Reviews of Garden View Lounge Tea
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Menus at Garden View Tea Room
Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 03/03/2019
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
Do not waste your money! It is usually not very busy, clearly because the quality is not good. The atmosphere has potential, other than the fact that the tables are virtually bare. Part of the atmosphere is the table being set. The service was subpar. The waitress/waiters seemed miserable and bothered by doing their job. Now on to the food. The scone was not warm and tasted stale. The sandwiches were ok. The cheese selection and fruit was a bit sparse. The mini pastries was a chocolate covered strawberry (1) and 2 macroons and THAT WAS IT! The tea even tasted like hot water with a faint taste of tea. The waitress even put more tea in it and barely tasted any better. For $50 it is NOT WORTH IT! Frankly I would not pay more than $20 for the quality, service and quantity and atmosphere you receive. Bottom line don't bother going.
Pros:
Convient location being at a hotel within Disney. (Grand Floridian).Cons:
Cost, quality, quantity,service and atmosphereReviewed by JoanneS Review Date: 06/25/2014
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
My friend and I were looking forward to enjoying a nice quiet tea. I made the error of telling the server I was lactose intolerant and the lovely tea took a bad turn. He had the chef come out and talk to me about my "issue". I was given NO choice as far as food goes. They told me they would bring me a plate of sandwiches, and while my friend enjoyed a nice variety of tea sandwiches, I got salami on white bread, and turkey loaf with tofu cheese. (also on white bread) And, when I say white bread, I mean Wonder bread. When it was time for dessert, my friend got her choice of pastries, while I was given no choice, but delivered a bowl of JELLO with frozen strawberries in it. I paid $30 for salami sandwiches and Jello. I was not a happy camper. Others may enjoy this, but for the lactose intolerant, this is not a good choice.
Pros:
Peaceful SettingCons:
Food ChoicesReviewed by AmyMC Review Date: 06/30/2014
Rating: (2) Recommended
This used to be my favorite place in Central FL for afternoon tea. There are at least three or four other places that are better now.
I've visited this location more than 20 times over the past 10 years. As a "local", annual passholder and Tables in Wonderland member, I've raved about this place and brought friends, family members and co-workers here for the experience. No longer.
I'm not sure I can sufficiently convey how very, very disappointed I am with the changes made in the past year. Yes, it's been a little over a year since I was last here but I've always been able to count on Garden View Tea Room to provide a quality experience. Since I've always ordered the Grand Tea, that is what I'll be comparing.
First of all, the elegant Royal Albert china has been replaced with a cheap, dingy looking service that does not go with the decor at all. Also, the teapots are smaller. The flute of sparkling wine used to be served with a fresh strawberry on the side. No longer. The teapots are smaller and the tea strainers are just there for show - there are no tea leaves in that pot to be strained out. Some may be fine with this, but I enjoyed the tea getting stronger as the afternoon passed and had a habit of adding milk to the last couple of cups.
The first course of sandwiches was disappointing as well. As another reviewer mentioned, the bread is now regular bread instead of the thin-sliced dense bread normally served with afternoon tea. Also, there seems to be less filling in them, although it could just seem that way now that the bread has doubled in amount. The duck terrine and onion tart were the same.
The second course of scones was a shock. The scones are MUCH smaller than they used to be... and ours were cold and hard. They served the scone with a white porcelain tray of the condiments: a very small amount of Devonshire cream, a lemon cream and a rather runny strawberry preserve. The preserves seem a bit watered down compared to the small jars of Dickinson's preserves they used to serve. I'm certain it's much cheaper for them. The tart was the same. I usually don't eat but a bite of it because it's very sweet.
For the last course, we got to choose between the strawberries and cream, the English trifle and the pastries. We both chose the trifle. I must say that the presentation was very pretty as they are now in little glass pedestal dessert bowls. Unfortunately, the taste was not. At least for me. The strawberries tasted a little off, the whipped cream tasted oily, there was very little cake and the serving size was smaller than I've received in previous visits. I understand that having them prepared in advance adds a layer of quality and quantity control compared to just having the servers scoop the trifle out of large bowls into smaller ones... but this is NOT the quality to aspire to.
They are going to be refurbishing in July and will be operating out of Citricos during that time. According to our server, only the kitchen is being redone.
WE paid $37 each for the Grand Tea with no upgrade to the sparkling wine. According to the menu currently posted on here for May 2013, that is an $8 increase for much, MUCH lower quality.
I won't go back again... and it's just so very disappointing
Pros:
Still great serviceCons:
Quality of experience has diminished GREATLYReviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 01/13/2019
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
This is the third time in ten years thinking that the tea would approve. I recently went January 10th 2019 and it was the worst experience.The table were not set up as we sat down with a sugar bowl and a tea cup, otherwise the table was empty. Not to appealing. For $50 it consisted of sandwiches that has stale crusts (My guess is they were pre-made and sitting around.) The scone was cold and stale so I did not eat it. The desert consisted of a small strawberry dipped in chocolate, 2 macaroons, and a swan with mouse. The tea was so weak tasting that it was like hot water with a hint of tea flavor. The waitress added more flavoring but it barely made a difference.It was very unenthentic as no loose tea was used to steep. I will never go there again. This is the 3rd time I gave them a chance and each time it progressively got worst. Not to mention the price increased to $50. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!
Pros:
NoneCons:
Quality and atmosphere. Very unenthenticReviewed by margesse Review Date: 03/01/2016
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
I registered just to review this experience. Since 2006, my husband and I have enjoyed Afternoon Tea annually. It was always relaxing, and delicious, and with very attentive but not smothering service. I think I remember we used to pay about $35 for the tea, and that included a nice sized glass of sparkling wine or champagne; it is now $45 a person. For that increase in price, you get less delicious food, in smaller servings, with ugly china and not even real tea leaves in the tea pot. This past time...the server was terse and unpleasant. The food has all changed- no more generous portions and fresh trifle. Instead we were served hunks of boring cheese, stale crackers, and smaller portions of less tasty tea sandwiches. You now have to choose this or that, rather than just getting some of everything. The trifle that used to be served here was something I tried many times to recreate at home, but could never get it just right. The trifle I had in September 2015 was "seasonal", and it was awful. It was tart, and a small serving, and mixed with stringy citrus fruits which ruined the entire taste/texture of the dish. It was so bad I switched it out for the pathetic swan monstrosity that was offered as the other dessert choice, which was also not good. This experience was so bad, and I heard others seated after us comment negatively on the changes to the servers, who seemed to be indifferent. It still makes me so sad, and bothers me so much, that 5 months after I last ate here I felt I had to review it. I emailed and then spoke with someone from Disney about the experience, and they gave us a dining credit to use on our next visit to WDW, but that hardly makes it better. I loved this tradition with my husband, and we no longer have it. I would suggest anyone who loved it when they first tried the afternoon tea to pass, because you will be sorely disappointed.
