Afternoon Tea at Leonardslee House in Horsham

Free entry to explore the marvellous gardens at Leonardslee when booking the Ultimate experience. A thorough wine tasting, brilliantly conducted by 'Simba', a true credit to his profession as a sommelier. Fabulous wines and that Sabre moment when the cork is 'popped', my friend did this with such distinction. An excellent, delicious Afternoon Tea followed, nothing waste much of a problem, photo opportunity, carrot cake a welcome extra but 'Simba' created the icing on the cake. Fantastic experience.

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.

he afternoon tea and staff were lovely but we parked in the main garden car park and my wife pushed me in my wheelchair down the hill to the house. This hill is too steep and my wife had to stop several times to get her breath back. As you have plenty of empty car parking spaces by the house, it would be sensible to let elderly and disabled customers park by the house. If this doesn't happen, I regret to say we won't be back.  

Came here for a 90th birthday. When making the initial enquiry, the woman at reception was pretty apathetic and there was very little friendliness to the interaction from her part. I was additionally given an incorrect email address to make the reservation. When making the reservation I asked whether I could speak to someone about logistics as we were told we would need to be seated on two tables rather than one. I was directed (without my knowledge) to a premium number, which I am still surprised at given that the person that I was speaking to had another - regular landline - number that I could have called but yet choose to direct me to this premium number. When I discovered the charges I asked whether Leonardslee were aware they had directed me to a premium number. The answer was that "the premium number was in place for a number of reasons, but they were sorry for the inconvenience". As the call wasn't for too long I proposed that the £4 charge that I had incurred could maybe be subtracted from the final bill as a gesture of good faith. This email was ignored. The service from staff on the day was very attentive, and the woman with whom I corresponded (referred above) was also helpful and polite. The food was excellent. Such a shame that in the course of spending £500, Leonardslee couldn't find the impetus to recompense me such a small amount for a call that I never would have made had I known I would be charged. The place itself is really nice but when you are spending a lot of money you really don't want to have the basics missed off with emails ignored, sneaky surcharges, and unwelcoming first impressions.

Leonardslee House is a beautiful, elegant setting in stunning gardens. Having a walk around the grounds before an afternoon tea, is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. The dining room is quite lovely, very elegant and special. The service friendly and attentive. The sandwiches and scones were delicious, the pastries also lovely. My only constructive feedback is regarding the children’s afternoon tea, which the children in our party found to be too ‘fancy’. The pastries, whilst undeniably works of art, were just too much for our children, who would have been much happier with a slice of cake. To be honest generally, I think a lot of people would like a lovely slice of cake rather than exquisite looking but rather complicated pastries. It’s something you see at lots of high end afternoon teas these days. Whilst I hugely admire the skills of the chefs and the beauty of the pastries, I personally think the option of more traditional cakes would be a good thing and welcomed by many. Just a thought. Despite the lack of ‘cake’, the afternoon tea at Leonardslee is very special and combined with a walk around the gardens, makes for a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

£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 were bought afternoon tea gift vouchers for Christmas, and what a treat. After a lovely walk around the gardens we were looking forward to our tea and it was amazing. The service was first class as was the food, which was beautifully presented and very tasty. Extras such as a glass of bubbly, were quite expensive though. Great views from the the elegant and comfortable Drawing Room.

I received vouchers for afternoon tea at Leonardslee House as a gift. The voucher includes admission to the gardens (which usually costs £14.50) so we were able to enjoy the lovely gardens before going into the house for tea. We were seated in the window looking out into the gardens. The quantity of food supplied was ample and the quality hard to fault. The service was attentive without being intrusive. Don't be put off by some recent negative reviews, I would definitely come 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.

We chose Leonardslee for a birthday treat. We couldn't find any fault. A wonderful selection, beautiful surroundings and excellent service.

The food was nice but the service was non-existent. We went for afternoon tea, and two of our party didn’t get offered any actual tea. We were never offered refills of drinks, or asked if everything was ok or we needed anything, even being there for more than two hours. Save yourself £5 and go 2 minutes down the road to South Lodge.

You pay London prices for afternoon tea at Leonardslee, is it worth it? Absolutely, it was amazing and worth the indulgence for a special occasion. We were given a lovely table by a large window overlooking the grounds, and the service was excellent. Everything about the afternoon tea itself was perfect, most importantly everything was fresh, from the bread for the sandwiches to the freshly baked savoury items and delicious scones. The patisserie itself was a work of art, the attention to detail was just stunning. A lovely way to spend an afternoon, and an example of you definitely get what you pay for, we were not disappointed.

Visited for afternoon tea. We stood around like spare parts at reception and in the end had to go and find someone to help in the building. The service from the start was just average. The afternoon tea itself was a mixture of good bad and average, mainly spoilt by just being left for ages whilst others were served, and you just weren’t sure what was going on. Sadly spending 20 minutes waiting for someone to find out whether we could pay and leave just about summed it up, and then we got charged £12.50 for the service charge! Be aware, you will get offered bottled water and then get charged £5 for it. Compared with places like Goodwood house this was just so disappointing

A pleasant and wonderful experience. A charming venue with competent staff serving a sumptuous afternoon tea. The pastries were probably the best my wife and I have ever had. We can say this with confidence because we have had many, many teas in top London hotels (given as Christmas presents over several years)

The afternoon tea was incredible. The food was fantastic the service unbelievable especially charlotte and cares hope i spelled these correctly? The decor was stunning as was the views and all capped of with too much decadent food which you can take home if you can't finish.Well worth the visit and price as it also gets ypu access to the gardens

Amazing afternoon tea. Staff are very friendly and service we received was excellent. So much food that they give you a box to take home the cakes you won’t be able to finish. Would highly recommend.

Table cloth and inside of sugar bowl dirty followed by hair on food. Very expensive at £140 for 2 with 3 glasses of prosecco and 1 bottle of water. You also only get 3 half sandwiches, few savoury snacks, a choice of 2 cakes and...

Returning after a year and a half and the afternoon tea was as stunning as before. So much thought and effort has gone into each piece. Amazing taste and a beautiful setting. Worth every penny...

We have taken the children to lots of afternoon teas in 5* hotels in London and other international cities and this is a serious competitor. In these times of travel restrictions this was a ray of sunshine (on a stormy day!). The experience was classy...

Really enjoyed our visit. We were seated at the window with lovely views. The food was amazing-really enjoyed it all. So nice to be given a slice of cake to take home. The gin was the best we have ever tasted. Staff were lovely and...

What a gem! We have been for afternoon tea at London’s most iconic hotels and the quality of the food served here was far superior. The room was beautiful with a fantastic view over the gardens - even in the rain. The savoury bites were...

We was bought for Christmas an afternoon tea at Leonardslee Gardens. The house and dining room had a great ambience, with a lovely table setting of beautiful china. The staff were very informative and friendly wearing face masks for social distancing. The finger sandwiches had...

A fabulous selection of savoury and sweet delights in beautiful surroundings. Staff very helpful, polite, friendly and observed social distancing. Food was of excellent quality and beautifully presented.

Food amazing BUT despite having a car park outside the house, this isn't open for afternoon tea. We had to park in the muddy gardens' car park & walk in the dark alone back through the gardens to a poorly lit car park, no offer...

Leonardslee Lee Afternoon Tea is just delightful. The service is first class and most importantly, friendly and very welcoming. This is my second visit, on this occasion to celebrate a friend’s birthday with a wider group of friends. The salon was beautifully set up for...

Excellent Tea with beautiful views over the countryside. Our family had a wonderful celebration of my Mothers 80th Birthday and the staff were wonderful. Love the dolls house and Azaleas. The estate has been beautifully & tastefully restored, didn't know such a gem was hidden...

We had a wonderful Christmas inspired afternoon tea at leonardslee house. Tasty savouries and christmassy scones were enjoyed before the main event! A mini Rudolf, santa hat, mont blanc and apple mince pie! All beautiful and delicious! I was catered perfectly for being gluten intolerant...

I was most disappointed with this, I’m a lover of afternoon tea. I booked as a treat for my mother in law & daughter. The bill came to over £120 & I left not only hungry but very disappointed. We had 3 finger sandwiches which...

Absolutely wonderfully lovely food, good choice of drinks, good atmosphere very friendly staff, will definitely come again.

It was raining to begin with so we had afternoon tea, with scones, cake and a locally made beer. There were lots of alternatives. Nice setting, too. Dogs allowed in the garden area.

After be underwhelmed with a afternoon tea back in the summer from another venue (not related to Leonardslee gardens owners group), I was hoping for a good afternoon tea. Well... The afternoon tea this afternoon was brilliant. The food was so delicious and of a high quality. I haven’t tasted sandwiches that good in a long time. The scones with the homemade lemon curd were divine. The tea I chose was delicate and light to the palette. The desserts were just amazing! The service was very good. We weren’t rushed and the waitress came to see if we were ok at the right times. One can tell that a lot of thought has gone into designing such delicious desserts. The setting was beautiful and the table layouts so elegant. Well done to the owners and the workers for making the venue look so beautiful. The team who designed this afternoon tea and those who take part in delivering this marvellous afternoon tea, should be proud of themselves. This place deserves to be awarded a Michelin star. Thank you for making such happy memories. I look forward to returning. Jess

What an amazing afternoon tea!We booked afternoon tea as part of the Tiddly Proms, and it was a brilliant start to a great day.The restaurant was beautifully laid out, with welcoming, helpful and courteous staff. We were seated near an open patio door which provided a lovely view and setting on a late summers day.The tea is split into 3 acts with your choice of (many, many) teas or coffee both of which are bottomless and great quality.Act 1 was a 3 tier cake stand with a selection of amazing finger sandwiches on the bottom, a selection of savoury bites in the middle (a mini coronation chicken bun, calprese tartlet and a gougere of paprika and chorizo – hope I spelt them correctly) and finally a top tier of melt-in-the-mouth scones (2 plain and 2 with fruit). This was plenty enough for both of us, but the tea was replenished and Act 2 followed a while later.Act 2 was served on a glass platter and comprised a stunning looking selection of almond praline, cherry choux and a petit gateaux of elderflower and strawberry (which was my absolute favourite), as well as a pistachio, raspberry and chocolate square.Having enjoyed all of the flavours, colours and presentation we were asked for our choice of cake for Act 3 at the end of a fabulous tea. This comprised a selection of banoffee, peach sponge or chocolate cake options, all of which looked amazing! It was hard to choose but we opted for the banoffee and chocolate options which were delicately packed for us to take away with us. Hours later when we were hungry again we ate them and enjoyed every morsel.I would recommend this to anyone looking for a relaxed, yet stunning afternoon tea. It really is an amazing treat and you can walk it all off around the gardens afterwards.

We have visited lots of places for afternoon tea and this was definitely up there! We started with a glass of fizz before the tea arrived. Plenty of finger sandwiches and savoury bites, followed by 2 scones each with cream/lemon curd/jam, followed by a selection of 5 different mini cakes. If that wasn’t enough, you can take a slice of cake home! The service was faultless, setting beautiful and the tea was delightful! Will definitely return.

Our latest afternoon tea jaunt and what a wonderful setting to have it. The gardens may not be as spectacular as Sheffield Park Gardens, but gave us a pleasant backdrop and provided an opportunity to work up an appetite. At three o’clock, we made our way to the main house for afternoon tea. Quite simply, it was fantastic. A selection of delicious and exquisite food, both sweet and savoury. The presentation really was excellent. Reasonably priced too, especially as afternoon tea includes entry to the grounds which is normally £12.50. Thoroughly recommended.

Visited Leonardslee for Wife's birthday and after walking the beautiful grounds had afternoon tea..well what to say other than excellent, we have had afternoon tea at likes of London's clarifies and Corinthia and it's certainly up there with both of those and in a lovely grade 1 listed mansion. Absolutely lovely especially all the little cakes.

An amazing afternoon tea experience at Leonardslee. The food was outstanding in taste and exquisite in appearance, the service was fantastic and the surroundings were stunning. The tea comprised of sandwiches and savoury canapes, scones and finally the 'desert' course which was an artistic masterpiece. There was an extensive tea menu and we also opted for a lovely bottle of bubbly. The price includes entry to the gardens which have been restored to their former glory - I'm not sure we quite walked off the food! I would thoroughly recommend Leonardslee afternoon tea for a special occasion.

We had afternoon tea at £40 per head (no alcohol): it is the high end cost wise. We both agreed the addition of seasonal savouries is nice.

We were very well looked after by the whole team from the buggy ride to the mansion for the star of the show my 90th old father to the high chair provided for our youngest 1 year old grandson

We were well looked after and the tea was scrumptious. My mum is a wheelchair user but this was not problematic.

Canapés, sandwiches, scones and some very interesting cakes, all attentively prepared and presented, together with a choice from a wide range of teas, gave us a very special afternoon tea. And it is not just dainty. You get quantity too - and a doggy bag if you can't eat everything. Add in the walk through the garden, restored to a high standard, and the splendid room in which tea is served, and Leonardslee provides an excellent day out.

We very much enjoyed our afternoon tea at Leonardslee house, lovely sandwiches, warm scones and beautiful cakes, great selection of teas to choose from.

We were very well looked after throughout our visit to Leonardslee House. The food was lovely & the service was top class. The afternoon tea was bought for us as a gift but unfortunately we lost the voucher; when I mentioned this on our arrival, the went out of their way to track the original voucher down. They even found that the voucher was tea with sparkling wine; something we weren't expecting. A real nice surprise.

The food, service and ambience were all perfect, I had a lovely experience and would absolutely go back. The only negative was that unlike other high-end afternoon tea places, Leonardslee did not offer to top up the sandwiches, so I marked them down for that.

Really great experience, thank you...

Very enjoyable tea, great that the entrance fee is included in the tea cost. Lovely view and plenty of choice of sandwiches and cakes.

Haw nice to take tea at our old haunt now reopened, nicely presented with all the trimmings expected and helpful attentive stay, we shall be going again soon!

We all really enjoyed this, my only criticism is we all felt they have crammed too many tables and chairs in to the space

It was lovely to see the gardens open up to the public once again and now the house is open as well. We booked afternoon tea for a special treat for a friend and we all thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was expensive but the food and service was excellent, well worth it

Went with my wife for our wedding anniversary and it was amazing the food was great and really relaxed atmosphere. To get free entry on top was a bonus, would definitely return in the future.

It's wonderful to be able to visit Leonardslee again after so many years. The gardens are truly beautiful. We had afternoon tea in the house which was delicious, lovely surroundings and very friendly staff. A treat we will definitely have again.

Great tea, wonderful surroundings. Wonderful that gardens have opened again. Have recommended to many people

The restaurant is beautiful, with wonderful views over the park. The staff were friendly and the atmosphere was relaxed. We do not think, however, it is worth £40 per person. Three finger sandwiches, two scones, a few small savoury petit fours and just as small sweet petit fours. The tea choice was extensive and was regularly topped up. One positive is that the £40 does include entrance into the park, if this had not been included I think it’s one of the most expensive afternoon teas in the area!

It was in a great setting, the gardens were at their finest. The house and dining rooms were fit for a king. The tea was superb As a reward for my wife for putting up with me it was cheap but I must say it was as expensive as any of the finest hotels in London.

We had afternoon tea at the Interlude Restaurant whilst visiting the gardens. We didn't book and discovered the restaurant which is in Leonardslee House itself by accident whilst visiting the gardens.

After a wonderful walk round the gardens which brought back many memories as we were regular visitors before it closed many years ago, we went to the Mansion House to take afternoon tea. After a minor hiccup which was swiftly resolved and the complimentary glass of bubbly made for a good start. The tea itself was lovely and the sandwiches etc very fresh and tasty. The selection of little cakes were stunning and were glad that we were able to take the uneaten home to savour later. Our thanks to the staff for their professionalism.

The Mansion house is in a beautiful setting. The staff were very knowledgable and attentive. The tea was amazing and not bad value as price includes entrance to gardens and lake

We spent a delightful afternoon at Leonardslee yesterday celebrating my birthday with afternoon tea.

A wonderful experience for my mums 70th birthday. The service was excellent and the surroundings are stunning. The cakes and pastries are delightful and the finger sandwiches too. My only gripe would be another couple sandwiches each would be perfect. The grounds are beautiful to stroll around too and we will definitely be back to explore more.

Received as a gift, our visit was unfortunately marred by a distinct lack of Customer Service, a lack of 'warmth' or enthusiasm, and a rather mediocre Afternoon Tea at Interlude. The ambience of the dining area does not make up for the difference in cost compared with what is on offer at the Clocktower cafe and we cannot therefore recommend it. The quantity and quality of the food was no better than other Afternoon Tea experiences we have enjoyed and the lack of interaction by the staff was noticeable.

As members of the newly opened gardens we were anxious to visit and treat ourselves and a visiting friend to the Afternoon Tea in the Leonardslee mansion house.

The setting is wonderful Tea was delicious Sandwiches and scones very nice Sweets at the end were weird and not to my liking.

First time we have visited for afternoon tea. Slightly overpriced, only two finger sandwiches each, which was disappointing. We picked the 3pm time slot and were not rushed to leave the table. All the food was good and the presentation was excellent. I think being at the end of service we had no choice of sliced cakes either.

The food was lovely although I think we were sandwiches short as we only had 2 fingers each which was less than the people next to us but we had already finished by this time so didn’t mention it. The cakes were lovely and the scones possibly the best we have ever had. Was a lovely birthday present for me

We enjoyed a superb afternoon tea here before the opening of the gardens and were excited to be going back. Regrettably, our second experience was not as good as the first. Last time the children were provided with the same sandwiches as the adults whereas this time they were given only cheese sandwiches (which the adults ate because the children wanted the adult trout and cucumber ones). We were not offered any additional sandwiches once we had finished our allocation of only two each unlike the first occasion when we were offered replenishment. The afternoon tea offering includes some seasonal savouries but I would have preferred additional sandwiches instead.

We visited Leonardslee on a beautiful Easter day, a great visit was topped off by having a delicious afternoon tea in the mansion house. The restaurant is very comfortable, the service was excellent and the food looked as good as it tasted.

Very high quality food and service, wonderful surroundings. A very interesting place to visit near Horsham

It was a lovely afternoon tea, however service could have been better. I took a friend and our respective daughters; she had been before and highly recommended the savoury afternoon tea. I had an email to say we would have to pay the entrance fee to the gardens despite only wanting afternoon tea in the house, though they would refund 50%, however when we got to the entrance we were finally waived through and no charge was made. This is clearly confusing. I don't understand why a charge has to be made if you only want afternoon tea; it would certainly stop me from going back if all I wanted was afternoon tea.

One of the best afternoon Teas we've ever had. Leonardslee is easily on a par with, if not better than the well known top London establishments. The selection of tea is good and the hand made treats amazing, but what really made it for us was the attention to detail by the excellent staff. Considering you get your entrance fee to the lakes and gardens taken off the bill, the afternoon tea is a really good deal. Highly recommended.

It was amazing. It felt like we were at the Ritz. It looks fabulous and taste even better. We even came away with a cake box. They even did a little birthday cake for my mum.

Well worth the money, staff and food were excellent even taking into account my slight nut allergy. Would recommend and come again for a special occasion

I took my mother there as a treat and while we had a nice afternoon tea - it was just as well we were not hungry!

This was a treat for my Mum is n Mother’s Day. We had a very nice afternoon in a beautifully decorated room overlooking the gardens. The staff were welcoming, friendly and courteous. The food was delicious and fresh. The selection of cakes was good but our only criticism was to have more sandwiches.

Having worked in Leonardslee House for 12 years I was keen to return to sample afternoon tea in the drawing room. I was impressed by the wonderful choice of food and beverages. Memories came flooding back of my time there. Would recommend without hesitation.

We visited the gardens last week on the day it opened to members and again yesterday bringing a friend for afternoon tea as a birthday treat! The staff are all so pleasant & professional. Being a member gave us the advantage of discount vouchers but it was well worth the price. We've already booked to return. The gardens are stunning and will improve as plants flower & the new paths become part of the evolving landscape. Great work everyone. From the car park through the gardens and the cafe and restaurant and the lovely toilets and the shop, the attention to detail is perfect! The wine we brought home was interesting and very tasty (Matilda's Secret) and the sparkling wine we had with afternoon tea was sublime and we had to buy another bottle on our way out to drink with our remaining patisseries

A great deal of care and thought has gone into making this a great experience; from the décor to the beautiful china to the delicious food.

Lovely room and view. Friendly staff, but bad pouring teapots. Look trendy but stain the nice white tablecloth! Food delicious, but sandwich plate looks a bit empty and hubby could have eaten more. Victoria sandwich was light and moreish. Will definitely visit again.

A warm welcome set the tone for an exceptional afternoon tea. The decor in the restaurant was elegant, the chandeliers beautiful. The savouries and desserts/cakes beautiful with a lightness of touch, and delicious.

I so enjoyed my first visit for afternoon tea I went back with three friends. This second visit was disappointing. Only two of the three sandwiches on the menu were produced and they were made of shop bought doughy sort of bread. The scones were cold (unlike before) and there wasn't any different sort of cakes, which I felt were not as fresh as before, on offer.

Attentive but unobtrusive service, delicious food and teas in lovely light surroundings. This was a perfect spot for Mother's Day afternoon tea treat.

Fantastic afternoon tea. It was all you expect from a proper tea. Food was delicious and the service impeccable, all in a beautiful setting.

The food and service offered to us on Mothering Sunday was very good and it is a beautiful location. We went as a family to celebrate with my mum who is 90 this year, frail and in a wheelchair. The venu is only just opening to the public and so unfortunately the car park and pathways were unfinished (just loose hard core in places) this combined with extremely windy conditions made the transfer from car to restaurant very unpleasant for my mum. In addition the disabled toilet whilst nicely appointed was quite small and trying to fit a wheelchair and carer in was challenging as was manovering around once in. However these are small issues some of which will resolve in time. We will definitely go again.

Had a most lovely afternoon tea at Leonardslee House. The setting was beautiful (the house had just been refurbished). We went for the Classic afternoon tea which cost £35.00 each. It comprised sandwiches & savouries, scones with clotted cream and jam and delicious petits fours. The staff were absolutely delightful and the tea just kept coming. The gardens aren't open yet, but will be open in April 2019. I shall certainly be back!

The service was amazing too ! Thw food is presented so elegantly and and the variety of sweet treats are delicious!

We booked on-line - there was no fuss and a quick follow up. We did change the booking at very short notice, but it didn't cause any problems.

Booked online (website worked well with helpful follow up emails) for a Sunday afternoon tea as a birthday treat for 6 of us. Really lovely setting (can’t wait for the gardens to be open) the drawing room atmosphere is very grand but the staff welcoming, fun and friendly. The view from our table was beautiful and we could see the stunning dining terrace too. Gorgeous presentation, generous and delicious food throughout particularly the exquisite patisseries! We weren’t hurried at all but stil ended up having to take home the remaining goodies in doggy ‘boxes’! In summary, a wonderful experience.

Despite the picky selections needed to satisfy my guests. Two didn't eat anything sweet another only eats very plain food and my wife eating 95% of the cake! We had a beautiful afternoon tea served by very attentive and professional hostesses. We are looking forward to trying the evening restaurant.

Stunning restaurant, lovely crockery. Staff were very friendly but unfortunately slow service and we had to keep asking for more drinks rather than anyone asking us. Also very strange in that the savoury and scones served on a three tier cake stand. No problem but for 6 of us these stands were left on the table . No room on the table and we then couldn't see each other to talk. If it is served in three course why bring 2 of them in these stands? If you want to bring them then provide trolleys off from the table to stand them on.

Visited for afternoon tea and having frequented a lot of the afternoon tea circuit in London was extremely satisfied with the overall experience.

I’m sure my regular readers will know that I only review places that are either very good or very bad. Mediocrity is too frequent and I won’t waste our time and energy on it! Leonardslee falls into the first category. It was excellent. Quite apart from the afternoon tea, the location is very special, beautiful and quite unique. Wallabies, a stunning garden and an exquisite country house make for a special treat. The sandwiches and warm savoury snacks, which were delicious, arrived on one three tiered cake stand and, being hungry and a bit greedy I thought oh oh this isn’t going to be enough for the three of us. But I needn’t have worried. The sandwiches were refreshed as was the tea, although I’d rather do my own tea, but as long as they keep coming to refill and refresh that’s fine. The quality of the sandwiches - smoked salmon and cheese and cucumber, plus the savouries - coronation chicken and a cheesy thing - was outstanding. The scones were also first class as was the jam, clotted cream and lemon curd. The cake presentation was beautiful, and we were given boxes to take home with more cakes. I’ve eaten many afternoon teas in my life and as far as I’m concerned The Ritz in London sets the standard for others to try to match. The Leonardslee experience came very very close and I recommend it highly. Afternoon tea per person £35 in March 2019.

We took 2 x 3 year olds to the Gruffalo afternoon tea & it was beautiful. Such a beautiful environment & they couldn’t have been more helpful & welcoming.

I would highly recommend Leonardslee House to anyone booking an afternoon tea. We had a great time. The service was exceptional, efficient and non intrusive. We had the classic which was just right and had to take the last slice of cake home in a box. We went during the week and had the place to ourselves.

We had a lovely afternoon. The staff were very friendly, efficient and child friendly. The room setting was elegant and I loved the china. Lastly but by no means least the food was all very enjoyable. There were lots of food creations and flavour combinations that we hadn’t had before and we had great fun tasting them . I especially enjoyed the way you served the tea. I will be recommending it to friends and family.

Lovely family day out. Beautiful surroundings. We loved the Rock Garden and the wallabies. Personnel at Leonardslee were attentive and friendly. Food was delicious. A whole menu of different teas. Will definitively come back. Looking forward to seeing the garden once more of it open to the public.

As someone who has had many afternoon teas at the Savoy and other London establishments may I say that yesterday’s tea topped all of those...the food was exquisitely produced and displayed and was a delight. There is no need for me to go to London anymore with such quality on my very door step....I just hope that as you become justifiably more popular that the standards of food and service will be maintained at the level that you provided yesterday.

Leonardslee House offers the same quality and service for afternoon tea as the best Knightsbridge hotels, at a lower price. The setting is a Georgian country house set amongst a Grade 1 listed garden. Their claim to be "The Finest Woodland Gardens in England" is not a vain boast, gardeners from around the world would visit Leonardslee before they closed to the public some ten years ago. It is a joy to see that the new owners have done so much to restore the gardens and buildings for the reopening this year. It will be a spectacular venue for dining as we move into Spring and Summer, not least because Leonardslee is set amongst some of the prettiest countryside in Sussex.

Beautiful place, great service, lovely food. Thank you very much for looking after us so well Leonardslee.

I can’t fault our afternoon tea experience. We went for my husbands birthday with our two children. The service from when we arrived was wonderful. Amazing attention to detail all round from service, to food and interiors. My kids loved the self playing piano and their Gruffalo themed tea kept them entertained and happy for the whole time there. My husband and I loved our food, you can tell how much thought and time has gone into the menu and what was even better was that we could take any of what we couldn’t eat back home with us! We’ve already rebooked to go back with others.

No negative comments, a special experience with the ambience, food, very good service, and luckily for my daughter and I, there were very few other people present in the restaurant.

An afternoon tea that is everything you would want. The ambience is special as it is part of the gardens. We saw woodpecker,partridge,rabbits , wallibes.

The location is fantastic with terrific views over Sussex countryside