Coombe Abbey Hotel and Restaurant in Rugby

Went here to stay & dine for one night. Had a voucher for part of the cost and so topped that up so it was more worthwhile and a treat. Fairly easy to get to although the town with all of its traffic lights etc made that bit really slow. Big grounds and big car parks (two – first one for park and second one for hotel). BUT….they charge £8 extra to park !!! It is quite offensive because hotel guests are paying good money. When you are spending £300, £400 or £500 for a night it really is an insult when they want to charge you even more to park your car somewhere which has 100’s of acres of space. It’s not as if it’s in a busy town centre where space is at a premium (and the vast majority of places which I know in those situations don’t make extra charges anyway). Not nice. It’s taking the wee. Maybe they (the council as it is council owned) think that if you can afford to spend that much for a nights stay then you can afford the extra which they want to squeeze out of you ? But that is not the point. It’s offensive. Check-in good and staff very good. Room on 1st floor good, view to front (the long drive) and central ‘courtyard’ where you walk in to reception. 4 poster, good mattress. BUT awful pillows. It had 4 pillows but all were the same being very thick and very firm. Now even ‘cheap’ places like Premier Inn provide 2 different types of pillow – 2 soft and 2 thick – so why cannot a luxury hotel do the same ? I had a really bad nights sleep (not much sleep at all) because I could not use any pillow so just put them on the floor. Not good. Bathroom was behind a bookcase which was quirky. All worked well – good shower and almost instant hot water which makes a change as many very old buildings struggle with water. Criticism ? Yes. No water in the room - oh come on !!! No glasses (except the 2 small ones in bathroom). Broken panes of glass which need replacing. They look very bad (I know it's a VERY old building but these are only 100mm x 100mm approx). Only one chair in a big room which will mostly have 2 people in it. Bar small, sadly not much choice at all (just one ale, two ciders and three lagers I think it was) but still OK/good. Very good bar staff. Several chairs but there are also chairs and small ‘snug’ seating areas dotted all around anyway. Restaurant was good. Not huge choice but enough. And good food. Waiting staff good and the lady (restaurant manager ?) was excellent. Efficient & friendly. So I was looking forward to breakfast. Breakfast – oh dear, unfortunately nothing like dinner !!! Small buffet (as in small, not a lot of choice – choices yes but I have seen much better/more variety in much smaller hotels which charge considerably less). In such a expensive and classy place I don’t expect a buffet and to have to queue and serve myself (fortunately it was quiet) but rather much prefer to choose from a menu and then have my breakfast cooked and brought to me. It’s part of being away. The hot selection was – mostly hot. Fried eggs kept under cover are NOT for me. Hash Browns (I hate the things but many like them), Sausages (pork, but very bland), back bacon (bit dry by 09.00), tomatoes, scrambled eggs (the best bit as they were hot and I think because that dish had been very recently topped up), baked beans (well, some that were left, you had to scrape the dish to get a spoonful and they were lukewarm) and then mushrooms, lots of mushrooms, but which were COLD. Yuk !! And what made breakfast even worse – a bit like the car parking rip-off – is that if you wanted poached eggs, boiled eggs etc then they charged an extra £4.95 !!! IT IS AN EXPENSIVE HOTEL & RESTAURANT WITH A CHEF for goodness sake. Again, this is, in my opinion (and that of a few others I spoke to so I am not alone) offensive. Check-out good. Told the chap of a few things in the room which needed attention and he actually wrote them down. Most places when you give information (to make it better for the next guests and the hotel) just listen and I actually doubt if much of the required remedial work is ever done. Not here. I think that they would act. So all in all a bit mixed. Great building and good grounds. But as a hotel & restaurant, for what they charge it should be a lot better. I would not rush back and could not recommend it 'highly' as such but I would simply be honest and say it’s good but…………….

Beautiful setting for the hotel. The room was comfortable, although the bathroom tap was loose. Staff were very friendly. We attended the medieval banquet which was great fun. The actors were great and got everyone involved.

Visited for afternoon tea & an overnight stay for my birthday. Opted for the basic tea & scones, sweet & savoury & both were delicious. The scones were light, fluffy & warm, the jam like a fruit puree & the cheese selection with my savoury scones really good. The room we were allocated could not have been better placed with a direct view down the length of the drive which, as the windows were low, could be seen from the bed. The bed, though only a 4'6" double, was very comfortable as were the sheets & pillows. A small snag was that the shower over the roll top bath (in the bedroom) could not be fully turned off so running a bath was a little problematic but not insurmountable. I did report this to reception but made it clear it was not an urgent issue for us, only a need to know for the next guests in there today. We didn't eat dinner at the hotel as the restaurant menu did not grab us particularly & it was quite expensive for our budget so we went out for the evening. However, had we seen the room service menu, which had a really good choice of meals & snacks, reasonably priced, we may not have bothered venturing out elsewhere so we'll know for next time. The staff are very helpful in the main, particularly those on reception, but we had a couple of queries in the restaurant in the afternoon when I asked to charge the afternoon tea to our room. I discovered later, when speaking to a receptionist, that despite having paid for the room & overnight parking on arrival with my credit card they did not connect my card details to my room so any other sundries could not be charged until this was done. In the interim I had paid by card for the afternoon teas & expected the total to be 39.98 for both teas. As I went to tap the card I realised the amount was more than this & when I queried it I was told it included a 10% 'optional' service charge. I declined to pay this as I prefer to tip for good service in cash only to realise afterwards that they don't take any cash whatsoever throughout the hotel so they ended up with no tip at all which was unfortunate. Had I been asked would I like to pay the optional service charge or to 'add a tip' to the bill as cash is not accepted I would have certainly said yes but I really don't like the practise of automatically adding it. For larger groups, OK, but not for couples or small groups. Aside from this I have to say we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, it was far too shorter!! We will certainly return again ourselves & recommend the hotel to others as well. Thank you

Some friends and myself and husband went to Coombe Abbey for afternoon Tea the price was £39.00 per person. The standard of the food that 2 of us had which was the Knight's Afternoon Tea savory was awful, you were confused as to what the food was. The Abbots Afternoon Was a normal sandwiches cakes etc. Then to top it all they made us pay for the car park. In all the years I have been going to Coombe Abbey I have never had to pay for car park charges if your using the hotel. We won't be going again.

James Webster was our toast master at mine and my now husbands wedding. His attention to detail was brilliant and it helped put us at ease for the big day. He made sure we knew the plan before the big day and ensured the day ran smoothly the way we wanted it to. We couldn’t be more grateful for your hard work! Thank you so so much James! You’re a star! I would highly recommend to anyone!

The building is full of historic charm and the grounds superbly maintained. The evening meal in the Garden restaurant was also very good albeit a lot of the menu had additional supplement costs associated. Breakfast was also enjoyable. The area where improvements could be made to what is a fantastic venue is regarding upkeep and housekeeping. The room itself looked tired with numerous cobwebs in the main room and bathroom. I guess the furniture is supposed to be "period" but looked more "tatty" to be honest. We also had a pillow case with what looked like red stains which the laundry process had not removed; a chipped mug and at breakfast a clean but stained cup which the dishwasher hadn't successfully cleaned. These issues are things which are preventable with proper controls in place. Other than those minor issues we had a nice stay.

My very good friend bought me afternoon tea and I must say after reading some of the reviews I was a bit concerned but I was completely amazed, the service was very good the staff were very friendly and helpful, the afternoon tea was amazing I would definitely book again

Fabulous location that oozes history and charm, with gorgeous grounds. The staff are lovely, the food ok and the building amazing. We stayed in a feature room overlooking the moat, a comfortable room with a very comfy bed. I didn’t sleep well but this was because the neighbours insisted on slamming or at least allowing their doors to slam shut way past midnight! There are aspects of the rooms that would benefit from a bit of TLC and if modern minimalism is your style then this probably isn’t for you. If you love historic architecture and swans and signets swimming below your window then you’ll love it. Just be prepared for some medieval charm with a bit of dust or the odd cobweb. I’d return if we were in the area again.

We stayed at Combe Abbey for several night and had a number of meals at the restaurant, with various outcomes. Two breakfasts, both days ran out of plates to serve breakfast on and had to ask servers to bring plates, Day 2 ran out of fried eggs and the scrambled eggs looked like ???. Otherwise, a good selection of dishes, both cooked and fresh. Afternoon tea, very good, great service, great offering really enjoyed. I tried the savory ANT, which was great. Dinner, very good, great service, exceptional meals, really enjoyed.

Been twice in last 3 months for afternoon tea. First time was extremely good second time today was a big letdown with erratic service and average food.

Went for lunch on the way to an afternoon appointment at the hospital. Tom’s award winning pie was a bit of a mystery, three medium pieces of meat, the rest rendered down to mince size pieces. Tried the first quarter without accompaniment, no truly memorable flavours. Added the red wine gravy and that was total domination - okay with Sunday Roast but too much for the pie. Chips were Sainsbury value range quality. Cheese’s were good, the goats, blue cheese and soft cheese, only disappointment was the hard cheese (Yarg)?

We stayed in this amazing hotel for my Birthday and it was an absolute delight, full of character and historic culture. The restaurant is really very calming and comfortable, the staff are so attentive nothing is too much trouble. Parking is charged daily but if you’ve a blue badge then it’s no charge. Well worth a stay I highly recommend this beautiful hotel, you would not be disappointed.

My partner and I stayed for two nights in the hotel. We found the room a little dated and very warm as it faced south, however it was nice and clean. The bed we had was two singles pushed together which we didn’t find ideal and would have preferred a normal king size, particularly as the head boards were also separated by about a foot so snuggling up together sitting having a cuppa in the morning was uncomfortable. The breakfast was lovely and all the hotel staff were very nice. We ate dinner on one of the nights which was very good but was rather expensive with a bottle of very average wine costing £41. We were not keen on the a la carte menu so the chef let us have choices from the bar menu. Afterwards we sat in the lounge area which was very cosy and we were well looked after. The grounds of the hotel were really pretty and we had a picnic on our first night which was very romantic. I would be concerned about visiting in the summer as there was no air conditioning in the room we stayed in.

We had a gift of a Luxury Afternoon Tea for two, which we we took on Wednesday 17th April. Sadly my husband suffered the most appalling gut-wrenching diarrhoea for the following four days which could have only been as a consequence of food poisoning from the food served at Coombe Abbey. My husband is just recovering now and we decided to see if there had been any other reports, we were shocked to read on Tripadviser of another food poisoning report from 1st April 2024. We have not contacted Coombe Abbey and from the customer care received by the other earlier victim, it would seem to be a pointless exercise. Certainly the thought of a complimentary Afternoon Tea fills us with horror! Clearly the Public Health / Food Standards Office needs to inspect Coombe Abbey as a matter of urgency and we will make this our action for tomorrow.

Had an lovely afternoon tea with my husband, food was good, Esther our server was very attentive. I've never visited before to eat, but would love to do afternoon tea again. The setting is spectacular.

Although we have stayed at Coombe Abbey many times over the years, we have never had afternoon tea so we decided to take my mother in law to celebrate her birthday. In summary, absolutely delicious and great each of us could choose between savoury or sandwiches/cakes. For the first time ever I chose a savoury tea which was a game changer for me as future afternoon teas will be savoury. The staff, as usual were friendly and efficient. Although our first afternoon tea at Coombe, it won’t be our last

Stopped in the Berkeley room for 2 nights over the weekend, it has a big sit down shower with a free standing bath & a 4 poster bed. We had a wide choice of coffee tea fresh milk we ordered room service 1 night a curry which was great and hot when it came 2nd night we had fish & chips which was great the pictures on the website don’t do it justice.

A wonderful Easter Sunday lunch. Beautiful setting in the Garden Restaurant. Excellent menu to choose from. Food was amazing, each course was delicious. Excellent service. Couldn't have wished for more. Highly recommend.

Lovely afternoon tea, but unfortunately the restaurant staff let the experience down. On arrival we checked in at the hotel reception at 2.50pm and produced a Virgin Experience Days voucher. The receptionist suggested that we go and check into the restaurant and she assured me that she would bring us the printed voucher to us. I also enquired if we could have the knight's afternoon tea with the voucher that we had and would it cost any more, as it appears on your menu saying it would be £3 extra each. The receptionist confirmed that there would be no extra charge. On entering the restaurant an middle aged Eastern European lady took our order and stated that we would have to forfeit an extra charge. I explained to her that the receptionist said there was no extra charge. She made a comment "The reception don't know what they are talking about." This was the first point of being made to feel uncomfortable. By the end of our afternoon tea, the receptionist had not brought our voucher to us as we were originally advised that she would do so. Myself and my husband got up to leave to collect the voucher from the reception and a young waitress came after us saying "My colleague said that you need to come back and pay." I advised her that I was going to reception to get the print out that I was awaiting and enquire as to why I had been miss informed about the charges. While waiting at the reception. The original receptionist had finished her shift. I spoke to another receptionist who said that no voucher had been sent. I checked my email sent box and it had been sent. While at the reception the older lady from the restaurant came after us saying the we had to pay an extra cost. There were several other people at the reception at this point and I felt so humiliated with her behaviour towards me. It was as if she thought that we were going to run out without sorting things out. The receptionist waiverd the charges. To be quite honest the whole experience at Coombe Abbey was extremely disappointing. After the experience I sent an email to the hotel manager on the Mon evening. By Wednesday, still no had any acknowledgement of my complaint so I called the hotel. Was advised that the manager had just returned from his annual leave, but was assured that someone would be in contact with me that day. This did not happen, so I called the hotel again on the Thursday got to speak to the manager who really didn't seem to be bothered about the poor service that we received. Blamed the problem on the Virgin voucher system and offered us a free glass of prosseco the next time we were there. REALLY!! what a waste of time trying to get things sorted and a waste of money on the purchase of the voucher.

We are on the second day of our three night special stay at the Abbey to celebrate our Golden Wedding anniversary . Can't fault the staff , couldn't fault the room , until my wife went to take a bath and the water was cold. The problem was solved within 30 minutes. The extraction isn't working in the bathroom , causing condensation to run down the walls , plus there is no heated towel rail , resulting in damp towels The staff in the dining room were helpful and friendly, but the food was very expensive and served tepid. We asked for a bread roll to go with our Asparagus starter and were brought a whole, small loaf of bread with Olive oil dip. We put knob of butter on our Asparagus, and it never melted it was that cold. We have cancelled the remaining evening meals. What a shame , because it is a beautiful place.

We experienced an afternoon tea here yesterday. The food was lovely as was the choice of tea/coffee. Unfortunately the staff were unfriendly and did not go out of their way to welcome or check in on us. We didn’t even know what we were eating, hot water wasn’t provided for extra drinks and no offer for additional sandwiches or cakes. We have experienced afternoon tea in many places and this fell very short due to the staff. Parking was also difficult due to a conference going on in main hotel. A smile costs nothing and being welcomed is basic stuff!

This visit was a wedding gift so we have one of the grande feature rooms which was amazing and had its own steam trim built into the shower

Excellent service, delightful food, lovely surroundings. Our server suggested we might like to consider choosing one savoury and one sweet afternoon tea. So glad we did just that. We enjoyed every bite. The scones were both light and tasty. There was a lively choice of titbits and the pork pie was truly the best I have ever tasted. A thoroughly enjoyable experience - although I’ve never paid to park at a hotel before. A slight jarring note in an otherwise perfect occasion.

We went for afternoon tea as a family and we weren’t disappointed. The service was exemplary the staff were really polite and accommodating and very informative. The food was absolutely divine. My wife and I had the Knights Afternoon tea and our son had the Abbots Vegetarian afternoon tea. Well worth the money. Will definitely be visiting again first class.

Whilst the service was good the sharing platter we ordered was the worst I have ever had. Two pieces of cheddar so small we initially thought it was the butter, grey and tasteless pork pie, brown and soft pickled onions, a tiny baguette to share, cold meats that looked as though they had been plonked on the board out of the packet. How hard is it to create a sharing platter??? Very according to Coombe Abbey - avoid avoid

Afternoon tea - restricted times if you have been given as a gift on buyagift.l and feel they ate discriminating against such customers. No flexibility at all. What should have been a special treat bought in good faith was very difficult to organise with 'restaurant.' Very disappointed when contacting Coombe Restaurant. Maybe this is why other reviews have not been good. People know when they are being treated differently and with contempt My custom will go elsewhere.

The last time I had afternoon tea about 12 months ago, it was a disapointment as the order was mixed up, it was a very long wait to bring the correct order, and the food, when it arrived, was stale. However, we decided to give it a second chance for my birthday and booked a tabe for four. There will not be a third time!! We ordered one Knight's Afternoon Tea and three Abbot's. We received two Knights and two Abott's. The waiter offered to change it but after the previous debacle we said it didnt matter. The problems didnt end there, despite the food costing £160, the quality was awful. Poor quality sliced bread was drying out, the fillings were cheap, cheese and pickle, egg and mayonnaise, and the chicken sandwich had gristle in it, (at least I hope it was gristle). The shepherds pie was greasy and tasted of the tin bucket it was served in, the small slice of pork pie could have come from Asda, and the cakes were dry, unpleasantly sweet, and tasteless, I could go on. Nothng on the platters were worth £160. I had to ask for a clean plate so as not to mix the pickle and vinegar with the cakes. I was left with a cup full of coffee sediment when the waiter bought a fresh pot of coffee, and I had to ask for a clean one. I requested more milk but that was forgotten. My advice is give the afternoon tea at Coomb Abbey a wide birth, it is over hyped and over priced. The staff were friendly and the conservatory pleasant. However, everything else was a very disappointing waste of money.Very poor quality.

We have been here for afternoon tea on several occasions and have always been very pleased. This time, however, we were a little disappointed. The amount of food appeared to be less and some of the cakes as well as the scones seemed dry. This...

Coombe Abbey is a beautiful place, very atmospheric but the afternoon tea not so good. Sandwiches fillings were good but the bread must have been left uncovered leaving it with hard edges. We had to call a waitress to ask for more tea. Although the...

Sublime overnight stay. Myself and my husband have just returned from an overnight stay at cooked abbey. We stayed in the lady craven room. The room was absolutely stunning with gorgeous high ceilings, the most comfortable bed, a bath big enough for two and beautiful...

The cafe is advertised as dog friendly, however it is NOT. After paying £30 for food and drinks. Another dog began barking which caused our dogs to bark. We are very aware of people around us and keep our dogs as calm as possible as...

Medieval Banquet and Overnight Stay The property is extremely beautiful. Steeped in history and full of beautiful architecture and interior design. Check in: The staff were very welcoming and friendly. Room: Although the room was aesthetically sympathetic in decor according the age and era, there...

I had to ask a member of staff who was cleaning other empty tables to please clean our table where we were sitting four times of the previous customers dirty food & plates… Most cafes you wouldn’t even need to ask at all, but to...

We attended the Free Radio Christmas Party, What a disappointment! The music was ridiculously loud from arrival and throughout, impossible even to hear the person sitting next to you. Politely asked could it be toned down just a notch to no avail, continued at the...

Advertised as 3 course meal then disco ... our party of 8 included 3 elderly members, 1 with invisible an disability... you may wonder why we booked but we did thinking the older ones would enjoy the meal then would leave before disco started ......

We booked for the festive Medieval Banquet at Coombe Abbey after wanting to try something new. Booked and paid and then read some of the reviews. It was a mixed bag of good and bad and I actually got quite concerned as some reviews read...

Xmas afternoon Tea with Carols. Very disappointed to say the least. We go every year to this besides birthdays and Anniversary teas. My wife is Glueton Free which they were informed about and what came out for her was awful, no thought what so ever...

We were gifted an afternoon tea by a friend. A most enjoyable experience. The garden room is delightful: despite there being plenty of diners, there was room to move about. The selection was excellent, well filled finger sandwiches, a cone of salmon mousse, more cakes...

Went to Coombe Abbey for afternoon tea. Atmosphere l inovely as were most of the staff. However the tea was a little disappointing. Sandwiches very nice. Though quite basic fillings. However scones very dry and mince pies basic supermarket type. Nothing on the cake selection...

I was here with a friend for an afternoon tea. The service was awful and when I was told certain cakes were suitable for vegetarians I was told they included gelatine- apparently lots of vegetarians eat gelatine… Furthermore, one tea bag of decaf tea for...

One of my favourite places, as well as fine dining which I have been lucky enough to enjoy Coombes Abby offer a fabulous high tea.

Yesterday we attended Coombe Abbey for a complimentary afternoon tea as we had previously been and the service was terrible. What a change! Everything was lovely, perfect service by the waiting staff and lovely food as well . It was just as it used to...

We arrived after a long drive. £5 a night to park your car is extreme and then we had to carry everything over to the entrance. We had alot of things as we were there for a wedding. The front entrance looks pleasant. We entered and gave our eyes time to adjust to the dark. The receptionist told us we were in the new building, I asked where this was and she seemed amused that I didn't know. We found it eventually. Its behind the main building not far from outbuildings and bins. The room was ok but the plug in the bath was full of hair which I pulled out. My husband had to leave the bathroom. The bed was very comfortable. We had afternoon tea which I would not recommend, tasteless white sandwiches, dishwater tea and dry scones. Before you arrive they will email offering you an upgrade. Don't bother. You don't get it any cheaper . I don't know if I'm spoilt living up north with castles and grand houses but this is somewhere I won't be coming back to. The bar staff need to be trained on customer service and what a clean glass is. The waitress on the evening had an awful patronising tone but the food was nice. As I said at the beginning, DON'T BE FOOLED by whats on the outside

The conservatory was packed on a Thursday afternoon and we were squeezed into a corner. It was very noisy and not a relaxing experience. After booking for 2.30pm our afternoon tea did not arrive until 3.20pm despite the manager telling us twice it was on the way. The tea and coffee came with no milk so we had to ask. My sandwiches were all on white bread with no garnish at all - I'm not allergic to a bit of lettuce or a bit of tasty horesradish - so they were very boring. The scones were dry. In all it was very disappointing and was glad it wasn't a special occasion. I wouldnt recommend it or return I'm afraid. There were lots of staff but they couldn't take an order, deliver a simple afternoon tea or clear a table properly.

This was our second visit in the past year and didn’t compare favourably with the first. The staff are very efficient and the area is lovely. However, we were seated 6 ft from a man playing the piano and singing, effectively stopping conversation. The scones were dry and probably not freshly baked and there wasn’t enough cream for two scones. The cakes were unimaginative and one of them was soggy, densely textured and basically inedible. The coffee was tepid. Afternoon tea is all about the occasion and setting. As far as the actual tea went we were left with the impression that the hotel is trying to make up for lockdown losses by economising on quality. Very disappointing.

Afternoon tea for two. Went with my Mum and both had a lovely time. Had a vegetarian tea which was great. Just a couple of small points, all the sandwiches were on white bread, and there was no pastry or tart among the cakes. Also no refills on the tea and coffee. However the cakes we did have were outstanding and presented really well. Lovely afternoon and a nice setting. Staff were nice too

Very slow and poor service , 2 choices of tea out if stock on the menu so had to have tea from a bag !! Very overpriced compared to other places Would not recommend

After a Corporate event at the nearby 'Go Ape' around 20 of us booked at the Coombe Abbey Hotel for a private garden BBQ. Firstly the setting at the Hotel is beautiful with plenty of charm and character both inside and out at this historic property. We sat and ate at the rear of the hotel over looking the amazing gardens and lake. The hotel catered with a superb BBQ with a selection of grilled meats, burgers and salads. The homemade potato salad was excellent. For afters we had Crème Brûlée and Strawberries with Cream... Absolutely delicious and nicely presented. I would highly recommend a catered event here at The Coombe Abbey Hotel and I will certainly be coming back to sample there amazing looking afternoon teas!

We booked afternoon tea as a group of 6 ladies for a 50th birthday. The conservatory setting is lovely and the pianist was great. However the experience and food was disappointing. We felt sorry for the young, inexperienced staff clearly working without any training. For £35 per person, there were no refills of tea /coffee at all. The sandwiches are basic; ham, cheese & pickle and egg mayo. The scones were very dry and hard. The sweet cakes were well presented. We have been before and had a much better experience but the standards have fallen, yet still a luxury price tag.

Although not regular visitors, we have used Coombe Abbey restaurant a number of times before to celebrate special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries and even stayed over a couple of times. This time we had the sparkling afternoon tea to celebrate my wife’s birthday but were sadly rather disappointed to find that standards had slipped. The sparkling wine was served in ordinary wine glasses – where were the champagne flutes? Scones were under baked and raw in the middle. Although replacements were provided without question, these too were under baked, probably from the same batch and there was then a wait of around 45 minutes while the kitchen baked some more. Some cheese scones were provided during the wait but the delay made the whole experience somewhat disjointed and memorable for the wrong reasons. To add insult to injury the hotel has now for some inexplicable reason introduced charges in its car park, even for hotel customers. Although the charges were not in operation during our visit, this practice is more reminiscent of a budget city centre hotel than a premium country hotel and smacks of simple greed. We are unlikely to return.

Great venue in lovely surroundings, and the afternoon tea menu looked very appetising. Service was excellent but the food itself was a real let-down - the scones were heavy, hard and tasteless, and the cakes were far too sweet and sickly - can't imagine many people would manage to eat their full allocation of 4. Even the sandwiches were a bit clumsy, and the brioche would have benefitted from a little more smoked salmon and cream cheese. Overall, just rather underwhelming.

Went to celebrate hubby’s birthday and was bitterly disappointed. Service was awful with no one seemingly in charge. Youngsters with very little training serving. Unbelievable to watch young waitress set table next to us picking up all the clean cutlery by the wrong end Let’s hope her hands were clean!!! Everything we wanted was just hard work to get. Waited over half hour just to get a drink and then the order was wrong. Constantly trying to catch waiter/waitresses eye to get refills etc. Food very very ordinary. To top things off nicely was charged for drinks we never received. Organised chaos.

Booked an afternoon tea as part of a birthday celebration for my sister. I called up on the day to confirm my booking and the lady I spoke to told me she had made a note about the birthday on my reservation. We arrived about 20 minutes early but were seated straight away. We ordered a vegetarian Abbots afternoon tea which took around 30 minutes to come. Bit of a wait but we didn't mind. However, the service was pretty much non existent after this point even though the restaurant wasn't even half full. No one told us what we were having when our food arrived and no one came round to check on us to see if we needed anything or if we wanted any refills although I did notice others around us being attended to. I've experienced various other afternoon teas and each time, the menu was explained and staff were friendly and attentive. When we did ask someone if they could tell us what we had been served, he didn't seem to know. There was no acknowledgement of my sisters birthday but again others around us received balloons and a dessert plate.The Garden Room restaurant is a nice setting for an afternoon tea and the food was OK but the choice of music was very strange (slightly loud pop music)! An afternoon tea is supposed to be an experience but given the price of this tea, I wouldn't come back as the lack of service really let it down.I should also mention that we had to pay for parking. There are two car parks with different rates - the one closest to the hotel is reserved for Go Ape customers and is just £2 for 8 hours whereas the one further away was £3.50 for 4 hours.

Good choice of menu with friendly & efficient service . Lovely light & airy conservatory to dine in.

We arranged to meet friends here for a one night stay . We had reserved our room and on arrival was asked for payment which was out by £30. We asked and after a bit of fumbling found that they had charged us twice fir breakfast. Room was average. Only two tea bags and 4 mini cartons of milk. No bottled water which most hotels provide as standard. Had dinner in the restaurant. Service a bit hit and miss. Food nice. Breakfast was all over the place. Orders for anything non standard on a little notice at the back of the pastries. Luckily our friends had spotted it so we knew that we could order other items not in the buffet style. Then we didn't get what we ordered but the waitress did correct it quickly. Overall wouldn't stay again. Maybe it's new staff or just a bit disorganised. The grounds are fabulous if you fancy a walk.

Absolutely horrendous the staff were useless we ordered a beer never turned up, asked for more tea and coffee never turned up, then got a phone call saying we never paid so I said I have the receipt it was not our fault if they gave us the wrong bill, also the sandwiches were hard not worth the money

Afternoon tea today was a lovely experience , atmosphere great , service excellent, food was top class and so well presented. Nice first day out for a long time.

Booked it for a bday surprise/ getaway. Service was fantastic breakfast loads of variety, food quality 10/10 dinner same the service was very personalised to each person stay staff went above and beyond

The afternoon tea experience at Coombe Abbey was shockingly awful. The service was terrible and the atmosphere was off.To begin with we felt awkward as we ordered two afternoon teas to share. Our host asked but between five. We are all small eaters and we were going to be out for an evening meal so we wanted to keep some room. Plus my 82 year old mother is a small eater. We explained to the host we were vegetarian and when the stand came it had chicken sandwiches. We are Muslims and cannot eat non halal it’s a good thing my cousin spotted the chicken or we would have eaten the sandwiches. No apology was offered for such a serious mistake. We sent the sandwiches back and this process went on three times before we got the correct ones. No apology again just a flustered waitress which shouldn’t be the case as it wasn’t our fault. Bearing in mind we had said a few times what we wanted on the stand but this wasn’t acknowledged. The manager came over and asked if everything was ok. We explained the situation she said to us well you should have made your selection clear. Coombe abbey clearly do not have a policy where the customer is always right. The manager was rude to my cousin who was just trying to explain the situation nicely to her. The quality of the food was average the sandwiches were soggy and tasteless. There’s very limited options for vegetarians which I find appalling. The staff were not attentive and seemed off mood almost aggressive . It was my birthday and qualification celebration and it was ruined by this experience. The stand wasn’t explained when it came. It was just awful.The pianist did play happy birthday but this was all over shadowed by the overall experience 99.9% was bad and 0.1 was good. This is such a shame to give this kind of review as we have had lovely experiences at Coombe abbey on previous occasions. I have dismissed this afternoon tea as part of my birthday and qualifying celebration as it was that bad. I was thoroughly upset by the whole experience. I would have raised it that day but given the fact there was no apology for the chicken sandwiches to a vegetarian table I didn’t bother. I am thoroughly disappointed and hope that this review encourages the hotel to get some training in place.

We had afternoon tea for 6 for a friend’ s birthday. There was a wonderful choice of different types of tea, including an all savoury tea, and vegetarian option. All were generous and delicious. The scones were the best I have ever tasted. We had both coffee, lots of choice, served in its s own cafetière and pots of tea, again a great selection to choose from.. The staff were attentive, but not intrusive, and the surroundings, with live piano player were sublime. I feel so sorry for staff and management that they have to close due to lockdown, but never fear, we will be saving our pennies in the meantime to make frequent visits once you are able to re- open!

Firstly I will review our afternoon tea.We love Coombe Abbey and this is not our first visit. We have had afternoon tea here numerous times and had overnight stays and other special occasions here.The afternoon tea was lovely, well presented. The cakes are delicious and the venue is lovely. We will be back, but maybe in 2021 and not sooner. Now the negative.This was one of very few trips we have had out since March and certainly since July and even more since recent restrictions had changed.On this visit the wearing of masks whilst moving through areas by guests was not fully observed. And not challenged by staff.Also, a large family group above 6 had booked two tables and continued to mix and mingle across tables and at one point there was 7 persons round one table. This was not challenged or commented on. This was quite a large negative as front line emergency service workers me and my wife are trying to observe social distancing when others are quite happy to book tables and ignore the rules. This was upsetting I appreciate the staff cannot see everything and be everywhere but when people are seated either side of the entry to the restaurant and are freely moving between tables this puts me off visiting for some time.This is the first negative comment ive ever left about coombe abbey.

I attended Coombe Abbey as a non resident for dinner on Saturday evening and was bowled over by the quality of food and high level of service. I was apprehensive due to the current circumstances however felt at ease. Plenty of signage, sanitising stations and courteous way of handling the 10pm curfew. I had my table booked for 8pm and managed a 3 course meal and drinks and didn't feel rushed at any point (plus the restaurant was at full capacity with tables a safe distance apart). I can't recommend thr venue enough and cant wait to visit again soon well done team Coombe.

Had my 1st ever afternoon tea here whilst visiting friends nearbyThoroughly enjoyed the sandwiches and cakes on offer, washed down with tasty coffee and a glass of Prosecco . Service and setting was fab!The grounds and hotel are stunning tooIf returning from Scotland I will definitely come back for afternoon tea again

We had a red letter day voucher, booked over the phone staff very helpful. On arrival good clear safety advice and lots of sanitising stations. Lovely place to dine, very nice staff very polite and helpful. We had Prosecco with afternoon tea, the sandwiches were very nice, the cheese was delicious. Nice warm scones and cakes. We had some left and we were able to get a box to put them in.On the way out I stopped at reception as I wanted a gift voucher the receptionist was really nice too. We stayed here years ago and after this visit we definitely want to come again and stay.

Let me just start by saying that a normal afternoon tea here is delightful and we have been many times.We (the family) attended on Sat afternoon for the Abbots Afternoon Tea, which you collect and eat in the gardens. Now this tea is £20 per head and I could not get my breath when I realised there wasn’t any drinks included, not even for the children.The adults were given a foil rice container with two strip sandwiches each (that’s not even two slices of bread each).The selection of sweets was impressive as always but we were given no means to cut the scone or spread the jan or cream. One sweet was in a small jar that needed a spoon, with no way of eating it other than your fingers.To make it all worse whist we were sitting eat what we could waiters came out serving the next table with bar food that looked much more plentiful and with supplied utensils to eat it with.On enquiring, for £60 which is what the afternoon tea cost for three adults we could have had a feast with drinks included.What a let down and if it wasn’t for the grounds a wasted afternoon.

We have taken afternoon tea here a few times over recent years. The standard of t fare seems to be slipping. Don't misunderstand: it is still very good but seems to be loosing its edge.On our recent visit service was fine, although perhaps lacking attention to some detail and a tad slow. Sandwiches were very good but didn't they use to serve more? The cakes were tasty but lacked that flair of creativity. Previously there had been a fresh fruit item - a strawberry tart or similar - but nothing at this visit (in Sept there is plenty of fresh fruit produce to be had). Just a little disappointing

First time staying here and I was very impressed. Much appreciated. The room was very, very nice and warm

Booked a themed room and dinner for our wedding anniversary.Although it’s been a few years since we have stayed, we were not disappointed and thoroughly enjoyed our evening.Although the meal was a little pricey, again we thoroughly enjoyed it.Service was first rate One minor issue, they had just put the heating on, and boy was it on as the thermostatic value was not working so we could turn the radiator off - 25 degrees with the windows open

David and I have just returned from coombe abbey afternoon tea and would thoroughly recommend this. The atmosphere was very good and hospitable and we enjoyed it. 10/10 I have never tasted scones like it. They literally melted in your mouth.

Our stay was wonderful the hotel is steeped in history and charm. The individuality of each room really makes your stay feel special. The garden restaurant is a lovely venue with a great atmosphere. The only slight disappointment is the dinner menu is slightly overpriced for what you get. Mains are priced in the low twenties.

We had afternoon tea here today. The sandwiches, scones and cakes were all lovely, although could do with more sandwiches for the price of the afternoon tea. The restaurant decor is lovely however it was not as clean as one would expect and a bit off putting... there were cobwebs and dirty floors. Clearly the floor hadn’t been swept/cleaned thoroughly for at least a couple of days. Coombe abbey itself and the grounds however are beautiful.

Many nice hotels have "adequate" catering this was much better than that !My wife & I had a simple meal of soup / steak / cheese board .We both agreed that every aspect of the meal was good enough to suit a stand-alone restaurant outside the hotel confines.Every part was cooked to our liking and the tastes were subtle but delightful. Good size portions, realistic not pretentious. Presented very well and served piping hot.If this chef/ restaurant was in the center of our home town we would visit regularly ! Recommended

This was our third visit and still won’t be our last, and even in uncertain times everything was in place to protect both staff and residents. You must wear a mask when in public areas of the hotel and access to rooms is through a one way route. The restaurant is comfortable and adheres to the one meter rule. Staff still accommodating and friendly. We had a lovely evening meal with good choice from the a la carte menu. Breakfast was buffet style but served to you by a member of staff. My one observation on this was lack of choice if you are staying more than one night. As much as I liked the full English, I would have wanted to have something different the next morning and the choice of continental style food was very minimal. That said, we still love this hotel. It’s full of character and ambience and it’s set in beautiful surroundings.

Changes to meet guidelines have really affected the service. One way system sign posted but no one followed it. No social distance at the reception desk but only the lead up. Staff didn't tell you where the restaurant is or breakfast. Tables not cleaned. No disposable menus. Room was lovely. Food was a let down. No condiments refreshed and had to keep calling and still not stocked up. No essentials in bathroom. Take your own. Surrounding grounds lovely. But so many things missed service and with less occupancy you would think it was better. Duvets not changed just sheets. So this is a concern with current health crisis. Other hotels better prepared. Disappointing don't think will return. With such great reviews was expecting better.

My family and I had afternoon tea here on the first day after re-opening through this COVID period. The afternoon tea was lovely. My daughter who has a gluten free diet especially enjoyed all the food on offer. The staff were all professional. We felt safe here as there are many sanitiser stations, staff were wearing masks and tables were socially-distanced. I would not hesitate to come back here.

Treated my mum to afternoon tea for her 50th birthday. Prior to the day they contacted me and said they would provide a personalised birthday card and birthday cupcake for the table. Upon arrival there was no card or cupcake. I assumed they would have left the card on the table when we arrived. I didn't say anything as i thought they may give it at the end. When we were finished we waited around a bit and then paid. Still no sign of the card and cupcake. I asked the member of staff and they said they didnt have the card or cupcake, and the person who took my booking didn't inform the restaurant of this. This was disappointing as the afternoon tea was lovely, and just wanted that special touch for my Mums special birthday. It wouldn't have been a problem if i wasn't expecting it, just to be told that was going to happen and then it not was annoying.

Faultless experience in a fantastic setting with amazing staff for whom nothing is to much trouble. We stayed for one night, had a lovely wander around the grounds and a great meal in the evening. Do try to stay for breakfast aswell!

Beautiful historic surroundings, friendly efficient and professional staff. Had lunch in the conservatory which was very good with lots of choices on the menu to suit all tastes.

We had afternoon tea yesterday (11 march 2020) at Coombe Abbey. It's a lovely building and the afternoon tea itself was pleasant (although the scones were dry). Tea and coffee refills are provided, but it took quite some time as we had trouble catching the eye of anyone to get our teapot refilled. The staff in the restaurant were not particularly friendly - not one of them smiled or asked if things were OK during the tea. They also kept opening the door to outside, even though diners had asked for it to be closed and one table asked to be moved somewhere less draughty.We met a couple of staff members when we arrived at the hotel and were looking for the toilets - they were also quite brusque.Arrival at the hotel is not that welcoming - there's a £2 charge for the car park, regardless of whether you're a guest or eating, which seems very penny-pinching. The car park pay machine doesn't take cash - we helped an elderly couple who struggled to get the machine to work. Also the first thing you see as you enter the grounds is a sign saying 'no photographs'. Overall I got the impression they'd rather not have to deal with visitors at all.

Took my wife for an afternoon tea for her birthday,had an excellent time staff were attentive and polite . The tea was served within minutes of us taking our seats and was excellent in its presentation and taste, they couldn’t do enough for us bringing extra hot water for the tea as well as a birthday card and fairy cake with candle to celebrate her birthday. All this delivered in very grand surroundings in a calm and unhurried environment, thank you for making a very happy birthday celebration we will be returning.

We returned once again to Coombe Abbey and as before it was first class, we found ourselves there earlyier than booked but were accommodated without any problem.The setting, food, and staff make this one of the top place to visit.A minor critisism is the tea ware, it should be CHINA, on the other hand the flat ware was excellent.

great food , good varied menu, excellent wine list , lovely restaurant with excellent service . small bar which can get a bit congested Would certainly recommend

Had a lovely stay Sat 29th Feb. Room was superb. From the moment we entered the hotel to the end of our stay the staff were fantastic. Restaurant for eve dinner we magical. The hotel was busy with Weddings and private functions but we were seated on time, the staff were so helpfull helping my girlfriend out choosing a vegetarian meal. No issues with the service everything ran smoothly. Special mention to Sofoklis Seferi and Stephanie Harris for taking care of us through the eve.

Visited this beautiful hotel with a friend for afternoon tea. The grounds are lovely but the afternoon tea was a let down really. Not really worth the money. Although the cakes and sandwiches looked dainty and pretty, they were nothing special, scones were quite dry. The lady that was serving just plonked they cake stand down and the tea pot and left is to it. The only saving grace and best thing about the whole experience was the chap playing the piano, he was fab.

Charming hotel with lots of character and a fine heritage. Our daughters loved the family rooms which had a warm feel to them and felt very homely. Unfortunately our experience was let down by a few things. Our dinner at the restaurant on Tues 18th Feb was awful. We booked for a 7.15pm reservation but had to cancel our dessert when it got to 9.20pm and it still hadn’t arrived! Our 2 young daughters were too tired to wait. It took over an hour for their pasta to arrive! On top of that we weren’t given any cutlery on our table or when the food was served so we had to ask the waitress whether they had any spare knives or forks hanging around so we could at least have a go at eating our dinner like human beings. We were served bread but told once it arrived that they had run out of oil and vinegar (would have been helpful to know that before we ordered) and my coke tasted like fizzy water. I get that the staff were overwhelmed last night as a lot of guests reported similar issues when we checked out this morning, but to top it off we were charged over £60 for an afternoon tea which we never had, and were also charged for the phantom desserts which never arrived (waitress had reassured us she would adjust the bill). Overall a nice older style hotel with a lot of charm and friendly staff, let down sadly by a terrible restaurant experience.

The Coombe Abbey Hotel is a beautiful historic hotel and we had a very enjoyable stay.The lobby is very atmospheric and has lots of lovely cosy seating areas.We stayed in a feature room on the ground floor in the old building, the room was decorated in a traditional style and had nice views over a green courtyard.We ordered room service, which was good and delivered promptly. For dinner we ate at the medieval banquet (which I can’t recommend) but breakfast the following morning was very nice, both the ambience and the food.Staff were friendly and helpful and I would recommend a stay at the hotel.

Had afternoon tea at the garden restaurant with my family as a birthday treat in December. The space is absolutely beautiful, lots to catch the eye, tastefully decorated garden room maintaining old English history. Prices a bit steep but tea was delicious, professional service, very well presented. I particularly enjoyed the scones and cream! The massive grounds seem very inviting, will definitely visit next summer.

Great food, great staff, fantastic atmospheric building. Hoping to return soon and have an overnight stay.

Service was poor to OK. Although booked, our table didn't seem ready when we arrived. Had to add an extra chair and there were missing cutlery items which we had to request.

We enjoyed afternoon tea the day after boxing day , we totally enjoyed the atmosphere , settings the nice staff and the variety of cakes and sandwiches, would visit again

Went here for afternoon tea yesterday and it was delightful. The room was very pretty and light, staff very polite and helpful and the food was delicious. When ordering our afternoon tea, some of our party didn’t like the sandwich choice and the staff changed it for them with no bother. We were allowed to upgrade some to Prosecco and could even add chips!

We had a disappointing experience on Friday evening at the bar area where we often go after work for a drink and a light snack as a group of colleagues. This is our local venue for colleagues to meet after work and we visit regularly so we know what to expect.

Pre-booked afternoon tea with Christmas Carols in September as I heard it was very popular. Neither my Friend (original from South Africa) or Myself had been before.

Just came home from Coombe after having afternoon tea, have been a few times in the past it has always been perfect. On this occasion, the food still wonderful and the service top-notch there just silly things that let the experience down. I know I'm going to sound pedantic little things like cutlery not matching teacups, not china like they used to be and not being asked for a refill of Tea. However, the one thing that surprised me the most was when I asked for some butter for my cheese scone, I was brought Margarine.

So I don't post a lot because I'm quite reasonable and my expectations sensible but this afternoon requires comment. Went to Coombe to utilise a gift voucher for two and we took four additional guests. So there was six of us. We were put in the end part of the conservatory which has a noisy inadequate fan heater situated above the entrance from the main area. The area clearly can't be heated properly but that fan heater is not the solution especially when you are seated next to it. The standard of service was poor. The focus is clearly on the main area of the conservatory. The staff are clearly not organised. We sat there for 20 minutes and had to summon a waitress to attract interest. Not acceptable. At that time a manager intervened and improved the situation. However, at approximately £30 a head the standard of the afternoon tea is poor. We are not veterans of afternoon tea but have enough experience to make a fair comparison. What we experienced today was a low standard. We have experienced a far higher standard and more elegant sandwiches and cakes for approximately the same cost. So in terms of value for money this was a poor experience. Broadly, speaking Coombe is a lovely venue, but where we were in the conservatory, coupled with service issues but most of all quality of the tea, sorry Coombe but you need to improve your game. Wont be going back.

We had been given a voucher for afternoon tea and decided to take two family members along. The hotel reception looked pretty and festive and we were seated quickly in the conservatory. We were given time to peruse the menu, three of our party decided on the Abbot’s tea and one had the Knight’s tea which is more meat based.

We were a party of seven and had booked afternoon tea and carols ...what can I say ...staff very attentive and pleasant...it was held in a large marquee just to the back/side of the main building ...it was beautifully decorated ..all round tables plenty of room around the tables to move about ...toilets very good and a bar available for alcoholic drinks /mulled wine ...tea and coffee topped up throughout the afternoon...sandwiches also topped up a good variety of fillings and a great choice of cakes ...great scones too !

Amazing weekend , amazing hotel , as you enter the hotel your entering a different world , stunning decor , the staff are very friendly and the food perfect, i cannot recomend enough , you will be very pleased if you decide to stay , we had a feature room which i would recomend, l have aready decided to book again after the new year , i cannot recomend this hotel enough .

A group of four went, along with a baby and a toddler. The staff were lovely and accommodating to our different needs. Beautiful setting. Will return!

Lovely afternoon tea for hubby’s birthday. Enjoyed all the food options which was a surprise for me (fussy eater). Staff were so friendly. The grounds are also worth a visit.