Scotney Castle Tearoom in Tunbridge Wells

After queuing for at least 30 minutes I ordered a takeaway Tuna sandwich coffee & cake, paid & waited at the till, if I’d have had the sandwich to eat in it would have come with a small side salad & coleslaw which it didn’t, I asked if I could purchase a small pot of coleslaw whilst still standing at the till area & waiting for coffee? & told I’d have to start & queue again!! I have a walking aid so this wasn’t an option. I appreciate how busy it was yesterday as I have worked in the same kind of establishment for many years. Also the additional 15 pence for a takeaway cup is appalling.

A typical National Trust Tearoom serving the usual good National Trust snacks and cakes. The staff are very friendly and helpful and, when it's busy, do their level best to make sure that you don't have to wait too long. Plenty of seating both inside and outside, which is both wheelchair and pushchair friendly, and clean toilet facilities are just around the corner. Dogs are allowed at the outside tables.

Very grumpy serving staff and they all seemed a bit fed up with customers.All a bit chaotic and food choices not very appealing.Had tea and a bit of carrot cake I think it was but very average.Shame, as it’s such a potentially lovely spot.Maybe we caught them on a bad day.

Unfortunately not usual NT standards. Waited 30 minutes for soups and cornish pasty which only arrived after 3 reminders and being told on one occasion it had already been taken to the table. Lots of staff about so that didn’t seem to be a problem. Both inside cafe and outside there were a large number of wasps which nearly made eating impossible. There were even wasps caught under cake covers on the counter. I am a fan of NT cafes so this was disappointing. Clearly a big wasp problem as well.

Arrived at 3.30pm . Not much left to eat with our afternoon tea. Inside tea room floor littered with food and clearly hadn’t been cleaned for some time. Took the only debris free table left . Surrounded by left over food and uncleared tables . Really disappointing and frankly looked unhygienic.

Most expensive ice creams I’ve ever purchased, not even a whole scoop in the cup. When I complained I was told ‘you didn’t have to buy them’. Well I certainly won’t be buying any again. What a rip off!!

Scone not very fresh, butter too hard to spread and coffee too expensive for the size. Definitely room for improvement.

After a walk round the gardens we called in for a snack lunch. Friendly, helpful staff. Fairly good choice of snacks on the menu (jacket potatos, Cornish Pasties, etc). Served quickly and efficiently. Not bad value for money.

An average tea room in the grounds of scotney gardens and castle. Very busy the day we visited. Cake selection was a little tired looking and unfortunately there was only one option for vegans which was a rather sad looking flapjack. On a positive note the coffees once they eventually arrived were very nice.

We visited yesterday and I felt compelled to share my experience about the cheesy potato wedges. For the price of £2.95 I was served an old jacket potato that was sliced and crisped under the grill with microwave melted cheese all over it. The potato filling however remained as soft as it would have been in it's previous life. I'm all for not wasting food, but when customers are paying it needs to be what it says it is and in addition, needs to be edible.It was horrible. Unfortunately the queue was a huge line leading into the courtyard so it was nigh on impossible to return the food and receive a refund without spending 20+ minutes queuing all over again. I wanted to warn others though, if you're thinking of ordering it it....don't!

Visited Scotney yesterday, beautiful place, well worth a visit but please take your own food! Inside and outside of the tea room inundated with wasps. All round the bins and flying all around your food. Several people came inside to get away from the wasps only to find it was just as bad inside. You can't relax and I've never eaten a cake as quickly! It's a real shame as it put a dampner on what otherwise was a lovely day out. If you're allergic to wasps definitely stay away from the tearoom!

The food was limited but then it was only lunch (we had fajitas which were a bit rubbery) The problem was the wasps which were everywhere. Landing on the drinks and food without discrimination. Have emailed NT to ask them to sort it as there were several children upset by them I appreciate and have said that wasps are very good for the environment but a simple solution of e.g. having to attract them say in the trees so they don't bother the customers. The rest of Scotney House and Gardens made up for this inconvenience!

Spent a lovely day at Scotney Castle but the tearoom was a disappointment. I chose a sandwich which was very dry so I returned it and got another one which was better but certainly not that fresh. The cake was lovely and moist. Very friendly and helpful staff. Beautiful area and very picturesque. Toilets could do with a thorough clean which is surprising in those post covid days.

It was a wonderful experience which was enhanced by the staff in the tea room who were a cheerful bunch and made us feel wanted and valued. Keep it up folks as it really does make a difference.

Visiting the Castle Gardens on a Sunday morning we stopped in the tearoom hoping for a coffee and light lunch. We’ll definitely take a picnic next time! The only positive is the nice sunny outdoor seating, the experience otherwise was dire, lightened only by the friendly atmosphere in the ridiculously long queue. It took over half an hour from joining the queue to get our hands on our order. The selection was poor, particularly lacking for anyone with dietary requirements, and we only found out later on there were a few more options than we realised as there were no menu boards or labels for the cakes etc on show when we arrived. The staff were lacking basic knowledge, when asked for the vegan options I was offered “a gluten free cheese scone”. In the end our group had three coffees (not very good), a couple of pasties (average), a very dry fruit scone and a decent cheese scone. It was ludicrously expensive and all round, had it not been for the lovely surroundings and friendly fellow customers, a terrible dining experience.

Disgusted… When we arrived we ordered two bacon sandwiches and two coffee’s. We were only the second customers so there was plenty of tables. Unfortunately the tables were all dirty from the previous day and after a considerable wait we received our sandwiches which were...

Delicious cakes, tasty snacks and very good coffee. This is just the place to stop for food and/or drinks when you are visiting Scotney Castle. The staff are very frindly and helpful. There is seating both inside and,outside. Toilet facilities are available nearby.

Whenever we go for a walk round Scotney Castle gardens, we always drop in here for a drink and/or a snack. The snacks are up to the usual very good National Trust standard, the cakes are delicious and the staff are always friendly and helpful....

A little over priced but on the whole nice. However on getting to the front of que was told only one sausage roll left for the plougmans. My friend then ordered the same and then the man came over to the server and started to...

After a walk round Scotney Castle gardens, this is just the place for a snack and/or a drink. Friendly staff who are also efficient. Reasonable prices and seating either in the adjacent courtyard or nearby picnic area. There is even a separate ice cream cabin....

You can feel Covid safe when using the Scotney Castle Tearoom. If you have to queue, there are markers showing distances of two metres, the staff (and customers) wear masks. Hand sanitiser is available as soon as you walk through the door and contactless payment...

Excellent COVID-19 measures in place for social distancing, staff were lovely and chatty, whilst trying to be as efficient as possible with the new restrictions. Food was delicious, just what we needed after a walk around the gardens, the scone was excellent!

Lovely visit to Scotney Castle. Pre booked tickets, house closed but the gardens were lovely. Dog friendly and tea room was doing limited menu but was still very nice.

We only called in for a coffee after walking round the gardens but ten out of ten for post Covid organisation. There's stumps placed 2 metres apart on the way in, customers are served indidiually and the seating that is available is socially distanced. There's...

Efficient staff! The menu is acceptable and prices are fair. Seems a wasted opportunity not to have a great selection of home-made cakes, it would fit with the setting. The queuing and layout is a little cramped but the venue doesn’t really lend itself to...

We booked at the tearoom for a xmas lunch, the food was lovely and fresh tasting and served by very attentive staff, reasonable prices and we followed up with a trip round the house which was beautifully decorated in 1872 style, can highly recommend

Just what you would expect from a National Trust Tearoom; good cakes, sandwiches and snacks. There's plenty of seating outside because the inside is not dog friendly and there are lots of dog owners because you can walk your dog around the Castle grounds. The...

As NT members you get to know what to expect from a NT cafe. Scotney Castle was no different. Good coffee & a nice scone. Luckily there was plenty of outside seating,this was probably due to weather & that our visit was a weekday.

This Tearoom had a good choice of snacks available. Coffee was lovely. Such a pity so many wasps around outside as it caused a problem for juice drinkers! Perhaps lavender plants or citronella to keep them at bay? Lovely Tearoom and eco-friendly environment. ENJOY!

Bulk standard National Trust offering. Hot and cold drinks, ‘home-made’ cakes and tasty snacks such as sandwiches, jacket potatoes and salads. There was seating inside and out. Outside had a large much needed sunshade. Wasps were in abundance which is par for the course. Staff...

I decided to go for the lime and gin cake, it was delicious!! Plenty of cakes and pastries to choose from. Lovely seating area outside very relaxed during the week. Gets a lot busier at the weekends and quite noisy if you decide to sit inside. Other than that, lovely!!!

Good value, nice place to eat, usually busy but ok. Often just for coffee and cake but do have meals as quite local

Selfservice maar eigen gemaakt gebak scones en typische lekkernijen uit Wales goed prijs kwaliteits verhouding. Leuk rustmoment leuke binnenplaats

We visited the tea room after the castle just before closing. We had excellent service and there was a good choice of food. Hot food finished after lunch but we were pleased with cream tea and healthy, child friendly food for our 4 year old grandaughter.

You know what to expect at a National Trust tearoom/cafe and this met those expectations. As often the case very busy about 1pm.

A regular visitor to Scotney, but this is the first time I have used the tearoom. The usual NT selection, but as always good quality,on this visit I just had sandwiches and a pot of tea. plenty of seating both inside and outside. Will use again on the next visit.

Great location to sit in the sun in the Summer, however seating is very limited and we had to wait a while to find a table. Despite our food taking a long time to arrive, our hot sandwiches were excellent! The server was rather intimidating however that is understandable since they were very busy.

Great variety of food & drink for a reasonable price. Lots of seating, inside & out in dry weather. I particularly enjoyed the one pot Italian sausage casserole. Very nice served with a slice of chunky bread.

Popped in here for a cup of tea after visiting Bayham old abbey. Nice homemade scones and plenty of places to sit. You would either need to be a national trust member or you would have to pay to come in.

The tearoom is a great place to sit in the Easter sunshine, but seriously I don’t think I have tasted worse coffee and walnut cake in my life ! It was tasteless , dry as a bone and the creamy stuff was nasty cheap sugary mess . As for my flat white coffee - just no . It was not a flat white . Very very poor and expensive. Just because it’s National Trust and you have a captive audience , it doesn’t mean you can serve rubbish . Try harder please !

I love Scotney Castle, its like a magical place, sit by the castle moat and go back in time, the tearoom is lovely, and the food good.

The food is good and exactly as you expect at a National Trust tea room - a little expensive but just the right experience and with good service and a good part of your day out.

Went to the tea room after a bit of a drive round the M25 to reach Scotney castle. You can come here without paying to get in to the attraction itself - just park up and walk round to the cafe. Toilets are also available close by, outside the entrance to Scotney Castle.

Feelling hungry after visiting the NT House we had Large Americano coffee, soup, baked potato with tuna, cheese scone and a shortbread. Total cost £18 60. The soup was bland (tomato and fennel) and my baked potato did not have a lot of tuna! Coffee was not strong, Personally I thought the meal was worth about £17. Not many people took their empty plates back so with the place being short staffed, waitresses had to try and clear tables, clean them and get orders delivered. Too hectic.

When we had finished wandering around the house, castle and grounds we went to this tea room. It was clean and they had a good selection items on offer. We shared a sandwich and I had a very tasty chocolate brownie too.

A decent tea-rooms to the usual NT standard. Staff are friendly and efficient - and the cake is good! Loads if seating inside and out.

Friendly staff, good facilities and very tasty cake selected all washed down with a well selected coffee's.

We visited Scotney Castle on an unseasonably warm Sunday in February, the castle is run by the National Trust and members get free entry and car parking, with non-members paying a £3 charge for parking additional to their admission fee.

Queued for 30 minutes, told food wait was 25 minutes but took 40. Beef lasagne turned up over cooked, small with two pathetic tiny ends of garlic bread and salad leaves with no dressing. National Trust should be embarrassed by such dire food as this.

As NT members we visit a lot of their tearooms and Scotney Castle is the nearest place to us that does a scone of the month. We've had some lovely flavours like spiced pumpkin/hazelnut, courgette/chocolate and raspberry/white chocolate and they have all tasted delicious. If you're not into flavoured scones the usual fruit or cheese ones are always lovely and fresh too. I just wish they would make more of the flavour of the month ones as twice we have turned up to find they have run out but otherwise this is one of the best tearooms we visit.

As always National trust staff/volunteers very helpful. What a shame the inclement weather meant we were unable to walk around the grounds, also the upstairs was closed

I visited here with my mother for some coffee and cake after walking the Scotney Castle grounds. We absolutely loved it and would recommend it even if you're passing by!

The Tearoom offers much more than just tea and a lot of the produce is made on the premises. The staff are very friendly and usually very helpful and efficient. The converted stables have a cosy atmosphere with plenty of outdoor seating too.

The tea rooms offer a very nice menu, the food was home made and extremly tasteful. The service to the tables was efficient. Very enjoyable lunch.

Usually sit outside when we visit in the warmer weather but sat inside this time food very good, staff and setting. This time made extra special for me by the lady who I think runs the tea room she was incredibly efficient, so helpful really put herself out and so lovely. She treated me like a human which I am not used to being deaf most people treat me like an idiot thank you lovely lady.

Admittedly the visit was on a freak weather day in octopat 24 C and clear blue sky. The place was probably far busier than normal for this time of year.

On visiting the estate, my friends and I decided to partake of luncheon. Although the day was sunny, it was a bit chilly, so we all had the home-made soup of the day served up with lovely chunks of wholemeal bread. The food was delicious and very filling.

The courtyard cafe has a tasty range of foods on offer, nicely cooked and presented . Unfortunately many of the items will be on offer at other National Trust cafes all over the country as well. I long for the old days when each cafe was trusted to be able to come up with its own menu of delicious foods. Trying to maintain standards is commendable but local dishes pertaining to each region are what made national Trust cafes great and the anticipation of this variation is sorely missed.

Good tea rooms. Coffee excellent and cake very nice. Limited choice for lunch but jacket potatoes were very good. Good, friendly staff.

We visited on a Friday lunchtime in August. We went in for lunch at 12.15 and most of the hot dishes on the delicious-sounding menu had already sold out. Good choice of gluten-free cakes and brownies, but it was very difficult to get a hot meal as a gluten-free customer, other than the eternal jacket potato with tuna. My husband wanted the curry but that had sold out. My toddler was happy with his jacket with cheese and beans, once they worked out the cheese should be on his not on my tuna, but options for hot food for him were limited and no vegetables available other than salad. We all enjoyed cake afterwards but main courses were disappointing.

We were treating our friends to a special day out, looking forward to the 'one pot' main meal. Ordered and paid, then told there wasn't any left.... 12.45 (a bit early to run out of the main dish) had to make some quick discisions as we were a party of 4. and the queue was getting impatient. very basic baked potatoes and a dry cauliflower fritter.

Nice outdoor seating area which is reasonably sheltered with lots of seats. Typical NT with good produce and canteen style service.

When visiting the castle we stopped at the tearoom for cream teas and this was good value for money and good quality. Plenary of seats inside and out, free water top ups here as well.

Wanted to cool off a couple of times during the day in the tea rooms. We were a little disappointed that by 2.45 there was no sandwiches or hot food left so we settled for coffee and cakes.

Good caffe food but it gets busy at peak times and weekends. On such days I would bring pick Nic food and just buy drinks at the caff. - mind you home made cakes are super. you can buy preserves such as sour cherry curd!! Highly recommended as simply finger licking good.

So all the normal NT fare available and nothing wrong with the quality. It’s one of those places we’re you can’t find a clear table to sit and unless you clear someonelses debris yourself! Makes it hard work particularly if your hands are full with a tea tray. We enjoyed the castle grounds but teashop was not prepared for us. Spoils the afternoon out next time we won’t bother with the teashop unless the tables are clean.

Had a late lunch here during a day exploring Scotney Castle. The menu wasn't extensive, but the food was lovely. The cream tea was delicious - would love to have this here again. The staff I dealt with were relatively young and didn't seem all that enthused to be there, but it was a ridiculously hot day, I wouldn't have wanted to be on my feet serving people either! Options for indoor and outdoor dining, and an ice cream truck was on the grass too - lovely setting.

My 3 stars were for the queue as the cafe seemed disorganised at serving leading to a long queue. The setting and what we had was fine but compared to other Kent NT places there wasn't enough staff for that time, this was only of course when I went and I am sure the rest of the time it may be fab.

I haven’t been here before and was glad to pay it a visit. We had a nice chicken soup/ broth which we enjoyed. Fabulous views and the most beautiful rhodendndrons! Great day out!

Yes ate here whilst my wife & I made our visit to the castle & grounds.

Heel net en lekker. Zeer mooie locatie en nog een leuk winkeltje ernaast.

Food is lovely, staff are friendly however be prepared to queue for up to half an hour. It would be great if they had some mobile order/payment points.

menu good for such a place! As another person has suggested on hot days i would definitely suggest that ice cream has a separate member of staff, payment queue.

This tea room is very typical of NT cafes. Nice outdoor seating areas and usual/average selection of cake, sandwiches and limited hot food selection. The serving area is quite cramped and probably needs to be better for an attraction with this many visitors. But it was nice for a cup of tea and ice cream break.

Last visited c. 7 years ago when food was poor. Now food is much better - homemade sausage roll and good cheese scone. Shame tables outside weren’t cleaned and cleared (looked a bit scruffy and messy). But at least our dog was with us.

Perhaps a slight improvement on our last visit in 2015 but not a lot. On a busy weekday the staff were struggling to cope. Very little choice of sandwiches and an interesting way to show that hot food was available by having a blackboard on the wall past the till!

This is the only place you can eat on entry. Food so so but quite expensive. We had sandwiches and a soft drink for £16.

Had a fab cuppa tea & cake after walking around site. Seats inside but lots outside under big umbrellas.

We went in the Easter holidays and sat down for a hot drink at about 12pm. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea and the queue was very long. There was one poor lad making all the drinks, and as such I waited 25 long minutes to get my 4 drinks. The coffee was cold by the time I sat down, but couldn't face queuing again to complain. Such a shame - will definitely just take a flask next time to avoid the cafe.

Nice food and location. Bit pricey but no worse than John Lewis or Marks & Spencer. It is the National Trust after all

Only stopped for a quick coffee which at £2 was not too bad for a simple filter coffee which tasted pretty good. Also took the chance of using the National Trust loyalty card so one free coffee after 9 bought. Staff friendly , plenty off outdoor space especially when exterior serving counter opened but can imagine would get a bit crowded inside if wet. Simple snacks looked good enough so overall recommend

A good tearoom to grab a quick bite for lunch. Seating inside and out but does get crowded at peak times.

Too expensive as usual with NT establishments, dry scones (a personal hate) and far too little choice for anyone with a gluten intolerance - no excuse for that these days.

Nice location and the food was fresh and very tasty. Service was friendly and there is the option of inside and outside seating and I would suggest that in the summer, this would be an excellen place for afternoon tea.

Lovely way to round off a trip to the beautiful Scotney Castle on a rainy Saturday afternoon. My boyfriend and I went for the cream tea which was £5 each. The cafe was quite big and was really busy when we arrived although we got a comfy seat on the sofas. Service was quick and prices seemed to be a little on the expensive side but I think that’s to be expected at these places.

Gezellig terras vlakbij het kasteel, waar je zowel vegetarisch als gewone gerechten kunt eten. Er zijn allerlei slaatjes, warm eten en desserts. Verder hebben ze lekkere koffie en thee.

The food and drink is very typical of other National Trust property’s. Cakes, scones etc. Odd that the hot food menu written on a blackboard was not visible until you reached the til point. It is pricey. The seating area is fine although it felt very cramped. Add a couple of child buggies and it was fun watching customers struggle to get past. There seemed to be very few staff and customers were clearing away plates, cups and glasses themselves. Just could be better laid out and serviced.

Nice place to sit in the sun and enjoy a cream tea with the excellent home made scones, they try and use all local products which is excellent, suiting outside is fine but we noticed the inside was quite tight for space and you were sitting very close to next table however good value and nice cream tea

We have eaten here many times and this was our third time having the Christmas lunch which did not disappoint. We both had the pate starter, I had traditional turkey my partner had the goats cheese wellington, all excellent with plenty of vegetables too. Finished off with Christmas pudding and brilliant custard. We had to take home the mince pies.. too full up. My only criticism was that the place was a bit crowded with tables quite close together, although the staff were trying to sort it out a bit.

Just enjoyed a quite delicious Christmas Dinner at Scotney Castle tea rooms. Perfectly cooked, well served by an efficient server. My wife & I were delighted with the presentation. If you are likely to be passing Scotney Castle in the fun up to Christmas, book a table. You won't be disappointed.

Warm and comfortable with good quality food for a winters day. The gardens and Castle well worth a visit with 1987 storm display.

Om 10:30 nog geen soep te krijgen. We namen scones met koffie en thee. Zowel de koffie als thee waren heel goed. De scones waren maar matig goed. De zaal is zeer basic en niet gezellig. Het terras buiten is heel gezellig, maar in november is het daarvoor te koud.

Worst tasting coffee I've ever tasted in a NT property. So bitter as to be undrinkable. We bought a squash muffin which both of us found very unpleasant.

The tea room was pleasant for a cup of tea. The layout is way too crammed to relax and enjoy lunch. Service was very slow and the queue was out if the door.

Arrived as the Scotney Castle opened and had a quick Coffee and Apple slice before entering the house. Staff are quick & nice. Would use again.

Visited halfway through a visit to The House & before walking to the Castle & Gardens. Big decision as to what to have for lunch. Ordered jacket potatoes with fillings. End product was hot & very tasty - large jackets, fillings, coleslaw & salad - very filling. Definitely worth a stopover halfway throug the visit. A very clean & tidy tearoom with plenty of indoor/outdoor seating.

.. Compact with quality food .. Limited menu but reasonable .. Friendly staff / Volunteers .. Covered and Exposed Seats are available

We had cream teas only at this tearoom and could not find any fault with the service, food or atmosphere.

Fantastic NT cafe, light lunches, soups, toasties etc and only in Britain do you get Scone of the month! Cream tea was top notch, as ever a wee bit pricey but thats the NT for you.

Good outdoor seating, a nice little sun trap to have a coffee, the queuing system is a bit haphazard and there is a bit of a wait for the coffee, but it's a nice place to while the time away.