Afternoon Tea at the Old Course Hotel

This was a splendid afternoon tea. The views across the Old Course were matched by the delicious food and the faultless, friendly service which we received the moment we walked into the hotel. To the tea itself: we started with finger sandwiches (egg and cress, smoked salmon, hummus and chicken and mayonnaise) followed by scones with clotted cream and jam and finished with a selection of patisserie. It was all delightful, particularly the scones! We also enjoyed the accompanying tea and each had a glass of champagne. This was a birthday treat for my mother and she thoroughly enjoyed herself. We will return.
Jan 8th, 2023

5 stars for views & scones but 2 stars for everything else. Service was very slow & not overly attentive. Tea was not hot. No explanation provided on what savouries or sweet treats were; it was a lucky dip but sadly we were not lucky. Sandwiches were curled dry at the edges with minimal fillings. No cakes as such - I had a tray bake, a mini profiterole & a biscuit with mousse topping. We did mention that sandwiches were dry & were advised this info would be passed on. Im afraid Old Course, you were well below par.
Sep 7th, 2022

Not great at all! The star is for the scones and the window view only. The sandwiches tasted old and barely had any filling. Even tesco meal deal sandwiches taste better and are cheaper. A little bit of uniqueness for the sandwiches would have been very nice. The sandwiches tasted dried out and as if they were sitting outside all day. The tea was served in an unwashed teapot that had residue inside the teapot wall. We were able to scrape it off and see the clean white part. It also tasted bitter and not strong. It felt like they reused even the tea leaves. The desserts were the worst part. They were either too sweet, too sour or too bitter. The lemon cake was unbelievably bitter to the point that it made me feel sick. The macarons were definitely too sweet. And the eclair (one thing you would assume you can't mess up) had a very intense sour orange filling. Less is sometimes more!!!! They just over complicated the desserts. They definitely looked better than they tasted. The staff members were lovely but there weren't enough for the amount of people there were there. Thus, it was difficult to find someone when we needed something. One tiny thing they should definitely change is the following: They had the bowl of jam and cream just sitting on every table (before any lid or so) before the guests even arrived. It felt very unhygienic. Who knows what landed in those bowls. Also a little bit more generosity would have been nice in regards to the jam. We were given 1 tiny bowl for 4 people. 1 bowl should have lasted more for 2 people than 4. They were however nice and gave us more after we asked. The same thing goes for the milk for the tea which needed more of. This was also sitting outside even before we arrived. Overall, I would suggest not going there for their overpriced food which tasted horrendous. I really hope the hotel looks into customer feedback and improves the quality of their food.
May 31st, 2022

Food just about edible! Tea was not good,tea bags expect loose tea at a place like this. The sandwiches were room temperature,cakes weren't too bad but scones were burnt on bottom and rubbery. Never got asked if we wanted more tea or if everything was ok. The hotel's areas inside are very nice but in my opinion all show no substance. Came here about 10 yrs ago and didn't think much of it but thought there'd be different chefs/managers but maybe not. Won't be back in another 10yrs!
Apr 19th, 2022

After receiving a gift voucher, myself and partner booked The Old Course for Afternoon tea. We found the food and service fantastic. Due to being moved from the conservatory, we recieved complimentary fizz which was a nice touch. After this experience I decided to book afternoon tea for myself and two family members for a special occassion. Unfortunately, this experience could not have been further from my first... firstly we we put up into the restaurant/grill area, not an ideal setting for afternoon tea in my opinion; with the inevitable noise of cooking and prepping in the kitchen area but fair enough. We were then shown to a table next to a very large party of at least 15 people, despite multiple empty tables; due to the close proximity to the party (which were obviously quite loud due to the number of people) we asked if it would be possible to sit by the window. We were told "they were a bit stretched" but would see what they could do (despite area being empty with the exception of the 2 big tables...), we ended up round the corner which was fine and a bit quieter... until the noise from the powersaw from the next room and banging of tools began echoing through the wall. We decided to stay put, not wanting to ask to be moved a second time. We were then served some water. When we asked for a carafe of still water just to sit on the table a few moments later, we were told again "we are a bit stretched but will see what there is"... surely a 5* hotel has a jug or carafe? No, "a function was on downstairs" we were told, so they couldnt give us a jug with water, but topped up the glass, which was again, "fine". The tea and coffee was then served, but after a long wait and considerably more noise from the workmen, i asked politely could we please move to another table as the noise was very off-putting. We were put through to the main bar area. After another very long wait, the food came. Sandwiches overpowered with chutney which actually softened the hard curled bread. Nobody asked how the food was, and we had to ask for more tea, lots of staff passing and lots of others waiting it seemed. I asked for the bill and was told "we don't take cash", totally fine and understandable, but a quick "how was your afternoon tea?" Would have been nice. Instead another lad who came over, asked us when he was providing us a doggy box for the leftovers. At this point, we were honest but polite, and I explained how let down i felt compared to the previous experience, i didn't mention the poor service in detail as it wasn't his fault. We were provided with a complimentary glass of champagne, and under the circumstances, i felt this was a nice gesture as I had already paid the bill but it didn't make up for the previous hour of poor service. A very, very disappointing exerience and certainly not one I would expect from a 5* hotel. Felt like an afterthought throughout and as a result will not be returning. Such a shame as my first experience was first class. The other 2 ladies in the party were also totally underwhelmed by the service and food which left me feeling disappointed and embarrassed since I had aimed to plan something a bit special. Sorry, but in my opinion, the food and service were no better than one would expect from a budget hotel offering afternoon tea, redeemed only marginally by the cheery barman and young lad we spoke with at the end.
Apr 14th, 2022