Countess of York in York

This place is amazing. The best Afternoon Tea I've ever had. Thank you!

We had afternoon tea at the Countess of York when exploring the National Railway Museum. We were at the museum for a few hours and decided to book tea right there in this historic railways dining car. The experience was lovely, the car enjoyable to dine in, and the meal was great.

Very atmospheric - and great afternoon tea with good service.

Great peaceful setting for afternoon tea. Food was great

We booked for the wrong date and still they let us in next day. The best afternoon tea ever. Highly recomended!!

Took my partner for birthday afternoon tea. Lovely selection of food, including a vegetarian selection.

Lovely setting. Good delicious, beautifully presented. Very attentive staff. We felt as though we were travelling in style in a special environment.

Excellent, friendly service, lovely food wide selection of teas with a choice of coffee and a soothing easy listening piano background.

Really good afternoon tea , professionally served. We really enjoyed the experience

Charming place. It's in the Lyons / Betty's team rooms mould and it does it very well. Excellent food, and very good service. Nice atmosphere and you can go round the National Train museum as well. Whats not to like? Thoroughly recommended.

Lovely atmosphere, great service, the tea and champagne was delicious

Lovely afternoon tea,very good service and surroundings. Would definitely recommend

Beautiful venue felt very special an Edwardian style train carriage which had been sympathetically decorated. The table was set with good quality silverware, beautiful china cake stand, cups and saucers which really set the scene. The customer service was outstanding the young lady who dealt with us was very attentive and professional even though there had been 4 other couples in the same carriage. Good quality cakes and sandwiches, I’m gluten free it was a lovely treat. 5 *****stars loved it and would highly recommend!!!

Me ,daughter and mum had afternoon tea on the countess of york the atmosphere ,food ,service was amazing .It was a magical experience and will definitely be going back .

Scones inedible, poor selection of bought in unimaginative cakes. Surroundings and serving staff very good.

We have had afternoon tea at the Countess of York previously and enjoyed the experience. On this occasion the ambience and service were positive. The scones were inedible and the selection of shop bought cakes was poor. A very disappointing experience. In hindsight we should not have paid

Had a lovely time at the Countess of York. Food was delicious and the atmosphere was very friendly.I really enjoyed it and felt very fancy. Would definitely come again but it’s quite expensive so would probably only come for a special occasion. The only downside was that the sandwiches weren’t really to my taste but that’s more personal preference, not anything against the quality of the food.

This was really poor. I can’t understand how it has positive reviews for bought in cakes, sandwiches and an ice cold sausage roll. I can’t believe how bad it was. Staff were friendly was only positive

What a wonderful experience. Our visit to The Countess of York was a beautiful experience. Lovely staff,delicious food and ambience.

The sandwiches, scones and cakes were of a good standard. It would be useful to see these described in the menu or online (e.g. I would like to know that the cheese came from Yorkshire, and the sources of various ingredients). The menu card is mainly a drinks menu. It would be appreciated if, during really cold weather, the door furthest away from the tables could be used (and signposted). On arrival, we were unsure of the way in.

Menu was not as advertised. Very disappointed. Sandwiches were dry on one side. Tea was offered 10 minutes before food arrived so was cold. No fresh tea offered. Cakes were bite size and very dry. Not good value at all. Came away hungry.

Well this was our 7 visit and we were left disappointed the carriage was run down the Christmas decoration were poor but most of all was the afternoon tea was not good dry sandwiches stale scones and poor service by young girls who had no presence about them unlike other years were we were made to feel welcome and looked after we won’t be back

So very disappointed in the food the service the ambience not at all like other years and there have been several when it was amazing So needless to say we won’t be back and take the chance on stale small sandwiches dry scones and lack lustre cakes

York is one of my favourite cities and I chose it for a reunion with a close friend. She had never visited York before and loved it. The afternoon tea at the Countess of York was a fabulous end to a wonderful visit. The afternoon tea was as well presented and tasty as I've come to expect from previous occasions. I think the afternoon tea at the Countess of York is the best in the city 😃

very disappointed we have been coming for afternoon tea for 3 years and would not book again. Food was not of usual high standard and nothing special limited choice of tea scones were very dry and service was not to the high standard that it was before.

Whet a wonderful experience!!! We spent about an hours here and the tea and food was amazing. The service and attention is 5 stars. Highly recommend.

Waste of money and stale food and not given what the menu online says , rip of totally . Tea was cold buy the time we got our snap .deffo not worth tje money.

It's with regret I'm writing this review as we ( a group of 8 for a 60th Birthday) were so looking forward to the visit. The waitresses were absolutely wonderful and very kind and attentive. BUT the food was awful the sandwiches were dry,the scones tasted like they had been made a week earlier. The whole group of us left most of the food. Maybe it was because we were booked in for later in the day that things were so bad ???. Sorry but we won't be returning but once again thank you to the lovely waitresses x

Great service, Food lovely apart from scones which were a bit on the dry side Plenty of tea, and refills Felt a bit on show as people kept coming to view the menu which was right outside where we were seated

The food was wonderful and lots of it. We had to bring some of it home. It was a lovely experience having afternoon tea n an old railway carriage. Thank you for the experience

A very civilised, ‘old school’ experience. Delightful

This was a special occasion treat & was just perfect. The staff made us feel very comfortable & repeatedly checked that all was ok during our dining experience. Booked in August for late October, be sure to book well in advance.

Was the most lovely atmosphere and decor was perfect. I had a vegetarian option for the afternoon tea, which was nice but had 2xegg and 1 cheese sandwich, would have been nice to have another option. They were delicious though. The scones were lovely and an amazing selection of little cakes. I would have been happy for an extra sandwich or whole fake sausage roll and 1 less cake. I would definitely do this again though, it was a lovely afternoon, coffee and wine were excellent!!

I’m not usually a fan of afternoon tea, but this was lovely. For Railway people celebrating a special occasion, it was the perfect environment in a Railway carriage. The food was fresh and plentiful, but unlike some places, the scones were smaller and left room for the cakes. Service was brilliant. Thank you.

Bought as a gift. Absolutely amazing experience. My husband and I thouroughly enjoyed it and would definitely go back and would also recommend it to other people.

This was a gift from our children and we had lost the voucher however as we had the code they still honoured it. Absolutely fabulous trip, we went around the train museum first and then had afternoon tea. The food was to die for, the service outstanding, loved every second. Would definitely visit again x

Food was fine but not excpetional and the fruit scones tasted stale. The carpet and deco are a little bit tired but the cutlery and crockery were devine. The service was good. It would have been nice to have the waiters able to describe the food to us.

I decided to take my wife here for afternoon tea as part of our anniversary celebrations. Everything was ok but not outstanding. The staff were not very attentive and twice I had to go looking for someone. The sandwiches were ok as were the scones. The top tier of cakes was not very exciting though. The railway carriage is quaint, but not “wow!” and it’s quite small and compact compared to a modern carriage. I wouldn’t rush back there. It was very average, and with Betty’s (which is much, much better than this) and a host of other venues in York, it really should be better than it is if they want return customers.

Excellent food, lovely service in an unusual setting. Really relaxing and enjoyable

Absolutely terrible the food was horrible cute place that’s all I can say. I would never recommend it to anyone ever. Waitress was very sweet the US has better teas than this one. We have been to many teas in the UK this was by far the worst!! Quality of food really bad! It had very high recurs should have gone to Betty’s?

We had a great time. Wandered around the museum for a couple of hours and then had Afternoon Tea in the Countess of York dining car, which was excellent.

A lovely experience with great food! Would definitely recomend.

Lovely inside. Great food but outside presentation requires upgrading

Wonderful afternoon tea, very attentive service, great for a special occasion.

A Champagne Afteenoon Tea for a special birthday for my Mum, this could not have been better! We have had many afternoon teas & this was one of the best...the food was fresh, well prepared, an excellent variety & plentiful. The surroundings are beautiful & reading recent reviews regarding the temperature is just infuriating...exceptional weather in a traditional carriage can't be helped so anyone this precious should stay at home & not tarnish the reviews for such a special place! The main lady serving was fantastic & training another lady who was brilliant too. Can't recommend the Countess of York highly enough!

Myself and 2 year old son enjoyed a wonderful afternoon tea. Everything was perfect. The quality, freshness and preparation of the food was very high. The selection of tea was good. Great attention to detail. Definitely worth the money.

Beautiful surroundings. The afternoon tea was delicious and the people who served us where so lovely. Thank you

Came here for an Afternoon Tea on 27.08.2022 and had a nice experience overall. Carriage is a bit run down but still has vintage charm. Vegan option was good and I was full quite quickly and had options to take home.

Lovely food, brilliant staff. Extremely helpful. Was so lovely to celebrate a birthday

We had a very enjoyable afternoon, and will certainly recommend it to our friends, the relaxing atmosphere, and really good food thankyou.

Pleasant surroundings good service I have had better afternoon teas in York but the food was good

Scones we're like little hard balls. Not fresh and very small. Not worth £25 each

The staff were very friendly and put our service first for our special occasion and accommodated to our needs for the food request. Would happily book again

My husband and I was thrilled to be given a voucher for an afternoon tea for Christmas. We had a lovely time and felt very special amid the beautiful surroundings. The service was excellent, nothing was too much bother The afternoon tea was delicious and when we couldn't manage to eat everything the remaining cakes were packed up safely in a little box and we enjoyed them at home the next day. I would highly recommend it and will be going back.

I have been to the countess before. Having told everyone it’s the best afternoon tea you can have my opinion has changed. No soup to start whereas you were given that. A vegan choice was made for my daughter. How disappointing that was. Cheese sandwiches, no cream for the scones just bland butter substitute and what looked like shop bought biscuits. For the price charged it was a disgrace. I will not be singing your praise anymore.

There are so many more cheaper and better alternatives to this in York!! I booked with my mum and sister as a treat for today and before entering the train we could see sandwiches on a trolley left outside in the hot sunshine (approaching 30 degrees) before which wasn’t very assuring. The train was beautiful and despite what we seen were still looking forward to our afternoon tea. The food arrived and the sandwiches were ok, some of the bread was not very fresh but they were edible. The scones however were completely stale, definitely not fresh and were completely hard - I could only eat my fruit scone but the plain scone was solid I could barely chew through it. We told a member of staff this and she said she would let the chef know, and then never returned. She also agreed they looked more stale than usual. We paid our bill in full to another staff member as I did not want to cause a scene as the staff member was very nice to us, and on such a hot day I did not want to make her day any more difficult but I really do not think it was worth the £76 we paid, especially in York with so many beautiful family run bakery's around, the standard of the scones were appalling. Not only this, I sent this review to Countess of York email address 72 hours ago and have heard no reply. AVOID.

It was just ok, I wasn’t that impressed. First of all it was over 30 degrees inside a v small carriage, and no provision was made for the heat. No open windows or doors, one small fan blowing over no one. The clotted cream was practically milk in the carton, maybe they could have put it on it? Cakes melting on the plate. I know it’s unprecedented the heatwave but it was forecast and so I think some more thought could have gone into the presentation and consequences of the heat. Also it was a very small portion of sandwiches, the 4 minute fingers we were given, would not have actually made up one full sandwich. We asked for more we were happy to pay extra, but they couldn’t make any more. One of the fillings was mashed up corned beef, meat in a tin is not worthy of an afternoon tea in my opinion. There was 4 of us and we ordered cold drinks as an extra, so the bill was over £100, for about 45 minutes as that was all we could stand in the heat, I was underwhelmed.

We were looking forward to afternoon tea on the Countess of York carriage at the National Railway Museum but came way disappointed. The experience started poorly with no tea strainer for the tea and having to ask for the champagne we had paid for. The sandwiches were dry and very small as were the scones. There are much better venues for afternoon tea in York.

Our visit was on a very warm day. The coach is situated in direct sun and the countess carriage had no air conditioning. It was like a sweat-box. They had a small oscillating fan that had no effect what so ever. Tbh we couldn’t get out of there quick enough. In addition the staff were not dressed as they are in the advertised photos, just a pair of jeans and a T shirt. The carriage itself probably was a splendid carriage at some point but a little disappointing now. Although the food was ok it wasn’t worth the money spent. Save your money and go somewhere els. On the plus side you can look around the museum. (Much better place to eat in the museum)

Lovely setting and just a bit different, however the tea itself was disappointing. Equivalent of one round of sandwiches, supermarket bread and a bit stale. Fillings quite nice. Sausage roll was anaemic. Scones dry, cake mass produced and uninspiring. Very limited selection of teas. Very overpriced.

Poor service throughout. No tea strainer, no champagne until we reminded them we had paid for a champagne afternoon tea. Dry and very small sandwiches and scones. Cakes melting in the tea with only one small fan to reduce the temperature. I appreciate that this was unprecedented but no apology was made until we left. Waitress dressed in jeans not smartly dressed as on the promotional information. Overall a very poor experience. I have emailed them to complain but have not received a response.

On a very hot day venue struggled. Food not high quality and query over bill not resolved on day or in email which has not been responded to.

Just ok, the heat was not accounted for, 1 fan blowing on nobody. Clotted cream melted. Sandwich’s per person wouldn’t have make 1 full sandwich, and one was corned beef! Tinned meat is not appropriate for an afternoon tea in my opinion. Its what my Dad ate in 1987! We asked for more sandwich’s, we were happy to pay extra but they couldn’t make any more.

Did not enjoy the experience at all ,no fans in carriage!! sandwiches dry, scones hard as a rock cream runny and cakes melting,did not get asked which tea we would like ,and we had to request it no one interacted with the guests.

The carriage was extremely hot inside, there was one small fan in our vicinity which was inadequate, the temperature was very uncomfortable

Food lacked quality. Very poor tasteless savoury. The coach was not to the standard expected in decor and furnishings. Will not be recommending to others. Unfortunate experience.

This was bought for me as a retirement present and the food and the service were both excellent. The only problem I found was when people were walking up and pressing their heads against the windows, and in one case through an open window whilst we were dining. It should be made clear via a sign or something what is actually happening.

The afternoon tea itself was lovely great selection and the atmosphere was fabulous. The service was good however the ladies must have to prepare for the next sitting in between. As when we were ready to pay it took a while for the lady to come back to us. Also the China could do with an update as it had a few chips in the bases of the cups etc.

A nice touch with an “Orient Express” feel but not the best Afternoon Tea we have had in terms of food quality, but it was OK and something a little different. An improvement would be to serve a pot of hot water with the tea so that you don’t need to request it afterwards since there was only one person serving and she was quite busy.

Its a nice idea converting an old railway carriage into a dining area, although we were seated near a dustpan & brush, & a very modern laptop was in our eyeline! Food was mainly good, although the scones weren't fresh- possibly because it was a Sunday booking? Cutlery was nice quality, & plentiful, although we had to ask for some sugar. Service was very cheerful. Definitely a good place for the tourists, although as a local, I can think of better venues for afternoon tea, especially at the price charged.

A railway carriage as described in literature which was charming. A good selection of food although to be honest I have had better scones which were a bit solid! Our host was friendly and helpful. This afternoon tea was a gift but I would go again when visiting the railway museum.

Absolutely fantastic experience, the staff were so friendly and helpful. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience 😎👍

The bread was dry and tea cups badly stained It was my 4th visit, its always been my "go to" for afternoon tea in York however I was really disappointed this time around.

Very nice little treat Service was excellent Food was nice

My friends and I had a good afternoon tea in style.

We celebrated my husband’s birthday with afternoon tea. We enjoyed the food very much - fresh sandwiches and light cakes. We put in a request for more of one type of sandwich than the others and they honoured that request.

We have had an afternoon tea here many times and it is one of our annual highlight of our holiday. Never fails to impress. Unfortunately this year's visit was very disappointing. Normally there is a menu describing the sandwich fillings and desserts, and the waitress will talk you through the fillings and flavours etc. This was not available this time so we had no idea what we were eating. That didn't matter too much as the sandwich fillings were very basic and dry, tuna, egg, processed ham! Normally the fillings are much more adventurous and delicious. Usually there is a cold soup, or savoury mousse to start, this was also missing, as was the shot glass containing a fruit posset as part of the desser. No fresh tea, just t bags. We asked why all the above was, and were told its because of a menu change apparently. It's a shame, as it used to be the best afternoon tea we've had.

We looked forward to this afternoon tea having read some excellent reviews. On balance our experience fell short of what we expected having seen the photos on the website. All the seats were taken and the atmosphere was good. The service was speedy and the member of staff was happy and polite, delivering everything requested and checking to make sure everyone was alright. The sandwiches were rather disappointing, something noted on another July review and looking at the website again after our visit we wondered if some items, which had not been provided, had been removed as a result of a menu change. For many visitors to the NRM (and York) this venue provides something completely different to experience but we felt some aspects need improving/reviewing to justify the price.

I was really looking forward to this as afternoon tea is my favourite thing to do. Firstly the warm welcome of your employee was fantastic. She was a lovely woman who involved my 5yr old with the day, she was warm and friendly and an absolute credit to you, please pass in my warmest regards. Unfortunately the food was lacking, the scones were stale, or at least very hard and I doubt we’re fresh that day, which really spoiled it. The sandwiches were ok and you had taken note of my dietary requirements which i was very pleased with. Some of the other cakes were lovely, but a couple more also felt stale / old. On balance I think it was very expensive for what we got and I’d be unlikely to attend again.

Kit was a very attentive and efficient host. Lovely afternoon tea, thank you!

What a lovely experience! We really enjoyed our afternoon tea at the Countess of York. The staff were excellent - so lovely and accommodating! We required a gluten free option for a coeliac and also wheelchair access and everything was tailored to our requirements. We were celebrating a friend’s 90th birthday and it was a perfect afternoon. Thank you!

What a lovely experience! We really enjoyed our afternoon tea at the Countess of York. The staff were excellent - so lovely and accommodating! We required a gluten free option for a coeliac and also wheelchair access and everything was tailored to our requirements. We were celebrating a friend’s 90th birthday and it was a perfect afternoon. Thank you!

Really enjoyed the experience. Food was plentiful and the tables were well spaced out. Good atmosphere and tasty food.would recommend.

Nice surroundings but a little bit cramped, staff where helpful. Sandwiches were fresh but the cakes and scones were not. Overall a nice experience.

I think the idea is lovely, however, I think the food let’s this down a bit - the sandwiches were a bit hard as if they had been out for a while - the selection of cakes were ok but again not the best selection for all tastes. Loved the atmosphere though.

Thought would be on a platform. Approach dirty. Nice table but row of computers spoils it. Wine expensive and did not have two types. Tea not worth £52. Sandwiches dry and only egg, cheese and pickle and cheap packet cheese and ham. Sausage rolls just a wad of meat. Scones really dry. No butter and clotted cream in a cheap carton as was jam. Cake selection poor . People serving need to be dressed as waitresses. We were only ones there and 8 people not turned up. Friend went to Tickled Tree at Castleford. Paid £20. Compare that Afternoon Tea to what we got.

I was shocked and upset when a member of staff came to our table and pronounced in front of all other customers ' you have not paid!' As all the customers then turned round and looked over towards us my face and pure embarrassment must have lit up the room. I could have crawled under the table and died. This meal was a gift from my son and was paid when booked in the form of a voucher under his name of 'Nick' which was not checked until we were eating. Was it not possible to ask me to go to reception to explain the situation instead of the total distress caused at the table, I could not wait to get out of the place.

A lovely afternoon tea that was presented beautifully. A lovely setting with some light music in the background that was relaxing and easy going. Would thoroughly recommend. All the food was excellent.

Need somewhere different for your afternoon treat? Outstanding with the N R M as a back drop.

Setting is lovely, staff helpful and friendly but let down by the food. Scones and cake did not seem to be fresh (hard). If this was improved it would be 4 stars.

Had to wait outside in the cold until the tables had been prepared. The table was far too small for two people. Food was very poor overall, especially the "sweet" plate. Poor choice of teas. Expensive for quality of food on offer.

Very enjoyable overall. A welcoming atmosphere. The stewardess was smiling and pleasant. We were asked very quickly about our choice of beverage and were served. The food did not appear until about 25 minutes after arrival, by which time we had consumed most of our tea/coffee. The food was good and well served. I appreciated that note had been taken of my booking request about the sandwich choices. Notably, the sausage roll was excellent and the cheesecake delicious. The stewardess did not appear again and we were not asked if all was ok or if we needed anything else. Our drinks by this time had gone cold. These are small areas for improvement. Thank you.

Food and service were great. My only criticism is that non-dining visitors to the museum were allowed to wander INTO the carriage (restaurant) to gawk at diners, - phone ready to capture photos- which was a little awkward and off-putting for those trying to eat in peace.

Lovely old railway carriage. Very friendly service. Good food. Catered for a food allergy very well. I'd recommend it.

Lots of choice for drinks. Delicious fresh food. Everything we ste or drank was very tasty. Scones were lovely. It's a personal preference, but we would have preferred a couple more savoury items. We were definitely full by the end.

We have been several times to celebrate my husband’s birthday and there has been some small recognition of this, not this time. I had included the information in my booking. Only a small thing but disappointing nonetheless. Being ultra picky, the sugar bowl and tongs were tarnished. Apart from that, very pleasant.

the staff were friendly the location was easy to find the food was very nice there was no noise it reminde you of times gone by would recommend to a friend.

It was a lovely treat, a pleasant environment and delicious tea

We loved having afternoon tea here for my hubby's birthday. The food was lovely and a lovely breakfast tea served in a silver tea pot lovely and hot. You are very aware of other diners around you as carriage is very small but sweet. I did imagine it to look something like the orient express but it was lovely.

Disappointing Have had tea here before a few times, which has always been splendid. This time it was not at the same level. Wrong tea served, small dry scones, poor selection of cakes, and one server who needed to have her tied the hair back.