Scene - Winchester

The food was excellent, with no complaints. While the staff was friendly, we encountered a waiter who seemed tired and lacked wine service skills. The steak and fish and chips were both delicious. The prices were reasonable for the quality of the food.

We had booked an afternoon tea for £25 per person in advance. It was held in the hotel bar, where our table was located farthest from natural light, with only wallpapered walls to look at. The bar was fairly quiet during our visit, with about 4 other tables occupied by guests, some wearing dressing gowns. There were 3 polite waiting staff on the floor, but none of them were very attentive. We had to ask for everything, including tea, and service was slow and disappointing. The tea in the teapots cooled quickly, and while the sandwiches were average and the cakes were fairly tasty, the scones were disappointing. Each of us received one plain, pre-sliced scone that we suspect was pre-purchased and cold. We were charged £50 for the two of us for this experience. The lack of equal portions for us to share was frustrating, as we had to split sandwiches and slices of cake in half. Overall, I would not recommend this afternoon tea and will not be returning.

I recently attended an afternoon tea for a birthday after viewing the online menu. Despite the £25 price tag, the menu seemed appealing with offerings such as salmon rolls, coronation chicken and mango chutney sandwiches, Serrano ham and pickle sandwiches, and promised macaroons, eclairs, and battenburgs. However, the actual experience was disappointing. The ambiance was quiet, we were seated promptly, and told our food would arrive soon. Unfortunately, we were never offered any tea or beverages, and ultimately did not even receive a cup of tea - a glaring oversight for an afternoon tea service. When the food did arrive, it was evident that a mistake had been made. Instead of the advertised fancy sandwiches, we were served plain ham, cheese and pickle, and egg mayonnaise sandwiches that appeared to be hastily thrown together. The bread was dry, as if it had been sitting out for a while. When we inquired about the menu change, we were informed that the website had not been updated to reflect the changes. The promised cakes were also a letdown, as we received only one chocolate cake, one carrot cake, and a few lemon cheesecakes. Our expectations were high, especially since this was a birthday celebration, but the overall experience fell short of what we had hoped for, especially given the price of £25 per person and the fact that we were not even offered tea.

We had dinner here as part of our spa package at the Q Norton Hotel, and it completely exceeded my expectations. Food was delicious (we had three courses! and the service was fantastic. Uday and Ali were excellent hosts and their team provided top notch care and service. They clearly had a great rapport with everyone in the team and guests. Would 100% recommend.

Really poor service, mediocre food. Waited 50 minutes for our food to arrive. Tables left uncleared, lack of staff. Disappointing.