Afternoon Tea at the Grosvenor Hotel in Cheshire West and Chester

Birthday treat for afternoon tea. Put us in a room on our own so I asked to be moved to sit with everyone else dining...which they did. Sandwiches brought out on saucer sized plate then another plate with cakes and scones. I asked why not served on 3 tier cake stand as she gave some poor excuse as to cakes might melt so they don't use them hower other diners had them! They forgot to bring the strawberries and cream and champagne we ordered. Waitress was moody and unhelpful and we had to go into bar for a cocktail as they were now shutting!! Huge amount of money for poor food and service. Never been back!

My mum and I visited here for afternoon tea. All of the staff were so polite and professional. It really made the difference and something that you don’t see so regularly in hospitality this side of the pandemic. All of the food was excellent and it was nice to be offered extra sandwiches too. We chose the gentleman’s option and it’s highly recommended. My only tiny bit of constructive criticism was the room was a bit tired in its decoration. Slightly faded glory.

Had afternoon tea, staff were really good, friendly efficient and stylish. The sandwiches cakes and tea were excellent, and really nice surroundings. I think price wise it was pretty good for a couple, a nasty burger and a coke for two is not far off the same price, and no where near as good.

Food and service pretty well faultless but when did the Grosvenor start letting in men in scruffy shorts? Let’s keep up the standards!

From the helpfulness of the conciege (I’m a wheelchair user) to the welcome and helpfulness of all staff this was a truly amazing experience. Afternoon tea was delicious with a great selection of teas and sandwiches. Staff were very attentive and friendly without being over bearing. We chose the gentleman’s selection was offered extra ( which I greedily accepted). We were then allowed to take our scones home with us which were packed up in a perfect little box. Will definitely visit again.

Un hermoso lugar. Bienvenida, pero el personal ocupado y esperamos una cantidad de tiempo inconveniente para liquidar la factura.El té de la tarde fue agradable, aunque no solicité sándwiches abiertos que eran incómodos para comer y le di algo a mi esposo porque todavía tenía hambre. En comparación con experiencias similares, lo siento, no es mi favorito.

Lovely hotel, friendly staff and the sandwiches were great you can customise what you like. Overall very good. I would return.

My wife and I experienced Traditional Afternoon Tea this afternoon, a present from our children. From the moment the extremely friendly doorman welcomed us in and then the staff greeted us in the Arkel Bar, we were completely relaxed and seated in lovely surroundings.The staff are very experienced and talk you through the various options on the menu, nothing is to much trouble, they are so friendly and down to earth. The selection of sandwiches, cakes and scones, is excellent, the quality is outstanding, not forgetting various options of tea, coffee and drinks. We were offered extra sandwiches etc, the girls make sure you have everything you require, very attentive, but without being in your face.Thank you for to all the staff, with a special mention to Sophie.We can highly recommend The Grosvenor Chester for afternoon tea.

A superb place for a visit which feels like a real treat whilst offering superb value. Food and drinks are served in comfortable surroundings by attentive and friendly staff. The cocktails and fresh sandwiches are outstanding.

Enjoyed afternoon tea with my wife for an anniversary treat and wasn’t disappointed. Yes you can pay a lot less elsewhere and possible get larger portions but that’s not what the experience is about. The food was perfect with extra sandwiches offered, and the cakes exquisite. The service was spot on too. Not something we would do all the time (although we would if we could afford too) but the perfect setting and afternoon for our special day. Thank you

Expectations were high but we were underwhelmed. The sandwiches and cakes were okay, the selection of tea good and the champagne - well, it was lovely. But it was very expensive for what it was. Wouldn’t bother again.

We were a larger group of friends having afternoon Tea, however, the service provided was excellent. The staff made us feel special, and explained our menu options with the sandwiches. The quality of food presented was really lovely, and plentiful.

This is a fantastic treat at not exorbitant prices. Staff are great and the menu for afternoon tea is great

Lovely afternoon tea. Staff very attentive. Good selection of sandwhiches and cakes. Lovely atmosphere although quite exoensive - well worth it!

We had afternoon tea with a glass of Champagne - and my goodness, was it lovely! A perfect treat after a day of exploring Chester. Lovely!

We like afternoon tea and have taken it in many places but The Grosvenor is the best by far. Nothing seems to be too much trouble for the staff here. The sandwiches are lovely soft & moist and seconds if you like them enough. The scones soft, light and very tasty. The choice of a gentleman's afternoon tea with some interesting variations. There are vegetarian and gluten free options too. The choice of teas and the box of loose tea to give you a chance to really decide which one. The fact that all this can be decided upon arrival. The service, attentive but not intrusive. The whole is an experience which you really should experience.

My partner and I have had many afternoon teas all over the country and this is now my new favourite. It wasn't just the sandwiches, which were tasty and plentiful (we were offered more once we'd finished the first lot), or the soft scones and delicious pastries that made it such a lovely experience; it was also the professional and friendly staff along with really comfortable seating that made it such a relaxing ambiance. I recommend the Grosvenor Earl Grey tea - we had a second pot it was so good.

Tycker att en session med afternoon tea hör till ett besök England men denna gång ångrade jag mig. En smörgås i 4 delar med olika enkla pålägg ex skinka och senap. 2 små scones, bara en marmelad. 2 små minibakelser och ett ganska ordinärt ginger lemon tea. Fick servera oss själva. Precis när jag taget sista tuggan kom servitrisen och bad oss att gå inom 5 minuter då bordet var bokat ingen upplysning om detta när vi kom. Upplevt afternoon tea på Ritz i London och det var något helt annat. Djupt besviken, finns säkert bättre ställen i Chester men undvik detta, inte värt 37 pund per person.

Had a fantastic afternoon tea during our stay at the Grosvenor hotel . The sandwiches and scones were amazing and the attention to detail second to none. The staff are very friendly and professional and the place is immaculate. Will definitely be back !!

We have been to the Grosvenor a few times for afternoon tea and it has always been a pleasure the gluten free afternoon tea is amazing aswell as the normal afternoon tea I always have the the gentleman’s afternoon tea it’s beautiful the staff are so attentive and remember us Sophie and James are fab always happy to help thank you for a lovely afternoon

Saturday afternoon lovely buzzy atmosphere great service our treat as our son gave us a surprise visit. The Grosvenor is the best hotel in Chester

A well worth treat, the food atmosphere and staff all excellent . We also had vegan and dairy free requirments, and all where catered for.

I only knew it was our 51st Anniversary as we we driving to Chester. Jackie was doing a course and the plan was, that I would hang around, looking at Guitar shops and generally enjoy Chester until she was free.

Had a really wonderful afternoon could not fault it the service was excellent and as it was a birthday too they wen to the trouble of have a chocolate decoration on one of the cakes saying happy birthday, lovely touch, their selection of teas were second to none.

Absolutely beautiful. Such a treat, You are made to feel very special. Pastries are a work of art.!!

While in Chester, you have to get to the Grosvenor Hotel, make sure though your credit card spending limit is HIGH this is no light Bill, but when you're on a vacation, MONEY is not something you should be worried about...ITS BEING on vacation, spending time with Friends and Treating them to High Tea at one of the Classiest and Old Established Hotel.... WE enjoyed the ambiance and the staff treated you like celebrities.... Walk around, check out the rest rooms, so so unique.

Took my mother for her birthday there. Did the booking by phone, price was clear on the website, but on the day, a 12.5% service is added and expected to be paid… Complained about it by email and basically nothing will be changed on their website communication. I call that misleading advertising, I think they could be taken to court for that, but who will bother? So just beware.

Beautiful afternoon tea, freshly made sandwiches and cakes and all served on wonderful platters, the presentation was excellent

We love visiting this hotel for a special treat. We walk through the doors and leave the world behind for a couple of hours.

We were given vouchers for our 40th Anniversary, so we wanted afternoon tea to be special. I ordered the Gentleman's tea and my wife the normal tea. I had a lovely piece of fish and a pastrami sandwich which was delicious. She had a selection of sandwiches. We were asked which type of tea we would like. There were also scones and cakes.[ we took some cakes home]. We could have had more to eat if we wanted. We enjoyed the afternoon. The staff were superb and made us feel special. The only mjnus was that tea is served in the bar. Whilst it was very pleasant , it was certainly not " luxurious". I would recommend the Grosvenor as a venue ,however. The price compared favourably with other venues.

My friend treated me to this experience at the Grovsvner t is something we had both wanted to do service was good food good we were asked if we would like more sandwiches annd scones throughout our stay . Nice touch a chocolate Happy Birthday message when are goodies served . Yes it was expensive but it was a special occasion and you pay for the experience

We had booked a gift experience last year but had taken almost a full year to get around to coming. booking was easy and the hotel looked fab and dressed for Christmas. staff were very attentive, and although our table was by the door to the Bar, it was fine and gave a good view of the tree. the staff were really lovely and attentive, and the choice of traditional or gentlemens tea was given, we had a selection of both, it was very plentiful and really tasty, the cake selection was excellent, we were offered (and took) extra sandwiches, tea was hot as was the coffee and we were offered refills, my daughter did not like tea or coffee but had a soft drink. we were not charged for this. we asked for the bill and there was no charge or service charge. all in all a lovely experience, which set us up nicely for a bit of christmas shopping. we will return!.

Afternoon tea for two in a lovely atmosphere with extremely attentive and friendly staff. Not cheap but well worth it. The champagne is extra. Booking recommended.

5 star service as it should be but not stuffy or intimidating in any way. We thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful afternoon tea at the Chester Grosvenor.

Very disappointing, total rip off. Definitely not value for money ! Don’t go ! your encouraged to add extras on. Cakes are small and disappointing. The sandwiches are small and not that nice. Scones are again small, mouthfuls. Tea is ok, but you serve yourself, and we had to ask for the tea to served. Not worth the money, very poor.

What a beautiful hotel, the staff were fantastic,the doormen were great ,nothing was too much trouble would definitely recommend this hotel to everyone there was dressing gowns & slippers & even an umbrella in the wardrobe for our use, we shall hopefully return.

Typically this service would be for two but the waitstaff accommodated me very nicely! I had purchased this in advance through Viator.com

Very dissapointing for the cost - reserved table was not ready - had to pour our own tea which was luke warm at best. - sorry but the local tea room provides better attention.

Lovely comfortable sofa for my daughter and me. Excellent food, cakes to die for. We were offered extra sandwiches. The scones jam and cream were top quality. Service was exemplary all the staff were superb

Myself and 5 colleagues visited this amazing hotel for a team get together a few months ago. We had a truly wonderful afternoon and were treated like royalty. Stunning place and a must visit when in Chester.

Nice hotel decent food and friendly staff, but £47.50 each for afternoon tea cannot be justified under any circumstances, value for money wise it sits at the bottom of my league

My friends and I booked the indulgent afternoon tea for a special birthday. I have stayed in the hotel and regularly frequent the Brasserie and have always been impressed with the service. However, we were disappointed with the experience on this occasion. At £47 each and an additional £10 service charge added to the bill we were expecting a high standard. However, sadly when we requested some more sandwiches we were told by the waiter that they had been packed away and towards the end of the he actually got the floor sweeper out and started to sweep the floor! We felt rushed and were not offered a box to take home the cakes that were left. We all felt that the waiter wanted us to finish.

Visited here for lunch with three friends, beautiful interior, spotlessly clean throughout. Friendly staff we even had the door held open for us on entry "how posh". The meal itself was top notch, i had the clams for starters and the liver for main, both were cooked to perfection. Not overly priced either.

Visited recently to introduce a friend from France to the traditional afternoon tea. Sadly we were all left disappointed.

I visited here with a few of my work colleagues for afternoon tea over the Christmas period as a treat. We felt like vips! The service was faultless and the surroundings was so well presented and looked after. Staff were attentive,professional and friendly. The afternoon tea was exceptional but we could of done with a few extra sandwiches! Cakes were to die for and so pretty. Silver service was a lovely touch also. A real treat! Unforgettable

Afternoon tea at the Grosvenor in Chester was wonderful, attentive staff looked after me very well as I am dairy intolerant.

A little pricy, but we thoroughly enjoyed it, as did lots of others...it was busy, so I'm glad we booked.

What a disappointment, party booking for cream scones and tea . Paid for two scones , just one scone ( dry ...) ready assembled...arrived ..and tea offered was breakfast tea , ......what a let down . This is not what we expected at this establishment......

We have had afternoon in many places but our recent experience in the Arkle room at the Chester Grosvenor was just wonderful. The staff are efficient, deferential but always ready to discuss the tea with you and there when you need them. Our coats were hung in a closed area, we had been given a voucher and upon presentation we were advised what this covered and offered a choice of gentlemen's afternoon tea or traditional. I was pleased that no attempt was made to persuade us to buy a more expensive tea as the information was on the table if we had wanted to. We chose a gentleman's and a traditional afternoon tea. It was lovely to be shown all the loose teas and to be able to choose one. We also appreciated that the pot of coffee came with hot milk without having to ask. When the food arrived (very quickly) the server explained what the patisserie items were and that as she was sure that we would like our scones hot, she would keep an eye out for when we were ready and bring them then. When we had eaten the sandwiches we were offered more which also came quickly. When we moved onto the scones we were offered clean plates and again when we moved onto the patisserie. We were also provided with refills on the tea and coffee. This makes it sound like we were being interrupted all the time - far from it; it was all done very discreetly and although the room filled up with other tea takers we felt very comfortable and enjoyed a leisurely couple of hours. It is not the cheapest afternoon tea but we definitely felt that we had our money's worth. Saving up to go again now!

We have visited this restaurant for business meetings over the years and never been disappointed. It is very expensive but the quality is there to be seen. It never lets us down.

Had afternoon tea here today with a friend, and what a disappointment.

Lovely time having afternoon tea at the Grosvenor. Nice to have a break away from the shopping! A good variety of food and plenty for two. Excellent service from welcoming friendly and professional staff. Thank you and we look forward to visiting again soon!

Spent a lovely afternoon here with my future husband having afternoon tea, good quality food that was very tasty, especially the gentleman's afternoon tea selection.

The Hotel is ideally located in the centre of Chester Town centre. Our room for the overnight stay faced onto the main shopping area. A good generous sized room and super king sized bed. Decor was in keeping with the style of building. The staff were attentive and the service for afternoon tea was second to none. The afternoon tea was beautifully served, there were plentiful portions of different sandwiches and pastries. Would not hesitate to recommend this and its a wonderful way to celebrate a special occasion as we did.

Lovely afternoon tea. Opted for the traditional afternoon tea, came with beautiful sandwiches, French fancies and scones.

We booked the boardroom for an intimate afternoon tea which was lovely, but the afternoon tea itself was quite strange. Instead of having the traditional stand for 2 or 4 people, all the sandwiches were mixed up, the gluten free sandwiches were not labelled and even though we asked for some sandwiches with no salad or dressing - they still came with both. The scones came after we had eaten the cakes - again, a strange selection - some really large portions and some really small. For the cost, I would expect better

Afternoon tea at the Grosvenor Hotel is a special treat as it is more expensive than other venues but is a wonderfully relaxing experience served in the quiet, informal surroundings of the Arkel Restaurant.

It is expensive but the food and the service are special !! Great for a special occasion, if you are celebrating

Visited for a family birthday celebration. Doormen by main entrance were friendly and helpful. Staff at the Arkle Bar were very helpful and knowledgeable about what was on offer for the afternoon tea. Had a mixture of both traditional and gentlemens afternoon tea. The hot fish sandwiches were delicious. Good mixture of cakes and the scones were fresh and warm. Good selection of tea or coffee available. Staff were very friendly and frequently asked if we required top ups for the tea and more sandwiches. We were offered more scones but we were all too full. One of our party is diabetic, the staff asked if any dietery requirements and he had his own selection of scones and fruit based desserts. Lovely touch of birthday candle in one of the cakes with a piece of chocolate with Happy Birthday on the top tier of one of the cake stands. We were never felt rushed by staff and felt very relaxed the whole time. It maybe on the pricey side, but this was a special birthday and my mother in law absolutely loved it.

The Arkle Bar although nice is hardly the ideal setting for a quintessential English afternoon tea. I know its not the hotel's fault but there were people in shorts and T shirts and I am usually quite relaxed when it comes to dress code. We found the staff were all very good but compared with other higher end afternoon teas we have had the food was nothing special

What an absolute shocker this was. We had family over from the USA, keen to have a typical English Afternoon Tea in quintessentially English surroundings. What a waste of money. An overheating 'lounge' with no airflow or view. It could have been anywhere. We ordered 3 Gentleman's traditional afternoon tea and one standard tea. There were two afternoon tea stands between 4 people. The ordinary one came with 4 finger sandwiches (i.e. 2 rounds of bread cut into quarters) Dubious fillings and certainly not your usual traditional ones. 2 tiny cakes (no Victoria sponge or classic favourites) and then we were told to ask for the scones when we were ready? Was that because the table was so small or there was an extreme outside chance that we would be full? (No chance of that). 8 small scones between 4 people with one small serving of conserve and cream. The Gentleman's Tea was odd. More substance but strange fillings in the sandwiches. We each ordered a different tea. This sent the waiters into meltdown as the teapots weren't labelled and nobody could tell which tea was which after the first pouring. Ridiculous. We were asked if we wanted more sandwiches. 20 minutes later they still hadn't arrived. They said they had run out of pork slice but then a piece turned up -but without the sandwich order. Unbelievably bad value for money. £32 per head for 2 tiny cakes, 2 slices of bread cut into 4, 2 tiny scones and a pot of tea, plus boring surroundings and odd service, then to cap it all 12 per cent service charge already added. £144. Outrageous. Too embarrassed to complain in front of family but they too were shocked at how poor it was. I have asked hotel to contact me- still waiting......

From the minute you entered the hotel to leaving the service was excellent. To have afternoon tea in the middle of shopping at probably the north of England's premiere hotel is divine.

£32.00 per person (that's a whopping £64.00 per couple) for traditional afternoon tea that consists of 8 very poorly made sandwich fingers with cheap and tacky fillings, 4 small scones with jam and cream, and 4 sweet and delicatessen like pastries (forget the menu photo, it looks nothing like that, tired good and no strawberries) Oh, and a pot of loose leaf tea, offered like cigars as if that adds value to the afternoon tea experience. The China cups and saucers were worn with edging and scuffs, adding to the devalue of the whole experience.

Greeted and shown to our seats, Waitress went through our options. We chose 2 gentlemans and 2 traditional afternoon teas. The service was excellent. The food was extremely well presented, I would have preferred to choose fillings as there were some fillings not to our taste, and a lot of dressing, which seemed to dominate the sandwich. A very pleasant afternoon, albeit a little pricey.

Booked as a treat for a university friend as it is her 50th birthday and we had a get together. It was absolutely perfect!! Lovely staff, beautiful food, very nice setting. Perfect. Thank you very much to everyone at The Arkle Bar at The Grosvenor for a really lovely treat.

Our second visit to the Grosvenor for afternoon tea.

Lovely experience, service excellent. Fancied a gin and tonic so paid £26 for two singles bit expensive really. Bought the experience for other family members I hope they enjoy. I do think it was all a little pricey.

Unfortunately the standard of service fell very short due to a lack of procedures at the venue. This was our first visit to your hotel for Afternoon Tea, but just for context we have taken Afternoon Tea in many other hotels both in the UK and abroad.

Great choice, nice selection and staff couldn't do enough for you, great choice of gin too wis is always good

The setting alone makes you feel relaxed and looked after. My husband and I enjoyed the two different types of finger food and both were very nice.

Σχετικα με την πολυ μικρη που το πληρωσαμε, ηταν τελειο. Καλο περιβαλον, σε βοηθαει να παρεις μια ανασα ηρεμιας στο πολυβουο Λονδινο. Σχετικα καλα τα συνοδευτικα του τσαιου, πανα λαμβανομενου υποψη των πολυ λιγων χρηματων που δωσαμε. Νοστιμα γλυκα και καλη περιποιηση.

My Mum and I decided to bring my gran to The Grosvenor for afternoon tea for her 70th birthday treat. It was OK, but not worth the higher than average price.

We really enjoyed our 'decadent champagne afternoon tea' to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The staff were attentive without being intrusive and everything was beautifully presented. We resisted the offer of more sandwiches, so managed to finish the cakes without having to resort to a doggy bag. Everything tasted really fresh and the scones were still warm from the oven.

My last review was very positive as service, atmosphere and food were excellent . On return for my daughter's prewedding venue with bridesmaids and mother of the bride​, as me with the groom's mother, we were sadly disappointed . We had an upstairs 'space''

Our son bought us a voucher for afternoon tea at The Chester Grosvenor.As our 49th wedding anniversary was approaching we decided to use it to celebrate said anniversary.From start to finish it was a wonderful experience.Our young server was friendly,funny,helpful and extremely knowledgeable.You can choose from a traditional afternoon tea, a gentleman's afternoon tea or you can have some bits of both.We opted to try both and it was absolutely the right decision.We had finger sandwiches,sausage roll,a fish buttie and beef on rye bread.When we had eaten the sandwiches they happily replenished the plates with even more!! There were warm scones with jam and cream and beautiful little cakes to finish.All this with your choice of tea or coffee made a wonderful way of spending our anniversary afternoon.

Expensive afternoon tea but worth the experience ,you can enjoy the hotel without having to stay in accommodation

recommended by a friend for my daughters wedding reception. went to try out and look around the premises. beautiful afternoon tea and very informative staff with regards to the reception. wedding reception was amazing with everything the bride wished for!!!

A fantastic experience as I have never had afternoon tea before but it was out of this world! The staff were fantastic, offering us more tea and sandwiches! Couldn't eat it all so we had a lovely box to take it home in! I would recommend this to anyone looking for good afternoon tea!

We were bought an afternoon tea by my mum for Christmas and decided to cash in today. We have been to the Simon Radley restaurant (which is very very good) and had also had the Afternoon tea before so we knew it was going to be good.

We were on the second day of a 2 day layover in London and booked Afternoon Tea for when they started serving at 2. That gave us plenty of time before we had to leave at 4.

Amazing experience, having pre booked before xmas (and having visited several times before) I'd asked whether we could use the gallery, and when we arrived we were put in the Drawing Room - really different, personal, private and fun and very much appreciated. Again a beautiful selection of teas, sandwiches, scones and tasty cakes, eaten over several hours. Service was amazing, timely and perfect. All in all a great visit!

On first thinking about having afternoon tea here, you might decide to go elsewhere, it seems very expensive. This will turn out to be, very much, the wrong decision. I have had afternoon tea in other venues in the area and believe me, it has been a very ordinary and underwhelming experience. The afternoon tea here is first class, the setting and the staff are perfect, but most importantly the quality and quantity of the food on offer is just out of this world. Also don't worry if you are not keen on tea, you can have coffee or even fresh orange juice instead. The staff keep offering you "seconds" and if you just cannot manage to eat one more fraction of a cake, then the staff will happily box up the leftovers for you to take home. Afternoon tea at The Grosvenor really is a five star experience.

This was a really special treat for my sister's birthday. We were so made to feel special from the moment we arrived. Our waitress (sorry didn't note name, young, short with dark hair), was friendly, efficient and also had lovely sense of humour, making our experience fab. We had Indulgent afternoon tea in Arkley bar, it was well worth the little extra. What an experience, thankyou for a wonderful time we so enjoyed ourselves.

So happy to receive as a gift of an afternoon tea at the Grosvenor,it was so much more than I expected.lovely polite and welcoming staff ,and importantly wonderful food choices.It was great think I'll go back tomorrow.seriously though I will go again soon and won't hesitate to recommend to my friends and family.

Took our 8 year old (soon to be 9) daughter here for afternoon tea in the gallery. The service was excellent - she had hot chocolate, the wife green tea and me coffee. With a selection of cakes and sandwiches it was surprisingly filling. The gallery location is on the stairs above reception was also a surprise, much less busy than we expected. My daughter was too young for the Arkel Bar (but I wouldn't have wanted to be in there anyway) and the other location, the drawing room, was apparently full (but it wasn't when I looked in). The food was excellent. Don't expect low prices though and a 12% service charge was applied - to be fair the staff told us about it in advance & looked pretty apologetic!

I visited with my Mother after booking afternoon tea for us both as a birthday treat during a day of shopping & sightseeing. The main door was opened for us by a younger boy (not the usual doorman). I asked him where afternoon tea was served as we had a booking & sadly he wasn't able to direct us. We waited for a lovely older gentleman to direct us. Upon entering, we received a warm welcome & were shown to our table. Coats were taken & we seated ourselves. The surroundings were immaculate & opulent, just what i was hoping for at £32 a head. I did however find the table a little low considering the chair height & it was at times uncomfortable. We ordered drinks & awaited our afternoon tea. When presented with it, I have to say it didn't look a lot & more sandwiches would have been nice. The scones & cakes however were delicious. I was a little shocked at the 12% charge automatically added to the bill for service. We do tip & would have as always. I feel it is a little bit naughty to make this compulsory. £32 is enough to pay for most. Tipping should be digressional depending on service. Whilst the afternoon tea was delightful, I must say that I have had better for around £20 pp. I must add however that surroundings & service make this venue special & that it what you are paying for.

A very good friend bought us afternoon tea for the Chester Grosvenor, I was very excited and used our gift to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary, the sandwiches and cakes were very nice and the young lady offered us extra sandwiches but unfortunately no one came to see if we would like extra tea and coffee, we could see other tables were approached and sat for 20 minutes waiting, we gave up and decided to leave, I asked for my coat and the lady put the cakes we had not eaten in a nice box for us to bring home, overall I think it is overpriced and have had lot better service at other hotels and restaurants for half the price

We were staying at hotel and thought to stop for happy hour / tea and get a snack before heading out to dinner. But was very busy and hostess told us it could be a while and we had to wait out in hotel lobby as not welcome in the bar/restaurant. Needless to say we carried on walking and found somewhere that valued our custom.

We always heard about the British afternoon tea .We are from a different country so we want it to try the afternoon tea.The hotel give the worst afternoon tea that you expect. They arrange some horrible cup cakes and bread butter and ham.Horrible no taste.VERY EXPENSIVE!!!

Booked as surprise by my husband. Lovely room, relaxing music. Food good although choice of pastries were made by staff not us...next table had chocolate ours were all fruit style and similar.

Booked afternoon tea for my wife and i in the arkle restaurant, from the moment we arrived we were made very welcome, the waiter suggested that we might like to have a mixture of the gentleman afternoon tea and the normal one which was a great idea, two people looked after us very well and we both had a good conversation with a young lady who works there

by far the best place to eat in chester....service is out of this world. relaxed atmosphere, yet refined. food is amazing also. good wine selection and a meal with wine will not break the bank....

As a surprise for our Mum's "special" birthday, we booked for afternoon tea. As there were children in our party we were allocated a drawing room, which for us was perfect. The staff were a credit, pleasant and friendly without being over familiar, helpful and attentive. The food was delicious, plentiful and replenished when needed. Plenty of tea provided and soft drinks for those who requested it. The "posh fish finger" sarnies went down a treat. Tiny hiccup when paying bill, the deposit ( paid when booking) hadn't been deducted, but soon remedied. We went into The Arkle Bar when paying the bill, and this reaffirmed that the drawing room was exactly the perfect location for afternoon tea, Lovely, thanks so much, Mum was delighted :-)

I booked afternoon tea in the Arkle lounge bar only to find out that young children under 12 are not allowed in that area. So i phoned and they quickly changed it to the terrace as we have a 3 month old child

They tried their best. The sandwiches and cake were delicious. They brought the wrong tea out and tried to charge us even though the afternoon tea was part of a package. Most of the staff are too young and inexperienced. They need to pop down to the Ritz, where I have also had afternoon tea, to see what exemplary 5 star service looks like. This was not it.

We had tea at the Chester Grosvenor this afternoon to celebrate my husband's birthday. What a treat - the service was excellent and whilst we were served by several members of staff all were very pleasant, helpful and cheerful.

I always enjoy visiting this restaurant for lunch as the room is so relaxing, the service very good and lunches,although expensive, tasty. The coffee is always very good. However,just a short while ago, the food potions were larger and much better value.

Tea at the Grosvenor was a special treat for my husband and I on our wedding aniversary, and while the sandwiches and cakes were of a high standard, the service was not. The waiter seemed to be nervous and inexperienced, from sniffing the tea pots on the way to the table to determine which was the Earl Grey, to spilling the tea as he poured it, to having to go back for the milk and then pouring a large amount into our cups despite my husband and I both asking for 'just a drop' and then when we asked for more hot water for our tea,he took the tea away and brought a pot of hot water instead! The final straw was when we decided not to pay an additional tip on top of the added 12 percent service charge (which was supposed to be discretionary anyway) and the waitress walked off without thanking us or asking if we had enjoyed our meal. We have contacted the restaurant about the matter and have been offered a free glass of champagne if we go back. Needless to say, we will not be doing so.

What a lovely way to spend a bank holiday sipping champagne nibbling on a fine selection of finger sandwich sand cakes .

Decided to take my Mum out for a champagne afternoon tea for her birthday and wanted to go somewhere for a very special treat. I left feeling very deflated. I must have been served by at least 6 different members of staff, but somehow they all stayed out of sight. No one took overall responsibility for our service, so there was no continuity, no glances at our table to see what we might need, no realisation that we were waiting and someone else had forgotten.