The Garden Brasserie in Thurrock

Had a family birthday meal here and the food was wonderful and so were the staff. Beautiful restaurant and would definitely recommend.

Had afternoon tea which was really disappointing and certainly not value for money. 3 small finger sandwiches and a prawn crostini each, the other savoury was a cocktail sausage roll and a tiny beetroot thing. Had to ask for tea strainers! Cakes were ok but extremely/overly sweet. I’ve certainly had better elsewhere and don’t intend to return any time soon

Went for afternoon tea was terrible sandwiches was ok cakes very stodgy not good value for money and was charged for coffee when I don’t drink tea not the best we have been out for wouldn’t return

Great food for both vegans and non vegans, had a weekend for me and my wife folowed by a large gathering - everyone was extremely well catered for.

An impromptu afternoon tea for four (a treat from my friend's husband) a couple of weeks ago in The Garden Brassierie was superb. The vegan afternoon tea the chef prepared was delicious, better than the one I experienced at Kensington Palace, and half the price! Returning to Orsett Hall on Friday - sadly to the funeral of my cousin's wife - I was again delighted that the chef, Josh, catered for me after Julie (one of the servers) kindly offered to see if he would prepare something for me. The sandwiches and huge, fresh salad were delicious, as was the vegan cheesecake which followed. Thank you.

We were very much looking forward to celebrating a friends special birthday so booked a champagne tea for 4. We were seated at our table and after having waited 15 minutes to be served i managed to find a waitress to help us. The restaurant appeared to have very few staff and again I had to find someone to bring us more tea. The sandwiches were disappointing, the bread was not fresh and the fillings were somewhat tasteless, I had expected that the food which was presented would have been described to us but unfortunately it was not. All in all the experience was not what we had hoped for .

Our first visit to the Garden Brasserie for dinner tonight (have had afternoon tea here before). The restaurant itself is absolutely beautiful! The service and attentiveness of the staff was just right, special thanks to Dana for looking after us and the food was one of the best meals we have had for a long time. We had mains and dessert and it was all delicious! We will be returning soon.

Went here with my wife for afternoon tea. Pleasant surroundings in the garden room. We were presented with a selection of around 10 teas and a choice of coffees which was nice. The afternoon tea was fairly standard albeit tasty. During our stay it was fairly busy with two large parties, so getting the attention of the staff was a little difficult so we could replenish our cups, however during our two hour stay we were served with hot drinks twice.

Had a beautiful champagne tea in a gorgeous garden room. Lovely atmosphere in the garden room beautiful furniture and felt quite spacious. Tea and cakes were brought up promptly. Waitresses were helpful and friendly. The tea itself was delicious , tasty hot sausage roll, sandwiches were a little bland but fresh, scones were warm. Tiny cakes all very pretty. All too much for my friend and I but a box was provided to take home those we couldn’t manage. Very enjoyable and would go back.

We enjoyed our Afternoon Tea, most of the food was very nice, didn't enjoy some of the sandwiches so much, but that is personal taste. The scones were a bit dry but still tasted nice. The Garden 'Brasserie is very pretty and has a nice atmosphere. We were shown to our table and asked if we wanted tea or coffee and two pots of tea were brought to us and a jug of water, then our stand was brought to the table with our food on it and that was the last time they came over to us. As we had been given the Afternoon Tea as a present we got a bit confused and thought wine was included but, after waiting a while, we had to go over to find the waitress to ask, she came and told us the wine wasn't included and then went again, The two waitresses were quite pleasant but didn't come to ask if we were alright and we expected to be asked if we wanted more tea. We have had an Afternoon Tea elsewhere and had endless tea. We eked our tea out but by the time we finished our tea was stone cold. We wondered if maybe only one cup of tea or coffee is included in the price but seeing another review about the Garden Brasserie it said that they had endless pots of tea. We wonder what went wrong, there were people on about 6 or 7 other tables and we were near the door furthest away. Two ladies were on the next table and they seemed to be attended to by the waitress but they had more food and were brought wine in a bucket. Perhaps the staff thought we were in the corner and were alright but we should have been offered more tea for after our food.

My husband and myself went to the Orsett Hall Garden Brasserie for our anniversary. Thought it would be a lovely environment and food. Not the cheapest of places. Although we enjoyed our food the service was appalling and we was made to feel uncomfortable at the end of the evening. 1. Initially we were sat at the table promptly at 7.30 and our order was taken. We were still eating our food at 8.45 when the staff started clearing the tables around us and preparing for breakfast. 2. I ordered an icecream dessert which was described as having brandy snap basket and sauce with it. When it came out It was in a cereal bowl, I said to the waitress who went to the kitchen and brought the rest of my dessert with no icecream on it and said for me to just tip the icecream from my bowl into it, which was nearly melted. No apology was given, just said the kitchen forgot. 3. 9.15 Because they were preparing for breakfast, it was difficult to attract their attention to get the bill. 4. Not once during the meal were we asked if our food was ok. 5. The attitude of the staff left a lot to be desired as they were not customer friendly. What should have been an enjoyable evening was spoilt by the staffs attitudes.

Went here for afternoon tea with 3 friends. One of the best afternoon teas I've had excellent service lovely sandwiches, beautiful cakes endless pots of tea. Would definitely recommend and come again.

Afternoon tea was supposed to be relaxed and nice - staff ruined that by being rude. Afternoon tea is over priced and much better ones out there. sorry but dont waste your time or money

Upon arrival we were shown to a nice table setting. There was black dust in my cup, I used the napkin to clean it out. It looked like tea leaves dust. Waitress took our drink order. I was told only filter coffee was available (not lattes or cappuccinos) Filter coffee was lukewarm. I had phoned ahead with dietary requirements but these were partly ignored so my other half had to have veggie style sandwiches- of which were 4 teeny finger sandwiches each with barely any filling. The rest was the standard miniature cakes which were quite nice and fresh. But far too much sweet and barely any savoury. No choice or advance warning of the cakes meant that if you don’t actually like a particular type and ask to swap for a different one you get a very awkward look from the waitress and you feel as if you’ve put her to a great inconvenience. White and brown sugar lumps packed in to a ceramic lidded pot do not come with any tongs so you have to dig deep to reach the type of choice. Not very hygienic. Drinks are topped up if wanted but be sure to remind your server of the drink you had because my other half was given a different variety. At £43 for 2 persons I feel that I would not return. The service did not come with a smile and being made to feel like a nuisance for requesting a particular cake is not great customer service. I feel that it would be a good opportunity to train some of the staff in the art of customer service. A smile can go a long way.

Delicious food and excellent service. Staff were extremely friendly and helpful especially Asel who made us feel welcome.

Staying here for a few months. Always found this restaurant very nice. Great food, great environment and the staff can't do too much for you. very good & recommend.

Booked afternoon tea and was too unwell to attend, rang with doctors letter to try and rebook for another day but was told unable to do so and money lost (which I had paid in full) after previous review hotel asked me to make contact to discuss further, which I did. Only to be told tough luck basically, what was the point in asking me to make contact?? Customer service here is appalling and as a regular customer shocked at the lack of care, will not be returning and please all be aware this could happen to you.

We came for afternoon tea for a special birthday. My friend was given a decorated personalised plate with a macaroon which would have been lovely except they spelt her name wrong despite clarifying the correct spelling at booking.Good service, lovely setting and tasty sandwich fillings & gyozas but spoiled by lacklustre cakes, dry bread and scones ...waitress admitted that it may have been plated up a bit too early! Explained all this in the automated feedback email which I received the next day but had no response. Followed up with two emails over the next month. The first was acknowledged by reception and promised a response within five days but this didn't happen. The second was ignored completely. I won't be back.

Was staying at the hotel for business as have done on many occasions, the garden restaurant has recently released a more pleasing menu to the pocket conscious business diner. 2 courses for £20 and 3 courses for £25. 4 selections of starter half a dozen varied mains and desserts. My partner and I tried the soup, pate, fish & chips and belly pork. Soup was beautiful, pate was nice but required a thinner bread than the brioche loaf it was served with and 2 pieces would have been better to spread the pate on. The chutney that came with it was fruity and a nice contrast.The fish&chips was a real decent size, was expecting a smaller portion given the set menu but was a hearty piece of fish and nicely battered. The belly pork was tender and meaty and the mash accompanying it was really tasty, the crackling was a tricky thing to deal with, a square piece nicely cooked however difficult to cut and because of that it would have been a pick up and eat with fingers, at home yes, but not in a restaurant for a lady.We passed on desserts but descriptions sounded scrumptious.Very good addition to Orsett's dining and definitely worth a re-visit when I'm staying next.

I suffer with anxiety, so my friend booked for just me and her to have afternoon tea for my hen. Sad to say the food was awful. 4 tiny fingers of sandwich each, I think they must have been the day before left overs as they were so dry and lacked filling. I also wouldnt say the cakes were fit for purpose, the tiny bit of flapjack was inedible, the slice of chocolate cake cut into 4 cubes was dry. The tiny lemon Eclair was so sweet it ruined it and the scone was more like a rock cake and dry. Also the cream and milk had been left on the table before we arrived and was uncovered, not very hygienic. They ruined the day for both of us. There was hardly any food and what there was,was not edible. Would never go back.

We cannot fault anything. The quality and presentation of the food was first class. Our waitress Charlotte was friendly, polite, knowledgable, and made our ordinary evening something special. We highly recommend visiting the Garden Brasserie. We and our guests will certainly be visiting again.

Enjoyed a wonderful afternoon tea as part of a spa package. I would highly recommend it. The food was really lovely and plenty of it - couldn’t eat it all! The staff were all very friendly and helpful not rushed at all and offered top- ups of tea / coffee. Beautiful room nicely decorated in a lovely location.Hope to be visiting again soon

This is a beautiful dining room. It is spacious and elegantly laid out with proper linen and cutlery. Extensive menu and wine list though inevitably prices are high. Excellent staff. This dining room is closed on Mondays but the alternative venue is more than adequate.

First visit to Orsett Hall for an afternoon tea experience to celebrate my mums 85th birthday. Booked an early Sunday slot for 10 of us. Warm reception on arrival and shown to our table. We were looked after by a friendly, attentive waitress who took our tea & coffee orders. The sandwiches & cakes arrived and where nicely presented. Very tasty selection. We had our drinks topped up without fuss. We had 2 hours at the table which was ample. Not rushed at all. A lovely setting. £21.95 per head seemed a fair price. A pleasant & surprising experience. Would recommend.

me and my partner absolutely love Traditional afternoon tea . cannot fault one single thing, thanks so much guys!

Considering there wasn’t many people in the restaurant in the evening,we waited over 20 minutes for our order to be taken.

Traditional afternoon tea on the website was priced at £20.95, what you’re not told is that this is per person! I have been to quite a few afternoon teas and none of them quoted a price that was for one person. Who in their right mind would pay £20.95 for three finger sandwiches, a sausage roll and six mini desserts? Very disappointed that this was not clear that I would in fact pay £41.90 for two people at the time of booking or on the confirmation email.

The restaurant was my least favourite experience of my stay at the hotel. I had booked a valentines package which included dinner there. The decor was nice and classy. The food was not all great. The canapés weren’t great. Ordering Champagne was tasking as the servers weren’t clear on what we wanted but eventually got it right. The best part was the deserts which isn’t a plus because you don’t really go out for a nice meal and think of deserts as the highlight of your meal. The main course portion was small as are the other portions. I doubt I will eat there again unless it’s a compulsory part of my package.

I visited the Garden Restaurant of ORSETT Hall today for afternoon tea, I took my daughter and granddaughter for a Xmas Treat. Because I didn't want to embrass them I never complained,although I am very near to cancelling my credit card. For £24,99 each we received 2 fingers of sandwiches each plus a egg cress mini roll and a tiny tiny sausage roll pastry so hard it was inedible. We had our tea and coffee and 5 minutes later had to ask for milk/Cream the milk came and had to ask again for cream. We were given 2 jam/Cream for scones ( although I thought they were rock cakes ) and no spoons so we all had to double dip . The mini mini mince tarts were so hard we couldn't bite into them , the fruit cake was also very hard think must have been Thursday or Friday batch and the other pastries were really for children. We were Never Asked if we would like a top up , and had no crackers on table. ALL IN ALL in all of the places I have had afternoon tea in it has been the worst one yet.

My wife and I went to the Garden Brasserie for our Anniversery and had lunch. The experience was very nice, as was the food and the attentiveness of the staff. The surroundings was very nice and the restaurant itself was very pleasant with lovely decor.

Food was beautifully presented and did not disappoint. Staff were friendly and attentive. Elegantly decorated and lovely surroundings

I arrived here late on my first night due to an accident on the M25!!! I checked in and came to eat straight away. Initially I was impressed, the food was fantastic and I was very content going to bed.

I last visited earlier in the year when service let our visit down. I can't say it's improved that much, so guessing reviews may not be read.

Very busy place with loads of cars upin the large car park.

Me and my Sister came here for an Afternoon Tea,for her birthday, the food was brilliant and the staff were more than helpful would recommend coming here to friends and family.

We had our breakfast here the morning after how wedding plenty of choice hot and cold the food was delicious restaurant very clean and tidy I’ve also had dinner here and that also was superb they also do afternoon teas lovely place and location

served one of the best tasting sausage & bacon i ever had ... comfortable seating ... beautifully decorated ... attentive staff

Sadly if you want the taster menu you must book 5 days in advance AND not be single.

Had afternoon tea here as part of our Ladies spa package .. got seated ok then it went downhill after that .. got served quite promptly for tea but waited ages for our sandwiches etc had to call the waitress over.. there is no replenishment of the sandwiches you have to pay an extra £2.50.. most other places you get extra sandwiches with no charge.. the scones were the best bit, the cakes were ok just a bit dry.. didn’t get a courtesy check to see all ok .. they did seem to have a lot of staff on but they seemed to favour the larger tables near the entrance- we were right in corner at the back and seemed forgotten about .. wouldn’t go back or either recommend afternoon tea here but the spa is lovely !

Fantastic staff and beautifully presented delicious food! Compliments to the chefs working Saturday evening!

The Garden Brasserie is situated in the Orsett Hall Hotel.

very impressive grounds as you enter the hotel and the garden brasserie restaurant is gorgeous. Large floral wallpaper, impressive colourful chandeliers, colonial style carpet and chairs covered in florals and striped velour. Views overlooking the gardens lovely. The sandwiches, cakes and scones were good but when we asked if we could have more sandwiches (only 4 skinny fingers each) we would have to pay £2.50 for 4 more fingers. We were hungry so ordered 2 sets. Half an hour later they had not arrived. Trying to get the waitresses to order more tea and tell them we now didn't want the sandwiches was painful. The restaurant was only half full so I dread to think what the service would be like if they were busy. Admittedly we were offered a free drink but by now I was bitterly disappointed especially as it was a birthday treat.

Had a lovely morning in the spa, review done separately, followed by a afternoon tea in the Brasserie.

Visited at the weekend as a birthday treat. The restaurant itself is very nice, bright and airy. We booked for...

Lovely afternoon tea at Orsett Hall. Cakes were delicious and they had no problems catering for my dietary requirements. Very...

Visited during my first night of a seven night stay and had a nice steak meal. However it was closed...

I visited with friends for a baby shower afternoon tea. The food was tasty can't fault that but the service...

They have a good chef who serves very good food. Beautifully cooked and lovely presentation. Portions are tiny though. 2...

We visited the brasserie as part of a spa afternoon package which included dinner. The menu had enough choice, we...

The food was good & both the food & drink prices was very reasonable for such a class of hotel....

Unsure what to expect but great menu choices with interesting combinations. Had the scallop starter and roasted monkfish, both delicious...

La primera vez que hemos estado allí. Vieiras para empezar que tenía eran increíbles. Luego un bistec que estaba muy buena y el postre el desastre fue el mejor que he tenido. La comida era de una calidad excelente y recomiendo recoemmend visitar

Frescos y sabrosos bollos cálido, sándwich de cerdo desmenuzado y ball.

Asistimos el Garden Brasserie para un cumpleaños 80th. Doce miembros de la familia asistieron en una noche de sábado. Nos montados en el café bar, que era agradable y el personal era acogedor. La ubicación era agradable. Nos mudamos a nuestra comida en el restaurante y la decoración y los alrededores eran muy agradables. Pero siento que la comida fue muy decepcionante. La sopa de cortesía era muy buena. Los aperitivos estaban bien. Sin embargo, los platos principales eran pobres. Los filetes de solomillo eran difíciles y un miembro de la familia ancianos costó a comer cualquiera de los suyos. La maltratada abadejo estaba pasada, no crujiente. El pollo kiev estaba seco. Las hamburguesas y pasta estaban bien. Los postres también tenía una pobre recepción. El helado de vainilla muy icey y demasiado fría. La tarta era extraña. El desierto era muy mala relación a £12. No puedo quejarme demasiado sobre el servicio. En general que era bueno y nos dejaron traer nuestra propia tarta de cumpleaños que me trajo después de la comida. También le dieron un plato con feliz cumpleaños 80th en salsa de chocolate con fresas. Este fue un gesto encantador que es una pena que su comida no era del mismo estándar. Lo que podría haber sido una gran noche era ligeramente contaminado por nuestra mediocre experiencia comida. Esperábamos mucho más de la Orsett Hall.

Visitamos el restaurante Brasserie garden para una cena familiar y disfrutamos de nuestras comidas. La decoración del restaurante es luminoso y alegre, y las vistas al exterior son simplemente impresionantes. Disfrutamos de todo lo que comimos. Tuve sopa de champiñones para entrante, cañones de cordero para principal y la muestra de postres para compartir. La comida es tradicional, pero presentados de una manera hermosa y creativa. La India fue nuestro servidor y ella se cuidó de nosotros. Ella era atento y nos registramos en nosotros durante toda la comida.

This meal was top class just like master chef felt like I was in an upper class restaurant in London it was fantastic can't wait to go back

Me and my partner had a lovely afternoon tea here - the staff were attentive and the food was nice. I would recommend.

Good price. Nice staff. Plenty to eat. Long wait to be seated, appeased by a complementary bottle of Prosecco.The gluten free, non meat offering left much to be desired. Two very nice rolls filled with (1) lettuce &tomato (2) egg mayo (3) cucumber & cream cheese (4) water cress!!! Everyone else enjoyed a fish selection. I was even asked beforehand if I would like fish! The coffee and ginger sponge cakes were moist but probably the poorest and most unpopular flavours to offer, and were left untouched. So disappointing.

We booked afternoon tea here as a birthday treat, and it was lovely. The room is gorgeous, beautiful decor with lots of colour, very modern and welcoming.Our afternoon team came with a selection of finger sandwiches, cakes, scones, macaroons - plus endless tea and coffee; it was all delicious and we were well and truly full up!The service is excellent, friendly and attentive staff who work really hard; special mention to Rochelle whose customer service skills are second to none - she was really lovely who went above and beyond to make our afternoon special.We had a lovely time here and can't wait to come back soon

I'd stayed at Orsett Hall for a couple of months and found the restaurant very nice and friendly. The food was good ,staff very helpful and always smiling and polite

What a beautiful restaurant, really quirky, very calm. Lunch was amazing, with a great selection of food and wonderful teas to drink. I'm dairy intolerant and the staff really looked after me. Dinner was great too, not a large selection of food in our package but a varied one, so we was really happy. Again the service was great. Breakfast, well you had so much to choose from, full English, patisseries, cereal, fresh fruit and lots of different home cooked food. I really could not fault this restaurant and we will be coming back with our mums. The staff are over accommodating, they really couldn't do enough for us.

I wanted to try the food here as I had stumbled upon it and didn't know it existed. Wow, the food was fantastic, staff personable and attentive. I think they have listened to feedback as our evening meals were utterly faultless. I have been fortunate to eat in some top restaurants and this is sincerely as good as any. I was pleasantly surprised just how good it was, we will definitely be going back!

On arrival we had to wait for our table which wasn't a problem and was told to go to the bar. There was no staff in the bar and the tables hadn't been cleared of glasses. The orsett hotel was really busy in general so if you are looking for something cosy avoid it like the plague there was even a coach trip in. That said I could have enjoyed it if the sandwiches and cakes were good - They wasn't! Shop bought cakes and horrible mousse things, the waitress bought the tea but had forgotten to put a tea bag in the stainless steel pots of water. You got one chicken type sausage roll and 3 finger sandwiches which were not very nice. Again if it had been cheap I wouldn't have minded but this was the highest price of 3 hotels I had looked at. I had read some negative reviews on trip advisor on the day I went and called them to check, they said they do 100's of cream teas and everything was good. Definitely wouldn't go there again for any type of food, such a shame as it was my birthday ☹️️

The restaurant is lovely, but the menu is dull. Definitely needs to be more seasonal and to offer local fayre. Surely Essex has good offerings and as a great hotel, can't the restaurant showcase this. Food currently is a bit ho hum.It needs to allow the kitchen staff free reign to demonstrate a wider more interesting choice. Taking up seasonal and local choices. The range doesn't need to be extensive, just interesting and delicious.

We had 29 for an Anniversary meal. Food was good with lots of choice.Staff where helpful but lax on attention to patrons but all in all a good experience.

Extremely overpriced. Absolutely no ambience, no background music. Food was good but the portions very tiny! Wouldn't go back.

Great staff and a wide choice of breakfasts too. All delicious and served hot.Will definitely visit again and hope to try dinner next time Im there.

Lovely restaurant within the Orsett Hall Hotel!Vintage decor that fits in well with surrounding grounds. I had a two course meal and food was served quickly and was piping hot!Staff were very polite and very friendly m.my compliments to the Chef!Worth a visit. They serve an amazing afternoon also, I'm going to have this at my next visit!

What a lovely place to sit and eat,wonderful food beautiful setting their were green parrots flying around the grounds,a wonderful place to go to.

We stayed at Orsett Hall to attend a friend's wedding. The evening before the wedding we had dinner in the Garden Brasserie. Great service in the bar and in the restaurant. The staff were friendly and effective. The menu offered a good selection. Food was nicely presented, hot and tasty. A very nice evening and a lovely setting for an evening meal.

I would highly recommend the food was yummy and staff can't for enough for you and for 19.50 each I personally think it's a bargain

My sister and I had lunch in the bar here today for her birthday . We were booked into the spa so just wanted a snack to keep us going. We passed through the lovely light and airy garden brasserie to reach the bar area . Unfortunately this area is a little gloomy in relation to the brasserie , so we will have to have lunch in there next time ( oh if we must ) however we did find a ray of sunshine in the form of PJ the fantastic waiter. I have to say probably the nicest and most informative and professional waiter I have ever met .nothing was too much trouble , he definitely went the extra mile . I asked him if he had been to hospitality school as he was so polished but informed us he had learnt everything he knew on the job , so hats off to him. It came to light that it was my sisters birthday , he appeared from the kitchen with two small complimentary cakes presented on a plate with a birthday message on it , which was so lovely and thoughtful and really made my sisters day . He really is an asset and added to our very enjoyable lunch , also a mention to the chef for his cake plate creation . We will be back soon

Was treated to an afternoon tea on Saturday for my birthday. Overall was a lovely experience. The room is pretty with a nice outlook onto the garden. Everything was smart and well laid out. The staff were friendly and efficient at all times. Particular mention to our waiter PJ who was excellent-the right amount of attentiveness and friendliness and quite funny. We were offered a large selection of teas and were offered refills. The food came very quickly. The sandwiches were well filled and also had a good chorizo sausage roll . Scones and macaroons were excellent. Other cakes were ok-carrot cake and popcorn cake. Also a raspberry mousse-nice but have never really understood mousses in an afternoon tea. Also received a plate with happy birthday written on it with some chocolates on which was a nice touch. Only slight downer for us was the table behind us had a couple of babies in which were quite noisy with lots of banging on the table and rattles etc. Doesn't really fit with the nice occasion of an afternoon tea. Whilst this is not the restaurants fault maybe consideration should be given to a family area or as some restaurants do, have afternoon tea sittings so you are not mixed up with the lunch trade and it becomes more of a special occasion.Overall very nice and would recommend.

Had lunch why we waited for are room.Would advise too pre book in the restaurant but we had too eat in the bar area.The lady who served us was very nice and helpful..

lovely room with open views all around, very good choice of cooked breakfast, cereals, toast, all freshly cooked, very good service ,friendly staff

Buffet Breakfast included the choice of; Bacon, Sausage, Mushrooms, Hash Browns, Tomato, Beans, Fried Egg, Scrambled Egg, Fresh Tea, Fresh Coffee, Fresh Juices, Cereals, Pastries, Toast and a selection of Preserves and Marmite. There is a Breakfast menu for room service and as an alternative to the Buffet, but the Buffet suited us. The Dinner Menu had just as much to choose from, we had the Soup, Fois Gras and Sirloin Steak which was cooked to perfection. Unfortunately, we were too full to try the Dessert Menu, but they did look fantastic. Afternoon tea was made up of a Choice of Specialist Tea's, Filter Coffee, Finger Sandwiches, Scones with Clotted cream and Jam, A lemon Posset with Raspberry Coulis, Battenberg Cake, Coffee and Walnut Cupcakes with Macarons. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful.

Had dinner here with a business colleague mid-week. Food was decent and service pretty quick. Restaurant was very busy but they coped well. Old windows leaked a bit of heat! Breakfast the next morning was not so good - toast cold by the time it reached the table, no butter - and no sign of serving staff so I had to help myself.

Have eaten here for Father's Day and for a full english the morning after our wedding which was much needed! One guest said it was the best full english they'd ever had.

Visited for afternoon tea with 11 of my girlfriends, scenery was lovely, room was clean and modern, very airy and bright. We had a mixture of tea and coffee, wasn't asked which type of tea we would prefer, but was still nice. We had selection of sandwiches, 2 cakes, macaroons, rice pudding and scones, all was very nice but nothing wow! We had to ask the waiters if they could wrap up some of our cakes as we couldn't eat them all, the waitress folded the tin foil into a swan and handbag with the cakes inside, which was a lovely touch, overall would recommend to others

Went with my daughter and daughter in law for afternoon tea having been before several years ago and was disappointed this time round. I was told our time was from 1pm till 3 which was fine as we had to collect children from school, but had to wait 15minutes on arrival as they could not find my name on their reservation list which had been entered misspelt. The tea was brought up and was so weak we had to ask for extra tea bags and I don't like extremely strong tea, although the sandwiches and cake were nice, while eating and chatting together we then experienced what we could only assume was a keep fit session starting above and the constant drone of a loud thumping which continued for some time which is not acceptable when people are paying for a pleasant afternoon tea together. Sorry but I will not be returning for afternoon tea in the future although I have on several occasions been for other functions which I could find no fault with.

Stunning settings .. stunning gardens...terrible food..over priced ..for very average quality food...especially afternoon tea...

Great disappointment, the dining room was dirty and at times the staff were nowhere to be seen. We had to wait one hour between each course the staff appeared like lost souls What a pity the management isn't very professional and are damaging the reputation of this beautiful hotel

Compared to last year the quality of this year's Christmas lunch was incredibly disappointing. The service was almost non existent and averaged more than an hour between courses with waitresses serving one cover at a time, backwards and forwards to and from the kitchen with more bar staff on duty than servers!! After the main course had been finally dispatched to the dining room there was a lull of more than an hour without a single desert leaving the kitchen. Needs Gordon Ramsey to sort out the Management!!!Yours faithfully,Yvonne Diaz Martin

Family of 4 adults, sat down at 7.30pm. We had to wait for 15 minutes for someone to take our order. We only wanted one starter, soup leak and potato 20 minutes later when questioned we were told 'its made from fresh. Hello! soup is better when fused for a short while. When it arrived it was lovely. At 8.50 pm our Main arrived, i had Beer Battered Haddock and it was perfect and so fresh.The staff just seemed to be walking around a busy restaurant and going no where. I was not given fish cutlery and only when asked how long for the soup did a spoon arrive.I did question the waitress about the service and was told there was a trainee on the stove section with the chef, So why not let us the payers know this and be empathetic?

Loved the food. Staff were polite but when compared with the hotel staff (who were enthusiastic and friendly), they paled in comparison.

I read some of the previous reviews which were very negative and almost didn't book, however thought I would give it a chance as wanted to treat a friend to afternoon tea. All I can say is the setting is lovely, the staff were attentive and fun and the tea was lovely, we thoroughly enjoyed it and I would go again. It's difficult to say what other people experienced with loud, unruly children, we went Friday lunchtime at 1 o'clock and it was nice and quiet. Unfortunately there are many places you go to now where parents lack any respect to other diners by letting their children run riot and it must be very difficult for hotel/restaurant staff to say anything without receiving abuse, sadly a sign of our times. Go early on a weekday and hopefully nice and quiet, no loud background music thank god. Again, lovely setting, nice crisp white table linens, lovely staff and delightful tea, what more would you want.

First the positives! we loved the garden room, plenty of space round tables and everywhere clean and tidy. Tables set out beautifully. Waiting staff polite. Deserts were lovely.Negatives I had told staff when I booked (by telephone) the lunch was my mum's 90th birthday treat, whilst I did not expect anything OTT - a little 'Happy Birthday' to her would not have gone amiss.The menu was not extensive to say the least, only one vegetarian dish which I could not eat anyway (allergies!). However I had looked at the bar menu online and seen scampi (another failed veggie!) and requested that - to their credit this was not a problem, and it was lovely! Mum enjoyed her chicken, dad did enjoy the sea bass but hated the artichoke and samphire that accompanied it. what we didn't enjoy was the long wait for the food to appear, a little surprising as there was only one other table occupied having afternoon tea. Also waited ages for a waiter to appear to ask for the bill. as I say a mixed review.......................

Booked for seven people for afternoon tea. Arrived and shown to a very well laid table. The napkins having been made into lovely tight rose heads. Our requested tea arrived within minutes. After some 30 minutes spoke with male waiter and enquired about our food. Informed that there was a shortage of scones and that they were baking more. If only we had been told when the problem arose we would all have understood and been happy to wait. Our food was fresh and well presented although it was felt that the fillings in the finger sandwiches could have been more generous. The scones with jam and clotted cream were full of fruit and indeed fresh. Champagne was given to us as a way of apology for the delay. It was a shame that the afternoon tea was spoilt by the lack of information.

Brilliant service by Leo and his team. They care and want you to enjoy your evening. Food is good, great value for money.

good food reasonable choice pleasant surrounding.Young staff very helpful.We had an evening meal which was well presented and tasted good

Me and my 2 girl cousins happened to all be in the same country at the same time and we wanted to do something chilled out but a bit special- afternoon tea in the garden brasserie was just the perfect thing to do!! The room was decorated beautifully, light and airy with big windows and bright flowery jewel toned accessories! the tables are spread out so you're not to close to the other customers. A wide range of teas were offered and served promptly and the food followed 15 minutes later. A simple selection of sandwiches, warm fruit scones with jam and clotted cream, a selection of little cakes ours were earl gray cupcakes, lemon meringue slices, passionfruit macaroons and pimms jelly, topped off with chocolate dipped strawberries and champayne! it was all lovely although the pimms jelly was not to my taste a little too strong!! we were asked if we were ok and offered more tea but were not pestered and were certainly not rushed out- the booking says the table is yours for 2 hours and we were there for 2 hours 40mins and no one suggested we leave. i was a bit suprised that we had to pay the whole cost up front when i booked but it ended up working out well for me as i wanted to treat my cousins and they couldnt argue as id already paid!! price was maybe a tiny bit on the steep side was excpecting slightly more flair for the cost but would recommend this for a relaxed afternoon catching up with your girlfriends/family if your nor worried about the expense. would go again if the occasion came up.

First of all I was disappointed that I had to pay up front for the afternoon tea, but I thought this was because everything would be fresh, but NO the sandwiches were old (one thin slice of ham) - The cakes were also old - The only thing it had going for it was the scones were lovely - We had to ask for our cream and jam as the waitress had forgot to bring it - The waiter was unkempt and had his shirt hanging out..... The brasserie itself has obviously seen better days as it is messy and untidy - Overpriced is what I would say about this experience.I have had afternoon tea in the Savoy and Ritz and also little tea rooms and I would say this place is not worth the visit - The price is very similar to a top notch hotel and yet not worth it at all.

I booked to have afternoon tea with two friends in June. The first slightly annoying thing was having to pay in full at the time of the booking and being told that they do not refund or change dates . I have been to other places for afternoon tea - including the Dorchester Hotel and have not had to pay until the day. The room itself is a beautiful room - one of the reasons I wanted to visit - very light, airy and summery and really well decorated. However, the staff were inattentive, we had to wait 40 mins for our food to be served and had to ask for fresh water for the tea. The sandwiches weren't that interesting, although the scones and macaroons were good. Taking into account the price £19.95, I was expecting something better. I booked at Orsett for a treat, something a little special, however I was disappointed and a little bit embarrassed as I had suggested the Garden Brasserie to my friends. Orsett Hall is well known in the area and the room was lovely, if the service and standard of food could be improved it would be somewhere to recommend.

Orsett Hall is a lovely hotel in beautiful grounds, and is quite the landmark in the area. Hadn't visited since my school prom about 10 years ago, and it's burnt down and been rebuilt since then. I booked afternoon tea there for my mum for mothers day, but it was disappointing. I had to pay up front when booking, which does seem rather unnecessary. Lets face it, wherever you have afternoon tea it is a bit of a rip off isn't it? That said, if the sandwiches you're served are tasty, the cakes are lovely and at least appear home made, and the service is good then you don't mind paying for it. £19.95 for sandwiches that look and taste like they were made yesterday, one tea bag as opposed to a pot of tea, and macarons that just don't taste of anything is not what you'd expect. And i can't really comment on the service because we didn't really get any service. We were offered a free glass of prosecco because we had to wait a while to be served. After that we didn't really see much of the waiting staff. The scones were nice and they came with some kind of jelly/jam stuff that i can't really describe i don't know what it was but it was nice. Not really worth twenty quid though.

Was a long wait for service and hardly saw the staff the whole time we was there. Advised when I phoned up and booked that I have a tree nut allergy and I was assured that there would be no nut-containing items included on our afternoon tea and there would be a substitute instead but when the food was brought out there was almond macaroons on the same tower as the other food and when I mentioned it to the server I was advised that the macaroons couldn't have touched the other items and they had only sent out 2 instead of 3 because of the allergy. Was disappointed I was unable to eat any of the afternoon tea and not impressed at paying £19.50 only to be able to eat a scone and a cup of tea. Won't be visiting again.

Very disappointed. Lovely place, lovely setting, lovely staff. However, lack of choice with food. Expensive. Inadequate portions. Tea served in stainless steel tea pot, the sort you get in supermarket canteens. Spoke to a few people who actually had afternoon tea there and were expecting proper tea pots and cups and for the price paid felt the cakes etc were inadequate - won't be going back again.

Had afternoon tea recently for a friends birthday. The venue was amazing and had a great atmosphere. The staff were friendly and helpful, often checking to see if we needed refills and how our food was. The food was great, the sandwiches were tasty and cakes were definitely unique and delicious. The scones were still warm when they arrived at our table and came with fresh cream and jam! My friend was surprised with a chocolate 'Happy Birthday' plate which was totally unexpected. I would definitely recommend the afternoon tea to anyone as we had a totally amazing experience.

We took my Aunt for a Celebration Lunch for her 90th Birthday, Had a lovely table in the Garden restaurant. It was an excellent choice. There was 6 of us all together ranging in ages from 19 to 90, and we all had an excellent meal, the service was attentive but not intrusive and the food was very good. The menu choice was not huge but that was fine as too many choices can make it hard to decide. Food arrived well presented and we all enjoyed each course. The main course was served to use, i.e. one waitress bought the meat and yorkshires, and the meat was well cooked and plentifull and piping hot, and then we were each served our vegetables, gravy and sauces. One member of our party is a particularly fussy eater, but they dealt with his requests very well, resulting in all of us having a very good time. The dessert trolley was

This was a birthday treat for a friend and was horrendously bad. Worst of all, they served us dry scones without any jam or cream. We ate them anyway, and when we saw others had been given cream and jam we complained and the waiting staff just laughed at their mistake.My coffee was served with cold milk, so was tepid at best. The sandwiches were huge chunks of dry and stale bread with just a small piece of dry ham or salmon. The macaroons were flavourless, bright pink but tasted of just sugar. When we arrived we were placed at a table which had a smear of jam on the tablecloth and was covered in crumbs. We had to ask to move. The service was so slow. No-one at any point asked us how we were. I had to get up and go and ask for the wine list. I then had to go back to find them again to actually order the wine. This was really terrible. Though it did make us laugh! Pathetic. Do not go. Ever.

After a beautiful wedding day and evening and a great nights sleep, we got up for breakfast, lovely help yourself breakfast buffet, lovely staff and delightful breakfast room decor, the sun was shining so we had our breakfast Al fresco!!