Afternoon Tea - The Swan Hotel Lavenham in Babergh

My bestie and I recently re visited for their afternoon tea. We were here last July and I was here again last October. We ordered the savoury version again and it was as delicious as it was before. The service is very good, the surroundings both comfy and stylish and the price point is excellent. We always used to go to high end London afternoon teas such as the Berkeley, One Aldwych and Rosewood, which are superb, but take a lot more effort to reach and are naturally more expensive. We will be back soon.

NOT a great afternoon tea. Chose the savoury option. The bread was dry and sandwich fillings tasteless. The scones were very dry too. At £27.50 per head this was NOT value for money. Bought 2 (a spritzer and non-alc gin) drinks... these were £17.... very expensive. Staff not particularly attentive. Would not recommend.

Afternoon tea very disappointed,went for Friends birthday had savory menu,was given menu then it took 15 mins before anyone came back to offer drink and take order, the scones were dry, sandwich thick bread and the tomato fritters tasted like rubber. The so called cream herb butter tasted of nothing had to ask for chutney. I said when booking it was for a friend's birthday but they did nothing to make it special. They put some music on nearing end of put tea up until then only four tables of people and so quite and uncomfortable. Whilst setting lovely the teas was not worth money at all. Having been to another fantastic tea room in lavenham,Clare and long melford this was so disappointing. They need to make alot more effort especially with the food to justify the price.

The Swan is a beautiful building-we had afternoon tea 16th April-a gift from my husband. Staff were welcoming, a gentleman showed us to our table- we ordered 1 traditional & 1 savoury tea- the sandwiches were quite disappointing -firstly how they were presented- 2 rows of finger sandwiches laid flat on a plate-hardly inviting!! the ham was tasteless, it is unusual to say egg sandwiches lack flavour but these did, the cucumber ones were fine-I didn't have the smoked salmon but my husband said they were fine too. the sandwiches are a large part of afternoon tea these didn't have that freshly made appearance or taste-therefore very disappointing! The scones both sweet & savoury were lovely-as was the lemon drizzle cake & the mini muffin type cake.

We were here for afternoon tea, and were surprised by the negative reviews, we had a great experience. We opted for 2 savoury options and 2 sweet (for 4 of us) and shared them between us. The food did not disappoint, there was a good choice of teas and coffees and, the staff were great. The gallery restaurant has plenty of atmosphere and was a ovely place to have afternoon tea.

We were so looking forward to sampling the delights of the new 487 Afternoon Tea but what we experienced was well below par. I’m going to bullet point the complaints regarding the food: - no spoons given for the possets - no chantilly cream or M&Ms on the possets - no clotted cream for the sweet scones - incredibly chewy macrons which I think I’ll still be brushing out of my teeth in a weeks time! - one pot of butter for the 6 savoury scones. When we asked for more we were informed we had some already. - non existent lemon in the “lemony egg” sandwiches - “selection of jams” was just strawberry That was bad enough but our main complaint is the service. The young staff are devoid of any real personality and it felt like they were seconds away from losing their temper. If they could have rolled their eyes like my toddler does I’m sure they would have liked to! We had to ask three times to be served another savoury tea and even when it did finally arrive it was missing the ham and prune scone but we couldn’t be bothered to fight at that point. After we were given our food, that was it for service. We had to ask for one of their “unlimited” refills of tea and also for the bill. How difficult would it have been to remove the finished food and ask if there was anything else we required? From a personal point of view, after three bad experiences recently - what has happened to UK hospitality? Most of the young staff within the sector all seem to have a chip on their shoulder and treat you as if you’re being difficult simply for being there. If you can’t manage all manner of situations and if you don’t like people - don’t get a job in hospitality.

BEST place for afternoon tea in suffolk 100% faultless, if you are local to suffolk- this is a must visit location; if you are visiting suffolk, same applies - you must have this on your to do list best value for money afternoon tea experience ive ever been to

Service was appalling for all the venues pomp and notoriety. Had to continually ask for drinks and refills and for extra cream for scones.

My friends and I went for Christmas afternoon tea on a wet and cold Monday.. we asked if we could be moved nearer to the lovely open fire and the friendly helpful guy on reception ( didnt get his name ) moved us . The food was outstanding ( we had 2 savoury afternoon teas and a Christmas one ) would highly recommend this lovely seasonal treat

This was my first afternoon tea experience anywhere as it’s normally a thing that my wife and daughter do together. I have to say it was really enjoyable, the service was excellent as was the food and both myself and my wife left full up and happy.

After reading about the new afternoon tea menus at the Swan in the press at the weekend, we made a long overdue visit to Lavenham today. We were greeted by the charming receptionist and a very polite gentleman (?Martin) who shew us through to the Gallery restaurant, and had a wealth of knowledge about the hotel, great for an architectural nerd like myself. Excellent service ( can’t help being surprised by some of the previous reviews), prompt and friendly without being rushed. We decided to have “tea” at 1230 to replace lunch, excellent sandwiches, warm scones, and we “doggy bagged 5 of the 6 cakes for later! The featured dessert of a white chocolate sphere filled with a fruit of the forest mousse in a blue sugar syrup was great fun - but I don’t think we’d have it again! Otherwise a superb “tea” in what must be one of the prettiest dining rooms in the UK.

Afternoon tea for a special birthday celebration, what a let down. Hadn't been to The Swan for several years having moved away from the area and based on previous experiences thought this would be a lovely place to celebrate 2 special family birthdays. How wrong was I. The 4 finger sandwiches were poor. The first I tried tasted only of bread and butter and on opening less than 1/2 the sandwich had a scrapping of egg mayonnaise filling. The next had x3 thin half slices of cucumber. The scone crumbled in my hand on opening - it was not fresh. The macaron left my finger a blue sticky mess, it disintegrated not lovely and crips. The victoria sponge was overly sweet and artificial tasting. I cannot comment on the other offerings as I had had enough but all of our party were disappointed with the food. If you are going to outsource your food then it should be quality controlled and this was clearly not. There was a very good selection of teas and coffee's however if you don't drink either the only other option is water, or of course a small glass of mediocre prosecco at an additional charge. The service was no better, surprising as we were sat right next to the service area, not the nice table we had requested, and it wasn't particularly busy. We had to ask to place our order, ask for more tea, ask for the bill and ask for a glass of water which never arrived. We were not asked once if we needed anything or if everything was ok. I have since spoken to some friends who had also had afternoon tea at The Swan, who had a similar experience and wished I had told them I was going because they would have advised me otherwise. So this is not just a one off bad experience, most disappointing of a once fine place. It is also rather expensive for the offering compare to other establishments in the area. I would advise to go there instead.

Due to my wife’s sudden illness we couldn’t come to The Swan for our afternoon tea, but we we’re able to collect in take-away boxes instead. Really disappointed the scones didn’t come with clotted cream. No tea was supplied either (of course we would have brewed it ourselves).

We stayed for one night at the hotel and decided to eat dinner at the gallery restaurant situated in the hotel. I ordered the steak and ale pie 🥧 I didn’t know you got carrots in a steak and ale pie and unfortunately it didn’t have any steak in it either?? To be precise there was exactly 3 small cubes of steak and loads of small pieces of diced carrots. The pastry it was cooked in was burned on the outside but absolutely raw on the inside. The ju was a very thin watery gravy!! All in all it was very poor and I would not recommend it. It was a total shame because everything else about the stay was perfect. Lovely friendly staff and the room was beautiful. Best pillows I’ve ever had the pleasure of sleeping on!! Perfect! The food really lets the experience down I was very disappointed. Might I also add that I asked for peas with the meal and they were never served.

We went for afternoon tea. I was very disappointed with the sandwiches as the bread was very dry and there was not enough of them in my opinion. We were told there was only one tiny pot of cream per customer for two scones which was nowhere near enough. The cakes were nice but again tiny. The staff were attentive and helpful. We may have caught them on a bad day as the Ladies Toilets were also out of order and we had to queue for the Disabled Toilet. When I read the write up, it said we got a little something to take away ( we didn’t) and I also told them it was our birthday treat and nothing was mentioned about this, even though the lady said she would make a note when I booked it.

We were gifted an Afternoon Tea voucher. I was rather surprised just how much we enjoyed it! As we reached the door, a male member of staff happened to be passing, opened it for us, saying “ Good Afternoon and welcome to The Swan.” That summed up our experience. It felt luxurious, yet warmly welcoming. The food was very lovely, with unlimited tea and excellent selection of savoury and sweet. We will return, I hope. Thank you to the charming staff at The Swan.

Good service. Accommodating to dietary requirements. Unlimited tea and we were even offered extra sandwiches!

I want to say how wonderful the customer service was on Wednesday for my birthday afternoon tea. We were greeted at the door by a charming gentleman with a top class butler demeanour. He was attentive, informative and made us feel very welcome. The Waitering staff were also super and were absolutely on the ball. As well as all the little sandwiches and cakes, I was given a birthday bite size treat and the three of us received a petite gift boxed chocolate goodie, all adding to the enjoyment of the day. Thank you Amanda

We received a voucher for afternoon tea for two for Christmas, and decided Sunday afternoon would be a perfect time to use it. I booked by phone three days in advance as booking is required. My name was taken, together with my preferred time, and the fact that we would be accompanied by two small dogs, and also that one of us requires a gluten free meal. We arrived a few minutes before our booked time, and were greeted by a jovial older man, a waiter, and were taken to the desk, where he failed to find our booking. Another person was summoned who also was unable to find our booking. Several people searched the computer for it but clearly nothing had been recorded. They said it was not a problem and they could accommodate us anyway, but my mentioning my gluten intolerance prompted someone rushing to speak with the chef. It turns out that they could still accommodate us so we were eventually shown to comfortable seats in a lounge opposite a lovely log burning stove. We ordered our food and tea, and the pot of tea arrived promptly, but there was some delay before our food arrived. (Probably frantically thawing out the gluten free things?) Our afternoon tea was served on two separate three tier cake stands in traditional fashion. Sandwich selection at the bottom, scones in the middle (we had to ask the waitress for the jam and cream which had been forgotten) and sweet items at the top. The sandwiches were delicious, as were the scones. Gluten free scones are a bit of a gamble. These were excellent! The standard cake selection was very good. The gluten free selections were not so good, although the chocolate mousse pot and the brownie were tasty. The melon cubes were not wonderful and the other cake, I think it was banana bread but I am not sure, had a texture more suited to a bath sponge and I was not able to eat it. Our pot of tea was frequently replaced with a fresh one, the dogs were given a bowl of water, and we enjoyed watching the rather eccentric waiter going about his work with obvious enjoyment. All in all, in spite of the problems, a very enjoyable experience.

Booked this afternoon tea for my Dad's Birthday. We arrived and got seated in the lounge area. We had a lovely big sofa and two separate chairs. Two of us had dietary requirements which were all accounted for. We had two sweet afternoon teas and one gentleman's savoury tea. Both came with unlimited sandwiches which was great! They were so fresh and delicious we had to have seconds! The scones were really tasty on both parts and there were a variety of different cakes and savoury options included things such as a sausage roll, and a Yorkshire pudding with slice of beef! The service was fantastic throughout our afternoon tea, ambiance was great with nice music and really tasty food. Would highly recommend!

We've had a lot of afternoon tea's in a lot of places so we are pretty hard to please, but i was really nicely surprised with the afternoon tea at the white swan, we were sat on soft chairs by the big old fire place,...

What a wonderful afternoon we had. Amazing afternoon tea, attentive staff and a superb setting. Well worth a visit.

Although the food was good the water jug was stained and the service was very poor. Surly staff who twice ignored a request for more coffee. Very small portion of jam to accompany the scones . When we requested more a member of staff brought...

The food was excellent, a fantastic selection of treats to enjoy in the relaxed company of family. Service was a bit disjointed which is why only gets a 4...might have got a 3 if it wasn't for Dillan, a great ambassador for the youth of...

Beautiful setting. However we did find the Afternoon tea disappointing. Hot drinks arrived without milk and sugar which we had to ask for. Top up wasn’t offered so we asked and sadly it failed to arrive. The food itself was average. The sandwich fillings were...

We were delighted to be included in an Afternoon Tea for four with champagne that was a gift to my sister-in-law for her birthday. The Swan is a beautiful building so the setting was lovely and the staff were helpful and friendly. We chose to...

Very disappointed with our visit this time having visited for the last 7 years we had ONE HOT DRINK and at no point were we offered another !! We had nobody ask us if everything was ok in fact once the food had been brought...

This is a great very charming 1940s themed vintage tea experience not to be missed! Had the savoury cream tea and it was superb with scone baked by the proprietor’s mum.

I can not fault the Lavenham Swan. The hotel is beautiful, lovely restaurant area, large garden and lots of comfortable seating throughout. The staff in the restaurant were exceptionally friendly and helpful nothing was too much trouble. The food was all homemade and extremely tasty....

We had a lovely afternoon tea here on Monday. As we were eating nearer lunch time, we went for the Gentleman's tea which was excellent. Very formal in the dining room, but it was perfect for a birthday treat. Service was great.

I booked to take my daughters and granddaughters for afternoon tea today and although the food was as lovely as expected I feel the service was lacking. Our drinks and food were delivered in good time but once we had them there was no service...

We like the Swan and often take guests there. We've previously taken our guests there for Afternoon Tea on weekdays and it's been super. This time however we were there on a Sunday celebrating a birthday, and it was a bad experience. There were no...

We had the High Afternoon Tea. The restaurant is amazing, very nice place and cozy. When the hot plates arrived we thought that they were very small and we would be hungry, but at the end of the meal we were very satisfied. The scones...

We have been coming to the Swan for Afternoon Tea at Christmas for many, many years, but this year I was rather disappointed. To begin with, when I tried to book online several days over the festive period appeared to be unavailable. When I telephoned...

Having been for the last two years for the Festive Afternoon Tea we were disappointed having had the Afternoon Tea yesterday. Firstly it took three attempts for the staff to bring the correct pot of tea ordered to the table. The Sandwiches were uninspiring, are...

I booked a group afternoon tea for 11 people to celebrate my son’s 21st birthday on Sunday. We were put in the front lounge because the group was too large for the Gallery restaurant. This suited us as we wanted to be informal. The building is stunning but unfortunately because our lounge was close to the front door, it was a little bit chilly for some of the guests. The choice of either a sweet or savoury tea is such a good idea and we went half and half. There was a good selection of treats on both and all were delicious. The staff were so helpful and even let me bring my own birthday cake which they bought out with the candles lit. Thank you to The Swan for helping us to create happy family memories.

Pre booked a table and advised them of food intolerances, they confirmed on arrival they knew of the intolerances. Shown to table, ordered, waited 15 minutes for sandwiches to arrive. White bread is one of the intolerances the other is pork products. Ham also served on white bread. Told waitress who took back to kitchen only to send out different waitress 10 minutes later with plate of white seeded bread. She said" I know it looks white but it's got seeds in". My response was if you want me to be really Ill then I'll eat. She took them back and returned 10 minutes later with brown bread. Not impressed however thought we've got the cakes to come. Waited another 35 minutes and had to remind them we hadn't had them, by which time we were fed up. Paid £45 for this food mediocre at best service appauling. Will not be returning and will definitely not recommend.

I popped in with my partner for afternoon tea. Service as always top class. You really cannot fault this hotel and restaurant. Staff very professional and friendly. They really make you feel welcome. I love this hotel. Well deserved 5 stars! Well done everyone.

Booked afternoon tea for 2 and it was fantastic. Tea, sandwiches, and cakes were very good!Service was also on point. The dining area is very nice with an old world feel. There is limited parking at the hotel. Also a real neat bar right down the hall.this is a must in lavenham!

We went to the beautiful timber frame Swan for my wife's birthday. We had the traditional afternoon tea, which was served in courses, rather than all at once. The breakfast tea and Redbush were both loose leaf, and served with strainers, and the china was fitting with luxury.The sandwiches, were a nice mix with salmon, egg, ham, and cucumber. The scones were light and flavourful. The cakes were luxurious and the chocolate one was absolutely rich.The service was attentive, and the server even offered to take pictures for us. The Gallery dining room is overlooked by a grand piano, and the gardens are just beyond period windows. We sat near a huge inglenook fireplace, and the atmosphere was a perfect as the meal.

We visited on a Friday celebrating a special birthday. Staff were in plenty. Tea and cakes with unfussy finger sandwiches. A very relaxed visit to a medieval building. Restaurant had minstral gallery adding to a pleasant atmosphere. Good to see young staff well trained. 5 star experience.

Afternoon tea at The Swan Lavenham did not disappoint. I bought this for six of us to celebrate a joint 70th birthday. We were very well looked after and the service was very professional. The food was amazing and so filling. There was so much tea to choose from and I would definitely recommend this place. Thank you The Swan Hotel for making the birthday guests feel that little bit more special with the happy birthday chocolate. Will return to try the Gentleman’s tea.

Absolutely delicious afternoon tea with first class service too! Try the Gentlemen’s savoury tea .... a lovely alternative to the usual cream tea!

Most interesting was the savoury selection including a bhaji and a Cornish pastie. Everything very fresh and we were well looked after by Andy, a great guy!

Booked this place for my partners birthday, beautiful building in a historic market town.

So starting on a very positive it's lovely to be able to take the dog for afternoon tea in such a lovely building. It seems dogs are allowed in the lounge and garden .

Got brought this gift at the Swan Lavenham for afternoon tea.

They really take care of you here and my veggie afternoon tea was great. You can mix sweet and savoury options as you fancy and they are so polite and attentive. Highly recommended ☺️

A well cooked meal in the brasserie. The bar manager was lovely and friendly. A little more attention to detail here would have made this a 5 rating. It was quiet for an Easter Saturday and therefore soft music would have helped. The room felt chilly. The door to the garden was in use and drinkers were cutting through to the bar. A small criticism, easily rectified.

We went for afternoon tea for a friends birthday and It was average at best. I have been to the Swan on several occasions. So when we When we got there the atmosphere was dead the service was slow and a smile would not of gone a miss. and the food was definitely not to the standard of past visits. The sandwiches where tastesless the egg one just tasted of butter the salmon and beetroot was also bland. The sweetcorn pannacotta was just a weird thing to have on the plate. A strange texture and taste

Arrived late in the afternoon for overnight stay. Decided to have tea for two in lounge. Waiter suggested that the scones were very large and one afternoon tea plus a further tea would be sufficient. He was correct.

Previously I had afternoon tea here for my 50th and loved the setting around the fireplace on the comfortable sofas. And was impressed with the whole experience. That was 3 years ago. So wanted to take my daughter who was visiting from Canada. Unfortunately this time we were seated in the main dining room by the doors into kitchen. It felt like we were sitting in a walk way area with the bar area behind us. Not very relaxing. The coffee was very weak, however that was changed when I mentioned this, the finger sandwiches were not fresh as the bread was very firm and the fillings should have been more generous. The scones were the one saving grace as the flavours from the other cakes were poor. I gave feedback after we went to leave and was told if we had mentioned this at the time they would have changed the sandwiches. I just feel that this reply was also poor. I would suggest that the management try the food before serving to paying guests asI wouldn’t recommend afternoon tea here.

Had an afternoon tea at the Swan Lavenham to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Food was good but disappointed with the tiny glass of champagne at £11 per glass. Rip off springs to mind.

I took my friend for afternoon tea as a birthday treat the service was very slow and we felt as there was another event on as well we were ignored so it spoilt what should have been a good time food good.

This place was my all time favourite place for a high tea, staff were great, food fantastic, selection of drink great.

We have had afternoon tea at The Swan on more than one occasion and it was previously served in the lounge in front of a roaring fire. Today we were seated in the restaurant and even though there were only four tables occupied, we were all seated together in a row, so close that it felt uncomfortable.

The Swan has a really nice ambience with an elegant room and piano player but the afternoon tea itself was a little disappointing. The scones were very nice but some of the cakes were overly stodgy and sweet and it was a strange mix. The tea was not very hot and we had to repeatedly ask for hot water as the service was not very attentive. We waited quite a while to be served although it was not very busy. I had high hopes as it was my treat to my friends but we all left quite a bit of the food. It is a lovely setting though and perhaps it was just an off day.

Belle adresse The Swan dejeuner simple avec de bons produits.

Went for afternoon tea with family on a Tuesday. Lovely ambience and staff were pleasant. Only four stars due to sandwiches not tasting freshly cut. Also they needed more filling in them. The scones were lovely and warm and the cakes were good as well.

My husband and I attended for afternoon tea to celebrate our wedding anniversary. As soon as staff discovered this we were offered a complimentary glass of champagne which was a lovely touch. Very good service, friendly staff and the atmosphere of the place is excellent. The afternoon tea itself was very good, we had both a sweet and savoury option... we love afternoon tea and I wouldn’t say it was the best we have ever had in terms of food but would put it in the top ten. Would recommend.

Great afternoon tea very tasty and great price lovely atmosphere had more sandwiches staff friendly and attentive.

Went for afternoon tea with a friend for birthday treat. Car park little small but apparently there are two. Serive from staff very good, very attentive. Food was lovely just enough, continous tea, all served on pretty china. Thoroughly enjoyed it. No rush very chilled and a lovely hotel

We went to the Swan for afternoon tea.The dining room is a lovely beamed room with a gallery and very peaceful ambience ( although this was spoilt somewhat by rather incongruous background music).We were presented first with a small plate each with four quarter sandwiches with a variety of fillings.When we finished these the waitress asked whether she could take away our plates and I said that I wouldn’t mind another sandwich .She went off and returned to say the chef has only calculated for one sandwich per person!

Had the afternoon tea as a birthday treat. My wife had the Traditional and I had the Gentleman's. The tea was OK although it could have been hotter. The Traditional consisted of sandwiches, fruit scones and (rather too sweet) pastries. The Gentleman's had savoury items in place of the pastries which were OK but the scones were Beetroot & Horseradish and something else (I can't remember what) with onion! These tasted distinctly odd. You shouldn't mess with the great British scone!

The swan hotel is great for afternoon tea with scones. Lots of tea selections available. Parking available on street, Children welcome

We often visit Lavenham but had never patronized the Swan before. We didn't want that much so we had a lovely cream tea. Two scones each, with oodles of cream and jam! There was also more than enough finest tea to accompany it. Further refreshment was found in the relaxed well stocked bar. The menu for dinner looks excellent so that could be an option to encourage a winter visit.

Really enjoyed our tea at the Swan. We started with a cappuccino in their courtyard, which is peaceful and serene. After walking the village for a bit, we went in for tea and it was fantastic. The scones, sandwiches and tea were what you would expect from such a fine establishment. Highly recommend you visit the Swan when in Lavenham.

In all our years of fine dining, never have we come across such profoundly appalling service. We decided to give The Swan a try for my birthday - I booked "a table for 3 for 12pm" (my husband, myself and our 7 yo daughter). I also checked that they welcome children and that they have a children's menu. I have explicitly told the lady at the time of booking that we have never been to The Swan before, so we are not conversant with the different type of menu/food available. When we arrived, we were greeted with a "Welcome to your Afternoon Tea". After browsing through the menu, we realised that it's not the kind of food we expected. We wanted a normal lunch meal that you would find in any restaurant. I went up to the lady to ask politely if I have booked the wrong place within The Swan as the food that we found in the Afternoon Tea menu weren't quite the menu I saw online or the pictures we saw. I was abruptly told that they were merely samples of what they serve and that "all that is being served today is our Afternoon Tea". We came all the way from Ipswich, so we thought we could be a little more open minded and give the Afternoon Tea a try. While waiting for our food, we saw other guests being asked (by the same lady) "are you here for lunch or for Afternoon Tea?" They were being directed to another room. There were also other customers who were given a different menu to choose from. At the point of payment, we broached the subject again with the lady concerned. She claimed that she had asked us repeatedly if it is Afternoon Tea we wanted. We have 3 pairs of ears with us - none heard her asking that. All we had been told was the Afternoon Tea was all we served today. It was a case of go-back-to-your-seat-and-order-and-eat-what-you-booked attitude. There was no apology for any misunderstanding.

This is the 4th time I’ve visited the Swan for afternoon tea and it never disappoints. Lovely fresh sandwiches, scones and cakes and a huge range of teas to choose from. Staff attentive but not overly so and the pianist was a nice touch. Will be back - just need to think of another excuse!

Would not recommend this afternoon tea the sandwiches were stale the champagne not pleasant at all the service was poor there are much better places than this

Ar £20+ pp not cheap..but you do get what you pay for.

Visited here for coffee on the way home to the midlands from Felixstow after the New year. The hotel is absolutely stunning in a beautiful preserved building. The log fires and relaxing lounge areas were superb, however.. the toilet cubicles at the side of the bar were not very clean. All it would take is a cloth with cif on it and somebody to put their hand in and scrub it. Brown stains in a hotel toilet of this calibre is just not acceptable. We went to pay for the nice coffee after relaxing for a while and were greeted by 'Philip Noel' , with '' Are you sure you did not have a cream tea, as it is on the system'' ! Surely the staff should know who is sitting where and what they have had. My memory is perfect and so is my partners, and we have no intention of defrauding a hotel. This man had an awful accusatory tone and it was an unpleasant experience. Luckily the waitress was on hand to verify our order. Very poor for such an upmarket place. Such a shame. This kind of treatment would put us off booking in the future.

You must have afternoon tea at The Swan! It's the perfect way to spend a hour.

We fell in love with Lavenham many years ago. A visit to The Swan is one of our favourite pleasures in life and our visit in December was no exception. Great service and delicious cakes, so many that we took some home too. Thank you to The Swan - we loved our latest visit

This is a great experience, sandwiches, scones, cakes etc and a variety of tea to suit all tastes. This was a Christmas gift from last year and a great gift it was.

I'm sorry to say this was one of the worst afternoon teas I have ever had. Strange brightly coloured melting cakes, dry sandwiches and scarce portions. Savoury baked items were also overcooked (apart from the cheese scones which were delicious). Luckily our tea was free with the hotel package we were on - I certainly would not have paid otherwise.

We arrived unplanned mid way through a sponsored cycle ride (a little damp and dishevelled) but were very well accommodated indoors and (once the dog arrived) out. We only needed teas and coffees but the service was excellent. Bikes were made safe, furniture moved, photos taken and we were rested and ready to continue. We didn't get to partake in the fancy cakes and champers - that's for another day. But several of the group now want to make a return to Lavenham and revisit. Well done the Swan staff and thanks.

Great afternoon tea. The restaurant is a high vaulted timer framed building with views across the garden. a choice of sweet or savory afternoon tea. Great service, food and location

Booked Afternoon Tea for sat 8th,from a family members good review, the food was ok,we both have had afternoon Tea from several London hotels, and we both had expected more.no re fills on the tea ,sandwiches were dry, after traveling over fifty miles ,and the finding my car had been scratched in the car park ,not a day I would recommend .

I booked here for a surprise for my husbands birthday. We both had high tea, which was just lovely, food and presentation was excellent . We couldn't finish all the cakes so had a takeaway box, when we opened the box later the cakes had little chocolate flags with Happy birthday on , such a nice touch . It is expensive ,but worth it as a treat.

I took my wife here as a birthday treat.

Visited for an Afternoon Tea with my family over the bank holiday. Architecture is beautiful and the room is set nicely. £22.50 for the main Afternoon Tea. I really had high hopes for the food but I wasn't blown away unfortunately. I've been for afternoon tea at many world class venues in London, and the food didn't stand up to it, but was pleasant enough. Sandwiches are obviously pre-made so don't seem fresh when you get them to the table, and filling is very sparse. One of the sandwiches was meant to have egg in but it appeared to just be bread, butter and a mayo like sauce. Cakes were enjoyable but blueberry muffins were very bulky and lacked elegance. Definitely worth trying the afternoon tea if you're in the area but I think there's room for improvement before it gets top marks.

Despite knowing of this charming venue for years, I had never had the opportunity to visit until recently winning an afternoon tea there at a charity raffle. Its' aspect is stunning and decor very well done: its' staff courteous and genteel, but its' afternoon tea construction a real let down. Whilst their particular blend of earl grey was silky smooth, the sandwiches were pre-made & dry; the scone mixture far too complex, the cake assortment tried to be clever but was just tasteless - I give it a generous 4/10. Am so glad I did not have to pay as it is certainly not worth the £22.50 menu listing.

We have just had afternoon tea and what can I say but SUPERB.

We had wanted to visit for ages but always found it difficult to get a table as we are unorganised and never booked in time! It was definitely worth the wait when we finally got to visit. The staff were fantastic and offered top quality service. We opted for the traditional afternoon tea but there are other options. Everything served was top quality and we had a really memorable visit. The surroundings are amazing too!

Had a family gathering for out mother's 90th birthday and it was recommended that we sat in the restaurant rather than the comfy chair area. This was a good suggestion as we had excellent and attentive service from the staff. Plus it is a lovely area which is well lit. We selected the high tea and had the Eggs Florentine and Scotch Egg instead of the sandwiches. There are other options but both these dishes were excellent. Fruit and Cheese scones were great and had some lovely jam to enhance them. I agree with some other reviewers about the cakes. The Carrot Cake is melt in your mouth, however, the other options did seem a little tired and dry. The birthday girl really loved the panna cotta with a rhubarb jelly; so much so that she ate mine as well!! Lastly, there are a number of tea and coffee selections. Some of us chose the peppermint option which was made from proper leaves.

The setting is lovely. The service was superb but the food was not of the standard i was expecting. The sandwiches were only slightly filled and the bread was a little stale. And although the cake selection looked fab it was sub par. The mini carrot cake was moist and delicious but the other cake selections were a little stale and bland. Although the rhubarb jelly and custard was tasty it had clearly been in the fridge for some time- you know that kind of fridgy taste.

My husband and I visited The Swan for our 6th wedding anniversary. We had the traditional afternoon tea (sweet option).

I took 7 friends to the Swan for afternoon tea on March 18th, 2017 and it was a

Surroundings were really lovely the service we received you couldn't fault but we were supposed to have 1 savoury tea & 1 sweet, well the savoury consisted of 4 finger sandwhiches each and the sweet came on the traditional cake stand which consisted of fruit scones & apple & walnut scones they were the nicest things of the whole tea the other cakes were very poor quality. We would have expected much better from this very well known hotel.

My wife and I booked a two night break at the Swan and the packege included an afternoon tea which we had in the cosy lounge in front of a log burning stove. Lovely sandwiches followed by scones and cakes, it was delightful.

this highlight of the stay in the hotel does not disappoint with real tea and lovely cakes to kill for!

Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!

This was the poorest cream tea I've ever had, the scones were flat, the sandwiches came up on a stainless steel cake stand which had all finger marks over it, there were only 3 finger sandwiches each, very poor.

very pleasant sitting in a quiet lounge near a log fire and eating nice food.

Please note, this review is about the afternoon tea, not the venue. The venue itself is beautiful, warm and the staff were very accommodating as regards to the service.

I bought afternoon tea for two for my mum's 70th birthday. It was a lovely afternoon. The food was excellent, the surroundings beautiful and the service attentive. A lovely idea for a special birthday. Excellent! Thank you The Swan Hotel Lavenham.

Afternoon tea at the Swan is delightful. A wonderful selection of sandwiches, pastries, cakes and warm scones all beautifully presented and served in the gallery restaurant, all complemented with quality teas and coffee. The pianist playing in the gallery was a lovely addition.Highly recommended.

A friend treated us to Champagne Afternoon Tea and we used it to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The service was exemplary, very friendly but still completely professional. I had asked for scones without dried fruit and they had remembered. The food was delicious and obviously very freshly made. We were offered extra sandwiches too! Great choice of teas and I chose ginger and lemon which was really tasty! The whole ambience of the hotel is delightful. Can thoroughly recommend the hotel.

We visited here for my mums birthday treat. I don't live in the area and used the Internet to find a nice venue to take her for afternoon tea.