Macaroons
The Orangery

The Orangery

Hurworth-on-Tees DL2 2DU, DL2 2BQ, Darlington, United Kingdom

Steak • British • European • Vegetarian


"Took my fiancé here for her birthday for a spa day at the Rockliffe Hotel. The restaurant serves food at Michelin star prices but food doesn 't quite cut it. Service is fine and brought up allergy note on reservation at the beginning of meal, but staff should try to smile a bit more and try to be more engaging. More annoyed than anything else as the restaurant engaged in the age old sin of set menu/taster menu sized dishes on the à la carte menu. As expected left feeling extremely hungry despite spending over £250 for two three course meals and a bottle of wine, left the hotel premises a couple hours later to get McDonald 's. As for the food itself, okay, but just didn 't quite cut it. Lamb was bland, the risotto nothing to shout about (unoriginal), and nothing that I couldn 't get at a French Bistro in Edinburgh or Newcastle for half the price and twice the quantity. Bakewell tart for desert was somewhat redeeming. @Chef check out l 'escargot bleu in Edinburgh for three courses done right, or do what Hjem in Northumberland does and get rid of the à la carte menu so people know not to come if they don 't want to sit through 8-10 courses. Not sure about the mix of English and French dishes either, local ingredients but no local inspiration. Feel free to invite me back when you 've fixed this, and please fix this as you are obviously quite talented. Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: £100+ Food: 2 Service: 4 Atmosphere: 3"

Aspect Bistro

Aspect Bistro

United Kingdom, LA4 5AA, Lancaster

Steak • British • European • Vegetarian


"Went to Aspect this evening for a drink with my husband. We decided to stay for a meal and both ordered pizzas. When they came, the waitress she said ‘pepperoni?’I said my husband has ordered salami and she said ‘yeah salami’. She then said ‘mushroom and summat!’ I had ordered mushroom, roasted peppers and rocket. Mushroom and ham wasn’t on the menu but the summat that the waitress was referring to was ham! She took the pizza back. No apologies. My husband had to ask her to take his away and bring it back when mine was ready so we could eat together. Whilst all this was happening, the background music was trance music. Totally inappropriate for the age of the clientele who were in there. My husband asked a waitress if there was some other background music. She asked the manager and he/she said they couldn’t turn the music off. We said that we didn’t ask for it to be turned off, we just asked if there was an alternative. At one point though, the music changed and it was great for 2 minutes and then it went back to trance music again! When we were going, a lovely waitress came to take our plates. We mentioned about the music and she said that she had changed the music only for the manager to change it back again. I said that he/she needs to look at the age of the people in the bistro as I would say the average age was about 50 to 60. A lady on the table behind, stood up and said to the waitress that the customer is definitely right! Really disappointed that the manager didn’t apologise for the issue with the pizza. Also disappointed that he/she didn’t acknowledge our comments about the music and totally dismissed everything that we had said. To be honest they never showed their face at all. The food was nice and one lovely waitress but some of the staff/management need to brush up on their customer service skills!"

Great Fosters

Great Fosters

Great Fosters, Egham I-TW20 0UR, United Kingdom

Pizza • Kebab • Seafood • Fast Food


"we had a great lunch card yesterday in the tudor room. it is in the did a room, with perhaps 8 tables overall, and a bit dark, but with beautiful view of the beautiful gardens that are worth visiting. the staff was very friendly and took the time to thoroughly explain each court. they were particularly attentive, maybe something too much so (constantly looking at us), but it did not spoil the experience as eating was really high-quality, definitiw worth a Michelin star. we were greeted with some beautiful canapés, followed by a small olive oil and exalted pre-starter, which subtle and refreshing, even though on the small side. the brot and the butter were very nice, warm and crusty as it should be in a restaurant this standards. we then had dinner: my pigeon was particularly beautiful, but the cold crumb dish of my gaste was not so tasteful. also the seabream has been refined, but not exceptional. for the net I had a really tasty pork (from different parts of pork, including some delicate wange cooked in grill sauce) and my guests had the equally well executed turbot with beautiful parmesan gnocchis. for dessert we had two a light and exquisite dish that celebrated the earthy of the gariguette (compressed, fresh, as sorbet, tuile) and the other gast enjoyed a rich manjari chocolate sponge with coffee cream and yuzu sorbet. both desserts were equally good, but the aromen in the starters and netzen could have been more consistent. only three tables of the room were used on a Friday afternoon, asking me why cancellation would cause a fee within 48 hours. overall the experience was great, the service was error-free and we will probably return, but we had even better eating in the latymer, which today is unfortunately closed on Friday for lunch. if possible, I would have got 4 and half a star. a lunch is nice, the gardens are also beautiful. highly recommended."

The Lounge At The Royal Horseguards

The Lounge At The Royal Horseguards

2 Whitehall Court, London I-SW1A 2EJ, United Kingdom

Cakes • British • Breakfast • Gluten Free


"For our tea selection, my friend and I chose the Strawberries and Cream blend, a unique combination of black leaf teas from the Royal Horseguards. The flavor was delightful, with subtle notes of strawberries and cream, complemented by an English breakfast blend that included delicate Ceylon, Assam, and a rich South Indian leaf. We also opted for the Laurent Perrier champagne flight, which added an exquisite touch to our afternoon. For £55.00, we enjoyed a selection of three champagnes perfectly paired with the various elements of the afternoon tea: Laurent-Perrier Brut, Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé, and Laurent-Perrier Demi-Sec, exclusive to the Royal Horseguards’ afternoon tea service. The finger sandwiches were perfectly proportioned, and I particularly enjoyed the cream cheese with smoked salmon and the savory chicken filled with flavorful herbs in a creamy sauce. After savoring the sandwiches, we were treated to warm, freshly baked scones—both plain and fruity. They were served with homemade fruit preserve and Cornish clotted cream, and I couldn't get enough of the clotted cream, which was decadently smooth and thick. The scones, which were only brought out after we finished the sandwiches, were among the best I’ve ever had. They had a golden-brown crust and a moist, delicate interior that was light and buttery with a cake-like texture. For dessert, we indulged in handmade cakes and delightful treats, including lemon cupcakes with meringue, banana toffee cheesecake, crème brûlée, and Darjeeling glass. The banana toffee cheesecake and crème brûlée were the standout favorites for me. With attentive service, a wonderful afternoon tea offering, and a cozy atmosphere, the Royal Horseguards is a fantastic spot for afternoon tea. Guests can enjoy unlimited refills, ensuring that no one leaves feeling hungry."

Bea's Of Bloomsbury St Paul's

Bea's Of Bloomsbury St Paul's

83 Watling Street, London, United Kingdom

Cafe • Cakes • British • Breakfast


"Beas of Bloomsbury is a bit of an institution when it comes to all things cake and taking afternoon tea in one of their outlets has been on my to do list for a while! The interiors are small and yet quirky, it’s only a tiny little slip of a venue – corridor shaped, with one side of floor to ceiling glass next to One New Change shopping centre. You order up your selection from the counter downstairs and upstairs there is a similar sized space, just wide enough to hold a length of banquette-style seating, covered in bright and warm velvety colours. Teapots hang from the ceiling and there is some exposed brick and metal work to keep it looking too twee. Bea’s attracts a varied crowd, there are the ladies of leisure having the traditional afternoon tea (like us) but also people on business having meetings with a cake and a coffee and shoppers and tourists alike sampling something sweet to give them a jolt of energy. We join the afternoon tea brigade and sit down in a corner of the room upstairs, all the better to see the whole room and settle in. First up, drinks. The tea menu was short and sweet; it doesn’t try to bamboozle you with options, but still offers up a decent selection. We opt for an Earl Grey and a fruity number of Blackcurrant and Hibiscus. They come in solid china teapots and mugs, which are deceptively large and need no topping up, although it does make for a slightly stronger brew than the delicate flavor of an Earl Grey really calls for. The afternoon tea begins with a cake stand filled to the brim with sandwiches, scones and a mouthwatering cake and dessert selection. Where to begin? As is traditional, we start with the sandwiches – these are not the delicate crustless variety, but flavoursome focaccia with a range of innovative flavours; Cream cheese Walnut, Parma Ham and Onion Jam with Mozzarella. The cream cheese and walnut wins for its simplicity and when paired with the slightly salty focaccia and rosemary bread is a taste sensation. One note of warning though, these delectable sandwiches are quite considerably more filling than their delicate thin bread counterparts and we find ourselves filling up far too soon and yet there is a whole platter full of delicious food to savour. The scones are good and when served with lashings of cream and raspberry jam, just as toothsome as any traditional English fare of scones with tea. But the cakes are where it’s truly at. We opt to share half of each of the cupcakes – chocolate topped with raspberry cream and the other chocolate base again topped with pistachio cream. A failing of the cupcake trend of the moment is a tendency towards excessive icing but Bea’s has balanced the icing/ cupcake ratio perfectly. Furthermore, the icing tastes exactly of the fruit it represents and not just a sugary concoction on top. We’re torn between the two flavours; so distinct and perfect as they are in their own rights, we are forced to call it a tie. The additional sweet things on top are getting more and more challenging to eat. This is an afternoon tea designed for the very hungry and with meringues, blondies, brownies and marshmallow yet to go, we are soon defeated. The charming staff offers to pack them up though and offer up little boxes to take our sweet treats home, which is a lovely touch and one more high tea establishments should offer."