Garden Room at The Principal York Hotel in York

I was at the hotel early morning ahead of a conference and wanted tea and toast although not a resident. A young waiter called Abdul was very helpful and although his lounge section was not open for drinks etc at 7.40am he assisted and organised both for me. A professional , helpful and informative waiter who should be recognised for his service. Thanks again - it certainly left a positive impression with me about the hotel.

I had wonderful tea and scones At The Principal yesterday, the scones were delicious and the service was superb. I thank Irene for her warm welcome and attention. I shall be back again. Thank you for making a memorable and enjoyable experience.

All things considered we really enjoyed the afternoon tea here with family. The garden room is beautiful with ornate decoration and clean white tablecloths ready for a great experience. The thing that let this down was the service. No one bothered coming to see us as we waited for a welcome at the entrance. Staff milling around but no acknowledgment at all and it didn't seem like the sort of place you could go wandering. The afternoon tea was delicious with a lovely array of sweet treats, scones, sandwiches and quiche. This part of the service was great. We had a short time to spare before having to leave so decided to get another drink. We were left menus and were informed the server would be back in a couple of minutes. We never saw her again!!! Another member of staff was behind the bar folding serviettes and we spent at least 10minutes trying to attract his attention. An extra drink now out of the question timewise, we still struggled to get the bill which made us feel disappointed in the attention or lack of it. An improvement in the service is desperately needed.

I booked for 3 adults for 12.15 on Tuesday 13 February 2024. On arrival there was no meet and greet at the entrance to the Garden Room,we were ignored by the staff on duty.After several minutes of trying to catching a staff members eye I went to what I assume was a bar counter where people were waiting to order food,no table service.After waiting my turn I spoke to a young chap who was distinctly un interested,rude and abrupt.Although I had booked for 3 we were 4 and I asked if we could have an extra seat.I was pointed (but not shown)to a table that was set for 3 but had seating for 6.On seating I had to ask several times for an extra setting explaining that we wanted cutlery and a napkin.I ordered our food at the counter.The food service was disjointed and I had to asked for some items several times.One young young lady serving was pleasant but she seemed to be carrying the rest of the team who seemed work shy.Supervision was absent although several suits wafted through the area seemingly oblivious to the situation.When I went to pay I was proffered the card machine by the same male who seemed fixed to the counter and told to tap,as the bill was in excess of £100 I explained I would need to insert it and enter my code.Get your bank to increase your credit limit was the rather rude reply.I would choose to visit this hotel nor recommend it which is a pity as the food was fair to good.When the food and beverage offer is so crucial to ahotels commercial success it’s a pity they are getting it so wrong in service terms.

Beautiful elegant setting unfortunately not refined service we have stayed at this hotel before and have had the same problems with the service in the garden room this time we just popped in for drinks after spending the day in york and were going to book a future overnight weekend here but our visit yesterday put us off totally the tables had not been cleared and it look untidy and messy , we ordered a pot of tea cappuccino and a hot chocolate after waiting for a good half an hour we were told the coffee machine had broke but would get it sorted soon when the drinks arrived (two of them) the hot chocolate was like brown water and my pot of tea was lukewarm the cappuccino never arrived we sent back the hot chocolate for a replacement which once again was like water just awful when we asked when the cappuccino would arrive it eventually did i but t was a plain lukewarm coffee I managed to spot a manager whom I told about our poor experience but she never came to speak with us or offer apologies we did tell a member of staff we would pay but we're very unhappy and we received a 20%discount very poor service and we won't be visiting or staying again shame because it looks the part but is not up to the standard you would expect whether you are simply relaxing with a coffee or having afternoon tea you would expect the same level of service

I came to York travelling for few days. The food was great, various choices and well served . However I think this hotel need to pay more attention at maintenance. There is a night that hot water suddenly run out . After calling to the front desk, I realized that the boiler was broken and no hot water for bath for the night . Luckily I didn’t go to the gym and sweat a lot. But then I have to take a cold shower like those people in the Middle Ages. Using the kettle to boil water. Fortunately they still have electricity and WiFi. What I appreciated is that they respond to the problem quickly and the boiler is fixed the next day.

Such a beautiful elegant room and setting. Met our friends who travelled up to celebrate birthday/engagement. The staff were amazing and provided a very tasteful celebration desert plate. Thoroughly recommended - none of us wanted to leave!!!

I wanted to take a moment to share my absolutely wonderful experience at The Principal York hotel. Recently, our team had the pleasure of utilizing the hotel's facilities for a business meeting. The meeting room provided for our event was spacious and well-equipped The attention to detail in setting up the room was impressive, ensuring that our meeting ran smoothly and efficiently. What truly stood out, however, was the remarkable catering service provided by The Principal York. The selection of food and beverages offered was not only delicious but also beautifully presented. I want to give a special shout-out to Sophie, the server in the restaurant. Her dedication and professionalism were truly remarkable. Despite the size of our group, Sophie managed to provide exceptional service with a genuine smile. She anticipated our needs, ensured that every request was promptly met, and added a personal touch that made our dining experience truly memorable. Many thanks to Sophie in the restaurant, Sophie E who made our booking and the whole team at The Principal York.

The hotel and room were fine for one night to attend a conference the next day. There had been a mix-up over rooms, not the hotel's fault, and I was checked in manually. I paid for the parking and gave them the registration. Three weeks later, I received a parking fine, no problem I could send a copy of the receipt showing I had paid. Appeal rejected! The letter explained that the terms and conditions are displayed in the car park saying you had to pay, however as a gesture, they would reduce the fine to £20. I could appeal more time etc., even if you pay if they do not have the registration, you are fined. I paid the £20

Staying at the hotel and was looking for a quiet place to do some work and have a mid day snack. Ordered the hummus with grilled flatbread and some olives along with a glass of champagne and sparkling water. Order was taken quickly. Slow to receive my champagne. Champagne was tepid, not cold/proper temp. Food arrived quickly and was unremarkable with the exception of a few rotten olives. After the delivery of my food, not a single soul came back to check if everything was ok. I sat with an empty glass of both water and champagne and dirty dishes on the table for over an hour. I don't normally write reviews, but I am still sitting here waiting for someone to bring a bill or even acknowledge my existence. Absolutely horrible service. On par with the room issues I suppose. Stark contrast to my earlier experience at the Grand Hotel.

Prachi, Anna, Abdur were excellent. They served us well and were excellent. Thank you to you all. (6/6/23) The food & service were superb! We are back again today (9/6/23)

we only had hot drinks and sandwiches because you have to pre book at reception for the afternoon tea. the service was not good second visit waited 40 minutes no one came to take are order so we left the garden room not happy ☹️I must say the restaurant we had a fantastic meal birthday celebration 🥂🎂 service was fab also the breakfast enjoyed 😋

Had a lovely evening meeting family helped by AJ who hosted us really well. Service was really good.

We booked Afternoon Tea at the fabulous hotel as a bit of treat. Turns out this is a new offering and all those booking afternoon tea in April get a glass of champagne thrown in as part of their new promotion. What a great start. We were greeted on arrival by name which was a nice touch. The whole experience was of the highest order. Great food excellently served and real professional service from Anna and AJ. Highly recommended

I had great service today by a lovely young woman called AJ who was very chatty and personable. 5 star service thank you!

Lovely afternoon in the Garden Room. Good ambiance, lovely food and great service from AJ. Thank you!

So my fiancé and I bought breakfast for Valentine’s Day morning on the day we checked in. It’s quite expensive 14 pounds per person and a lot of money to be shoved into the bar area instead of the conservatory (when there were plenty of two person tables available in the conservatory) by a blonde, miserable, rude woman. I found her hospitality skills a zero. I know it was Valentine’s Day however it was no need to give us a bad time. Luckily my fiancé and I saw the funny side of it. I did notice a lot of the staff snapping at each other as well and very publicly. They could do with trying to make our day rather than dishing out their problems on us as I think we would choose to pay 25 pounds for a breakfast at The Grand next time. Lovely hotel and surroundings though, the rooms could do with being refurbished, however nice bathroom. Other than that we enjoyed our stay

Went for Sunday Lunch at the Principal Hotel York We had our meal in the Refectory restaurant.which is a beautiful addition to the wonderful hotel.which use to be the Station Hotel,which dates back to the late 1800,s.We had the roast beef and roast pork,which was...

No parking as sold to Mercedes corporate do.!! Not sure if I recall that when I booked with disabled wife! Resteraunt only 6 parties, we left after 1 hour as no food. What a joke. “They had a big do on” so what? , you...

My train was due to leave York at 20:01, and left at 21:23. Despite having to change at Doncaster and not getting to London until past midnight (with the prospect of not returning to my home in Brighton at 02:30-3:00 in the morning!), I was...

Met a business contact for a drink in the Garden Room Restaurant, which was very nice. I paid for parking on the Ringo App (£6.50 for two hours) but unfortunately it defaulted to my old car registration by accident. Then received a Penalty Notice and...

Sunday lunch for me & my husband - we expected great things from a prime hotel in York but were very disappointed. It started when we arrived at the Refectory (which we had booked) After waiting about 10min a young man came over. We told...

Not sure about the ‘garden’ in Garden room, thought we would be outside/conservatory, instead a very large ornately decorated room at the front of hotel. Met up with girls, who were seated around the largest coffee table I’ve ever seen, so difficult to chat, asked...

Great for sitting quietly, reading or just to enjoy the room. Can be used by businesspeople and large groups can dominate and spoil the room for residents

Absolutely dreadful visit to what was supposed to be a visit booked in another restaurant within the hotel however this was falsely advertised and upon arrival the restaurant which had been booked through a member of staff was actually closed. One male member of staff...

Visited for afternoon tea on Friday the 21 August, very nice room and decadent food, great server. Nice little treat.

I think tehre were 15 different things to eat... you can ask for adoggy bag. The quality was very high but they should use real tea leaves rather than a teabag.

My wife and I visited following a long drive up to York. The hotel is very pretty with some lovely architectural touches throughout, the garden room itself was lovely and relatively well spaced. The staff were very friendly and we arrived at a good time...

I visited today with my Mum as a surprise for her birthday. It was absolutely lovely. The Garden room is beautifully decorated, and had comfortable seats and nice tables by the window. The afternoon tea was really tasty, and there was a huge amount of...

I have eaten here on numerous occasions but on this visit, the service was dire. We sat for about 20 minutes and no one came near so I left my seat to go and find a waiter/waitress but no one was in sight. It seemed...

Afternoon tea for four. Treat for a work colleagues retirement. I’m not a big tea drinker however, we all agreed the tea was grim! Too weak, although the waitress kindly added another spoonful of tea to our teapots. It was breakfast tea according to the...

The hotel is beautiful, we had booked afternoon tea as a surprise for our friend. We seemed to have a good selection on viewing the menu when we sat down. However it was noted to be different to what we had seen advertised when we...

had afternoon tea on wednesday with a friend for xmas and decided to treat ourselves as i had been before and thought the setting was lovely. afternoon tea and 2 coffees took 2 1/2hrs, it was 25mims before we ordered and that only happened because i went over to ask someone to take our order. we eventually got our afternoon tea and ordered a 2nd set of coffees, which had to be chased several times!! the clotted cream for the scones was hard and crumbly so we asked for fresh which returned warm (obviously been in the microwave) and was runny and curdled in the middle. we both then complained separately via the ‘contact us’ on the website and 4 days later still no response!! there were plenty of staff and it wasnt full, my only guess is they were all new for xmas. tbh after that we wont return again

The massive ambience and style was spoiled by my rarebit.Staff would do well to visit Betty's to view theirs. Compared to Betty's, the Garden Room one is about a fifth the size, dried up, virtually no cheese, just a few small blobs, no flavour and £8.95, which is disgusting for 2 small ovals of bread.Avoid or go to Betty's for your rarebit.

Great service in an impressive room with lovely views ( inc York Minster). Tasty selection of savoury dishes, sandwiches, scones and cake - with plenty left to bring home. A favourite for afternoon tea in York.

I'm sorry to write this review as I have been here several times before, but I have no idea what has happened to basic standards. Just been to the Garden Room for lunch with my parents, and what a disappointment. It's a beautiful room, but spoilt by filthy table tops (for which we had to ask for a tablecloth), crumbs on chairs, scruffy and worn menus, and slow, surly service.I ordered a cheese and ham toasted sandwich but was presented with a smattering of rarebit on a very thin piece of sourdough toast, with not a slice of ham in sight. When I questioned this, I was told it was indeed what I had ordered, even though it was patently not. I appreciate my request had come from the Bar Menu, and not that of the Garden Room, but it is only down the corridor, and I would have rather been told that it was unavailable than pay a lot of money for something I didn't ask for.My parents, repeat customers, are currently staying at the Principal and have reported that it took 25 minutes to get a cup of tea at breakfast, and that a request for Christmas pudding to follow dinner last night took so long, that the order was cancelled. A real shame. You need to up your game Principal, especially with The Grand on your doorstep. P.S. - Please would you also ask someone to water your Garden Room Christmas tree, at this rate it won't make it to Christmas Eve.

Enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea here with family, the sandwiches were tasty, the scones were lovely and light with a good selection of cakes on offer, all in all good value for money. I would recommend

A haven rereat from the busy streets of York. During the Christmas period you may need to book and it is a little expensive but a lovely treat. We had 2 cream teas which was tea or coffee and 3 small scones and cost around £10 per person.

Came to York for a day’s Christmas Shopping, and booked Afternoon Tea here in the Lounge, as we have stayed here previously.The savouries were fine, but the 3 tiny scones were rock hard and inedible. I called the waitress over and asked her to feel the scones and she did. She said ‘I’ll take them back to the kitchen and get you fresh ones’ Two minutes later she came back with 3 exactly the same scones, red hot from the microwave. Obviously softer, but certainly not crisp on the outside. Not the kind of thing you expect to happen in this hotel, and it will be the last time we visit. We’ll stick to The Grand in future, were we had eaten lunch earlier.

Booked afternoon tea for six as a surprise for my Sisters 70th after booking online I rang the hotel to confirm and when I said it was a surprise 70th she said she would provide a nice window table and decorate it. On arrival we got neither, when I asked why I was told had no record and could only seat four in the window even though there were two tables there with four seats each. The young waitress tried her best but I was so disappointed. The table was booked for 4pm first part didn’t arrive till 4.25pm the rest didn’t arrive till 4:50pm. We were handed a laminated card showing the food but it was not what was on the menu or hotel website which I thought we would be having. The waitress did say she had spoken to her supervisor about my disappointment but it would have been nice if she had bothered to come and apologise in person. The food wasn’t very nice the worst afternoon tea we all agreed and we left most of it. Wish I’d booked elsewhere.

Bought a voucher for afternoon tea as part of my sisters birthday present via Yorkshire Food Guide for her, myself and our mum – thought it would be a nice treat on a cold, dreary Sat afternoon in November. Firstly, she had trouble booking – from the voucher you needed to call, the first attempt she was trying to get through to the Principal for a good 15 minutes and when she finally did, they said they’d need to call her back. A day passed and she heard nothing, so she called again. Reception trying to transfer to the garden room and once again, it took an age. Finally she managed to speak to someone and get us booked in for Sat 16 Nov at 13.30. She was so passed it by this time mind, that she couldn’t even face telling them that we don’t eat shellfish or cheese! So we knew this could be challenging on the day.Arrived at 13.05 and didn’t expected to be seated to eat arriving 25 minutes early however, we didn’t expect the cold welcome (well, lack of that we got)! We waited by the entrance of the garden room and a young waiter was flying towards us with two starter plates in his hand, he looked up and said “give me a sec and I’ll be back” – he seemed really agitated, there was no hello nothing, we hadn’t even managed to open our mouths to speak at this point! Another waiter then appeared and we explained that we were early and had a booking at 13.30, he looked at his watch and said “yes, you are early, can you go and take a seat over there” gesturing behind us to a seating area. There we sat until 13.35 and realised they would not be coming to get us, so we got up and went back over to the entrance to be seated (we hadn’t even been offered a drink whilst we waited for 30 minutes)! Now that we were back, the same waiter that gestured us to the seating area 30 minutes previously approached us, he didn’t mutter anything but gave us the most rude eye-roll as if we were inconveniencing him by coming back! He looked around the garden room, walked infront and pulled out a chair which, we took as this is where we’d be sitting! He didn’t say a word and with that he was gone! The crazy thing is, the table he sat us at had been empty for the 30 minutes we were in the sitting area! Why couldn’t we have just been seated and had a drink here whilst we waited for 13.30?Now sat down we waited and we waited and then a young female waitress flew towards us with some menus and laminated cards – explained the menus had the loose teas in but to ignore the afternoon tea menu in here, as they were still offering their Autumn one off the laminate! Straight away we spotted cheese in the starter and in one of the sandwiches which, my mum cannot eat. We asked if there were any alternatives to the sandwich fillings and she said no. After a short pause she said she would go and ask chef. She came back to advise they could provide a salad to replace the starter that contained cheese and an olive tapenade sandwich to replace the cheese one. We went with this and ordered one earl grey tea and two English breakfast teas. A further lengthy wait ensued and then she appeared with a tea pot in each hand to which she asked if we needed milk – we said yes please and we got “I’ll go try and find you some” ?! FIND you some, like we had just requested something so alien to accompany a cup of tea?! It was at this point she also needed to return with the tea strainers (as it is loose leaf). Why a hotel of this stature does not train hospitality staff in the use of trays to bring the tea/milk/tea strainers all in one go is baffling.Starter plates were then brought and 5 minutes later the starter stands, it was then that we had to ask for more tea – as the waits had been so long up to this point that we were thirsty plus, the pot of tea for two only did 2.5 cups in total between us! The starters were really tasty, especially the pumpkin soup however, extra tea spoons for this would have been useful. Instead we had to use the ones from our cups of tea!The cakes and sandwiches then came and it was a brilliant selection, the three scones were so tasty and the macaroon was out of this world. Apple tart, battenburg and chocolate cake also featured and were all delicious. There were three staff members in total and all the while we were eating not one of them came over to ask if everything was okay, or if we wanted any more drinks! By the time we were at the end of the food, two of the staff members were just at the back of the room clearing off a bar point which, when we walked in was full of dirty pots etc. When they were seen in the room, they were dashing around looking really agitated. The atmosphere of the garden room was tranquil but the staff made you feel somewhat on edge and like you were inconveniencing them been there.We stood up and put our coats on and not a single staff member to be seen or look up from what they were doing – we left the voucher on the table and walked out.We have had a number of afternoon teas in/around York Harrogate and Leeds from all different kinds of establishments – from the likes of the Sky lounge at the Hilton, Bettys, Weetwood Hall, Cosmo, Crowne Plaza to name but a few but this one was not the experience I was hoping for when I purchased it via Yorkshire Food Guide. The staff are certainly lacking the basic hospitality skills for customer facing roles by means of interacting in a polite and professional manner and they really could do to challenge their inner swans; calm on the surface, paddling like crazy underneath instead of the all the crazy paddling on the surface that we were subject to on Saturday, along with the rudeness from the two male staff members.

This is what a lounge and garden room should be like. Spacious chairs, ample tables, a choice of sitting on sofas with low coffee tables or more formal tables and chairs. I have been back twice recently - for a very comfortable coffee and cake mid-afternoon relaxation, thinking that an afternoon tea here would be very nice. Service was a little sow although it was not particularly busy. Catching the ey of waiting staff seemed far too tricky for a place like this, but then someone appeared and all was saved. The second visit closer to late breakfast time is a confusing time I found. Breakfast coffee drinkers are lingering, coffee and cake people have not quite started to arrive. And the coffee seemed to be self service not table service with little choice. Could I find anything on the website to clarify? Afternoon tea time gets busy and I know you can book a table but I prefer the quieter times. I hope they start giving people like me a bit more information when I can go and enjoy this lovely garden room.

My wife and I stayed at the hotel and had lunch in the garden room it was amazing. Fantastic service great food. We never had the tea and cakes but they looked fabulous. So on our return we will definitely have that.

Sandwiches very lacklustre, the waitress was extremely miserable and surly and this was reflected in the atmosphere. Would have preferred China tea service for a start. Have been for much better afternoon teas and will not be returning...... you seriously need to up your game and make changes that have been mentioned in this review and previous ones.....

Visited as part of a baby shower party and couldn’t be more impressed! The staff were lovely, organised, friendly and knowledgable and the food was amazing. As a vegan, I’ve had some shocking afternoon teas and this was sooo good! There was a good selection of sandwiches, soup, cakes and vegan scones and coconut cream. Would 100% recommend to anyone, but especially vegans who miss out on afternoon tea!

Although we did not have the full afternoon tea, we did have a cream tea which was the perfect way to relax after a busy day exploring. Portions (Three scones, jam and clotted cream) were just the right size and the tea was perfect.

My wife and I were celebrating a wedding anniversary and together with our daughter enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea in the beautiful setting of the Garden Room.We had some dietary requests which were not a problem for the staff.We were very impressed with the sandwiches and very tasty cakes and scones which are all made by the hotel chefs.This has to be one of the best places for afternoon tea in this part of Yorkshire.We would like to to give a special mention to Lauren who could not have done more to make our anniversary so special.

Bought by our daughter as gift. Warm welcome on arrival from staff who explained afternoon tea asking if we had any dietary requirements. Pre tea nibbles, small cup of cauliflower and celeriac soup, smoked salmon and tiny warm sourdough bun. Substantial sandwiches, 3 small scones with jam and clotted cream. 4 cakes/ pastries. Lots of hot tea and coffee. Unable to eat it all so presented with proper cake box to bring rest home. Many thanks to all staff including gentleman who offered assistance when I was climbing steps.

The room was lovely but the experience of afternoon tea was mixed.The tea tasted disgusting and was a grey colour. The China was very plain. Teabags not leaves.The service was poor.You only got two sandwiches each which was poor. But the cakes were fabulous!

Hmmmm! Where to start? The garden room was elegant! Crisp white table cloths and napkins! Smart waitresses! But the crockery?? yes crockery not China?? A real let down the type you would expect to find in cheap cafe! The glasses straight from the dishwasher and not polished so smeared! Oh yes the food. The starter was a real treat the soup delicious! The sandwiches! Only two fingers each on thick sliced bread one coronation chicken and one cheese and pickle!! Not very imaginative where was the beef and horseradish, the home cooked ham, the smoked salmon etc etc?? The scones were delicious and the variety of three different ones very good with plenty of jam and cream.. the sweets were good though less with more savoury’s would have been better! £23.50 pp seems excessive for cheese sandwiches!! We have been for afternoon tea at several other places and have had better!

Nice enough food; pleasant if a little casual service; nice room and atmosphere. Poor attention to detail for the price though. Glass dirty, cup had stain, chips in teapot, dirty marks on table cloth from the teapots, just a bit disappointing. I wouldn't go back.

We only stayed here in the Hotel for one night and would return.The hotel is lovely. Very grand. The staff friendly and the rooms just right.The Breakfast very nice with plenty to choose from. The only thing I would say is that it could have been hotter.Steve & Debbie.Harrogate.

We went in to have a coffee and have a look at the hotel next time we were up. Sat in the lounge and waited for a menu but no joy so had to get up and ask for it. Moved tables as wanted to be near a plug and we had to clear it ourselves and the dirty crockery sat on the table we had cleared it to for ages. Drinks took ages to arrive apparently the waitress could not find the decaffeinated coffee.. The hot chocolate had a skin on and was lukewarmI went to the disabled loo near the bar and it was truly filthy. I mentioned to one of the staff and he said it wasn't his job to clean it but he would let someone knowIt looks like a lovely property but they clearly can't get the staff Had a very bad impression and would have been quicker to have gone to Starbucks

We visited here last year and they couldn’t fit us in for afternoon tea so I booked in advance for this visit. After a busy day roaming York we were looking forward to our champagne afternoon tea. We arrived 20 mins early & our table was ready - the room was less than half full. We said we wanted champagne afternoon tea and the waitress left us to read the menu. 20 mins later we were asked to order. 20 more mins before even a drink arrived. The food was tasty but luke warm (soup, mini soufflé) & dry tiny sandwiches (2 fingers each). The cakes were average. We tried to get more drinks but could not attract the staff even when they were in the room. It was still not busy, perhaps 4 tables occupied. We had to look for staff to get the bill and left disappointed. Come on Principal - this beautiful venue deserves great service & attention to detail - not what we got today.

The room here is great, staff were very friendly but the food was mediocre at best. The breakfast was good but dinner was not very good at all. We would go back on a B and B basis but eat dinner elsewhere

Let me start with the good point. The room is beautiful. Very elegant and very comfortable.However, it appears we were either invisible or beneath consideration for being served or even acknowledged. Both members of staff appeared to either look through us or completely ignore us. We were sat in the middle of the room and I’m 6ft 1 so not easy to miss. We didn’t even so much as receive a hello or a smile. After half an hour or so what I assume to be a manager appeared and started to clear tables right next to us... still no acknowledgment or offer of service. Is it self service?? I don’t know! Nothing to say so and know one has spoken to us to tell us otherwise. The end result. We retreated to our room and made our own coffee. Very disappointing.

What a delightful space for afternoon tea. Great choice of teas. Cake beautifully made. Sofas comfy and the architecture as grand as one could want. Marvellous.

What a treat. We love our old railway hotels and The Principle in York was a real treat. Staff were excellent and the room was very grand. Thoroughly enjoyable 2 night break in the wonderful historic city of York. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

The point of the Principal is that it is exclusive and inclusive at the same time. Its imposing exterior exudes exclusivity, yet if you enter through its very clubbable baryou can dine well at reasonable cost under the glass roof of its spacious Garden Room restaurant, which we did on two or three occasions. The Sunday roast was not only very good value, but obviously cooked with reverence for the great Yorkshire pudding, and uniquely presented. The best ever - and we have had a few in our time.

This is the first time EVER my gluten free afternoon tea has been exactly the same (only gluten free!) as my none gluten free fellow diner/s. I’m absolutely blown away. The food was lovely and the attention to detail was amazing. Particular mention should be made of the lemon meringue and chocolate mousse, both were spectacular. Everything was special and the service was fabulous. I was even given a box to take away my uneaten cakes.The hotel is beautiful and the setting is very calm, you really don’t feel you’re only a short distance from the train station, although it was a mid week afternoon so maybe quieter than it would be on a weekend. I would 100% recommend.

Firstly this hotel is beautiful.Although we didn’t stay here we thoroughly enjoyed and afternoon tea with champagne and would recommend.The food was lovely and you couldn’t beat the setting ... you felt you were in a room from Downtown Abbey.Service and food was great and I would consider returning for an overnight stay as from what we saw of the hotel it was stunning.

My husband and I went to celebrate our Golden Wedding Anniversary. We were treated so well by the manageress she could not have done more to make our day special and the food was lovely , we would definitely go again.

We had booked into the Hotel and went into the Garden Room at 5pm on a Saturday afternoon. There was a large party already in the room and lots and lots of tables that had been sat at but not cleared.There was one man popping in and out and randomly cleaning tables but we sat at a lovely table by the window and after 15 minutes no one had come to serve us or even really acknowledged us..... terrible service, which was such a shame as everything looked so lovely.

Over the years we have had many afternoon teas in many locations and I can honestly say that the principals champagne afternoon tea is the best one we've had in Yorkshire.The unusual savoury plate of lamb, pea and fennel sausage roll, smoked trout, mint yoghurt and sourdough crisp and a small cup of creamy potato and leek soup were delightful and delicious. The unusual combination of flavours in the sandwiches were excellent and the scones and desserts were scrumptious.The overall experience was enhanced by lovely surroundings and friendly attentive staff.Would highly recommend a visit to the garden room if in York, we're coming back.

Went here with a friend for afternoon tea and it was amazing! We enjoyed everything and will be recommending to friends looking for somewhere for afternoon tea in York! The service was great and the staff were all lovely!

Beautiful atmosphere & the staff were very attentive. Our waitress explained the menu to us in very clear detail. Beautifully presented food and all of good quality. If you like a good Afternoon Tea this one is well worth the extra expense. Do look up the website & get an idea of the menu as some of the sandwiches are less traditional.

The garden room really is lovely for afternoon tea, particularly our spot in the middle by the window. Matt and Andrea looked after us superbly throughout, and were generous enough to upgrade us all to champagne afternoon tea from the normal one as we were celebrating a birthday. The starter plate was my favourite part, and something a little different from most other teas. The sandwiches were a little dry as the bread was very chunky, but the sweet selection was good. They even boxed up the leftovers for us of what we couldn’t finish. Would massively recommend to anyone coming to York.

I visited recently for long and luxurious Afternoon Tea with a group of friends. My first impressions were great, the Garden Room is beautifully decorated and the staff very helpful. The Afternoon Tea was a special one as it was the York Bloom Festival when we visited but it was similar to the normal menu. We had two savouries as a mini starter and then the Afternoon Tea stand arrived. There are a few sandwiches followed by three small scones and then various cakes. The cakes are to share rather than one of each type per person but there was enough food overall. We were able to order additional pots of tea at no extra cost. A fabulous afternoon!

Turned up without a booking for spontaneous afternoon tea. They happily seated us in a beautifully presented dining room. 23 pounds for 11 items of excellent quality food plus tea and coffee refilled whenever we wanted. Lovely staff added to a great experience. Highly recommended.

What a difference a change of brand has made this wonderful old hotel. From the time of making the booking over the telephone to the moment we left, the staff were friendly and efficient. We were intending to dine out for our evening mealin a city restaurant but changed our mind.It was a decision we did not regret. The food was cooked to order and the service was excellent. A very good wine list help to enhance the meal. Breakfast was also a pleasant experience. This hotel is a great place to use as a base from which to explore the wonderful city of York

We booked the afternoon tea for after our wedding that day and weren't disappointed.. The room and ambience along with the table in the main window were all perfect.. The staff were attentive and informative and the selection of fayre was good. When they found out we had just got married they even gave us free champagne...a lovely touch..Not all the food was eaten and they were happy to pack it so we could take it home... The bad was very stylish too..This might well not be cheap but it was well worth it and there was more than enough to eat.. You get what you pay for and this experience was well worth it

I recently attended with friends an afternoon tea in the Garden room. The Hotel, decor and atmosphere was lovely and welcoming. We had made the reservation about 5 weeks ago and was really looking forward to the visit.The waitress was attentive from arriving to us receiving our food. I was very disappointed to receive 2 finger sandwiches on white bread only, (no brown) one with egg filling and in the other was grated cheese and pickle. For a vegetarian I found it boring and unimaginative for the fillings! However the 3 savouries prior were acceptable. On the middle tier there were 3 different mini scones - was too much, I would of rather had another finger sandwich. The jam looked as though it had been pulled out of a large jar with an ice-cream scoop and consequently looked like a whole beetroot from a distance, obviously not a good quality jam! The cakes were ok, though the lemon sponge was dry. We sat in the room all afternoon and once we had finished our tea the 3-tier serving plates was taken away and we spent a further 2 hours chatting. Not one waiter/waitress asked if we wanted a further drink and then when it came to leaving, I had to search for a member of staff to put a bill together for us. I have had a few afternoon teas in York and I am afraid this is NOT one I would recommend! At £23.50 p.h it was overpriced as it did not meet the expectation of a high quality afternoon tea.

We had to catch train and had a few hours to kill, so we picked this place to have tea. We ordered one full afternoon tea and another pot of tea, because my wife were not hungry enough. The setting was elegant and beautiful. The service was good. But the proportion and variety was limited. The price may not be higher than that in London, but it was toward the higher end in York. And a traditional afternoon tea is usually a better bargain than ordering single items, each costs 7.5 pounds. While it wasn't the sumptuous English tea I had expected, it was an experience of the British high society to have. One piece of advice: ask for a window seat when making reservations, or you won't get it. The hotel is right next to the train station, making it a whorthy option for arriving or departing York by train.

Simply the best afternoon tea in York . It was my granddaughters first birthday. What a lovely experience. The staff and service were impeccable. I took a no 1 candle which they presented on a small cake on a plate they had written happy birthday- such a nice touch . Tea starts with a savoury course followed by perfect scones clotted cream jam and beautiful tiny cakes - all delicious. The garden room is beautifully decorated light spacious and elegant. The whole experience was delightful. A much nicer experience than Betty’s .

I visited on a quiet Tuesday lunch. I had initially tried to book a table, but as I was not wanting afternoon tea, the website would not allow this. On arrival I stood at the entrance and was ignored by 3 members of staff. My friend then decided to stand next to the lady folding napkins to try and get her attention. This failed and a man eventually came over to help. We asked for a table for 2 and as there were many free we were surprised with his reaction that he would need to see if any were available. Only 4 tables had been pre set for afternoon tea. He disappeared and another man eventually came to assist he showed us 2 tables we could sit at. I asked if I could sit in the window and he said no it was only for afternoon tea. This I found interesting as he didn’t know what we were ordering! We sat and waited over 15 mins for someone to take our order. We were just about to walk out when we had our order taken. One table next to us was empty of customers but had dirty plates on. This was not cleared for over half an hour. As it was quiet and there were 4 staff working this is poor.My food was delicious and on this basis I may return and that is the basis I have given ‘stars’ The staff were miserable, didn’t communicate with my table or any other table from what I could see. I stayed for 2.5 hours as service was so slow and in that time the window seat had not been used for afternoon tea. It didn’t even have a table cloth on, so it was obvious it was never going to be used for afternoon tea. At no point did any staff check that we were enjoying our meal. On paying my bill the staff again did not enter into conversation so I felt again unwelcome. On leaving I noticed the Chapter bar lively and it had a better atmosphere, this would have probably been a better choice had it served the food I had wanted. It was mainly males using the bar and as I was with a female friend for a catch up the garden room should have suited us better.

I have recently been in York for meetings and this Garden Room at the principal Hotel was a perfect place to meet people whilst enjoying very comfortable surroundings. Wi-fi works well in here. The daytime menu is limited but includes a good range of teas and coffee, sandwiches and so on. Coffee was good and the sandwiches fresh. I would have preferred a greater vegetarian choice but had egg and that was OK. Prices are fairly steep but you are paying for the ambiance, quality of surroundings and you are not disturbed. Service was discrete and efficient.

we never got chance to sit in here as being there for only 2 days we had a lot to do and every time we came back to hotel it was closed so you had to use the bar

This is a very nice hotel, beautifully decorated and could be so wonderful. It's a shame to have to write such a depressing review. I really wanted the place to be great as I had I invited a friend to come with me here as a treat for his birthday.We both loved the interior decoration, it is really quite something but we were disappointed to notice on our arrival that there are extortionate parking charges for guests who visiting the hotel. I can understand that they don't want rail commuters parking in the hotel car park but almost £10 for two hours is ridiculous. Thanks to the nice young lady on reception who waived our parking charge as we were leaving. We appreciated that. There was no one attending to guests arriving for their reservations. We were ignored for almost 10 minutes while waiting at the Maitre'd's desk before I'd finally had enough and grabbed a waiter to show us to our table. The chap who served us, Woody, was very nice and doing his best. I have no complaints about him at all. A pot of tea for my friend and a small cup of coffee, for me, arrived at the table but our sandwiches and cakes were nowhere to be seen. 15 minutes later they turned up but by then our drinks were luke warm. We had to ask for them to be refreshed. Not a good start. A hotel that is offering afternoon tea should have a waiter walking the room topping up the drinks, sandwiches and cakes, like they do at the Ritz in London or even, dare I say, on a cruise ship. The afternoon tea on Cunard ships is far superior to what we experienced in the Garden Room. The room needs someone to take charge of it instead of the young waiting staff running around like headless chickens. I felt sorry for them as they were evidently trying their best but, sadly, they are not being supported by the management which was completely absent. The food offering was poor in terms of quantity but good in terms of quality. A grated cheese sandwich cut in half and a turkey and cranberry sandwich. The bread was lovely and they tasted nice. There are three small scones per person with clotted cream and jam on the middle tier of the cake plate. There were various cakes on top and a couple of small egg nogs, which tasted very nice. I think that the food would have been enough if there had been more sandwiches. It just felt stingy and underwhelming for what I had paid. In total there must be a maximum of £10 worth of food and drink served for a cost of £64 for two people. I was very disappointed and somewhat embarrassed as I really wanted the afternoon to be a special treat for my friend, sadly, it didn't live up to our expectations.

I had recently been to an afternoon tea at the hotel with friends to celebrate my birthday and the afternoon tea at the time was really nice. I have been again since then a few weeks later and they have changed the afternoon tea format to a Christmas afternoon tea. This has meant that there has been a price increase but the actual content of the food was poor. Two small sandwiches each and a small savoury tart, three small scones with jam and cream and 5 cakes plus what was described as a hot chocolate with a cinnamon flavour which came in a small milk bottle with a straw. Unfortunately by the time you got to drink it it was cold. We had to ask for more tea and we weren't asked if we were ok and was everything alright. The price for this was £24.95 each and if we wanted champagne (1 glass each) it was £32. We asked to speak to the duty manager who took an email address and said he would speak to the staff and email that evening. I am still waiting 2 days later for that email. I consider this to be pretty poor and would not recommend this at all.

I attended a school reunion with another 12 today, having booked in advance for the party for Christmas afternoon tea in the Garden Room. Having arrived an hour before our booking we were welcome to gather in the Garden Room,which I must say has been beautifully and tastefully refurbished and hence I had great expectations.This was not to be the case as having been offered several cups of tea we did not actually receive our food until an hour after our booked time and were constantly being told it would be with us within 5 minutes.On delivery of the food we were told it was to be shared between two people which was disappointing as the amount of food consisted of 2 finger sandwiches each (1slice of bread), 1 small savory tart each, 2 miniature scones each with a minute portion of jam and cream , anf 2 minature cakes each and 1 white chocolate and egg nog drink, all for a total of £52 (25.95 each) On querying the amount of food for two people compared to the menu description and the visual description on the on line photo we received a very unsatisfactory outcome from the manageress, stating they had not previously had complaints and constant refusal to accept that the menu and advert description were misleading.Finally the chef attended and agreed to supply extra sandwiches which were appreciated. Finally when the bill came there had not been any reduction for our disappointment and inconvenience and no apologies made. It appears to me that too much money has been spent on the interior and fixtures and short cuts to make a profit on the food.I am sorry to have to comment on this but it was a special occassion and did detract from having an enjoyable experience and results in us not booking for future gatherings.

Very much looking forward to this afternoon tea treat last week with friends. All in all, a bit of a disappointment.Our booking had not been acknowledged so they suggested we eat from sofas and a coffee table but with a little determination we managed to secure a table for four.The first course was excellent with the following courses just adequate. The tea arrived in a very tired looking pot, was just about hot enough and didn’t allow for two cups per person. When we asked for a refill it was obvious they just added water (that wasn’t too hot!) The final ‘brew’ was almost just water!We sat chatting afterwards and no attempt was made by staff to offer to clear our somewhat mucky table.Afternoon tea is served in a beautiful room with views of York Minster, so sad everything else was very mediocre.

Delicious afternoon tea. Brought some Japanese guests with us because they wanted to try a traditional afternoon tea and Betty's had a huge queue. Lovely unrushed tea, sandwiches cakes scones. They even do a children's version which meant the children didn't miss out. My only criticism is we had to keep asking for more tea, it would have been better if they'd kept the teapot topped up. At the price we paid it should have been bottomless.

Whilst the afternoon tea food was nice enough, the service was very poor. We had booked a table for afternoon tea for 9 people as a hen party, and we're still waiting for our first course of food an hour after arriving. The staff were also confused about whether we would get any more tea included in the price which was frustrating as we were waiting for an hour before another member of staff said we could have more tea rather than paying another £5 each.We also had to ask the staff twice before they brought out the main sandwiches and cakes.Given the price of £22.95 each, I wouldn't recommend this afternoon tea based on the service we received

I treat my mum to afternoon tea for her 60th birthday here. Firstly, the interior is stunning. The hotel and garden room itself is beautiful. We were seated next to the window which overlooked a car park (not great but can't be helped I guess) then beyond that was greenery and the cathedral in the distance. The service was on point, very helpful and informative in relation to the foods that we were about to it. We ordered the standard afternoon tea, and were given a plate before the stand came out, which was nice (its not often something like this happens!). This was a savoury starter of a variety of foods, all very good quality. The stand itself was good - 2 sandwiches each - egg mayonnaise, then a ham and what tasted like an aniseed chutney? Very nice though. The second tier consisted of a variety of small scones. In my opinion there was one too many scones.. (3 each) but this is just personal preference. The last tier was full of sweet foods. The one thing that is a bit 'awkward' with afternoon tea (and its only very rare this happens) is that some tend to put just 1 of everything on the plate, so you are left to argue amongst yourselves whose having what food item - this is personal preference though! We had a full plate of food left over so they kindly offered to box it up for us so we could take it home. I've had many afternoon teas over the past couple of years and I definitely wouldn't hesitate coming back here for more.

A lovely visit for birthday afternoon tea. The staff were really helpful and catered to the fact I was dairy free. So much food! Really good price for what you get. The tea was excellent and so was the champagne. Unlike places like Betty's we didn't feel rushed at all and felt we could stay all day.

We visit Friday afternoon as we has dined in the Refectory the night before, the service and friendliness of the team was tremendous. The afternoon tea beautifully presented and delicious.

Trio of scones with jam and cream fantastic. Staff very obliging, will provide things not on menu, very friendly and efficient.

Skip lunch if you want to enjoy the tea. Beautifully presented and prepared. We sat and enjoyed the view of the gardens with the Minster in the distance.

We went there for afternoon tea for a celebration with friends. One of the party was a Vegan, and they had very little food suitable for her. Service was very slow and poor, and the food was very expensive and not particularly special.. Have received much better service and quality in other Hotels in York. Very disappointed.

I often call in here for a coffee or a drink - the prices are reasonable and the service is quick and friendly . There are even small tables in the approach to the foyer which are even quieter - you can pick up a complimentary Yorkshire Post to read with your pot of tea or coffee and have a cake or a full afternoon tea if you are hungry - a world of difference to the chain coffee houses a few yards away - just very nice

Beautiful and tastefully decorated room. You can have great cocktails, cakes and afternoon tea. It is never too busy which is really nice and the staff are fantastic. They have lovely gingerbread houses made too - its very festive!

Do not visit here if you are needing to catch a train. This is a room too looking in, to sit back and admire the gardens and the view of the Minster, to savour coffee and cake or a light lunch or to indulge with afternoon tea. It is light, airy, magnificently high ceilinged. The new decor and furnishings and the opening up of the room to meld with the inner lobby are superb improvements. Service is also uncrushed - it is polite, smiling and willing to please and get everything right for you - ideal for this environment. Please do not come here for a quick coffee or glass of wine before your train because you will anger and miss it! Arrive extra early and pay that little bit more for a coffee and escape the hurly burly of the station and savour those beautiful views this garden room offers. Superb.

Such a charming and welcoming atmosphere! Wonderfully relaxing afternoon tea! After arriving before check in we offered a bite to eat in the Garden Room. It was just what we needed before heading out into the town for a wander. Staff were very friendly and helpful. My 5yr old daughter said it was the best chocolate muffin she's ever had and she's had few! A delightful place to spend an afternoon.

Wow! Beats the queuing outside Betty Tea Rooms ...the service was Excellent standard & the choice of menu for the High Tea was exceptiona. Good Champagne but border line slightly burnt but we enjoyed. Just such a shame they pay staff the minimum wage as they work hard & hotel takes the praise & profit ....

We had afternoon tea and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Great coffee, as we don't drink tea! We are vegetarian and every request was catered for. Our waiter was Liam and he should be congratulated for his friendly, personal and professional service. He has not been at the hotel long but excelled in his job! He even boxed up what we could not eat, so we took it to our room. A perfect afternoon, great food and wonderful service.

Lovely restful afternoon tea in beautiful and relaxing garden room,nice to come in from the hustle and bustle around the station.Service was excellent and afternoon tea very tasty. Would definitely recommend a visit.

My husband and I came here for afternoon tea. The staff were very helpful and attentive. The food was good the sandwiches in particular were very good. The fizz strawberry tart was very nice as well and all was well presented. However the tea came stewed. It was clearly made by someone who doesn't know how to make loose leaf tea as the rather small pots where about half full of leaves. For the price we paid( £22.95 per person) you kind of expect them to get that right. They did replace it when we mentioned to the staff but the tea pots were all chipped and stained. There is a starter plate of three savory items which are frankly all a little bland. The scones were yesterdays from frozen and generally it wasn't worth the price. Go to Betty's its cheaper and the food is more exciting. Again can't fault the staff serving they were excellect.

I was a little disappointed with this afternoon tea. I had rang to book and been passed from a national number to reception. The receptionist was very helpful, but was unsure of the system. She told me it was booked. On arrival their was no record of our booking, however they did accommodate us anyway. We asked if we could have our champagne first, but they brought the tea and coffee first followed immediately by the champagne. This resulted in the hot drinks being cool by the time the food came. After the food was served the service was non attentive and it took us quite some time to ask for some water. Then it took a long time to get the bill.On the positive side we had a voucher for afternoon tea to the value of £50 which was the cost for two at the time of purchase in July. Since then the cost has increased by almost £5 per person. When I pointed out that we had a voucher for afternoon tea and felt they should honour the cost from the time of purchase which was only two months previously, the manager waived the extra £9.00. The Garden room is beautiful and the food good, service needs adjusting.

Popped in for a cup of tea. Service was excellent, tea delicious and having seen full afternoon tea being served, we will be back again soon!

My wife and I, having once lived in UK, were familiar with the wonderful old tradition of High Tea. We had a beautiful table for two by a window and found the wait staff friendly and prompt in responding to our requests. There was a wonderful choice of many different high end leaf teas (no tea bags here), or one could order many different kinds of coffee or hot chocolate. I chose English breakfast tea and my wife ordered a cappuccino. A great range of finger sandwiches were served first, followed by warm, freshly baked scones with fresh cream and jams, followed by some dainty petit fours. Bliss!