Christmas is coming and the cold is nipping at our toes. So, why no pop inside for a cup of tea and some nibbles. Enjoy the Christmas decorations and watch the world go by whilst you relax.
What have we been up to?
Thursday, November 28th we were invited to review the new Autumn & Winter afternoon tea at the royal station hotel. After reviewing the Spring & Summer one on August 4th 2019 we were excited to go back and see how they differed.
The First impression of the menu. Yes, chocolate! Being a chocoholic this is ideal!
Now did it live up to its expectations? Let’s start by the lower-tier
Tier 3
The sandwiches – these were nice. Our favourite was the smoked paprika chicken. This sandwich had the most flavour. We loved the garnish on top which after a google discovered that is micro onion seed garnish. It added a bit of extra flavour to the sandwiches.
Tier 2
On first glance, they looked overcooked. I would say they were slightly burnt, but, when cutting in half it actually added a nice change-up in texture. They were served warm which was lovely as the clotted cream spread nicely and the strawberry jam glided across the top. So, we did enjoy these.
Our thoughts
Tier 1
Now, from the first look, it looks amazing. We were both impressed by the presentation. However, it was disappointing. The glorious golden flake on top of the cake had such a cheap flavour and left an awful taste in our mouths – No Cadbury’s on here. The cake itself and tasted rather bland which wasn’t good. Everything on the top tier I believe was pre-bought and Not made in the house apart from the mousse in a shot glass which was Devine.
Speaking from chef perspective my partner was not ecstatic about the choice. We agree the ganache square was nice, mousse delightful and fresh fruit lovely. But that chocolate cake we both took a bite and left it. Which is unfortunate. This could be replaced with a square of tray baked chocolate cake- homemade. Trust me you can tell. But, I do appreciate that this only costs £10.95 per person which is great for the price and would more than likely go up due to more home-baked goods.
The service
The manager came over to see us and kindly brought me a glass of prosecco as Luke was driving. We enjoyed the full teapot and the service was fantastic. The waiter checked on us multiple times, so, I can’t fault the service at all.
Towards the end of the Afternoon Tes experience, I’m unsure if this was a guest of the hotel or the hotel itself, but, there seemed to be a strong Christmas infused smell being pumped into the room, to which was our cue to leave as this makes me feel rather sick. Strange for many but I don’t like Christmas smells as they make me feel rather queasy.
We thanked the bar manager on the way out for the service which was excellent.
I would rate this afternoon tea a 3/5 as it’s not bad for the price as I mentioned above, but, if the chocolate cake was changed on the top this would have been a 4/5. It’s all about the chocolate cake for me.
As we were leaving we appreciated the Beautiful Christmas trees that were around the Hotel making us feel all Christmassy. To be honest, this is what prompted me to go get out Christmas tree and out it up.
Have you visited the Royal Station Hotel? Have you ever stayed here? I’d love to know what the rooms are like here and the restaurant service.
Email me – Somethingsotrue@gmail.com
Thanks for reading,
S & L 🎄❄️
