Hotel Cafe Royal, London

The Grill room feels like stepping back in time, with all the mirrors and gold leaf. We were really well looked after, and the team made sure nothing felt like a bother. The roast beef was cooked just right, and the strawberries were delicious. A lovely place for a traditional Sunday roast. I’d happily recommend it, and next time I’ll try the afternoon tea, which looked delicious.

Roy and the whole team made a lovely surprise for my friend, who was visiting London again after 10 years, and for my own milestone here. The food was delightful, and the staff were so sweet. The whole experience was fantastic. Definitely coming back next time :)

The Nutcracker afternoon tea was a nice way to celebrate our engagement anniversary. The room looked lovely, and there was a very good choice of teas. Staff were attentive and explained the dishes well. We liked that the savouries came first, then the scones and sweets. A few things kept it from being a five-star visit. One teacup had a clear stain, though staff apologised and replaced it straight away. The warm milk we asked for arrived cold, although the next servings were warm, and we had to follow up on the water we’d ordered. Our teas were mixed up, which we only realised after I’d finished mine and tried my wife’s. We were near the back door, by the toilets, and felt a cold draught whenever it was used. Compared with other afternoon teas, and for the price, I thought it was very good, but not amazing.

Emanuel was our waiter and had great recommendations for both the food and desserts. I’m usually unlucky picking desserts, but his meringue suggestion was spot on. Mario helped with the wine, clearly passionate about the list, and recommended an amazing dessert wine. I’m not usually a fan of sweet wine, but this one gave me goosebumps. Mario also had a great story to go with it and knew the drinks list inside out. We started the evening with a refreshing glass of champagne, and the team were attentive from the moment we arrived. A young woman took our coats and showed us to the table. On the way, we heard piano music for the David Bowie afternoon tea, which was a really nice touch. It added to the feeling of exclusivity, especially with the hotel and restaurant’s history of hosting celebrities. There are lots of pictures of A-list guests by the street entrance, though it was closed for winter. The performance was very enjoyable. It would be great to have live music throughout dinner too, since it ended around the time the afternoon tea service did. We thoroughly enjoyed the evening and would certainly visit again.