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“Disappointed”

The Foyer & Reading Room
Ranked #688 of 27,274 Restaurants in London
Certificate of Excellence
Price range: ₹0 - ₹16,793
Cuisines: British
More restaurant details
Restaurant details
Good for: Romantic, Special Occasion Dining
Dining options: Dinner, After-hours, Breakfast, Reservations
Neighbourhood: Mayfair
Description: The huge sparkling Chihuly light sculpture and grand art deco of the Foyer transforms this Mayfair restaurant into a magical dining space, whilst the inviting banquettes of the Reading Room allow for more intimate dining. Frequented by famous faces for over a hundred years, it's the perfect venue for a light meal, sipping cocktails and the best afternoon tea in London.
Reviewed 17 August 2024

Upon arrival the place looked like a school dinner hall with tables crammed in and the noise was deafening not very ambient or floaty music… we were shown to the smallest stable that could barely take the standard table setting. The path for everyone was to walk past our table which occasionally bumped into my husband… the food was nice not out standing. But pleasant .. i can imagine that it Might be more tolerant and more personal in other months and not when the whole united emirates take up residence .. anyway lesson learned if I want to have the same experience I will just go to the pub for dinner

Date of visit: August 2024
Thank Sandra W
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer Howard, Other at The Foyer & Reading Room, responded to this reviewResponded 19 August 2024

Dear sandrawY1517FG,

it is a pleasure for me to correspond with you this afternoon although naturally I regret the circumstances. I was most concerned to hear of the shortcomings you have encountered during your recent visit to the Foyer and Reading Room. Should you wish to address your concerns further please do not hesitate to contact me directly via howard@claridges.co.uk.

Yours sincerely,

Jennifer Howard
Deputy Director of Food and Bevergae

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Reviews (1,642)
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3 - 7 of 1,642 reviews

Reviewed 9 August 2024

Went for Afternoon Tea with great expectations, very disappointing, no silver serving stand for cakes, sandwiches had gone a little hard. Cakes were ok but not ‘wow’. Felt a bit like a conveyor belt of afternoon teas for profit and hotel had forgotten about the extra touches you expect from booking such a well known hotel. Have had better afternoon read for half the price!

Date of visit: August 2024
Thank Evie g
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer Howard, Other at The Foyer & Reading Room, responded to this reviewResponded 19 August 2024

Dear 664evieg,

I much appreciate the time and effort you have taken to share your feedback regarding your recent visit to the Foyer and Reading Room for afternoon tea. It was with much disappointment that I read of the shortcomings you have experience and would like to extend the opportunity to you to discuss those further with me, if agreeable please kindly contact me via jhoward@claridges.co.uk.

I hope to speak to you n due course and in the meantime send you my best wishes,


Jennifer Howard
Deputy Director of Food and Beverage

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Reviewed 7 July 2024 via mobile

Booked in for the afternoon tea. Great experience and very attentive however it did lack the wow factor for me.

Lack of wow factor was probably down to a bad start, we asked if we could go for a drink as we arrived early……..no problem however upon being escorted and seated in a very small snug bar we simply got ignored for 20mins, at that point we got up and left. Not sure what happened to cause this however staff fully aware we arrived as it was the bar host who seated us.

Wimbledon tea was good all be it the sandwiches did lack the detail you would expect for such an exclusive and pricey experience.

All that being said, bucket list ticked.

Thank scottmR6322IX
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer Howard, Other at The Foyer & Reading Room, responded to this reviewResponded 11 July 2024

Dear scottmR6322IX

thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback regarding your recent visit to Claridge's Bar and the Foyer and Reading Room.
Whilst it was a pleasure to read that you overall enjoyed the Wimbledon afternoon tea experience, it was with much concern that I learnt of the shortcomings you experienced during your visit.
Please allow me to extend my most profuse apologies. Rest assured these shortcomings will be thoroughly investigated and constructively addressed.
Should you wish to discuss your recent visit in further detail please do not hesitate to contact me directly via jhoward@claridges.co.uk

Best wishes

Jennifer Howard
Deputy Director of Food and Beverage

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Reviewed 5 June 2024 via mobile

I chose Claridge’s for afternoon high tea after considering a number of other options including the Ritz, Savoy and Connaught. The criteria included the food and tea offered, as well as atmosphere and service. Unfortunately Claridge’s service in The Foyer was in my opinion lacking, clumsy and indifferent.

Claridge’s is a truly beautiful hotel with outstanding Art Deco period details and flower arrangements everywhere. This includes the Foyer where high tea was served.

On being seated we both noted that the jacket our waiter was wearing was crumpled and had stains when he introduced himself. The sandwiches were delicious and pastries exquisite. There is a wonderful selection of rare teas. However, our tea arrived after we had eaten our sandwiches when our waiter apologised for forgetting our teas.

It then took 20 minutes to get our teapots refilled with hot water for a second pot of tea. It was not possible to catch the eye of any of the wait staff circling the tables until I raised my hand. When the waiter did appear with my second pot of tea, he was unable to fill my teacup as there was insufficient hot water in the pot. His response was to tip the teapot such that the final drops ended on the tablecloth, despite noticing this he didn’t stop.

We came away disappointed and will not be returning.

Date of visit: June 2024
Thank Mee-Ling K
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer Howard, Other at The Foyer & Reading Room, responded to this reviewResponded 7 June 2024

Dear Mee-Ling K,

thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback regarding your recent visit to the Foyer and Reading Room.
It was most kind of you to highlight the atmosphere and décor and that you enjoyed the selection of sandwiches and cakes.
Naturally, I was concerned to read about the service shortcomings you have experienced and wish to extend my most profuse apologies. Rest assured the matter will be thoroughly investigated and constructively addressed.
Should you wish to discuss your recent visit in further detail please do not hesitate to contact me directly via jhoward@claridges.co.uk

Best wishes

Jennifer Howard
Deputy Director of Food and Beverage

Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Reviewed 26 May 2024 via mobile

We had a birthday lunch in The Foyer and Reading Room. The food was truly amazing, well presented and full of flavour. The hotel is so well decorated and has a really pleasant atmosphere. The downside is that tables are rather too close together, and just felt as if you were on top of each other. Also the service was lacking, we had different servers for each course and even a sauce for the fish arrived 5 minutes after we started. If you are looking for a special venue - I would choose The Ritz, far better experience

Date of visit: May 2024
Thank kevin d
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer Howard, Other at The Foyer & Reading Room, responded to this reviewResponded 4 June 2024

Dear Kevin d,

thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback regarding your recent visit to the Foyer and Reading Room.
I am pleased to read that you enjoyed the food and the atmosphere and the décor.

Naturally, I was concerned to read of the shortcomings you experienced and that you felt the service was lacking. Should you wish to further discuss those shortcoming please contact me directly on jhoward@claridges.co.uk.

Best wishes,

Jennifer Howard
Deputy Director of Food and Beverage

Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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