The Terrace Bar at Laura Ashley The Manor Elstree in Hertsmere

Unfortunately this was one of the worst afternoon teas I have ever experienced. We ordered 4 coffees and 4 afternoon teas. 20 mins later out came 3 coffees and 3 afternoon teas. After we questioned it we were told the last one will arrive shortly, another 20 mins and we managed to speak to a lady who said she was the 'acting' manager who rather than apologise, stood there counting the afternoon teas as if we were lying. Eventually the last one came out and plonked on the table. The staff seemed really inexperience and the food was very mediocre. For the price of it, you can get much nicer afternoon teas than this place.

Absolutely dreadful afternoon tea from beginning to end. If I had the option I would have rated this zero. This was a family afternoon tea - 5 adults and 3 children. On arrival I was told that the kitchen was closed; there was an Eastenders function in the garden. Cold coffee was served after 30 minutes - we asked for 4 coffees but received 3. After 4 requests for the missing coffee it arrived. The children’s tea was unimaginative - chocolate spread and jam on white bread. After the tea was served - again one was missing. Again asking for the missing tea this arrived 45 minutes after the time of booking.?staff were unattentive - all wearing their own casual clothes. After writing to the hotel they responded with asking 2 guests to return for another afternoon tea at a cost of £45. I will definitely not be accepting this offer.

Stayed here and ate at their restaurant. Interesting place and food and service was great. Nice views towards London from the terrace. I had the fish and chips which was very good; well cooked and a nice light, not greasy, batter. Not too much that you feel over full. I thought the desserts were a little expensive at £12 for a crème brûlée.

Love it here . The staff know how to treat their customers. Rooms are spotless we love the Knightsbridge or Mayfair rooms . Just going down for lunch can’t wait there is a new chef in town as they say

Superb balance of spices and flavouring by a couple who know and are passionate about their food and drink. Excellent food with first class service a real first class addition to the north wales food scene. Highly recommend a visit

This is by far the worst afternoon tea I have experienced. So embarrassing as I took my friend as a birthday treat. Should have realised when the place was empty that something was wrong. When the food came it was so disappointing - 8 finger sandwiches, 4 on very average brown sliced bread and 4 on very cheap sliced white bread. You can get so many nice sliced loaves these days surely they could have done better. The scones were very nice but the strawberry jam was again pretty rubbish. As for the cakes well - two macaroons were average, two sponge things which had obviously come out of the freezer which I didn’t even try but my friend wasn’t impressed, two small cup cakes which we didn’t touch and two bite sized bits of brownie which we didn’t touch. We did complain when the lovely waitress asked if everything was ok, she was clearly embarrassed and even asked if I was happy to pay the service charge when I paid. She didn’t charge for our second glass of Prosecco which was actually very nice and said she would pass our complaint on.

This now seems just to be called "The Manor", and there was no bar food menu and only a limited lunchtime menu when we went mid-week. However we had a pleasant meal on the terrace.

The place is beautiful, the portion was just small, very expensive and really not tasty, The waiter friendly but not really professional.

Wasn't hugely impressed. They put people on a table right next to us who appeared to be eavesdropping our conversation. There were plenty of other tables. Apart from scones which were OK, the rest of food was not great! White bread sandwiches and sickly cakes. Mot recommending!

Firstly after spending a week planning a surprise party with them, we arrived early as planned to find they didn’t even have the booking? How this is possible considering we spent a week planning with them is unbelievable. Anyway, arrive and they had no booking, the waiter in charge of the restaurant (long hair, scruffy, rude) literally laughed in our face. Food is below par and overpriced, service is the worse I’ve ever had and all in all I would avoid at all costs. Hotel is tired, dated, terribly run. Restaurant is terrible quality and staff are the most appealing I’ve ever experienced.

Laura Ashley Manor is a delightful, traditional mock Tudor 4 star hotel based in Elstree, UK. Once off the busy surrounding roads, the narrow road that takes you to the hotel leads you to a place of calm and tranquility. As you enter the hotel, it feels very inviting and particularly safe. We visited as a family of 4, for a walk and a coffee. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. The grounds did not warrant much of a walk on the day that we went due to the rain but the views in summer are potentially amazing. The hotel does not appear to be huge and so it can easily feel crowded at reception but the pleasant ambience is nevertheless there. There are opulent furnishings throughout the ground floor which make it very “Laura Ashley.” Prices for tea/coffee are what you would expect for a country hotel at around £3/4.00with sandwiches around £8.00. I understand the hotel does not serve lunch - I enquired for a Christmas event. It does however offer dinner, brunch and afternoon tea. Overall, the hotel is a nice place for a stopover or a chang from your typical London/UK coffee shop. There is ample car parking but I imagine public transport to the venue would be tricky, not least there would be a long walk to the entrance from the main road.

I took my mum to the Laura Ashley afternoon tea for her 50th birthday. We really enjoyed the food and coffees which were both refillable. Thank you to Shofi who was always on hand and made the experience even more special- despite not knowing we were celebrating a special birthday! He treated every customer with such care and attention.

I'd been before for an afternoon tea a while back and really myself, so when I was planning what to do for my mum's sixty-fifth, I thought it would be a great idea to celebrate with afternoon tea. I was wrong. I had not previously known it was possible to ruin a salmon and creme fraiche bagel. The cakes, previously a highlight, were appalling: some were dry, others flavourless. The scones were heavy and we could barely manage them. I don't understand how the quality of the afternoon tea could have dropped so drastically. I had really thought, after my initial visit, that it would have been a lovely birthday treat, but although my mother was very polite, I know she was disappointed. The view remained lovely.

Lovely hotel. Nice rooms and amazing décor. The staff are polite and is the best place to stay for a weekend break or business throughout the week. Well done Manor Elstree Laura Ashley!

My wife and I booked to take our elderly cousins out for Sunday afternoon tea at Laura Ashley. My wife has dietary intolerances that she discussed in advance with head chef, Perry. It is most unusual for a chef to fully understand her particular intolerance issue but Perry fully comprehended the problem and promised to provide food that my wife could eat which he did with great attention. It is not a cheap place with the teas starting at £25.95 a head and the food itself was decent without being spectacular, but the service we received, particularly from David was truly outstanding with close attention throughout the tea. The Manor itself is a wonderful, historic venue with beautiful gardens. Enjoying an unhurried traditional cream tea in this splendid environment is a quintessential English experience. Most enjoyable.

This is the best place in England! Highly recommend! The staff treated us like royalty. And the beds are the best. We have to mention specifically two people who went above and beyond to make our stay exceptional; Joanna and Sophia. They were there to answer questions, offer services and provide information, make suggestions, and took the time just to be friendly and visit with us. They alone, along with the beautiful property and comfortable beds, guarantee that we will definitely be back on our next trip!

Lovely afternoon tea with friends. Staff were very attentive and friendly..we had unlimited tea & coffee and nothing was too much trouble. If you have allergies and prefer a certain food in a sandwich I would recommend you state this when booking the reservation. Highly recommend.

I make it a point not to place a negative review before giving management a chance, but I have waited two weeks for a return call from the General Manager - it still has not come. I booked a table for three ladies, for tea, two weeks ago. It was in celebration of a dear friends 'special' birthday, made more poignant in that she lost her husband less than 2 months before. This I told reservations, asking them to ensure a special welcome and a table overlooking the beautiful gardens and grounds. This I was assured. On arrival I gave my name, which the young lady could not find. I ran my eyes down the list and found it .. they had written me down as 'MR' and below my name were 2 scribbled out numbers. We were then shown to a table placed at the rear of the restaurant, by one of two sets of open doors to a private room where an event was taking place. I asked why we did not have the promised window table. I was told, by rote, there was nothing she could do. She didn't book it, wasn't her fault, blah blah blah. She went to see her superior. I followed her. I was greeted by an immediately defensive and aggressive young woman who was, frankly, rude. She offered no acceptable explanation, offered to close the doors to the private room, saying that was all she could do. We had no choice. We sat down. We waited some time before we were, eventually, served. We ordered our tea. After an inordinate amount of time our tiered sandwich tray, with scones arrived ... probably due to the arrival, some 20 minutes after us, of 3 people , clearly known to the restaurant, who were shown to the window table I had asked for - and were served before us with their tiered tray plus two further plates of sandwiches, and a double platter of pastries, most of which were then wrapped for them to take home). Never in my advanced years of many afternoon teas in many wonderful establishments, have I been so insulted and disgusted at the offerings. Finger sandwiches, crusts removed, comprised two slices of bread which was not overly fresh, cut in three. Choices served were : Egg Mayo (spread so thinly it was rendered tasteless) Smoked salmon & cream Cheese ( two fingers only - and when we pointed this out were told there was no more smoked salmon left. Seriously?) Brie and caramelised onion (the onion was tinned and overtly sweet) Inedible Cream cheese and cucumber - tasteless. Coronation chicken - very sweet, for whatever reason. The scones was dense and hard to eat and the jam, flavour of which was undistinguishable, was burnt. We asked for an alternative and were brought little mini jars. Then came the pastries. I have attached an image because we sat staring in disbelief. We were served 3 chocolate mouse pastries that had been unequally cut from a single slice and were, frankly, dreadful. Three Macarons filled with an inordinately sweet raspberry something and, disgracefully, one large chocolate eclair cut in three. We consumed only our section of the pre-cut eclair. I could ramble about how disgusted we were, how awful the entire tea was, how badly the kitchen presented everything but to what point? Suffice it to say this was good for only the following: 1) An illustration of inordinately badly trained supervisory staff who are rude, dismissive and unable to deal appropriately when there is a genuine problem: 2) An illustration of how NOT to allow an untrained waitress to show customers to a table 3) An illustration of how NOT to have your guest list on display so a customer can A) see how insignificant they are, given the many times I had been moved around the restaurant 'on paper' B) see that their title has not been respected. 4) An illustration of how NOT to go over-board with well known customers, giving them more than anyone else, a table booked by someone else and service before people who arrived 20 minutes prior to them 5) An illustration of how profit comes before quality and substance. 6) An illustration of how misleading images are on a website Utterly unacceptable on all levels with the exception of our table waiter, who works only at weekends, and was both charming and most apologetic.

We arrived at 12.30 and waited 25 minutes for the menu.ordered a diet coke and a tomato juice only to be told hotel had run out of the tomato juice! ordered a sandwich each which took half an hour to come.however they were fresh and tasty as they should have been for a price of£14.50for two sandwiches! total bill was£21 45 will not be going there again,we left just 2, heaven knows how long we would have been there had we ordered desert!

Terrace is quite small but has a view over London. Great on a nice evening. We then went into the main restaurant. Old fashioned nice. Beautiful building.

on our door step beautiful surroundings but can take 20 minutes just to get noticed then for ever to receive. The rooms comfy decorated beautifully . Diner is great and silver service fine just the bar and terrace really need to step it up The food if hot is yummy but! such a shame as would love to go more often if they can sort .

Went for afternoon tea on the weekend, and had low expectations as I was with friends who had been underwhelmed before, but was actually pleasantly surprised! The tea service was really nice, and the pastries were very good. We had a lovely time, and particularly enjoyed the view...

A nice place to relax and enjoy a light meal, coffee or a glass of wine while we stayed at the hotel.

I recently visited this place with work colleagues for our Christmas lunch. It's a secluded location surrounded by trees with lots of parking. The venue is adorned in Laura Ashley furniture and is quite welcoming. The rooms are very big and decorated to very simple taste but beautiful all the same. My Christmas meal was very tasty. I had the turkey dinner and the meat was succulent and just right. Would have loved more... I didn't use the terrace bar. I have intentionally left out commenting on service.

We were having a family afternoon tea for a birthday celebration. The location, an old Manor House is beautiful gardens is really all you get for your £25 per person. The tea set is nice but very poor value for money. The staff were a mixed bag, a couple of them were very nice but a few were quite surly to the point of being rude. Although I have to say we had s good time I believe there is much better to be had elsewhere and I would not return here.

Drinks are expensive but then you get to sit on the balcony with a view of London and a beautiful garden. It's peaceful, clean and the waitress was very friendly, drinks to the table and made us feel very welcome. For a special occasion I would highly recommend a visit.

El bar de la terraza, en un día soleado es la cosa que más hacia el cielo. La vista es absolutamente impresionante. Es tranquilo y relajante con vistas a los jardines y la vista y el césped. Y de una manera porque paramos en admirando la vista que probablemente tenía una calificación de cinco estrellas. Por desgracia, pedimos la comida. En primer lugar, el menú es limitado, lo cual está bien, en su mayoría de ensaladas y sándwiches. Nos pedimos un sándwich de pan tostado. Uno podría decir que cómo se puede equivocar. Pero desgraciadamente nuestros. Una pasada parecido poco hecha de pan con el queso todavía crudo. Teníamos servido con aguacate - la mitad de este era negro. Realmente no requiere ningún cerebro para darse cuenta de que este no es un restaurante o bar comida estándar y no debe ser servido. Mi consejo comer antes de visitar, tomar una copa y disfrutar de la vista. O Del Hotel atención y hacer algunos ajustes en serio.

Reservé este lugar para mis hijas de bebé, 6 de nosotros para tomar el té de la tarde. Mesa redonda con asiento de ventana preciosa detrás. Llegué temprano para decorar la mesa, lo cual no era un problema.

Este hotel en muchas ocasiones y en general muy buena experiencia. El pasado mes de mayo fuimos allí a tener algunas bebidas y aperitivos en la terraza. El servicio era muy pobre. Conseguir que los pedidos mal y olvidar acompañamientos y cubiertos. Cuando pedimos que se llega después de un largo tiempo cuando debería ser una práctica estándar para ofrecer o llevar estas con la comida. Por desgracia, llevamos a la familia que ya dieron una muy mala impresión de una hermosa vista panorámica del hotel con un servicio muy pobre.

Muy impresionante en coche hasta nuestro té de la tarde en el bar de la terraza. Una cálida recepción y una copa de Prosecco sirven en la terraza. Buena selección de sandwiches y pasteles servidos en la sala de dibujo. Buena selección de tés y el servicio era excelente.

Es de la vieja Goornish palabra yiddish que significa "nada" que no tienen nada que hencev el plato pero es embargado hermosamente.

Quería estar cerca de tomar mi madre de 85 años de edad para almorzar temprano y esta perfecto. Y a un punto que era, bellos edificios, con una bonita decoración, magníficas vistas desde el salón, personal amable. . .

The food is fresh, good quality, imaginative, well cooked and beautifully presented. The service is fantastic - they were really accommodating. I would certainly recommend.

Large selection of unique tea's from all over the world with something for everyone. They catered for vegetarians. Nice display and more than enough. Nice mix of sandwiches, desserts and two types of scoons. View from the terrace is beautiful. Ask for a table with a view. Something unique was the glass of water with slices of cucumber. Very refreshing. Overall good service, lovely ambience,good food and a beautiful view.

We were attending a family celebration which was catered by the hotel and included the Terrace Bar for the receptionWe were served afternoon tea which was lovely The sandwiches were fresh and generously filled The cakes were a delight and the fact that the staff gave us impeccable silver service was a pleasant surpriseIt was a joyful experience made more so by the hotel staff Thank you

I took my mother here for afternoon tea a couple of weeks ago. The settings are beautiful and the hotel looks stunning. Went to reception to ask where we needed to go for afternoon tea, and receptionist was less than welcoming. Good start in the restaurant however, seated quickly and politely. Food was good, lovely portion size and most things quite tasty. No knives on our table when we arrived (how am I supposed to prepare my scone?) and when asked for, made to feel like we were asking for a lot! Again I second what other people are saying about the service here, pretty much ignored after you've been seated, have to try and call someone over to ask for scones or more tea and nobody wants to make eye contact with you. Awkward ending, do you just get up and leave? Would not have been happy at all if I had paid full price and hadn't been on a voucher.

Laura Ashley, The Manor, was what was originally The Edgwarebury country club. As you walk in a lot has changed, modern furniture but the walls, doors and starts are scuffed and dirty and look like they have not been touched since the original building.We ate lunch outside, small menu but we both choose salads. The salad was tiny, I asked for cheese on mine and my friend chicken, I did ask not to be mozzarella or blue cheese but there it came with a tiny scattering of grated, tastily mozzarella, the chicken on the other hand looked good with a big portion.The salad was small, a thin later on a medium sized plate, very fresh but not at all exciting, maybe one tiny potato cut in two with a couple of cut up beans but other than that a basic green salad.Coffee and tea were fine. With a small bottle of water each the bill came to £38.50. I'm still hungry.Best part, we got to sit out in the garden on a beautiful sunny day.

I sent this email to the hotel on 8 August, chasing on 13 August with no response to either email, so posting here so people don't waste their money.I am writing to say how disappointed we were with our afternoon tea on Saturday. We arrived and initially were so excited as we were treated so nicely and everything seemed perfect. We received our sandwiches and cakes and someone came back about 10 minutes later to ask if everything was okay (it was at that point). We were then ignored for the next hour, we had to call someone over to ask for more tea and for our scones. Nobody even looked our way to see if we needed anything. It wasn’t as if the room was busy – it was probably only a third full and only half full when we left. After we had been there two hours, a member of staff came over to see if we needed our scones – a bit late at that point don’t you think? We did notice that other tables had cakes that we didn’t have in our selection also and we were approached twice to ask for our ‘voucher’ (we didn’t have a voucher and had never mentioned it), perhaps with a voucher you receive less choice? To make things even worse, I log into my computer today to find I have received a groupon email with an offer from the hotel so I could have paid half of what I paid on Saturday! This was a treat for my friend for her birthday and I am very disappointed because I feel as though I have let her down and also paid more than I should have. Not only that, but when we left we were charged an extra £5 service charge! At the time I didn’t make a fuss as it was for my friend’s birthday but I certainly wouldn’t normally have tipped for the service that we received. Afternoon tea is a total luxury and a time for us to get together and talk without interruption so I staff shouldn’t be hovering around making us uncomfortable but we were pretty much abandoned for the whole time we were there.

For such a stunning place with possibly the best views in North West London, this place lets itself down on the grandest scale. The service is appalling on an entirely new level.The place is delightful, the scones are small and delicious, served with scrumptious jam and clotted cream. But everything is ruined by the way you're treated. The staff literally make Basil Fawlty look charming! We waited an hour and a half to order even though the garden terrace was not even a quarter full. Everything was forgotten and it got to the point where we were afraid to mention it to our waiter as the sarcasm was practically dripping from his mouth. Scones with no plates, tea with no sugar, drinks didn't arrive, biscuits didn't arrive. I honestly do not know how they're in business. Another 30 minutes wait for the bill, with service charge added on top. They must do that because they know they've got a bat's chance in hell of getting tipped otherwise! It was awful. And what a pity. This place could be top of my list for places to enjoy Sunday tea. But that will only happen if all the people who work there leave, and they hire people who understand the hospitality industry!

Fabulous afternoon tea , with wonderful views of London. Set in a beautiful location, such tranquillity so close to London was awesome. Very impressive range of tea and the usual suspects in sandwiches and scones. We upgraded to Champagne and it was a great afternoon.

I took my friend for afternoon tea in July. The hotel is stunning and the views across London were simple amazing. The welcome we received could have been warmer but they were busy and seemed a little frazzled on this perticular day. The terrace has some excellent views across London which we enjoyed whilst eating. The afternoon tea was lovely, so much choice and as my friend is vegetarian and doesn't eat egg the chef prepared a special menu for her. Great savoury bites and the scones were warm and moist. The sandwiches were a bit stale, maybe they were made earlier as the bread was slightly hard. We had a walk through the gardens and around the hotel. The carved ornamental fireplaces are a carpenters dream. The hotel toilets really let this place down. They were just like toilets you would find in a supermarket not a luxury hotel.

Simply a wonderful experience. Charming waiters served a selection of different unusual teas followed by a huge selection of savouries and delicate cakes. Delicious scones served jam and cream. Gorgeous room with views across London. Could not be faulted - will return!

I have eaten several times in the terrace bar - and the quality is very good. A limited menu - but what makes this experience in particular a joy - is the level of service.On my recent visit I was served by Kevin - who is an asset to you - his charm, and understandi9ng of times and space are exceptional. I ate the Cob Salad this time - plenty on the plate, very tasty, and arrived in good time

Went here with 3 friends using Groupon voucher for afternoon tea. Service was impeccable and everything was beautifully presented. Huge selection of teas, sandwiches and cakes and happily accommodated dietary requirements. Fresh tea provided on request too pls water. Beautiful house and Gardens too. Would definitely return. Exactly how an English afternoon tea should be!

I went with my parents last weekend for a late birthday / early Fathers day treat, and what a treat it was! To my delight, my dad really enjoyed it, and that's not an easy feat considering he usually finds something to moan about!Wonderful setting, friendly staff, great service and really tasty freshly prepared food, what's not to love?!Would definitely recommend and go again!

My husband purchased two vouchers from Groupon for afternoon tea for my birthday , so I thought it would be rather nice to treat my Mum, Dad and sister . We were not disappointed . The hotel is set off the road and you could be fooled into thinking you were in the middle of nowhere ,if you were not familiar with the area. It is about five minutes off the A1. On entering the hotel you are immediately struck by the calmness and the very simple lines of décor, first impressions really do count. We were taken to our table by a lovely waitress and so it began. Lovely tea, superb cakes, sandwiches, mini quiches, warm scones, everything served with a smile . The tea was regularly topped up (we are tea junkies) and nothing was too much trouble. Between the four of us, we have been on cruises, had tea at The Ritz, Harrods, The Grove, Sopwell House and a number of other venues, but without a doubt, this one beat them all . Keep it up ,we will definitely coming back .

All courses were enjoyable, which we find unusual! Service was relaxed and helpful, for example with wine choice.We had a cocktail in the bar, and the barman was clearly expert with both traditional and modern cocktails.We would go back!

The Laura Ashley hotel is set in a stunning location. On a clear day, sitting outside one can spot the buildings of London whilst sipping cocktails.Having visited here many times for drinks, we decided to visit for a quick bite recently.The restaurant was not open on this particular Saturday for lunch, and so we decided to choose something from their bar menu.The fair presentation, sadly, does little for the food. I was really expecting more from a £15 hamburger. It was essentially a bun and a mass-procured burger on a plate.Service in the bar waxes and wanes. This was a waning day.That said, I'll still visit for drinks.

Terrific hotel, really pleasant staff and excellent choice for afternoon tea. My only criticism is compared to other afternoon teas this wasn't the best nor was it the worst. The produce was a little let down in terms of freshness, but everything else made up for it. Great venue would go again but would try a lunch or dinner option

We had the tasting menu here on Friday and to quote my husband we could not fault a thing. We love food and really enjoy putting ourselves in the hands of the chef to create dishes we have not chosen. This five course delight did not disappoint. We loved each course and did not leave a thing. The restaurant itself is lovely - it has a lovely relaxed feel to it and the staff and service are superb. We have already recommended this experience and will continue to do so!

Cocktails were said to be available, and the bar man asked what we liked, and made them up on the spot . Cost, around £11 (April 2016) each, with optional serivce charge added, but this was part of a weekend away, and the performance of making, and the enjoyment of the drink made it all worthwhile.

We love this location, we have used it many times and have had lunch, dinner and afternoon teas a plenty. We have stayed here as well ( last Christmas eve).The staff are always very friendly and extremely helpful, the location is stunning and since the refurbishment a joy to visit.My wife and I particularly like the afternoon tea and then having coffee on the outside veranda enjoying the panoramic views,Dinner can be a little pricey but you pay for what you get and the food is always of a very high standard. They have a very wide spread wine menu which covers most choices and some hidden gems.Looking forward to our next trip!!

The staff were very happy and polite! The room was bright and tables were set looking very nice. So we had high hopes of a good tea. But after sitting a while we became very hot!As my friend and I had dietary requirements I emailed ahead with such requirements which didn't cause the hotel any problems. But this was not the case when our sandwiches were given to us!! Of course the plate was taken away as soon as I pointed this out to them and we were given more of the 2 choices that was already on the plate not the options I had pre arranged via email (I didn't want to make a fuss at the time due to it being a special occasion) The scones were warm and very fresh the jam was tasty too.Overall we won't be going back!!! Sandwiches were in plain white bread and for us only two choices, we asked for more sandwiches which came at an extra cost the pastries/cake were OK nothing special After having afternoon tea at The Ritz and The Grove there is a lot for Lara Ashley Hotel to learn, both The Ritz and The Grove use different types of breads and fills and you can have as much as you like for NO EXTRA CHARGE!After paying for the extra sandwiches and a 10% service charge being add to my bill It made for a very expensive afternoon tea which was not worth it!! Back to The Grove Watford for us.

Small but very pretty restaurant. Food very well presented and very delicious food! Excellent customer service! Really enjoyable meals.

Nice ambience and wonderful views over London. The cocktails aren't cheap, around £11 but they are very good. We've all had cocktails for £6 or £7 that have been rubbish, so you get what you pay for.

Having stayed at this hotel a couple of months previous with an exellent experience, I recommended to a gorup of friends that we should visit for afternoon Cream Tea. This was arranged for last Sunday and from my point of view it was a total let-down. We were charged £28 per head and what was provided was not worth £10. There are a number of local restaurants that give better value for money. We were allocated a separate room ie Regency which was very congested for 20 people. We were sitting in the room for at least 20 mins before the waiter arrived with tea and from my own point of view, the tea was luke warm and when a top-up was needed, it was 'hunt the waiter' and the temperature of the tea was the same as if it had been standing around. The sandwiches had limited cheap filling ie cucumber, egg mayo, and cheese. The cakes were poor and found the scones were dry. The cream and jam were provided in pots not individually and the cutlery was limited and it was necessary for people to use their own knives for scooping out which had already been used by someone else. The waiter seemed out of his depth and found difficulty in serving 20 people on his own. Overall, I was very disappointed with the visit and would not recommend Cream Tea at this hotel.

I took my Nan here for her birthday we really enjoyed it. The service was extreemley slow as they forgot about us but once i complained the service was excellent. Great choice of treats for the tea for too and recommend. Walking round the gardens is lovely.

I took a couple of friends to the Laura Ashley Manor for afternoon tea this week - a birthday treat for one of them. The table was booked months ago and i was really disappointed to find that we were placed in a small ante room next to the main room and at an inferior table at that. The same happened back in May when again we took friends there to celebrate another birthday, we were in the main dining room but again in the worst possible table away from windows etc. Again this was booked weeks in advance. What does one have to do to get a main room window table overlooking the beautiful grounds of this lovely, lovely hotel? The food is absolutely scrumptious but again the actual tea to drink is a disappointment - ordered green tea and got a Twinings green tea bag dunked in a pot of hot water! Nothing wrong with Twinings but surely one expects freshly brewed tea leaves for a £21 per head tea out! This could be so good.

Had lunch here sitting out on the terrace overlooking the garden and the wonderful views of London. Very nice sandwiches, plenty of choice.

A delightful tea party to celebrate a special birthday, the room was beautiful, tea, sandwiches and cakes served with grace by attentive staff. Just perfect!

This was an afternoon tea that really lived up to expectations! The sandwiches were delicate, flavoursome and delightful, and the cakes and pastries were light fluffy and superb. The scones and jam plus the clotted cream finished the whle thing of to perfection. The ponytailpoet was very impressed! Very impressed indeed! Well done Laura Ashley!

Lovely dinner and lovely breakfast. Only small criticism was that the dessert came with vanilla icecream but it was served with a green icecream which did not go well with the raspberry dessert.

Having seen the pictures on the website and information about the views, we went into the bar area to enjoy an afternoon coffee on the terrace and had intended to explore the gardens. How wrong we were! Tea was not hot and the Latte was served in a plastic "glass", and then we were not allowed to go out on the terrace - it was closed until 6pm because of a wedding, as was the garden, so we had to sit in the bar. During this time we saw several disappointed customers, one couple of which were allowed to slip along the terrace and sit at the edge of the restaurant area because they complained so heavily to the barman. The barman was very abrupt with customers generally, and we later found out that "he was having a bad day"! There are far better places than this, and it is time that Laura Ashley realise it, before it is too late. I would not return under any circumstances.

Having seen the pictures on the website and information about the views, we went into the bar area to enjoy an afternoon coffee on the terrace and had intended to explore the gardens. How wrong we were! £7.00 for a very slow (warm) tea and Latte (in a plastic "glass"), and then we were not allowed to go out on the terrace - it was closed until 6pm because of a wedding, as was the garden, so we had to sit in the bar. During this time we saw several disappointed customers, one couple of which were allowed to slip along the terrace and sit at the edge of the restaurant area because they complained so heavily to the barman.The barman was very abrupt with customers generally, and we later found out that "he was having a bad day"!Having seen the Hotel Manager's replies to poor reviews, I note that he just focuses on any positives given, and sarcastically belittles any criticisms, to the point of arrogance, which seems to pass down through the staff chain.There are far better places than this, and it is time that Laura Ashley realise it, before it is too late.I would not return under any circumstances.

Had a meal here which was included in the price of our room. Excellent food and service, wine was about average price for a hotel

Nicely decorated with Laura Ashley furnishings & a lovely setting. The food was average, nothing special and the service was poor. We asked to take the leftover cakes home, so the waiter tipped them into a piece of tinfoil in front of us at the table. A white cake box would have been much better. Also, the bathroom did not seem to have been refurbished to the standard of the other rooms and reminded me of leisure centre loos. Would not return, as quite expensive.

Thoroughly enjoyed the Afternoon Tea we had at the Laura Ashley hotel. Special praise must go to the scones (could have been a little bit bigger!) and the macaroons. Definitely the macaroons.Appreciated the refill of not just the tea but also coffee.

The terrace bar is well situated and informal with good service and nice food- the menu is quite unusual for a bar with oriental dishes as well as salads. Great cocktails,

On a clear day, the terrace is a must-visit, with their views of london. A wonderful selection of drinks and treats if you don't want to go for afternoon tea.The pub menu is fair. Good if you're feeling peckish.

The afternoon tea was served in the dining room which is a lovely room. The afternoon tea was quite nice and served on Laura Ashley china. However the staff were generally rather cold and unfriendly (apart from a couple who were). One of the waiters who served us was rather surly and didn't smile and made us feel a little uncomfortable when we asked if we could take the remaining cakes home; he brought out a large piece of foil from the kitchen and tipped the plate of cakes into it! I think further training of the staff is required here. When I first tried to book over the phone, after several minutes of waiting on the line I was asked if I could call back in ten minutes as the receptionist was dealing with a customer!

Enjoyed Afternoon Tea at this lovely old Manor House. Crisp white table cloths, beautiful crockery and attentive staff. Only critisism was that when we asked for a glass of water it was served with no ice and lemon. However it was a very rainy day and we were impressed when young men accompanied us to the car with large umbrellas, well done.

Had drinks here staying at the hotel and not badly priced for a hotel really, service was very good and professional, you can see london in the distance, but far away to feel like you are in the country, very clean and lovely furnishings

My Sister took me here for my Birthday and we had the most wonderful afternoon tea. We had visited the Making of Harry Potter first & got lost on our way to the Hotel, arriving almost 15 minutes late but the staff were really lovely and showed us to our table. The service was excellent and the food lovely. I really liked the mix of "normal" & open sandwiches. The smoked salmon was superb & plentiful. The cakes were delicious and as a testament to this we ate everything! You cannot get a better recommendation than that! I was also impressed by the generous servings of jam & clotted cream for the scones. The atmosphere was lovely and relaxed and the only thing we would have changed was the weather - it poured with rain the whole time! A lovely, relaxed and very enjoyable afternoon.

This is the first Lara Ashley Hotel - they took a lovely but tired set-up and have turned it into something contemporary and fit for purpose.

A nice place to wile away a few hours, get a lovely meal and enjoy a beautiful view of the grounds and beyond. I will be going back some time.

This is an awesome nice place with everything you need to feel relaxed.Food good, staff exellent. You don´t need much more in Life!

I visited here yesterday for the first time. It was a really warm and sunny day, perfect for the terrace. The views from the terrace are lovely. It's really peaceful and a great place to relax. I had the ploughman's which was perfect for the weather. The food was fine although I would have liked some chunkier / wedges of bread rather than thin slices and also some pickled onions. I wasn't overwhelmed with the staff that I met, I didn't feel welcomed but didn't feel unwelcome. I didn't have any sort of greeting when I arrived, there was no check after my food arrived to check all OK. Maybe it was an off day. Some other restaurants I have been to as a solo diner have just made me feel a little bit more comfortable, its not everyone who can lunch alone. I'm not expecting much but a little bit of conversation would be nice, have you been here before, any plans for the rest of the day..I have givrn a 4 rating as I enjoyed the setting, food was fine and I will return again.

When the children were little we used to drop in for afternoon tea after school, so we decided to go and see the changes to the hotel. The loose leaf tea came in the tea strainer. The teapot contained hot water (which was warm by the time it got to the table!) Somebody please tell them that tea should be made when the water is on the boil and in the teapot!!!Shame about the décor, but I suppose I expect a beautiful historic building (circa1540) to be modernised in keeping with the period, especially choice of colour and fabric, which Laura Ashley do beautifully! The gardens are stunning but they always have been. I would still support this hotel because the building and grounds are beautiful and I would hate to see yet another historic building fall by the wayside. Perhaps next time I will have cocktails!!

The staff are amazing! They can't do enough for you and are sooooo friendly! Amazing cocktails and fabulous food too!

I was treated to afternoon tea by my three adult children the week before Mother's Day. I loved the historic house setting and was delighted with our table overlooking London. The service was polite enough and there were apologies for the cracked spout on the teapot followed by a rapid replacement.The tea was gracefully served. The sandwiches were fresh and amply filled and the scones were light and warm! The cakes looked lovely and were dainty and not too overwhelming.There was proper leaf tea and a pleasant ambience.Oh and it was also good value for money!

We were here for afternoon tea - which was okay, but not up to the Midland in Morecambe. I found that the decor ruined such an historic building (built in 1540)! I know it was Laura Ashley's manor - but the twee decor is still not suitable.The service was rather patchy too - I wouldn't come here again in a hurry!

Прочитали об этом ресторане в путеводителе и решили отправится на ужин. Столик заказали заранее. Ресторан находится в живописном месте, нас приветливо встретили, предложили фирменные блюда. Понравилось филе утки под клюквенным соусом, неплохое красное вино. Место немноголюдное, поэтому можно не заказывать заранее столик.

I love a good afternoon tea experience and this certainly was oneThe food was lovely, about the right amount. Not too fussy. Tea service gentile but not poncy. Atmosphere warm, civilised, not too formal but you felt it was an occasion. And considering it was Valentines night and they were clearly going to be rammed any minute, we didn't feel in the least rushed. I would recommend.

My wife and I stayed in the hotel and decided to have a meal. We had a voucher otherwise I think £22 for a main course is a little too much. The highlight was the starter of lobster bisque which was sublime. My main was the gnocchi. I don't usually go for a vegetarian meal but this was superb. I finished with the black forest trifle which although pleasant lacked a little umph. Overall a great experience with attentive staff

The evening started off with some pre-drinks cocktails. I ordered the Laura Ashley special cucumber martini, which said 'Hendricks gin', when the bartender made it with Bombay Sapphire gin, I asked him to re-make with Hendricks as advertised. To which he replied "we make all our cocktails with Bombay and never Hendricks, the menu is incorrect". I don't know of any place that would use Bombay Sapphire as a base for a cucumber gin martini...Onto the meal, the food was very average, pork belly was poorly cooked and was just a gelatinous slab. Our main waiter, George, was the only saviour of the night, as he had great humour and made our experience better than 1*. The other waiters were terrible, one lady who didn't know any of the food. She offered us a choice of breadrolls, but didn't know the difference. Then when the main courses arrived. She offer us 'sauce' for each of the items but when asked what sauce, she replied "It's just sauce". We then found out later that the wrong 'sauces' were put on the fish vs. chicken dish of a cream one vs a gravy.Lastly, when the last of the wine was being poured, one of my friends received a small portion in their tumbler with a Vodka and Tonic in. Ok, people make mistakes, but only an apology was offered and not a new drink, as the current one was clearly not drinkable.This was a very disappointing visit and it's a shame that the Laura Ashley brand is tarnished as a result of this poor restaurant experience. If you do go, ensure you ask for George to look after your table, as he was the only reason I gave this more than 1 stars...

We have just returned from such a lovely dinner in the restaurant at Laura Ashley, The Manor. The menu was inventive and the food was delicious, not huge portions but rich enough that you really didn't need any more.The service was excellent. It was attentive and friendly. Just what you hope for in such gorgeous surroundings, with a great ambience - warm and welcoming.The wines are quite expensive, but we chose a reasonably priced wine that was perfect for our party and which was suited to everyone's taste.We will definitely be returning.

A wonderful afternoon tea in elegant surroundings. The ambience was perfect and the service just the right side of attentive.The tea was excellent and very good value (£19.95). We'll definitely be back.

I came here with my sister as a little treat. I have to put my hand on my heart and admit that I didn't know that this lovely place existed, but I'm glad we have discovered it!The staff in this area for Afternoon Tea are very attentive and nothing is a problem for them as we asked to change one of the fillings of the sandwiches. They were also aware when you were coming near to the end of something like your tea or sandwiches to see if you wanted any more. Our waitress was particularly good when a bee decided it wanted to share my scone and jam!!!The food was superb with every mouthful being so delightful. The scones were delightful especially as they are served warm. The cakes were lovely including a delicious macaroon.The surroundings are sumptuous, and inviting. I understand dining outside is an option I would like to try as I believe they have a large chess board outside It was a lovely experience. and one we intend to repeat.The hotel is a well kept secret!!!

Last summer a large group of us enjoyed Afternoon Tea in a lovely room at £16.95 a head. Afterwards we had a stroll round the gardens and all agreed that as a great venue we would return this year to do it again.How disappointing to find the current charge is outrageous.The actual Tea has increased to £19.95, which we would pay BUT there is now an extra payment of £150.00 for the group to hire a dining room. This is unacceptable and we won’t be sipping tea here and have booked elsewhere. Shame.

I have been here before, firstly when it was known as The Edgwarebury, then as The Corus and now Laura Ashley The Manor Hotel, Elstree. When I first visited for tea I enjoyed it very much and at that time it was £10.95 for tea. It is now £16.95 and it did not disappoint. The interior of the Hotel has had a makeover and is refreshing and bright. Some of the wood panelling has survived being painted over, this being the marvellous fireplace that you see as you walk in the door. There is even a liveried doorman to greet you, something new which I hadn't seen before. The staff are all very helpful and welcoming. We had not booked as we went on the off chance but they found us a table which was in the bar area a but nice and cosy. Comfortable chairs to sit on with a cushion if you wanted it. There is a menu for lunch which we did not want as we specifically wanted tea. There were 3 of us and we ordered two teas. It was plenty to eat. Assorted sandwiches on different breads, scones cream and jam and assorted cakes. Two of us had coffee and one tea and we were not charged extra for the extra coffee as we had only ordered, as I said previously, two set teas. We had a leisurely afternoon and enjoyed the ambience. There are toilets in the foyer down a flight of stairs but on the level of the ground floor just past the reception and through a swing door is a disabled toilet.There is another Restaurant which serves guests of the Hotel for dinner within their package or for non stayers. Obviously one would have to book this in advance.All in all we had a very pleasant afternoon.

Went for a lovely afternoon tea with my two friends. Great value at £16 per head and came away with cakes we could not eat as we were really full. Makes a great change to have afternoon tea at such value and in such a lovely setting. Great tea, great location! go try.

My fiance took me to The Manor for my birthday so we could enjoy Afternoon Tea. You simply cannot deny just how beautiful the Hotel is but there is definitely room for improvement as it currently is not 5* standard.The staff on reception were polite and smiled loads which is a lovely welcome. However, the staff behind the bar were loud and making improper jokes. They did not seem to take pride in their appearance and had their sleeves rolled up and collars undone. This straight away gave a certain feel to the service you would be getting. The food itself was lovely and having eaten here before I was satisfied that it would be. The Hotel is also stunning. It's just a shame that the bar staff did not match the hotel and the way The Manor should be portrayed!

This hotel has great potential but sadly the expense has been spared. The guest cloakrooms are rather basic. The rooms are nice but not luxurious enough to satisfy the cost and the staff, whilst friendly certainly are not trained to offer a silver service. My husband and i were there this afternoon for a wedding tea. Having seen the room on another occasion, we were most surprised to see conference style chairs around the tables rather than the attractive cream and grey striped Louis style that are usually there. Apparently they didn't have 40 in that design even though the room seats 40 and more. The gluten free sandwiches provided for a couple of the guests looked like huge door stoppers , crusts on, and plonked on a plate Hardly elegant. All the food arrived at once. Sandwiches, scones and cake. The scones were delicious. The sandwiches had been made earlier and some were rather crisp around the edges. The ladies cloakroom reminded me of the loos in a store or supermarket. All in all, not bad but room for improvement

We had a mini reunion afternoon tea for 4 friends. The food was superb. every mouthful was delightful. It was especially good to have a macaroon as one of our cakes although my personal favourite (apart from the scones) was the Fruit Barquette. it was exquisite.The sandwiches were served on white, brown, beetroot and basil bread. The surroundings are sumptuous, and inviting. The hotel is a well kept secret! It was a lovely experience. and one we intend to repeat.The hotel is a well kept secret.