you to my son for the voucher."
• "Superb afternoon tea offering excellent value."

Cons:

• "I popped in today late morning with my wife for a quick snack. The food was good, however nearly a tenner for a scone and a pot of tea. OK well presented large fresh scone with cream and jam but still over priced."
• "We had the luxury Afternoon Tea with Prosecco today. I loved all the decor and the story telling while we enjoyed our food. However, there was a piece of sushi on the plate, of which the rice was half-cooked and didn’t stick together as it supposed to be."
• "An experience, but grossly overpriced for what it was."
• "This restaurant seems to be for English speaking customers only."
• "The sandwiches and cakes were really nothing special, with the vegetarian option being particularly disappointing."