Afternoon Tea at Pennyhill Park in Surrey Heath

The venue was nice and staff were polite, live music added a nice touch to the atmosphere. We had rebooked the tea and prepaid to ensure a seamless experience for our guests. However, the staff had no information of this and it caused a lot of confusion. Clarifying this in front of ours guests created the opposite effect of what we had aimed for. The most disappointing part was some of the food. The sandwiches were presumably kept in the fridge and the bread was both stale and soggy sticking to one’s teeth. A big like chewing cardboard. Some of the scones from the kids’ tea were hard as rocks, so dry inside we could barely cut it. It wasn’t edible, luckily we had adult ones to share with the kids.

Absolutely enjoyed our afternoon tea here! Food selections, the tea and the ambiance are amazing. The waiting staff are knowledgeable as well!

We visited pennyhill today for my mother in laws 70th. The staff were so smiley and attentive - they couldn’t do enough for us! The atmosphere was so lovely, beautiful piano music. The food was beautiful, and they very kindly brought us more sandwiches which was great! We’ve made some fantastic memories today and the team at pennyhill played a part in that.

Came for afternoon tea on Mothers Day - no complimentary gifts or tokens for the mums given like at most eateries. No fresh flowers in reception other than some random daffodils. Cold water in the toilets - no idea why! The staff were fairly attentive but a bit amateur in places. It started with staff not understanding what I was asking, along with being given barely any milk for a pot of tea & jug of coffee. For a 5 star hotel they don’t offer coffee in a cafetière! There isn’t much of a drinks menu either compared to other places. The afternoon tea arrived a while after our drinks & we weren’t allowed our scones until after eating the cakes & sandwiches - most bizarre, never had this anywhere else, even at the Ritz! Sandwiches only offered fish or cucumber or egg, & the broiche rolls were stale. Cakes were disappointing, lacking in taste & some looked sloppy, it’s no wonder unfortunately the head chef didn’t win bake off the professionals! They weren’t perfect, although the macaroon was nice. Scones were nice when we eventually got them. The hotel is nice but wasn’t really worth the 13.5% service charge & a seat overlooking the cleaning cupboard isn’t brilliant. Would I return again probably not but the hotel itself is pretty.

Our favourite spot for afternoon tea, the food and drink is amazing and the staff are wonderful. Roy was amazing with our daughter, getting her some cookies. And Stefan was really great too, talking us through the menu options. Great atmosphere and a beautiful space to enjoy excellent foot.

Visited with my husband for my 50th birthday treat. The whole experience was lovely. The hotel was so welcoming with the even the lampposts dressed for Christmas. The fire was burning in the lobby. The hill field room for afternoon tea was elegant. The staff subtle yet always there to help. The choice of teas was varied I had Christmas blend which was fabulous. The sandwiches were all lovely and it was hard to pick a favourite tho if I had to I would say the trout. The Christmas cake selection was amazing. The chocolate and cherry desserts lovely. Scones were the lightest I have ever eaten and divine served warm. Would highly recommend booking afternoon tea at PennyHill tho it may leave you wanting to stay at the hotel too, I know I want to know. A fabulous venue I will return to.

We had a very tasty afternoon tea at Pennyhill Park. A good choice of sandwiches, warm scones and pastry items with an excellent variety of teas to choose from. All served in lovely setting by a very pleasant member of staff.

Yesterday I took my husband for Afternoon Tea at Pennyhill Park to celebrate his 70th birthday. I was very impressed when we arrived; the only disabled parking space was in use, but when the young man at the door realised that we had a Blue Badge he lowered one of the bollards so we could park, and he then escorted us down to the lounge where tea was served. But after that things went downhill ….. We were greeted by a young lady who took us to a table and then took our order. The tea, sandwiches & cake were brought to the table and the sandwiches were very nice. The scones aren’t brought out with everything else because they are keeping them warm. Unfortunately the service wasn’t very good; the original lady had disappeared and we now had a waitress looking after us – but she was rarely there, just kept popping back from time to time, so we had to sit & wait for her to put in another appearance. I know it was a Monday and there were only four tables having Afternoon Tea, but there should still be someone on hand at all times. Eventually we were served our scones – and they were awful; hard & dry! So hard, I needed water to be able to swallow it. The (very small) portion of cream we were each given was rock-hard, so very difficult to spread – and although we wanted more cream we were again in the position of not having anybody to request it from. The idea of scones with cream & jam is that there is a thick layer of cream – but their portions were so small we had to spread it thin, like a layer of butter. The cakes looked delicious but, after trying one each, we decided to take the rest of them home, so I asked the waitress to bring the bill and box the cakes to take home. She came back a few minutes later with the credit card machine – and two partially made up cake boxes (the kind that look like little handbags) which she dumped on the table. So I pay £113 and they can’t even be bothered to box up the cakes for us – really?!!!!! We had a small table that was already full (2 teapots, 2 glasses, 2 cups & saucers, 2 plates & a cake stand) and now we’re having to juggle 2 flimsy boxes and put the cakes in without dropping or breaking them! We usually go to Coworth Park for special occasion afternoon teas – and if you ask to take their cakes home the cake stand is whisked away & the waitress will come back with the boxes already packed. Perhaps the management of this restaurant should go there for afternoon tea and see how things should be done! Needless to say, we won’t be returning and I certainly wouldn’t recommend here for afternoon tea.

I was a little unsure considering the negative reviews here, but my friend and I genuinely had a lovely day! The afternoon tea was great. We were offered secondary plates of sandwiches and they were all fresh. Scones, jam and clotted cream were also fluffy and delicious. Service for us was excellent, especially as they catered for my friend with a separate afternoon tea for her nut allergy. They were also accomodating for a baby. The setting was also great, very cosy and relaxing. Seeing as there were lots of off putting reviews, I wanted to put this one here to say it was great for us. Although it was a voucher gift, it would be worth the £50 each. We also weren't asked to pay a tip as part of the voucher and even if we were I wouldn't have minded as it is clearly stated on both the menu/voucher.

Although cakes aren’t really my thing, I was treated with a voucher for 4 for my birthday but what ruined it was playing £80 for the cheapest bottle of Cava (who drinks that anymore - it’s Prosecco not dry old cava!) and then being charged 10% service charge on top of the whole bill, INCLUDING the voucher cost! If someone uses a voucher and doesn’t bring any money, what happens when they get the bill as the voucher was paid for six months ago!? The sandwiches were nice, and we did ask for more but did not like the egg as bread was too sweet. The cakes were very nice as were the staff but would not recommend. I know the staff deserve a tip but should not have been on a prepaid voucher. Feel totally ripped off

Just been to Pennyhill Park for an afternoon cream tea. Restaurant was ok, pleasant table over looking the pool area. We were shown our table and then left for some considerable time. I had given my friend a voucher for her birthday, on asking if we could have a glass of champagne seemed to caused confusion for the waitress. Finally after the restaurant superior / mgr arrived we were offered a sparkling wine each (our choice) - £17 a glass! The tea, finger sandwiches and cakes arrived soon afterwards! Can’t fault the food but seemed to forget about the scones and palate cleanser until we mentioned it. Staff although pleasant did least interaction and didn’t really make you feel it was a special occasion!

When booking an expensive afternoon tea, there are three considerations: the quality of the food, how pleasant and welcoming the room is, and the attention of the staff. The quality of the food could not be faulted. Though the fruit scones, nice as they were only had a couple of raisins in, rather mean for a fruit scone. However, what let the experience down was the room and the service. The afternoon room also serves as a bar, and despite having glass chandeliers, looked exactly like a bar. There were too many tables and chairs. If not booked for teas, the tables had no white table cloth on. It looked messy to have half of the table covered and half without tablecloth. We were four in our party and once the tea things were bought out, there was so little space on the table, that it was not comfortable. Also, it is a shame that with lovely gardens around in such a large place , it would great to have teas in a garden. To be in a closed space when there are garden around seems a missed opportunity. Specially if the weather is good and sunny. I have experienced other venues who have garden settings for their afternoon teas. The serving staff were pleasant and polite but one did not feel a great deal of engagement on the whole. There were a couple of instances when we had to remind them to bring us something we had requested. Also, one of the tea-pot was a mis-match. At the end, with a few cakes left, we asked if they could be boxed. A flat box was given to us, which we then assembled ourselves and we put the cakes in ourselves. I would have expected the staff to do this, as it was the case in other venues I visited. We were booked for the last setting. While we were still at the table, The staff started clearing up other tables and re-arranging as a bar setting. It made us feel that we needed to leave, which we did. It would look far more professional if they had smart uniform instead of their own clothes covered by an apron. The maître hote wore a brown jacket and jeans. This is the person greeting the guests. While the food was delicious, both setting and staff made the experience disappointing for such a well-known place. Considering the price per person and my experience of other similarly priced afternoon teas, Penny Hill park Afternoon Tea did not compare well as some of the others venues I have visited. This is why I have rated as average (price versus quality).

An excellent mix of high class special treatment and a relaxed atmosphere.A really decadent couple of hours was had for a treat for my wife’s 50th and we all left feeling we needed to walk 4 times around Virginia water lake to burn it off !

We had the ultimate afternoon tea, What can you say. The food and service were first class as expected. The bubbly was good quality and the range of teas exceptional.

Afternoon tea was WAY below average and extremely overpriced!! POOR QUALITY SANDWICHES and average deserts, tiny scones (the raisin scone had two raisins in each. Very stingy!) I have been to the Fairmont last month, afternoon tea priced the same, and the quality of food was incredible but Penny hill is priced the same and AWFULLY DRY AND STALE BREAD sandwiches. Tasted like the sandwiches were made the day before and the bread was stuck to the roof of my mouth hard and dry. Awful. Only one medium sized milk pot and one sugar bowl between 5 people and 2 tea pots rather than smaller milk pots, and they didn’t even match the rest of the crockery! Paying that much, my expectations were high and they were wholly unmet :( I’ll defo go back to the Fairmont for a better experience thanks

Sorry to say that the afternoon tea was way below what I have previously experienced at Pennyhill Park. Sandwiches were dry and bland, cakes were dry and uninspiring. Service was ok but nothing special. Toilet seat in the ladies was broken. The take away boxes were small. I have visited Pennyhill Park for afternoon tea as a special treat over the last 20years. Their teas have always been fabulous! This visit was disappointing to the point we have started to think where else we can go to instead.

It was nothing special but it was an ok high-tea, it depends what you are after. It wasn’t too busy at 3 on Sunday. The room was a little chilly temperature wise to start with but once we started eating we warmed up. No live music at this time. Good selection of teas and the service was acceptable. We didn’t have to wait too long for anything apart from the bill but we went up to pay. There was boxes to take home anything left so we were able to share with the children at home. They came with a second plate of sandwiches which was nice. The sandwich and cake selection was pretty average nothing really exciting I’m afraid but that is me being picky, I’d read reviews and I can say nothing was stale. For £50 plus service it was acceptable but other high teas out there are a little more exciting.

Met with friends here for an afternoon tea. The hotel is beautiful, the dining room was lovely we even had a harpist playing which was fantastic but the afternoon tea was terrible! The selection of sandwiches was nothing special with cheese and pickle, the pickle was the sweetest taste and I didn’t enjoy it at all. Next was coronation chicken which was the driest sandwich no sauce at all in it and, thirdly I had an egg mayonnaise roll which was chewy and looked a bit dry as if left on the side. The scones were so tiny and very hard tasted a bit stale. The other cakes were also disappointing, one of them, the chocolate slice was so dry it fell apart and crumbled when cut and had a horrible taste! Not one of them was nice! Such a shame the food let them down as the hotel and grounds were stunning. It was my first time here at this hotel.

We visited Pennyhill Hotel for an afternoon tea a few years ago. Apart from a heavy-handed female piano player who made conversation difficult, we had a very good experience. It being my birthday on 15 January, my sister (Ann Bullimore) invited me to join her and 2 friends for afternoon tea the day before, on 14 January. When she phoned Pennyhill Hotel, the only time available was at 4:30 pm, which she accepted. Come the day, we arrived just before 4:30 pm, but we weren’t expected, and we were placed on an unmade table while staff sorted things out. As before, the piano music was so loud and that any conversation was difficult. Come 4:50, when our booking was finally agreed, we were shown to a table and tea was served. We found the sandwiches and cakes to be mediocre in quality and taste and the tea was cold and insipid. My sister asked for replacement tea, but the replacement was also tepid and uninspiring. At this point, one of our friends asked for a coffee instead. The atmosphere was somewhat improved when the heavy-handed pianist packed up and left at about 5:30. At about the same time, a girl took our sandwich plate, together with the uneaten sandwiches. We asked her if we could have the scones brought to us and our friend asked for her coffee again, but she replied that she only collected plates. By this time, there were very few staff about and the lights were turned down to a minimum, but we did manage to find someone to deliver the scones, but the coffee still didn’t arrive. At about 5:50, as the evening music performer was setting up in the dim lighting, a male member of staff arrived to ask if everything was all right. Our friend told him that her coffee she’d ordered had failed to arrive and he produced a cup of coffee just as we were leaving at 6 pm. Overall, we found the ambiance was completely spoilt by loud piano music and the dimming of the lights while the next musician was setting up. They claim a 14 Rosette AA award and award-winning chef, but this wasn’t reflected in the mediocre food. The slow start in losing our booking, service which was not up to scratch, disappearing staff and collecting plates before we had finished all left us feeling quite rushed. Not a good experience and certainly not worth the £200 cost. The best part was the lift to the car park as we were leaving.

After kindly allowing us to reschedule twice on account of sickness, we finally got around to having afternoon tea at Pennyhill Park. We visited for our first wedding anniversary back in 2015 and were thoroughly impressed by all aspects of experience. We were both very...

Lovely food, great surroundings but terrible service. Half an hour after ordering the sandwiches and cakes were brought out, but still no tea or champagne at this point. Had to repeatedly ask for the tea to be brought, then ask for milk, then ask for...

Visited Pennyhill park for Afternoon tea about 4 years and had such an amazing experience. At the time I felt it was a better experience than the Ritz however…… we visited this week and was very disappointed. It was just an average afternoon tea and...

My friend and I thought we would go here for our birthdays ( we share the same birthday) So yesterday our actual birthday we went, the new hotel in Bishopsgate was booked and we’ve been to Cowarth park a number of times so decided to...

Pennyhill Park is a beautiful location for afternoon tea although the overall food experience was disappointing . The piano player was delightful and the service was very good however the sandwiches tasted somewhat dry and a little tasteless as of they had been in the...

This was not our first time at PH Park. This time we were in the library as refurbishments are going on. Top marks for service, venue, cleanliness, decor, atmosphere and crockery. All really first class. The variety of teas is excellent too even though I...

We had a cream tea here yesterday and from start to finish we were made to feel very special . There is a vast selection of interesting teas to select And information is at hand on the flavours of each type . would like to...

Booked afternoon tea and took my mother. She was blown away by the surroundings. The sandwiches and scones were tasty. Beautiful service. A bit pricey but was very much worth it. We walked around the gardens and the spa area. Very well kept surroundings.

This was a present from our daughter and it was really lovely and what I liked was you could have more of anything Tea/Coffee cakes sandwiches Scones whatever.

So lovely to have it back open and offering such a great afternoon tea. We requested a tea with no nuts and were really pleased with everything from the service, to the choices available in the tea and the quality of the food. As always...

We have been lucky enough to have Afternoon Tea by Sarah Frankland and team twice here now and it is the best traditional one we have ever had. We chose our tea from the menu and shortly after it arriving so did the stand of...

We went before Christmas as a family and enjoyed it so much we returned as a couple after Christmas. Both times we came away full with a doggy bag. If pressed I would say the Christmas high tea was better. We loved the sausage rolls...