The Tulip Tree in Sevenoaks

Initially we were spoken to whilst the person was making coffee... ie with the back to us. It was only when I asked a question and said carry on you don't need to turn around did the waitress look at us with her reply. Had a full English and wish I hadn't. The sausages were over-baked and tasteless (there was no taste of meat), rubbery, lukewarm fried eggs and bacon.I wanted to remove some items and have the crusts for toast but was told sarcastically that they were too busy to honour requests. I would have far preferred quality as opposed to quantity for an £11+ breakfast (without drinks). It was so aweful that I left half of it.

Got 2 takeaway coffees, was fine overall but the lids do not fit the cups properly, this has happened twice and coffee spilt all over in my car.

Went to Chiddingstone for a morning walk and we stopped for breakfast. It was not long before they opened and we had a table inside and our choice of cake. We enjoyed our breakfast sandwiches. Staff were nice and the atmosphere was cosy, if a little cold, but it was a very frosty morning. We were thrilled to be able to be seated inside with our spaniel. We had a good experience. It does feel though that it's a place best enjoyed at times when there is less foot traffic, as inside seating is limited.

Best generous slice of cake I have ever had in any previous restaurant and brilliant flavour and consistency. Our first visit but hopefully not the last. Can't wait to go back again and try a different cake. The choice is mind blowing! Ron & Jen Pronger

Found this by accident whilst on a cycle ride. A lovely cafe and great for cyclists. The cakes are amazing. Will definitely come back.

Didn’t even get to sit down. A member of staff was so incredibly rude - made us feel very unwelcome and we were forced to just turn around and leave.

Great food, great service. Lovely cosy atmosphere! Recommended by my sister, was not disappointed. Well worth traveling all the way from Sydney Australia!!! Rosie and Geyonce

I visited here for a quick bite to eat whilst strolling around the local area. It’s situated in a little courtyard behind the Main Street and it’s a little gem. I had a sausage roll for lunch and it came quickly and was delicious with a really good side salad - I don’t like cold tomatoes and even those were nice! Excellent coffee too!

Fabulous little coffee/cake cafe tucked down a little alleyway behind the beautiful little village shop. Fantastic lunch of Brie /bacon salad and homemade large sausage roll with salad - absolutely delightful little hidden gem !! A must to visit. Then stroll around the village shop stocked with hidden delights !!!

Stopped in for lunch after walking from Hever. Great spot and very friendly and helpful staff. We shared a portion of quiche (very good) and took a scone for rest of walk. Food quality very good.

What a super find. Real unctuous home made cakes and perfect cups of tea served in mismatched bone china. Excellent service and value for money, a little quirky and unpretentious. A pukka little corner of England.

Dirty cups ,dirty cutlery.. order didn't come out all together as they forgot part of it. Would not recommend.

Popped in for lunch recently and sat in the quiet back garden area which is under cover. We were pleased that there were various black teas on offer (makes a change from the ubiquitous English Breakfast). Went for the Darjeeling which came in china pot with cups and saucers which was nice (although not loose leaf which would have been even better). I had a fantastic egg mayo sandwich which was generously filled and came with a bit of salad and homemade coleslaw. Someone else had the avocado on sourdough which was also very generous. The scones came with a decent pot of jam and clotted cream. There were plenty of other interesting savoury and sweet options on the menu and look forward to coming again to try them out.

Not exactly the best of starts. We had our lunch here as part of a circular walk from and back to Hever station. Unfortunately, the trains are only hourly, and the planned train was cancelled (fault with a door). 1 of us did 'phone to let the staff know about being an hour late. However the message wasn't picked up and we arrived to rather a frosty reception. I did say about the 'phone call but apparently picking up/checking the phone isn't always possible at busy times ... Anyway things improved after that. Great choice of food and drinks. Not the quickest of service, but the food was amazing when it arrived. Generous portions nicely presented. The side salad was equally generous. My sandwich and salad was the size of a main course and really delicious. We noticed that the tearoom is up for sale. Hope you all go on to good things and that someone else carries on your good work.

The best tea shop/cafe I’ve ever been to. Excellent homemade fare, plenty of seating, in or out. Just be prepared to queue with 20 cyclists on a Sunday morning.

Surly staff, dirty cups and crockery, dirty toilet. “Cream tea “ consisted of weak tea, 1 scone, jam and cream. Expensive. Don’t bother.

Bellissima tea house, arredata in modo country chic. Offre dei dolci strepitosi, anche vegani ed un’ottima gamma di bevande e altri cibi. Abbiamo gustato un deliziosa triple chocolate vegana e dei scones con gocce di cioccolato. Ottimo anche il Chai latte. Consigliato per una pausa nella pittoresca Chiddingstone

Great service and ambience here. Lots of outdoor seating. Easy parking. Wonderful, homemade cakes, tasty scones. Would certainly recommend a visit here.

This tea room has delicious home cooked food and is so pretty it’s a joy to sit here and relax. Food choices are varied and I’ve tried Scones with red onion marmalade, orange cake, tiffin, quiche and salad - and they’re all tasty and generous portions, served by very friendly staff, I’ve booked my valentines tea already, sounds yummy.

So disappointed in the Tulip, shambolic at best. Cake choice very poor. Whilst waiting ages to place order, witnessed staff member using same knife to cut a cake with nuts as well as a sponge cake. Friend ordered a sandwich which arrived so long before the (stale) scone that was also ordered. It took so long to bring to table, friend had finished her sandwichDrinks took even longer. In fact people that came in after us got their drinks and finished them before ours were bought over.Tables were cluttered with previous customers leftovers, concerned that the young boys were not cleaning tables when they cleared them. So much for covid cleaning. God only knows how they would cope of they were busy, not even at half capacity when we were there. Was hoping this might be the hidden gem "go to" place ...... definately not

When I last visited The Tulip Tree over two years ago, I wasn’t happy to note stained tea cups, but so much has improved since then. It’s a really nice place with a delightful staff, an impressive array of scrumptious-looking, homemade baked goods and tea served in a jolly good teapot with china cups. There is plentiful indoor/outdoor seating too. It’s an excellent place to recharge batteries after a visit to wonderful Chiddingstone.

Probably the biggest and tastiest slice of Victoria sponge I have ever had. After a long dog walk, a cup of coffee and slice of cake hits the spot. Been here a few times and it never fails.

On a trip from Wales for a few days on the Kent coast, really wanted to make time to stop in Chiddingstone, which we did on our homeward journey. The tearooms looked very inviting, lots of pretty Indios and outdoor seating options. It was difficult what to order, as all the cakes looked really inviting, and HUGE! We opted for a savoury cheese scone and flapjack.We ordered two decaffinated americano’s, one black and one white. The lady serving us made the point of repeating this to us. I also requested that the black coffee was topped up with hot water (as I usually get half a cup).When the coffees arrived I asked/checked “these are decaffinated aren’t they?” The reply was ‘no’ I don’t think so. While we asked for them to be replaced as per our order, we did feel that we were causing a fuss and the waitress looked unhappy about having to change the coffee. But she did. (I never got my tipped up hot water).I order decaffinated drinks as I have a very sensitive tummy and if I have caffeine it can make me dizzy and/or sick/upset. But I always have to check and I shouldn’t have to. Often it’s just normal coffee I’m served. I’ve recently been served coffee with a little sticker on the saucer stating ‘decaf’ which I was so impressed with….such an easy customer-service orientated thing to do.With all the changes to treatment of allergens in catering environments from 1st October it’s important that customer preferences are listened to and accurately recorded and acted on.

We went to lunch last Monday. The sandwiches, BLT on granaary and smoked salmon on gluten free, were a true treat. Freashly made, good size, nice side salad and cole slaw, and a reasonable price. I also had a cafetiere, which you hardly see anymore now that they can sell you a tiny cup ofr coffee for £3 everywhere, a decent cafetiere with 2-3 cups for £2.20 was a bargain. Nice people, nice place - very informal. Highly recommended as we enjoyed it.

What a hidden gem this place is! We were on our way to stay at a place nearby for the night and stopped off for a little walk around this quaint village in the heart of Kent. Superb Carrot cake and latee would definitely call again if in the area but unfortunately a few hours drive away!!

Lovely cake, tea and service. I could not fault the tea rooms. Would love to try their afternoon tea. The picnic is a nice idea. Thank you

Great food, but SLOW service. The food here is amazing, but sadly waited a whole hour for our sandwiches. We wish the service was faster as then would be 5 stars!

Was really hoping that this would be a new ‘go to’ location but on this experience, more so the way in which it was dealt with, we won’t be returning. Arrived about 2 o’clock on 8th August and when queuing to order overheard the people in front being told that it would be a 15 minute wait for their takeaway coffee and cake, they didn’t stay. When I ordered our coffees I was told there would be a small wait as there were orders in front of me which was fine and to be expected, the cafe was quite busy. We waited over 30 minutes before I went to enquire about our order. The customer in front of me this time was asking about an order of a sausage sandwich that he had been waiting for for 45 minutes. He then asked for more tea and some cake as during his already lengthly wait he’d finished his, he was told that he would have to join the queue of orders. I then asked how long more I was going to have to wait for the three coffees and was told that we were now third in the queue, we were only about sixth when I first ordered so I asked for a refund. The lady who had taken the order originally and whom I asked for the refund just said that they had been busy, running at full capacity and that I would need to wait for someone to come and do the refund. After saying that I’d already been waiting some time a gentleman came out from the kitchen to refund me and again there was a lot of ‘we’re busy, full capacity’ excuses and I was only offered an apology once I said that it really wasn’t good enough and that they should consider employing more staff if they were struggling. The service seemed chaotic, the customer service was poor at the ordering point and even from the person who I presume was in charge when I was refunded, tables were left uncleared once people had left and there seemed no urgency in completing orders. It’s such a shame as it’s an idyllic location and could be great but was a really disappointing experience and we won’t be back.

Breakfast on a Sunday morning ride. Friend and I stopped for breakfast by chance and it was wonderful. We had scrambled eggs and coffee. Ambience is great and staff were really friendly

This place could be great, they offer a good selection of food, however it is not covered. When we were ordering flies were walking all over the cakes!! Not a pleasant sight.It would not take much to buy food covers. We were going to lunch there but changed our minds and just had a drink.I did mention the flies to the member of staff.

Nice little cafe in a beautiful location. The food is good and it could be a great cafe but on the couple of times I’ve noticed the service isn’t great. It’s quite slow, and the woman who works the till is not friendly. There’s no cheery hello or how are you etc. It lacks a positive atmosphere that could really make a little tearoom like this great.

Charming venue, interesting decor (all for sale) and home cooking! Had lunch, quiche and a sausage roll. Absolutely delicious. Generous portions. friendly staff, will be back

Sadly, when I bought my diet Coke and croissant I did not keep the receipt as proffered. Unbeknown to me the transaction failed due to a weak signal and the staff also failed to to notice as well. Ready to go I took my plate etc back to the counter and started walking to the car. The next thing I knew as I was crossing the road was a loud voice saying that I had not paid the bill! Indeed I went back to discover the error which had occurred some 30minutes earlier. I later rang to discuss it and was advised that Hugo would contact me. No contact. I visited today and can only describe it as a rather unsatisfactory meeting hence this report. A friend of ours reported being given a 2 day croissant, interesting.

The service to order is really slow. Tables were sticky with jam and crumbs. Have been here many times, but now it takes so long , people were all just getting fed up with the wait and leaving which is a real shame.

Arrived to a pretty displayed table outside for Afternoon Tea. This is our 2nd visit for tea so was expecting the same delicious display of food. Sadly the sandwiches seemed a little dry. And not enjoyable. The scones a little hard and dry although the little cakes were nice. We did leave a sandwich, 2 scones and a few cakes which is very unusual. The service is friendly and I did give my feedback at the time. An apology was made and explained that the bread was fresh. Maybe it was the very hot weather? Although I would return to the Tuliptree, I wouldn’t necessarily order afternoon tea and will perhaps try something from the main menu

Lovely host. We were on a coach trip and arrived late (very near closing time) because of traffic etc., but all staff were so kind and understanding and provided us with our pre-planned cream tea which was delicious and well presented and there was no rush for us to leave. Would thoroughly recommend this lovely place. Thank you

After a circular walk from Chiddingstone to Penshurst and back we were certainly ready for our lunch. Even though it was the first day for customers to eat on site, the Tulip Tree was not too busy. Although the inside where you order is quite small with only one door in and out, a little patience gave us time to check the handily placed menu to help us decide our fare. I chose the spinach, brie and chilli jam sandwich on granary bread. It came with a serving of delicious homemade coleslaw and lightly dressed salad leaves. It was scrumptious. My companions chose a sausage sandwich and a BLT. Our three clean plates said it all!!We did not resist choosing from the array of sweet delights. One of us choosing bread pudding ( a taste from childhood) and my friend and I sharing an enormous slice of carrot cake that was truly mouth-watering.There were plenty of outside tables and chairs well spaced. perhaps we should have asked if they could have switched on the outside heater near our table, but only noticed it when we were leaving. If you are in the area it is definitely worth a visit.

Have visited several times over the last year.Each time I have noticed service has really gone downhill.Visited 6th April (after walk arrived at 2.30 pm). There was a queue which I expected but this was caused by only one member of staff taking orders for food and drinks.Three members of staff were behind the scene, surely they could have assisted? Both processes were slow with drinks prepared at least 10 minutes before any take away food was ready. Hence drinks were cold when food finally arrived.Food was good but it must be the worst take away tea I have ever tasted even though it was changed by the manager.

Highly recommend! My husband arranged a takeaway Mother's Day Afternoon tea for me which came with a bottle of prosecco and a bunch of tulips. It was scrumptious! Delicious well made sandwiches with quality tasting fillings, mini savoury quiches, very tasty handmade scones with plenty of jam and cream and generous portions of handmade cake/macaroons. Considering how many orders they had to fulfil in a very short time frame (I think they had over 60 teas for that day), they managed it brilliantly without the quality being compromised. Very impressed and would highly recommend!

Ordered some afternoon teas and I have to say the portions were incredible. The scones were delicious, cake moist and the sandwiches soft with amazing fillings. We had different types of tea bags to try which was very thoughtful. A wonderful selection of cakes and meringues with plenty of cream and jam for the scones. Delicious! Thanks everyone ☺

Phoned to order an afternoon tea as a takeaway for my wife Birthday. Super service and super afternoon tea. Recommend.

Delicious take away hot chocolate and the most moist, delicious carrot cake to eat at home! Support local businesses. We will be back x

My first visit despite having walked through / from chiddingstone a few times - and I would definitely return.The tea room is tucked away with both indoor and outdoor seating. The staff were pleasant, polite and helpful.I ordered a scone which had not lon* come out of the oven. It was delicious with a big pot of tea and traditional china teacups.Other customers had what looked like yummy chocolate brownies and on the next table a well presented afternoon tea

Set back from the road down a pretty courtyard the tearoom had a lovely feel to it as soon as we walked in. There are tables both inside and a nice spacious covered seating area outside (coats were needed). Staff were very friendly and the menu choices were good including gluten free options. My daughters loved the sandwiches and I had the most amazing homemade sausage roll with salad. We couldn’t resist cakes after and both the gluten free victoria sponge and rocky road were absolutely delicious! This was our first visit and certainly won’t be our last... the village was very pretty but we were limited to time so very much looking forward to returning soon.

Went here for lunch today after a lovely mornings walk to Penshurst and back, delicious sandwiches, coffee cake and chocolate brownie delicious, and mocha equally spot on!

The Tulip Tree in Chiddingstone is a lovely tea room in a historic and picturesque old building. With a range of seating options both outside and in, it is surprisingly spacious.We were simply going to have tea, but the scones looked too good to resist - so we didn’t! Service was nice, the atmosphere was most peaceful, and it was a very pleasant way to spend half an hour.

Had to book 24 hours in advance for AT wasn’t worth the wait. Sandwiches was mainly cucumber, ,scones very small and hard, one tiny pot of jam and cream to share. Pastries - Victoria sponge was wet and had squirty scream as did the awful chocolate eclair. Wasps and flies in abundance both in our outside. Will not be visiting again - shame as beautiful village.

Queued for over an HOUR with an elderly diabetic mother and young daughter. All of us with masks on. One staff member behind counter taking orders, payment and also doing the drinks. There's a bloody queue of 15 people outside!! Whilst in the queue I moved forward to focus on the menu blackboard, older lady staff member walked past and told to me step back outside until called. Finally ordered our food, requested it to be served quickly because of diabetic mother, they could not accommodate me and I would have to wait like everyone else. I'm sorry.... what? Nothing being served but sandwiches, sausage rolls and quiches. Why the shockingly long queue and then another long wait for its arrival? Asked again for food 20 mins later for DIABETIC 82 year old mother. Young girl put me in my place and told me its been very busy today......(making sandwiches) .Food arrives. YAY! However..... the microwaved slices of quiche, were so dried out they didn't really taste of anything. Salad? It was garnish chaps. My daughters sausage sandwich....no idea what happened to the sausages, but we think and its a guess, that they were microwaved also, exploded into pieces and thrown in between 2 pieces of buttered bread and plonked on a plate. No garnish presentation.Now just as the food arrived we DID receive an apology (because I was pretty grumpy). The Manager I presume, same lady who told me to 'get back', approached our table with no visor or mask, no distancing in place so thanks for that too over my diabetic mother.In fact no one wore a mask or visor apart from one young busboy. So whilst your customers are behaving themselves keeping their distance, wearing masks etc, the rest of the staff at Tulip Tree are not following guidelines. No sanitation of the tables in between sittings, not a spray in sight, no hand gel in sight....dirty dishes left on tables and I mean...left! And wasps everywhere outside.My visit from SW London to your establishment today was unacceptable. Don't you dare make excuses about Covid-19 and that you were 'busy'... (making sandwiches). You have a cut down menu, should have prepared yourself in advance and I see from previous reviews you should have learnt from busier times that you need MORE staff. Why aren't you doing table service? Finally your divine website and presentation of spectacular cakes and tea room foods?On display today 2 x brownies, 2 pieces of flapjack, one chocolate fudge cake and one gluten free loaf. Totally mis-sold. Someone else has left a review title Get Your Act Together which is spot on.If I had taken photos, the owner would and should hold their head in her hands.

Been coming to the Tulip Tree for quite a while now but it has really really gone downhill I’m afraid to say. Leek quiche was not fresh and very oily. The choice of salads was non existent and what was presented looked like it had been made two days earlier. But the main thing was the service - the service has never been speedy but the argument between the chef and the person behind the till about who was doing what was just irritating. Won’t be back for a good while.

A friend and I visited today having booked a table a few days before. When we arrived we were welcomed by a long queue of people and a sign saying 'please wait here to be seated'. Having waited 20 minutes and still no sign of a member of staff we decided to make our presence known and we were told to find a seat. Looking around it was clear that the tables were not sanitised between customers and there was no attempt to keep the cakes/ salads/ quiche free from the flies and wasps. At the counter, many disgruntled customers could be heard asking for updates on their food but despite this, we placed our ordered in the vain hope that it we might be more lucky. Outside, apart from the odd person who had given up on the dire situation, the queue had still not moved (it had now been 40 minutes).Eventually, our food arrived (3 sandwiches and hour and 20 minutes later). To our disappointment, the order was wrong and one of the sandwiches was stale. I then asked for tap water and was shocked to hear that I could help myself to water from the outside garden tap!! Like others this is not the first time I have visited this tearoom and I beyond disappointed. The inexperienced staff are clearly out of their depth. Something needs to be done soon to save this beautiful tearoom before it is too late.

This is a lovely.little tea room serving freshly made cakes, sandwiches and teas and coffees.BUT please rethink your serving.system. On 2 occasions now I have had to queue for about half an hour to order a coffee and a cold.drink.The cafe was not even busy. People were literally giving up waiting.Why not take people orders and then let them.sit down rather than keeping everyone waiting? I do hope that next time I visit this has changed otherwise I shallnt bother again. Sorry.

Very very disappointed lack of cleanliness, staff most unhelpful, had to get someone to clear and clean table even though we had booked, has this place changed hands as not up to the standard it was .

I have visited this cafe many times over the years as I regularly bring friends here when we do the lovely walk from Penshurst . I think It changed hands a few years ago and the food and service have been mostly disappointing in recent times. I’ve often found that the limited menu of hot food is often “off the menu” at lunchtimes. It seems such a missed opportunity as it’s in such a great location. I know extra measures have to be in place for Covid-19 , but the service is oh so slow. The person who took the orders also prepared the hot and cold drinks, which made the queuing and ordering slow. I asked for a glass of tap water and I was given a glass and told to fill up from the garden tap outside the kitchen! I was in luck as the vegetable tart/quiche was available . I asked my quiche to be warmed (in a microwave ? Pastry in a microwave never works) .The butternut squash salad to be served with it was ready prepared on the counter. (It was a nice salad!) .Our food took half an hour and there were only 2 or 3 orders ahead of us. I’m sorry not to be more positive. I think we’ll try the pub next time. In contrast , the tea rooms at Penshurst are fantastic! The wasp /hornet problem seems to be there each year too. There a half hearted feel to the place. Such a shame.

What a shame! The setting is lovely, the cakes were great and generously sized, as were the sandwiches; however, the 'tart'/ quiche was 'very' dried out and rubbery. It was the worst I have ever had. Two of us could not finish the slabs of bland rubber. Another moan is that there were several wasps standing on the uncovered food in the serving area, as only some plates were covered.This is the only bad review I have felt the need to write in 5 years, so please don't think I was looking for fault.

Not the fastest service but there is a virus so safety first. Bombarded by hornets in garden but hey that’s the beauty of the countryside

Great cuppa with tasty homemade cake, the Victoria sponge is the best. The Tulip Tree has well thought out and signed social distancing measures which must be challenging in such an historic setting. I’ll be coming back soon!

We stopped to have an iced coffee just before setting off on the second leg of our hike back to Penshurst. As one of our favourite walks, we’ve been to the Tulip tree several times before for lunch or coffee.On this occasion, however, we noticed a lack of attention to hygiene, especially in the covering of cakes, etc, enabling numerous flies to land on them; also, there were no Perspex screens between customers and the counter. We felt that we should not have stopped in view of this and will not call again.

Myself and 4 friends arrived by bike at 11:20 am on Friday 17th and by the time all of us had ordered, it was nearly midday! Only 3 or 4 people ahead of us. Perhaps when busy a staff member could take orders from the queue to expedite service? I know about social distancing but is it necessary to moan at customers for entering to order because a previous customer has not completely exited the building from a different door many metres away? I wasn’t allowed to order from the lunch menu at 11:56 and my friend after me was in the same position even though she was so close to midday that the church bells were chiming 12 as she walked to our table. A table we had to clear of trays and dirty crockery. Expensive ‘bottle’ of coke at almost £3. Had to ask for a straw and a paper napkin for the sandwich. Beautiful location I’ll give you that.

Arrived 4 minutes before lunch menu . They refused to take a lunch menu order - “we have to look after the chef” a second person from our party went in a 11.59 - still refused . By the time the breakfast order was taken - the bells for 12 where chining !Seems the concept of customer service hasn’t got to them . Or perhaps they just don’t like cyclists .2nd visit and second time disappointed.Covid cannot he used as an excuse for bad service!Can of coke £2.95!Won’t be going a 3rd time

Home made scones, cakes, attentive staff, all excellent. They found my keys and kept them safely. Oh if you love rustic charms, a nice tea and pretty good coffee.. go and relax!

Was looking forward to some nice coffee and cake in a quaint cafe.The outside, (understandably due to bad weather) was wet and untidy, but the plant pots could have been stood upright and maybe some colourful plants, even artificial, to make the place look presentable. Once inside, we ordered our cake and drinks. Chose table to sit at, but covered in crumbs, so chose another. Unfortunately this was the same, so brushed them off the table ourselves. Drinks arrived, not piping hot.Hubby chose tiffin cake which he said was nice and moist. My scone in the other hand, was very dry, despite having jam and clotted cream. Quite tasteless in fact.Items on display are available to purchase. Quite expensive for what they are.Was disappointed, but as we were only visiting that area for an afternoon, I know we won’t be going back again.

This lovely cafe is situated just back from the road through Chiddingstone and we decided to stop for some cake and a coffee/hot chocolate.The cafe was very busy and we decided to sit outside on the patio. The servings of cake were substantial and very yummy. The coffee and hot chocolate was similarly lovely.- the best lemon cake my wife has ever tasted.The whole garden area was neat and tidy and it was a delight to sit outside in the sun - one of our favourite cafes.

We dropped in and ordered toasted sandwiches and coffee. We were told to take a seat and they would bring it over.All the free tables were covered in used plates and cups so we had to clear one and wipe it using tissues.20 mins later the coffee came and 10 minutes after that the toasted sandwiches.The bread was barely warm and the cheese filling was cold and not melted at all, so we sent them back to be redone and waited another 10 minutes.They came back with the cheese just about warm but the bread tepid and the small salad old and limp.We left with other people clearing tables themselves and no effort from the staff to help.The room was dusty and the floor dirty.Outside the tables were filthy and the small garden neglected with broken pots.I am at a loss to understand how they can run a business so badly and without any pride in what they do.Give the place a miss, it’s awful

I visit here often as part of a stop when walking, the coffee and cakes are amazing and the porridge which I recently tried was also delicious It’s a must for anyone visiting Chiddingstone

Nice atmosphere. Lovely choice of cakes and food and drinks( hot and cold). Nice to sit by the wood burner and relax.

Pleasant enough but nothing special that made a visit to The Tulip Tree special. The staff were nice enough and the food was ok, it almost felt like an expensive picnic. If your looking for a special element or wow factor then this is not the place, but if you want no fuss afternoon tea then it’s alright.

Lovely tea room in lovely village however they need to sort out the wasp problem and expedite the clearing of tables. We enjoyed our cream tea although if being picky the plain scones tasted nicer than the fruit variant. Staff are friendly. The business is up for sale and if i had the time i would certainly consider it. Maybe a little spruce up here and there and it would be great.

visited the village sunday ,we saw the tea room and decided not to have a dessert in the booked pub but to come to the café for tea and cake, what a wrong choice, after a delicious main course in the pub we came to the café and ordered coffee cake,victoria sponge an a pot of tea for 2. we sat at the only cleared table which had not been wiped clean though, the café had a few customerst but young staff were behind the counter. The coffee cake was delicious, the Victoria sponge looked good on display but had almost no cream inside and was stale, we noticed the milk jug was dirty and when we told the young girl her response was "its been washed". then a silence and she then agreed to change it. Another milk jug was brought, when the teapot was used there was a big lump missing from it ,near the lid and quite unhygenic we lifted the lid to see stains and scum around the top of the pot, when the milk was added to the tea white deposits were floating on the top, this was our call to abandon our looked forward to dessert. we asked for a refund and told them the crockery was dirty and the milk off, it took several moments and hushed conversations to get the refund for the pot of tea. No apology, nothing very disappointed with the café and the reaction. I had been here a few years ago and was looking forward to reminiscing but it was not to be .........

This little gem of a tearoom is tucked away in the pretty village of Chiddingstone. Friendly and efficient service, excellent cakes and a good choice of drinks. Pop in if you are passing. It's very near the castle.

Whether you are popping in for brunch, lunch or just coffee and cake this is a great spot. Lovely cooked food and a wide selection of tasty cakes. Outside seating is a bit rickety but inside warm and rustic. Definitely not a Costa's!!! Great place to drop in when walking or visiting this locality.

We visited the tea room while in the village for tea and cake in May. The service was painfully slow depsite us being the only ones in the place with 2 staff serving. The tea was fine but the rocky road was stale and the biscuits soggy inside it. The sponge cake was hard around the outside. Very disappointing considering it wasn't cheap. Sadly we won't be back as I felt ripped off.

Been here several times. Like location and lovely place. Nice range of cakes, teas, and coffee. Also do afternoon teas and small meals. Have neve tried these. The afternoon teas are, in my opinion a bit pricey. Cakes are nice and the atmosphere is very relaxed although on one visit we were bothered by swarms of wasps from a nearby bike. Should have bee eliminated. Chiddingstone is alovely village and this is a nice place for a cup of tea and cake.

Visited here for first time on bank holiday Sunday recently with 2 friends and dog. Very nice cakes. Great to find a dog-friendly café in a lovely walking area. As business is currently for sale, only hope that any new owner will retain the dog friendly status as there were quite a few well behaved doggies in there and it seems very popular because of this. Will definitely return.

Nice little restaurant to visit, pleasant staff. We had afternoon tea and cake which was extremely nice. Seems to be a fairly good variety on the menu. Set within the lovely little village of Chiddingstone. Very pleasant for an afternoon out!!

We organized a surprise afternoon tea for a group of friends to celebrate a special birthday. The staff at the Tulip Tree couldn't have been more helpful from choosing our friends favourite sandwiches, cakes which were presented beautifully to the birthday cake which was a Victoria Sponge that looked amazing and tasted the same. Thank you so much to all the staff for making it such a memorable day and for all your hard work.

Had afternoon tea on Easter Sunday. We sat outside as it was very hot. We went up to the counter ordered our tea and cakes and scones. The choice was quite limited as they had been busy due to the weather tea cakes etc delivered tone table. All quite efficient and enjoyable. Cake slightly over priced but portions large. A nice few hours spent here.

Came here with the family, 3 students for staff behind the counter had absolutely nothing else to do said absolutely nothing to us as we walked through the door, no greeting, no offer to help with food order. We discussed food options amongst ourselves in front of them. And as I made the order one of them said the kitchen was closed... despite the place closing an hour later.. No offer to sell anything else that was on display. Absolutely useless Sunday staff should go and work in Tesco as shelf fillers.

What a treat we had as ‘afternoon tea’ morphed into ‘morning memories’, with lashings of home cooked foodstuffs with Prosecco, orange juice and coffee!

Went yesterday for a mother’s day treat , three afternoon teas, ok but not many sandwiches , no scones for just normal cream tea, limited cake choice, certainly not what you see on their web page, was recommended but unfortunately didn’t live up to expectations, lad who served us was apologetic and lovely, obviously not his fault, prob won’t come back

We stopped here for coffee recently. It is an old premise situated off the road. They had a reasonable selection of cakes and whilst at first sight they appeared costly, the size of the piece more than compensated for this. Whilst there didn’t seem to be any gluten free cakes, they did have gluten free bread for a sandwich. Coffee was good and staff very friendly. Overall worth a visit if in the area.

It is really big and was really cozy it was just a bit overpriced, but the view was excellent I really liked the entrance the way it was old and looked really good

My boyfriend and I both had a sandwich. These were great size and very tasty. The staff are very friendly but clearly don’t have a clue in hospitality! The amount of times they walked past without clearing our table. Even when they bought us our desert they left our main plates on the table!! The staff all were about 15 years old and this definitely showed in their actions. The tea shop needs someone in charge to keep on top of their staff.

We went for lunch and decided to take a punt on the £8.50 sausage roll seeing as it said it was ‘oversized’. You could maybe describe it as an oversized mini sausage roll or a small slice of an oversized sausage roll. Either way it was snack sized, with a bit of cole slaw and salad on the side. £8.50 for a snack is extortionate. If you’re going to charge that for a sausage roll at least make the size proportional. Plus the leak and potatoe soup was tastless.

Went here for a morning coffee and succumbed to a cake which we shared. We chose the chocolate cake and we were the first people to eat it and unfortunately it was too dry. Looked great but didn't taste it. In retrospect we should have asked for a swop and had a different cake like the triple coffee cake that was our second choice. Cosy place to sit and a warm fire.

there was a very warm welcome and atmosphere. A good range of cakes and snacks if a little on the pricey side.

We were told about the Tulip Tree by a waitress in a Pub restaurant where we ate the previous evening. She said if we were going to Chiddingstone the Tulip Tree was the ideal place for tea and cake as the cakes were delicious. Sadly our experience was not a good one. My friend and I ordered a pot of tea for two, a scone with butter and a slice of cake. (We were a bit surprised at how expensive this was but ignored that.) None of the empty tables had been cleared and we had to ask the waiter to take away the dirty dishes when he brought our pot of tea. My cake was dry but I said nothing. My friend's scone when it arrived had half the base missing. She was then told it was the last one. So she ordered crumpets instead. We waited 15-20 minutes but the crumpets did not arrive. By this time we had finished our tea and gave up on the crumpets. The main person serving said she was sorry but they were short staffed and she nearly closed at midday. She said she had forgotten the crumpets which were apparently still in the toaster. She refunded the money for the crumpets and we left.

Every time we have visited, the service, coffee, and selection of cakes has been great. What more can you ask for!

Firstly I found it over priced, you’d expect good quality ingredients for what you pay, unfortunately it’s not.

My friend and I visited last Sunday on a visit to the village and found it to be lovely.

We arrived without a booking, greeted by pleasant staff and shown to a table.

everything else I’m afraid seems poor. The restaurant was around half full in all areas during our visit. The first thing we noticed was that the table we chose had not been wiped. Our tea arrived fairly quickly and the girl had to be asked to wipe the crumbs and sticky residue before the tray was left. The cups saucers and teapots all looked stained-surely a dishwashing machine exists and this should not be so? We then waited around 20-25 min for our sandwich to arrive. Other people’s food arrived with apologies for delay-not ours-but as we saw around 5 members of staff, and most food is cold, we’re not sure why it should take this long. All sandwiches come with 3 things, salad crisps and coleslaw, yet ours was missing the latter-surely whoever prepared it would notice it was missing? No one said the coleslaw had run out, so we have to assume that was another lack of attention to detail. During the long wait, we saw a couple of girls deliver food, but it didn’t seem to occur to them for ages to clear tables as they left to head back to the kitchen. Eventually 3 staff members did come to clear, but not one thought to wipe those tables. When we left I asked to speak to whoever was in charge today, and was told no one was. I said I wanted to offer constructive criticism and mentioned all of the above, yet the only response was that it was busy today and they were trying hard. Nearly all 5 staff members seem to lack common sense and there was no apology at all. The young man in question just seemed to want to move away from me. I’m not sure if different staff work weekdays compared to weekends but if this is the weekend norm, we would not return. Perhaps the owners rely on one trip tourists but even if so, reviews could let them down and ruin what could be a lovely experience.

But a way to go. The Tea room looks nice as you enter, with a selection of cakes to greet you. The staff didn't though and I had to ask whether we just selected a table etc.

We had tea in this little spot in Chiddingstone. My hot chocolate was delicious and I got a chance to taste my first Bakewell tart. Delightful.

4 of us went here on a Summer afternoon. All had cake and Coffee and were more than happy. Will return.

We stopped here for tea and cake mid way through a ten mile walk - staff were really friendly and efficient. My scone was good and my friend enjoyed here lemon and courgette cake. Lovely courtyard setting, with both inside and outdoor seating.

Very helpful staff in tea room BUT my scone was crisp outside and not cooked inside. I saw a fellow customer return hers as it wasn't cooked and she couldn't eat her replacement either!

Visit this place whole out cycling, tea in a pot, nice coffee, cakes are fantastic, large slices, no skimping here!

We stopped for lunch on a busy Sunday and wish we’d known we could have gone to the cafe in the castle without paying NT entrance charges. The place looks so inviting, with lovely courtyard and display of cakes. HOWEVER, the wait for food (salad and sandwich) was about an hour, with no warning or explanation. There was one person behind the counter who seemed to know what was going on, the rest looked v young and not up to the job of handling a busy lunchtime. The food was V expensive for the average quality. Tea cup and table were both v dirty. I cleaned the table for them, after asking for a cloth. Salad was a bag of supermarket leaves with extra ingredients artlessly plonked on top. Dressing was nasty. Cake was OK. I’d avoid.. it could be SO much better, especially for the price they charge (about £22 for a salad and simple cheese sandwich and a slice of cake + pot of tea).

Visiting my son in nearby Edenbridge he took me to this lovely old village owned by the Nationsl Trust. Had lunch in The Tulip Tree Tea rooms. Highly recommended and the staff were so helpful. It was a sunny day so sat outside, do not recommend a weekend and be warned large school turn out at three next door p.

The kitchen was dirty...food days out of date,severed customers sour butternut squash,odd plates and cups,plates worn,no manners or eye contact from girls behind counter,standing around talking or typing in mobile phones,out dates and dull