Afternoon Tea At Leonardslee House

I booked the Ultimate Wine Experience with afternoon tea and based on the cost I was expecting this to be very good at the very least. I can 100% confirm it far exceeded these exceptions as it proved to be pretty much perfect! From the food down to the setting and service it was truly exceptional, in fact it was literally faultless. I can't not mention our waiter Simba whose wine knowledge coupled with his smiley easy-going nature was the icing on the cake. Lovely wine, delicious tea, wonderful food, and above all brilliant service. It's easily a Ten out of Ten experience.

£60 a head for a sparkling afternoon tea which was on the whole a very run of the mill selection and not worth the money paid plus service charge on top. Even having a confirmation email stating our time was from 3 to 5.30 pm our party of 6 guests was reduced to under 2 hours as we were ushered out at 4.50 pm only to find the main exit through the garden centre locked, leaving us all wandering around the grounds trying to find our way back to our cars. Very distressing and totally unacceptable.

We received afternoon tea gift vouchers for Christmas and what a delightful treat it was. After enjoying a lovely stroll around the gardens, we eagerly anticipated our tea, and it did not disappoint. The service was top-notch, as was the beautifully presented and delicious food. However, we found the extras, such as a glass of bubbly, to be a bit pricey. The Drawing Room offered elegant and comfortable surroundings with great views.

I was given vouchers for afternoon tea at Leonardslee House as a gift. The vouchers included entry to the gardens (usually £14.50), so we were able to explore the beautiful gardens before heading inside for tea. We were seated by a window overlooking the gardens. The portion of food provided was generous and the quality was excellent. The service was attentive but not overbearing. Despite some recent negative reviews, I would definitely return again.

Watch out for the 12.5% service charge automatically added to your bill. This is not advertised on the website when you make a booking. You are advised a few days before you go (via email) that 'A 12.5% service charge is added to all bills, to thank the kitchen and front of house staff for their services on the day. Only if you feel we did not deliver on the standard that we set ourselves can it be removed from the bill on request. ' Well I do not know what standards you have set yourselves so how can I say whether you have achieved those standards or not. When presented with the bill it says 'discretionary service charge '. Discretionary means 'available for use at the discretion of the user '. In this case the customer!! Many people go for a special treat something they would not normally buy because it is expensive. Adding a further 12.5% on top left a very bad taste in my mouth.