Afternoon Tea in West Sussex in Horsham - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

We went to South Lodge for afternoon tea for a friend's baby shower and were very disappointed. The service was slow and rude, and the food was below par - the sandwiches were flavourless and didn't look fresh. It all just felt very disorganised and not at all worth the money which was a shame as this was meant to be a real treat. Wouldn't recommend!

I came to afternoon tea at South Lodge Hotel, along with my daughter and 2 granddaughters, it was to celebrate my granddaughter's birthdays, on the 6th May 2024. At first it was all good, the server was very attentive and explained the menu very well, found the upselling a bit much, we ordered a bottle of fizz to find out when we paid the bill it was £80 !! Our fault for not asking the price I guess. However, after about 4, there was no sign of any servers, it seems they had all gone off shift? We wanted more tea, and eventually had to go out to find someone to ask. Finally one young man came in, but he seemed to be it, which for a full dining room seemed inadequate. Also, at no time was our table cleared, at the end, it was full of teapots, glasses, bottles, plates etc, not good enough for a hotel of this standard. The afternoon tea was very good, we enjoyed it, but feel it was let down by the service. I would not recommend, or return.

Went to South Lodge for Afternoon Tea for my Mums birthday, the food itself was delicious, not too huge like some, unlimited sandwiches was a nice touch. The service itself could have been better, disappointed for what is a 5 * hotel, had to grab the staff attention for more tea and sandwiches, and took a while to grab attention of a staff member for our scones which they bring later.

It's always a good start to an afternoon tea when the staff that greets you are happy, friendly and enthusiastic and that was certainly the case here. We were seated by the window ( as requested when we made the booking) on lovely comfy chairs over looking the extensive grounds. Our greeter explained what would happen, what the menu was and advised we would be getting unlimited sandwiches and scones, as well as being able to try out an impressive array of teas. The stand arrived laden with goodies, the stand out cake for me was the Pimms cake which was just sublime, but I can't fault anything. We had more sandwiches and after demolishing the sweet treats went onto the scones, which were also lovely. One of the best afternoon teas I have had.

This afternoon my daughter and I had a fabulous afternoon tea followed by a walk around the grounds. The welcome from staff and the attention to service was excellent. Staff are well aware of food allergies. We did have extra sandwiches when offered but no need for extra scones. Sampled a new flavoured tea and all in a very comfortable atmosphere. Thank you to the staff for a lovely untrusted afternoon.

Came for an afternoon tea this weekend and was severely disappointed by the service and attitude towards our complaint. We came as a group of friends to South Lodge for afternoon tea. From the minute we arrived there was a lack of organisation, they didn’t seem to have the details on our booking (despite having this on my phone) they asked if the table was for 3 people when it was for 5. We were then shown to a table outside, the table had lovely views and it was a warm sunny day so we were able to enjoy the view. We ordered drinks and they asked if we would like the afternoon tea to be brought out, we said yes.. it was then approximately 25 minutes before we saw our food and at this point we had to chase our drinks which still hadn’t arrived. From here on out the service was terrible. We were asked if we wanted our scones, after 10 minutes they brought out the Jam and cream, these then sat out in the warm weather for 25ish minutes before we again had to chase up the scones and ask for new cream as the ones brought out were suffering in the heat. We arrived at 1.30 and didn’t finish the afternoon tea until gone 4.30 as the service was so poor. We enjoyed the setting and the food was very nice but when you are paying a lot of money for an afternoon tea I do not expect to have such poor service. When the bill was brought we asked for the service to be removed as it had been so slow, to which they just replied “ok” no apology or explanation was given. We asked to speak to someone about the service and a manager came out who appeared to be rather standoffish about the whole situation, a lot of excuses were given about how they are busy and that they do bring the cream out before the scones (there was at least a 20 minute gap on a hot day!) and how yes that’s normal if you don’t like the service you can remove it. I didn’t feel they took the issue seriously or that they particularly cared that we had complained which was incredibly disappointing. We left feeling very deflated and we will certainly not be returning.

I was given a voucher for afternoon tea for three as a birthday present. Unfortunately it expired before I was able to use it - due to covid and me being out of the country for several months. Although the hotel noted that they had been flexible with vouchers during covid they refused to extend mine. In recognition that prices have increased significantly since the voucher expired (Dec 2022) we offered to pay an additional supplement but this was refused. Not only is this extremely disappointing but does not reflect well on the hotel if it wants to maintain a good reputation.

Had the most amazing afternoon tea . Excellent service and selection of sandwiches,cakes and scones and what you can't eat they will box up for you! A lovely venue and beautiful hotel and surroundings.

Simple elegance, attentive waiting staff, delicious food, excellent ambiance. This was the second visit in 8 months and we will definitely return in a flash. :)

Booked Afternoon Tea to celebrate a long overdue special birthday, which had been rearranged several times due to ill health. I had been really looking forward to it - particularly after previous lovely experiences there, where the menu was great and dietary requests were catered for. Overall, I had a great time catching up with close friends following the Christmas/New Years break, but on reflection, the food was not great and it certainly was not worth the £50 per head (including service charge) that you end up paying for. Firstly, I was very surprised that the Christmas menu was still running as our visit was outside of the Christmas period - and the website had been updated to remove the festive food. From a marketing perspective, it is misleading. From a customer perspective, it just felt like we ate leftovers that needed using up. Secondly, I had listed dietary requests on my booking. Rather than receive alternative options, we were given double turkey sandwiches (to subsitute not having the salmon), and the cheese removed from the beetroot and goats cheese sandwich (which made it taste very dry and bland). On previous visits, my mother-in-law's dietary requests were much more sensitively handled, with a completely separate plate of sandwiches and pastries with lots of different flavours and fillings. For a premium experience, you would expect the latter - particularly if your requests were on the booking. I wrote to South Lodge privately to explain my concerns and sadly the response I received completely missed the point and only made my feelings around the whole experience worse. I replied privately to explain that I felt that they did not acknowledge my complaint seriously and that I don't feel inclined to visit if that is the way they are going to treat loyal customers. I never received a reply back to remedy the situation.

A fabulous afternoon tea with all the elements you would expect, and more, prepared to the highest standards. The savouries were delicious and interesting and the various patisserie were exquisite. Additional sandwiches were offered but definitely not needed. Tea was chosen from an extensive tea menu and topped up on request. The staff were friendly and attentive and seemed to enjoy their work. One young man in particular seemed to be very proud of South Lodge, and quite rightly so. A lovely afternoon. Thank you.

South Lodge have always excelled in their afternoon tea provision but now their vegan option is simply superb. After having plant based afternoon tea there a few years ago, which was not great, I hesitated to give it another try and I’m thrilled to say it did not disappoint. The sandwiches were great, especially the carrot one. The potato cakes and cauliflower pakora were amazing and the macaroons and cake delicious. Not to mention the superb scones with lovely selection of jams and spreads. The price is considerably higher than what we previously experienced and they now require a deposit of £20 per person which is reasonable. Nevertheless, it’s a wonderful experience, starting with the courteous, knowledgeable staff to the stunning food and beautiful surroundings. Ask for Drawing Room when booking as that provides beautiful views of South Downs.

My husband was told when he booked dinner for us to celebrate my 75th birthday that if the weather was nice we could eat from the a la carte menu outside as we have done on previous occasions.( I am immuno compromised and very worried about covid) When we arrived we were told that outside was just for the wedding guests so were seated in the Camellis restuarant which initially was very quiet . We were given a set menu and when we aske for the a la carte we were told it was not available. There was nothing on the starter menu my husband could eat and what I ordered was inedible to me. The main meal was fine but so little of it . We left before the sweet menu as it got far too busy We were appalled by the way the evening of the 19th June turned out when we had been looking forward to it for some while. Had we not had to pay a considerable deposit we would not have started the meal. We have always been previously entirely happy with eating here but never again!

A truly lovely afternoon in beautiful surroundings. I had a voucher from before covid which we were allowed to extend. Super food, super service and catered well for allergies. Not a cheap afternoon but really worth every penny and actually great value for money! We had a lovely time, thank you!

We have just come back from a lovely afternoon tea with friends at South Lodge and having previously been there a couple of years ago, it was lovely to enjoy the same high level of service and good food. They were to cater for a vegan option and the quantity and quality of it all was first class. Particular acknowledgement should go to the staff member, Callum, who was very attentive and gave excellent customer service. He was a credit to the hotel. We look forward to our return visit.

Excellent food and service and charming staff. Excellent value for money. Beautiful setting. Would highly recommend.

Ive had a voucher for over 2 years now due to covid and the team were great it letting me keep pushing it! We finally visited the week before Christmas just gone and what can I say. I was apprehensive after reading some reviews/lack of reviews however it was 10/10. Service was impeccable, the food was moreish and stunning (the sausage roll and egg brioche were our favs!) and the fact its unlimited sandwiches make its all the better! The sweet treats werent all to my taste - but are they ever all exactly what someone would like? But they looked beautiful and you could tell there was a lot of work and effort that went into them! The atmosphere was delightful and we had stunning views of the gardens which was lovely. I would 100% return in the near future, great job everyone!

Just loved everything about the experience,the food as perfect in every way,loved the jams,free refills for the coffee and tea,but do remember if you order water or wine ask the price as this is an extra and can add alot to the bill.Loved the attention given by all members of staff to our dog,they know happy dog happy customers.Was asked several times if we wanted more of anything which we did with there wonderful sandwiches.Will defo be back to this fantastic hotel.Hope next time they may have an open fire lit as that always adds alot to the ambience.

Booked an Afternoon Tea with friends - very disappointed! The staff were friendly enough and the food was good but the cleanliness in this hotel let's it down. Crumbs from previous diners on the chairs, dust on the side tables and the worst by far...

I was bought vouchers for afternoon tea by work colleagues for my birthday last year. Due to lockdowns etc and sadly being made redundant, using the voucher felt sad however, from the second we walked in, we were were made to feel so welcome. Every...

I bought this afternoon tea for my mum as a birthday present after having had two excellent previous experiences. Firstly, I have to say that the customer service was outstanding, Louisa was an excellent host, very personable and helpful throughout as were two of the...

Afternoon tea was supplied as part of our Christmas stay and was first class. Endless top ups of food and drink were available in the unlikely event that you had room!

As the title states it really was perfect, I have had many afternoon teas in top locations in London and South Lodge is definitely up there in quality and 5* service. From the moment we walked in we were greeted in a warm, friendly manor....

We booked an afternoon tea for four people on the day of our civil partnership. I then called again in advance to ensure we had a nice table for the occasion. The attitude of the staff was very disappointing. They explained that they could make...

Had a lovely afternoon enjoying a delicious afternoon tea last week. The selection was great and beautifully presented. The free plate refills were an a very generous offer. The scones were delicious although I wouldn’t have one with chocolate again - I’m more of a...

Me and my mum had a lovely time at afternoon tea. Excellent selection of teas and drinks to choose from, attentive and friendly staff, yummy sandwiches, cakes and scones. And refills! Keep doing what you’re doing South Lodge, we loved it

We had my birthday afternoon tea here. Staff was very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. The food that came out was fresh, and Delicious. The scones was baked when ready and warm when we got it. Selection is so good. I can highly recommend this to...

South Lodge has been my absolutely favourite place for afternoon tea for a long time and I was really looking forward to going again this weekend, however it seems to have lost its magic somewhat. The food was nice and similar to that you would...

This is not the first time I have had afternoon tea here. This is the most disappointing. Very attentive service could not hide the fact we were not getting value for money. The cakes were all tiny, fine, but the scones were too. And the...

Eight of us visited South Lodge yesterday afternoon for my daughter in law's baby shower. The tea was delicious as usual, there was so much food we all took boxes home. However I wanted to mention the excellent service we received. The drawing room was...

We thoroughly enjoyed our delightfully presented and delicious tea in beautifully elegant surroundings. Callum and all the staff were helpful, friendly and efficient. The selection of sandwiches, savouries, cakes and scones were absolutely delicious and presented so beautifully. This was my first visit to South...

Afternoon tea is one of my favourite traditions and so I have sampled quite a few, some exquisite like the Savoy and the Ritz and others that fail miserably. I am pleased to say that South Lodge did not disappoint. I was delighted to be...

A friend and I went here for afternoon tea in the summer. The hotel itself really is beautiful, and the lounge where the tea is served is lovely. However, I do have a few negatives. Service was average at most, it seemed they may have been short staffed, as they were rushing around and we waited almost 15 minutes for our tea to be served - which we were disappointed to find was a tea bag, not loose leaf (for the price you would expect a nice silk bag tea or loose leaf). Then we waited a further ten minutes for our food. They served on a rack next to our table, which is awkward when trying to get food to your plate as it is quite low down. One of the sandwiches were egg and truffle, and as neither of us like truffle we asked them to swap it, which they only had cheese and pickle - bit naff in my opinion for a tea which cost us nearly £40 each! The scones were also average - I would expect a mix of fruit and plain as these are traditional, however we had mini lemon and plain scones (which neither of us were told, nor did we really like them!). They also used to give you a piece of cake to take home, which they no longer do. So all in all I think there are better afternoon tea experiences out there for the same or less money!

Visited for afternoon tea in palatial surroundings The main house is historic building with very sympathetic additions for the G20 summit a few years ago Afternoon tea was served in lounge room overlooking the wonderful gardens with a magnificent chandelier The chairs were comfortable Service...

Today we had a really delicious Afternoon Tea. Our previous experience back in February was totally different which put us off, however we returned today and so glad we did.We were seated in a beautiful lounge and served tasty sandwiches, three fresh scones (plain, fruit and cinnamon) with cream and variety of jams, interesting selection of cakes and hot coffee!! More sandwiches, scones and coffee were offered too. The staff were busy, but polite and helpful. The hotel is in a lovely setting.

We were lucky enough to be given a gift of afternoon tea. The voucher lasts for 12 months.

I went to South lodge with some friends to celebrate a 50th birthday. We had afternoon Tea.

We were invited by a friend to afternoon tea here just recently. A previous experience was poor and this was no exception.

On arrival, a waiter left 2 menus and disappeared. He returned and asked us ‘what we wanted’. My daughter was puzzled. I knew about the choice of teas but hadn’t explained this to her. In fairness, I didn’t think it was my job! I said that we would also like the wine. On pouring it into my daughter’s glass, he poured it so fast that it fountained over the top and went over the table. It was mopped up with my daughter’s napkin & she was told that a fresh one would be brought. It wasn’t! Next, we each received 3 tiny sandwiches and the waiter didn’t know what was in the battered savoury; he thought it was cauliflower. My daughter confirmed that it was. We were told that we could have unlimited refills but were given one refill of sandwiches.

Everything done with perfection, great details in the cakes and everything served during the afternoon tea. The house and the surroundings also look amazing.

I was given a voucher for my birthday from my son. So obviously my husband joined me one wet afternoon in August. Although we have been to south lodge several times for evening meals and have always said that it was 1st class but oh dear what an awful afternoon tea! I asked if I could have a ham sandwich without mustard and the waitress said no the sandwiches were already prepped. Not customer friendly! I have had several afternoon teas at other establishments and never have been refused for a sandwich to be made and to be honest the truffle egg rolls with onion powder were disgusting! The only good part was the scones with home made jams. Not what I expect from south lodge

Had a lovely afternoon tea today. We went with lower expectations having read some bad recent reviews but I honestly don't know what there is to moan about!! The sandwiches were lovely, a twist on traditional flavours and also the other savoury items were great too. The scones were light and warm, the only thing I would say if being picky was that the fruit scone didn't taste much different to the plain one. The orange and ginger scone also was a mild flavour but still very tasty. Lots of Jam choice and plenty of clotted cream.

My mum, husband and I had afternoon tea here on Monday and it was delicious!

- 10 minute wait before being asked what we wanted to drink

took my partner here for his birthday today,so dissapointed with our afternoon tea.

We visited for our parents 50th wedding anniversary and we were not disappointed with the service or the quantity of the afternoon tea.

It’s been a couple of years since we ve visited South Lodge. And this time because we used a birthday present voucher for two people for afternoon tea . We also took along two guests . The food was lovely . Sandwiches delicious and refillable . However , champagne at £17 a glass was not cold enough and service in general lacking . We were shown to our table and left there . Staff serving another table who came in after us . Tea was served in stained teapots alongside the clotted cream and jams . The cake stand followed -The scones were not brought out till we had finished with the sandwiches cakes and savouries . There were lots of fly’s and the waiter suggested we cover the food with our napkins . When I pointed out the jams and cream had been sitting in the sun for the best part of an hour he said it was to make life easier for the server !!! We had to wait patiently for water / and in the end got up and got it ourselves A shame the food was let down by the poor service. If they’re going to charge high prices and add on service then the service provided really needs to match . There are other places who serve just as nice afternoon tea with better service

Four of us went for afternoon tea and I am sorry to say it was a very unsatisfactory experience. It started with our order having been forgotten until we reminded staff about an hour after we had arrived. It was suggested a computer failure had led to the order not being transferred to the kitchen. When the tea arrived, the tea itself was teabags, which struck us as odd for a top hotel, and none of the food was very appetising and the sandwiches were somewhat on the dry side. To be fair, the staff went some way to recognise the deficiencies by deducting the drinks from the bill. However, in all honesty it was very poor value and way below what one would expect from a hotel of this class.

Have eaten and stayed at this hotel before but not in a little while. The afternoon tea experience has reminded me why. The dining space is dingy and we were seated in the corner adjacent to a main thoroughfare... not great. Housekeeping needs to sharpen up... cobwebs on light fittings/light bulbs of differing types on the same fitting/smeary mirrors and maintenance wandering through the space with a toilet plunger.... really??!!

Booked afternoon tea. It was a warm day but no afternoon tea available on the outside terrace so we were seated in the lounge

As a birthday treat we decided to go out for afternoon tea at the South Lodge and we were not disappointed!

The setting was lovely; beautiful grounds and a pleasant ambiance. Service was initially prompt but this unfortunately deteriorated and we had to remind and prompt on about 4 occasions for sandwiches and drinks to be replenished and for scones to even be provided. There was also only one small tray of jam and cream for our party of 9 and whilst more was supplied on asking, I feel this attention to detail was lacking.

Upon arrival at The South Lodge, you build up very high expectations. We were not disappointed. The building, the decor, and lawns were perfect. The food fantastic was complimented by excellent service. The mushroom toast was a talking point throughout the room. Top ups were plentiful and a very good choice of teas were available. A walk around the grounds afterwards completed the occasion. A perfect afternoon.

After reading some of the reviews prior to my visit, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. We were there for a friend’s 50th and had such a lovely afternoon. The service couldn’t be faulted, lovely staff and very attentive, they offered us plenty of refills of everything. The food was all delicious, and the room was very nice too, with great views of the grounds. I loved that you get the scones served warm when you’re ready for them. After our tea we had a walk around the grounds which are stunning. We all had a great time and will be back!

Went on Good Friday, lovely warm sunny afternoon was seated on the terrace which was lovely setting and then it all went pear shaped!

I visited South Lodge for afternoon tea with my mum on Good Friday. We have been doing some sampling of some local afternoon tea places to decide a venue for a special family occasion later in the summer. In the past I have both stayed at South Lodge, and had lunch there a couple of times, and on all occasions it has been wonderful so I was really looking forward to our afternoon tea. I was sorely disappointed though. You couldn’t fault the setting, sitting on the veranda in the sunshine was just lovely, but that’s where the good times ended. The food was average at best - the sandwiches were boring and very dried as if they had been made the day before. The scones and sweet treats were nice but I probably couldn’t say more than that. Our server also decided it was a good idea to put the jam, cream and preserves in the sun which did them no favours! Talking of service, this was the truly awful thing about the whole experience. Our initial drinks took a long time to come; I am not sure why as there was nothing complicated in a cup of English breakfast tea and a black coffee. The food arrived in an okay time but after that we weren’t approached by a server again without us having to frantically wave to get their attention. I had to ask for another coffee, twice, which took about 20 minutes to arrive. As it was Good Friday we were given a hot cross bun as part of the scone basket, which was a nice touch, however there was no butter offered. We had to ask for some, again twice, to be told someone would have to go to the kitchen, and so again this took far too long to arrive (probably 30 minutes). By the time it came to ask for the bill we were getting really quite fed up so it didn’t help matters that we had to ask for this 3 times. The final time we asked the manager who apologised and said he would do it himself straight away. Sadly he was never to be seen again either! In the end I went wandering around inside the hotel looking for someone to pay. I expressed my frustration and disappointment and the only ‘gesture’ I was given was a waiver of the 12.5% service charge - as if I would have paid that anyway!! It’s such a shame, the setting was so lovely and would be wonderful for our special family occasion, but I just cannot take the chance that the service will be that dreadful again.

Having enjoyed excellent afternoon tea and service at South Lodge on several previous occasions, I booked for Good Friday to celebrate a 70th birthday of a family member who had travelled from overseas.

I took my two daughters, one of which had a birthday, for the afternoon tea experience. I had been before so knew what to expect, however this time it was an absolute shambles. We were some of the first to be seated, and then the tea arrived, followed 10 minutes later by the sandwiches and cakes. The sandwiches were pointed out as 'salmon, ham, and egg' No other elaboration. The cakes were not described at all. Then we were left. We enjoyed the food and then came to ask for some more sandwiches. It took 45 MINUTES and so much chasing to finally get our second round which were literally 'plonked' onto a plate, that didn't even fit the cake stand. They had been standing so long somewhere that where the crusts had been cut off, another crust was already forming.

We went for afternoon tea and to be honest were not impressed.

Attended afternoon tea with 2 friends. Overall it was average and I wouldn’t go back.

Went to celebrate a friends 50th

My father booked afternoon tea for seven to celebrate a big birthday. The food was lovely, the service very attentive. I'm glad I wasn't paying the bill... it was a real treat.

Treated by partner to afternoon tea for his birthday as we had been two years earlier and it was lovely. How much it has changed! Previously it was worth the money as you had a great selection of sandwiches and various teas. When you left to go home you could choose a slice of cake to take home in a box. This time was a great disappointment and definitely not worth the money. It cost me £198.00 for 4 people and what I didn’t realise until I got home a £22 service charge was included which I think is extortionate.

Treated to afternoon tea. Everything was very 'lush' and tea & sandwiches etc most enjoyable. Staff obliging & xmas decorations made it for us.

This was the third afternoon tea visit I’ve made in a few years. This time wasn’t quite as special as previous ones. £32.50 now seems very expensive. As in other reviews, we were not offered a take home piece of cake. As we’d been before, we were expecting it.

I was really looking forward to my Afternoon Tea at South Lodge which was a birthday gift. I arrived on crutches and was shown a table with very low chairs which was fine to get into but almost impossible to get out of without help. We were offered another table, but it was in the far corner of a pretty empty room. When my husband booked we mentioned my nut allergy and was I brought my own set of 'treats'. There two finger sandwiches made of tasty bread, and a small egg roll. More sandwiches were offered to us when we had eaten them. Three cakes and rice pudding? were my sweet treats. A real disappointment though, were the scones which had been warmed but were small and hard. Staff were helpful when my latte arrived luke warm and happily made me a piping hot one! Overall, this could have been so much better, particularly, as it was a special treat for my birthday!

Lovely ambience. Average afternoon tea. Some of thesandwiches were rather dry. Pity the waiting staff were rather inattentive.

Visited South Lodge for afternoon tea today. We had a lovely table overlooking the grounds.

A great afternoon tea in a lovely hotel with superb views across the countryside. service was excellent, sandwiches and cakes lovely !

My granddaughter was married at South Lodge in August and we all stayed over. My wife and I recently had a superb meal at The Pass restaurant, so it seemed inevitable that we would return for afternoon tea, which we did earlier this week.

Visited today and so unexpectedly dissapointed.

We had a fabulous afternoon tea to celebrate my birthday. Great selection of finger sandwiches, scones and cakes. Also a fantastic selection of teas to choose from. In lovely surroundings, overlooking the beautiful gardens. We were impeccable looked after by the attentive staff. We were also offered a piece of cake to take home with us.

I came here with some friends for afternoon tea in September and the experience overall was very enjoyable. The food is delicious and there is plenty of it. We ordered additional bottles of bubbles to go with our tea and the only complaint I have is that we weren't made aware of the price of the bottles - so the bill was a little higher than we expected. Other than that, can thoroughly recommend.

I had booked an afternoon tea for my mum as a birthday treat. I’ve been here a couple of times and the service and staff are incredible. You definitely get what you pay for!

As a family of 4, we booked the afternoon tea online. Upon arrival we were greeted and shown to our table (Not in the restaurant but within a nice quiet lounge area, with the table surrounded by couch type seating, just as it should be!)

We had afternoon tea overlooking the wonderful views , tea and scones were excellent and the staff fantastic

I do love afternoon tea, but found this to be way over priced for the very small portions, just 2 very small finger sandwiches, 3 cakes not much bigger than a chocolate but the 2 scones were good.

I was brought here by my husband for a birthday treat last week.

For a 5 star hotel the resent visit to see movies by moonlight ,the experience was really badly spoilt as the film was shown latter than advertised.But worst of all was that the film Dirty Dancing,was presented on a fairly large screen,It was only shown on one third of the screen,so I could not see the performance,and I was only half way back.I think that the hotel should stick to what they do best ,or get professionals to do it ,and not con people out their money for bad show

We visited South Lodge for a belated Mother's Day Afternoon Tea on the 2nd August. The hotel and grounds are stunning and could not fault the service, the staff were very friendly and efficient. It was lovely to have a selection of different sandwiches and a few other savoury items such as sausage rolls and mini pea tartlets, which were a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately the sandwiches were very dry, it was a hot day but this is not the standard we would expect when paying £32.50 per person, so for this we were a little disappointed.

We previously attended a wedding at South Lodge, and found the food 'very average' considering it's reputation. As we live nearby we decided to visit on Saturday afternoon for a drink in the gardens and maybe an evening meal.

11 of us greatly enjoyed afternoon tea on the 20 July at South Lodge. We were served by Darius who was professional, cheerful and attentive. A very enjoyable tea, in beautiful surroundings. Dietary requirements were catered for, with one of the ladies being wheat-free. A good range of teas, the sandwich fillings were a little bit different with flavoured breads, savoury pastries were a delicious surprise, the scones beautiful and patisserie cakes good. This was one of the best places we have been for afternoon tea and we would certainly go again.

We were offered this experience as a gift and were really looking forward to it. The booking process was very easy and straightforward. The grounds of the hotel are amazing, with a big park and a nice view.

They had put a cheap modern sofa in reception and waiters and waitresses wore cheap uniforms and they did not offer cake plates separately. Had been before and it was better then. The sofa really let the ambionce down of the Hotel very disappointed.

Lovely setting and great food but poor service. Had to chase twice for tea to be refreshed, other tables were offered addition sandwiches we weren’t and we saw several people leaving with cake to take home which again we weren’t offered. Overall the experience was not as special as we had hoped.

Afternoon tea here is expensive and expectations are high to meet the 5stars of the hotel. With that in mind, tea with my sister on Saturday 30 June was delightful and nothing was too much trouble. The lounge was not full and kept us cool on this hot summers day. Sandwiches were delicious with hand crafted bread and fillings which were better than we have experienced at other afternoon tea venues. The savouries were tasty and the little cakes were light and presented well. English Ridgeview sparkling wine added a lovely sparkle to the occasion. We had great service from Eve and James, thank you.

The problem with hotel and catering is to make sure high standards are maintained at all times. I was part of a group of four, booked in for a mid-afternoon tea. We sat outside taking in the beautiful views of the Weald, with the South Downs in the distance. Ideal, but it took around twenty minutes for our teas and coffee to arrive. Our sandwiches and cake stand took even longer – around 45 minutes.

This was the second time I've gone for afternoon tea at South Lodge.

The afternoon tea was a birthday treat from my son and his girlfriend. We were not disappointed at all. The views were lovely and the food was nicely presented and delicious. Staff were very friendly and knowledgeable enough the teas.

Came here for a friends special birthday and had a fantastic afternoon. Amazing selection of teas, lovely bubbly and the most amazing food. The sandwiches are out of this world, and unlimited supply! Delicious cakes, savoury treats and scones. Really excellent and would highly recommend.

Very nice surrounding in hotel with tables set out nicely however seats were low and needed a cushion to get you up to the correct height

We would recommend all the places we have visited especial for special events or even just for afternoon tea.

Arrived at this impressive looking hotel expecting something quite magical as this was a very special occasion.We received a relatively warm greeting and where shown to a table just inside the door ,not ideal for elderly guests as staff constantly walked past.We where offered cold water fairly quickly and our order was taken within about 20 minutes.Our afternoon tea arrived in about 20 minutes (4 afternoon teas )The Sandwiches were very plain and the bread on the smoked salmon was positively dry and the pescatarian options bland and tasteless.The scones where Ok but there was a very small amount of clotted cream.The cup cakes where pretty ,but the vegetarian cakes where of a very low standard and lacked any creativity.The Tea arrived in a China pot that had had the handle badly glued back on which I did point out.At

Such a fantastic afternoon experience. The staff Were great and really accommodating. The food was out of this world and it was great choice for all our needs. As a vegetarian there are plenty of options all super delicious. The team Katie to my daughter and the very helpful and kind. I definitely recommend the afternoon experience at South Lodge.

Superb experience, attentive staff who wanted you to enjoy the experience and were friendly without being too familiar. Afternoon tea of the highest quality, the range of teas and sandwiches, pastries, and titbits was a delight, and the scones were the lightest and scrumpyist I have ever had. A tad on the expensive side if you take in the English sparkling wine as well, but worth it.

We choose South lodge as it had fabulous reviews. This was to be an a birthday treat but it turned into a birthday disappointment and embarrassment.

Simply the best tea I have ever had.

My friend and I went as well as my one year old baby. All the staff were so accommodating and friendly. The food was delicious as was the South Lodge Tea Blend which I'd thoroughly recommend. The facilities were great (especially for babies) and altogether we had a great time for my Birthday!

Having arrived late afternoon, it was too late for lunch and to soon for supper. Unusually fresh sandwiches, the bread was so fresh, it made for an enjoyable snack.

We deliberately booked to have afternoon tea here because we expected, just a week before Christmas, to experience a real Christmassy atmosphere. What a dissapointment. The log fire in the huge reception area was barely alight and it was as cold in here as outside! Where we had tea was just as it would be any other time of the year except for a Christmas themed decoration on each table, although ours had someone's nut shells in it from the night before. The big open fire was not lit, it would have been so easy to have Christmas music playing in the background, not much to expect this time of year. Our afternoon tea was mediocre at best, very strange selection of sandwiches, dry cakes and scones that tasted strongly of vanilla, maybe it was the cream. Considering this establishment holds Michelin stars they could have tried harder. Would say the staff were extremely friendly and efficient.