Carriages Dine in Style in South Cambridgeshire

I am very sad to give a negative review for this splendid venue and authentic restaurant. I think we had a poor experience on that day as you will see that it is by no means typical. However it left us disappointed and put us off planning a small group party as a treat for a special occasion. We went for the morning coffee and cake a very nice gardener appeared and said he would inform staff that we were waiting outside by the wait sign. A nice young man showed us into a carriage. There were no other guests and it was very cold. our table he showed us to had no table cloth. Later he brought the menus and said he put on the heating. We were left to choose and later he took our orders. There were no price for the cakes only for the beverages. Our hot drinks arrived in very cold china. Then the wait for the cakes were so long after 20 mins my husband went out to see what was taking so long by which time we had finished our hot drinks. The waiter brought the cakes soon after.Again the china was very cold. The scones when cut burst and were dry crumbly as if they were warmed from defrosted. Also very small in size. We did not see any staff to check or ask if all was well and by then too cold and decided to leave. A young lady appeared we asked for the bill . We paid then asked if the scones were defrosted and if that is why they took so long to bring to our table. She said they were freshly made then We explained that coordinating the drinks with the food did not happen. Having the hot drink with the cake is the essential part of the experience.She smiled and said well lets hope its better next time and said sorry for our experience. What also made it worse was that On our way out we looked into the amazing barn where a lady asked about our time and we relayed our disappointment which she casually dismissed and said scones should have been freshly made. I personally know a little about baking and I usually can tell when scones are freshly made then served or frozen and later reheated.Carriages has a fascinating history and a unique setting but On this occasion the service and the food offering sadly fell well short.

Fantastic atmosphere in a perfect setting with a 1920's and art deco theme. The food was pretty good as well. Highly recommended!!!

I can't fault the place. Went to celebrate a friend's 30th and, even with very high expectations, I was still impressed. Highly recommended.

Delicious food. Welcoming staff in a wonderful location

Wow wow when your walking to the carriage it's stunning it's like walking back in time service was brilliant high tea brilliant fantastic time a grate birthday present for my mum

Afternoon tea was spectacular. They supply boxes to take some home, which you will need as the Afternoon tea is huge. Lovely to have such a good choice of teas, its rare to find Lady Grey. I was delighted. Lovely service in a splendid railway carriage.

Had a lovely breakfast here. Arrived at 9:30 and opted for the cream tea. Will be returning for afternoon tea in the future now. Such a cute spot.

Great experience, worth the drive. Celebrating a friend's birthday with afternoon tea (sweet only) due to numbers we couldn't do the high tea. Very attentive staff, good service. Movement on the train from staff and the wind outside gave the feeling of the train in motion whuch was great. Not suitable for wheelchairs or disability aid equipment as entrances are narrow.

Beautiful place loverly sandwiches and cakes friendly helpful staff..truly loverly birthday experience...would definitely recommend...

This is my third visit to Carriages for high tea. Consistently very high quality! It's just a great way to spend a couple of hours. The whole experience takes you back in time - the original old train carriages, the station, the food, the background music. With all of that authenticity, and the extraordinary attention to detail, you really do feel transported to a time when everything feels so carefully and wonderfully crafted. The whole atmosphere is calm and relaxing and the occasional slight swaying of the carriages as people walk about gives just a hint of being on a moving train! We always book a compartment seating 4, in high- back Pullman armchairs, as the comfort and intimacy for us adds to the sense of luxury. The timing of the food and drinks coming, together with the waiting staff, are excellent.

What a lovely experience. Friendly efficient service, nice old train carriage. And the afternoon tea option we had was delicious. We had a box to use as a doggy bag to bring home the leftovers for eating later!

Great afternoon tea and very accommodating in terms of providing a gluten free option

Everything was perfect. Thanks

This place is amazing! It has a beautiful station all restored beautifully plus 3 Pullman style coaches. It is beautiful! The food was fantastic and the staff were lovely! The reason I dropped a star (couldn't do 4.5 stars) was due to wheelchair access. Getting on to coach Lancelot required going up a very steep ramp. It was too steep. My electric wheelchair tipped backwards. Luckily my able bodied friend could support it. This was terrifying. Also the only accessible toilet was in the ladies in the reception, not on the train or in the station. There was no unisex accessible toilet. Apart from this it was brilliant!

Fantastic idea, fantastic place with sweet foods that are fab. Can get a little noisy with some people with a broken volume control The staff are a credit to the whole experience

Loved it. I went with a friend for the champagne afternoon tea. The food was delicious, and the staff was very professional, would go again.

A very pleasant afternoon tea with the parents.

A great experience, enjoying afternoon tea in old railway carriages. Great ambiance, great food and great service. No wonder you need to book well in advance.

First time visiting and will certainly be back was amazing we were in private compartment in Oliver

I definitely enjoyed this. The experience was very different to anything I've had before. Highly recommend a visit

Had a mixture of High Tea and Afternoon Tea between 6 of us and food quality was excellent. Nice ambience and efficient service. We couldn't manage all the food so took the leftovers home. Quite expensive but worth it.

What a lovely place. Carriages you sit in are very comfortable and nice and warm on our chilly day visit. Service and staff were lovely. Food is LUSH. Would definitely recommend and already booking a return visit.

Lovely atmosphere, great surroundings. Great service and fabulous food. Definitely worth a visit for a special treat we really the high tea

Amazing afternoon tea, and very special atmosphere.

Just had a truly wonderful afternoon tea at carriages. The platform & waiting room had every detail like a roaring coal fire, vintage cigarette machine & telephone, we were shown to our carriage, (we had a private compartment that could seat four) and the friendly member of staff checked our order and returned with the most delicious afternoon tea with freshly made finger sandwiches, two tasty scones accompanied with jam & cream and a selection of beautiful cakes. My husband had the savoury version with a home made scotch egg, a lamb bonbon and a large slice of sausage roll, he also had finger sandwiches an a cheese scone with sour cream and chilli relish plus cakes !!! Nothing was too much trouble for the waiting staff who checked several times to see if we needed anything. While we were enjoying this feast the most magical period songs from Fred Astaire, Dorris Day, Frank Sinatra, Cab Calloway and others played over the speakers and you could actually feel and hear the train moving even though you don’t leave. The whole experience felt so special and they even asked if we would like to take home anything that we hadn’t managed to eat because we were so full We loved it so much we will be returning with 3 of our grown up children over Easter. I would recommend this to everyone

Fabulous afternoon tea. Excellent sandwich choice, lovely warm scones. Very good service. Attentive septal without being too obtrusive.

Lovely afternoon tea. Could not fault anything about our visit there. The setting was perfect. The food was amazing. The staff were very professional and friendly. We will definitely be going back very soon.

An amazing valentines high tea, food was perfect. The staff were extremely attentive.everything was perfect

Wow what a wonderful afternoon tea, so much food and so beautifully presented, the carriage Louis was just so lovely and very comfortable. We had two boxes to bring the food home that we couldn't eat. What a fantastic birthday gift, I would highly recommend Carriages of Cambridge thank you.

Great food and service very accommodating of pushchair and baby

Had an amazing time,loved every minute of the experience.lovely place.

It was a lovely experience to celebrate by birthday in the first class carriage, but the only slight downside was it was not comfortably warm and we left feeling cold.

Excellent and unusual venue that’s a bit different from the norm. Food was really good and the service was very attentive. Would recommend.

Love love love...best way to spend an afternoon 💕 ❤️ 💛

A nostalgic venue, with excellent service. The train carriages are all unique and the attention to detail is amazing. My friend who required a gluten free afternoon tea said she’d definitely return and rated it 10/10. The only down side is, is that we felt very rushed to leave after 2 hours which is a shame as we would have liked to have stayed longer and would have paid extra for more drinks. It was slightly disappointing

A lovely setting for a special occasion, ,excellent food and lovely staff. Highly recommended.

Great food, friendly staff definitely a must for someone looking for a special afternoon tea. Definitely recommend

Fabulous afternoon, highly recommended.

An amazing, unforgettable experience. Will try to visit every year and to have a rest from our young sons!

A good dose of extra atmosphere for an excellent afternoon tea.

Lovely experience, once you get over the fact your train isn't going anywhere! Beautiful little "station", Louis carriage was gorgeous, good service. Loads of food (too many carbs, but that's a hazard of afternoon tea everywhere), and good value. An excellent Christmas treat for our small family. Look forward to returning in summertime.

Fabulous , Fabulous Fabulous! Just a wonderful experience ! Everything including the alcohol free mocktails and drinks!

Amazing experience. Staff very friendly and helpful. A real must go for Cambridgeshire

Not a cheap afternoon tea but the whole experience is worth the cost. My friend and I enjoyed a quality couple of hours.

I went with my family yesterday for my 2nd visit and all we can all say is WOW. The whole experience for a unique Afternoon Tea is excellent. The food is perfect and the Staff are an absolute credit. They are so smartly dressed , even down to the music being played in the background . Just Perfect. Cant wait for my next visit with a dear friend this December. X

First visit, brilliant afternoon out , must come back soon .

Lovely birthday brilliant service all staff amazing thanku very much .

Just fantastic. Highly recommend a private compartment.

Great service&food,but seriously overpriced. Never paid this much anywhere else&in most places,you're offered refill of sandwiches

What a truly classy delightful afternoon Set in really interesting gardens- had a lovely chat to the gardening crew about what they were growing and the evolution of the place. As for the high tea, exceptional service, loved the rattling train sound in the background. Warmly greeted Comfortable seats, glad we went in the main carriage not the compartments. The food was so so tasty, varied and flavoursome. Adored the scotch egg. Sandwiches super fresh. Loved the savoury scone with the sour cream and chilli jam for something different. Simply could not eat it all, even despite not being rushed, we were there for three hours. Takeaway container supplied no charge. Location isn’t suitable for public transport , you def need to drive there. Grounds were interesting, perfect for a wander, loved the old car and bus to set the tone. Station looked like it had always been there. A truly memorable and wonderful experience .

Very enjoyable experience would definitely like to go back in the summer.

Love love love this venue, fabulous atmosphere, amazing setting, tasty fresh food, amazing drinks menu, a very special afternoon 😋 😀

Wow, fabulous venue and the most amazing afternoon tea. Nothing was too much effort for the attentive staff. We shall definitely be returning. Xx

I Love Carriages... perfect place to go for a romantic date or a catch up with friends and family. You won't need anything else to eat for the rest of the day if you have one of their wonderful high teas!

Everything is done with care and dedication. Thank you.

Simply beautiful. Venue staff food perfect xxx

For a unique and fabulous afternoon tea, look no further. Warm welcome, beautiful setting, delicious afternoon tea, amazing service, we will definitely be back to enjoy such an amazing experience.

Fabulous food, great setting. Staff were perfect.

Wonderful experience, super afternoon teas with lots of super cakes, glen Millar playing over the tannoy, white linen, fantastic

A lovely break after a morning in Cambridge we had afternoon tea at this delightful venue. The food, lots of it, was delicious and all the staff very friendly and welcoming. The whole setting was brilliant.

A wonderful place to experience! Ideal for a special treat!

Absolutely 5 🌟 for everything. Easy to find, good parking. Excellent service, regularly checking if we needed anything. Delicious sandwiches and scones. The cakes were perfect, just the creighton amount. If you are undecided, give them a try, you won't be disappointed.

WOW WOW WOW What a beautiful afternoon we had here. Everything was a 10/10 and i think so reasonable. I booked the Hight tea and a private cartridge for my daughters 30th birthday. From the moment we arrived the service was impeccable. The food was as good if not better than The blue box cafe in Harrods. If your thinking of going do not wait!! Thank you for making this a wonderful afternoon. We will definitely be backXx

A lovely birthday treat for a special friend birthday.

A wonderful experience! Perfect in every way!

Amazing treat, we had high tea delicious.. Staff courteous and friendly. Supplying a box for left overs

A wonderful experience. Unique in every way. Looking forward to our next visit

Fabulous food in unique surroundings, definitely recommend a visit

Daughter and partner organised it as a surprise present for our wedding anniversary. Lovely setting lovely food and staff are very attentive. Would definitely recommend.

Absolutely loved our visit. We will definitely return. Thank you all for making our afternoon tea, so enjoyable and yummy 😋

Two of us booked afternoon tea. A hostess welcomed us on arrival, showed us to our seats in a beautifully restored railway carriage, and asked what drinks we would like to accompany our meal. Staff were pleasant and attentive but not intrusive at all times. Food was plentiful, tasty, and the gluten free option on the meal we chose was excellent. We weren't cramped for space, with plenty of room between occupied tables. The setting is well laid out, clean and tidy.

Voucher bought so used on my birthday.Upgraded to a 1st class carriage. Staff very friendly and helpful. Delicious sandwiches and cakes and great atmosphere inside beautiful surroundings would thoroughly recommend. 👌

Absolutely fabulous afternoon tea and high tea. The food is of outstanding quality and the staff are friendly, very efficient and very nicely turned out. As an avid afternoon tea partaker I would highly recommend a visit here and the setting if very attractive too. 1st class quality venue, service and food.

Brought my wife here for a birthday treat, had afternoon tea. Absolutely beautiful, lovely food and the atmosphere is fantastic. The old train carriages gently rock with locomotive sounds just in the background whilst 1940s music plays. Will definitely be back

If you want an original and different way to do afternoon tea, this is ideal. A lot of thought has gone into giving a great experience....... only thing that I thought let it down was not having loose tea in teapot! All staff were very friendly and helpful! Definitely recommend!

Superb. Fantastic day. I cannot fault it.

Lovely afternoon tea & great surroundings. I have been a couple of times now, and i have not been disappointed

Lovely place, booked a private pullman, only downside to that is that you can't get anyone's attention if you require something; for example they refreshed our tea but didn't bring more milk so the pot went to waste. Food was lovely

For our 50th wedding anniversary we were bought this wonderful experience on the railway carriages in Fen Drayton. The old world ambience and the food provided made the day. This is venue is listed in The Times top 23 places to have high tea. It...

The setting, ambience and attention to detail of the buildings and trains is lovely - you feel like you have stepped back in time . The high tea is delicious and plentiful - 5 stars! However the service lets it down. The young waiting staff...

A belated mother's Day gift and a thank you to my mum's neighbours for being there for her. Great food, fantastic atmosphere we loved it!

We had a scrumptious high tea in a beautifully decorated period rail carriage. You enter through the ticket office and waiting room and down the platform to the carriages. All the food is prepared in a kitchen carriage. The staff were very friendly and polite and saw to our every need. The grounds are very attractive with vintage vehicles outside the ticket office. The High had a good mixture of savouries and sweet desserts and was delicious. There is ample free parking. I would highly recommend Carriages of Cambridge.

Wonderful experience, a birthday present for me.

What a lovely place. Staff really lovely, good fabulous, atmosphere is perfect. Old pullman carriages used for a beautiful tea room.

We received a gift voucher at Christmas and have only managed to use it . The food is first rate, well worth a visit. The station and carriages are reminders of a by gone era, lovingly brought to life. We paid £20 extra for a...

What a treat it was to visit Carriages for High Tea. From start to finish the experience was delightful. Before our tea we had a wander in the garden which grows produce for the kitchen. It is a beautiful garden full of colour and scent...

There are follies and there are follies but Bannold Station is a monument like no other: exquisitely prepared food, gardens of wonder and a grandiloquent railway that goes nowhere and offers everything. Impossible to pin down it's tribute to imagination and care and, given that its relative is a highly successful building supplies company, more extraordinary than even Alice could have seen in Wonderland. Take the day off and go. Our servers Megan and Emma were truly enjoying their work; maybe the full Lyons Corner House hose would be the cherry on top of the cake.

Outstanding. Took my neighbour here for afternoon tea as a thank you for looking after my plants etc when I was away. We loved it The food was fantastic. The service brilliant. The walled garden and greenhouses were an added bonus. Highly recommended for any well deserved treat or celebration 🎉

Beautifully maintained gardens, fabulous food and great, friendly service. A lovely nod to the 1940s and a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

A brilliant experience, afternoon tea was excellent, food great, staff couldn't do enough for you. And a lovely place and atmosphere. Will be visiting again.

Our third visit yesterday August 3rd and everything was absolutely brilliant. Staff could not do too much for us and the food, as always, was lovely! The setting, being a railway enthusiast, is great. Thanks to all concerned.

Wow ... What an amazing time we had today ... Just got back and we can not thank the Staff enough for the excellent service and food .. beautiful atmosphere and setting .. made Mums Birthday extra special. Xx

Great experience, lovely cream tea, I did have coffee but still a great afternoon

Early birthday treat for my daughter and what a lovely time we had in this unique setting . The afternoon tea was beautiful and plenty of it , cocktails very nice and the staff were wonderful . All young waiters , very knowledgeable , happy to explain what all the sandwiches and cakes were , they returned frequently to ask if all was OK and did we require anything else . We've been to many afternoon teas and this is on par with the best , it's an hours drive from us so not local but we look forward to visiting again .

Visited today to celebrate my mums 90th Birthday.. big family gathering.. stunning location with lots of memorabilia.. Excellent service.. food was lovely too.. Very acomadating for wheelchairs and buggies .. Would like to thank all the staff for today we all had such a wonderful afternoon.

Afternoon tea was fabulous. Everyone was friendly and helpful. We have had a few afternoon teas. This is by far the best

The staff and venue are top class, made my Nana's 90th special for everyone ❤️

Unique experience for any special occasion

Went yesterday for Afternoon Tea, beautiful setting, excellent service and the most delicious Afternoon Tea we have ever had. Took our newborn grandson too and they were very accommodating . You do need to book well in advance for Afternoon Tea if you would like...

Had high tea ,have also had afternoon tea before..cant fault it at all,beautiful food ,great service and unique surroundings..will def come back