Amba Bar & Grill

Have been here once before and had a wonderful time, but this time was not a good experience at all. The food was nice and the tea was hot but from the minute we arrived we had bad service. Firstly we had to ask to order after waiting for 15 minutes, then we had to constantly wait for fresh tea, and there were never any staff around to ask for refills. Then we were left for ages at the end of the meal to ask for the bill. It was a constant battle to get any attention from the staff. I have been for afternoon tea many times to various hotels around london and this was the worst service. It was a shame as this was a birthday treat. When you pay this much for a special treat you expect a level of service and this we did not receive. I do not recommend this hotel for tea.
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Rebecca andrews
4 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 4
Saturday, February 12, 2011

I took advantage of a special offer to go for afternoon tea at the Mayfair Hotel with my mother (visiting from France) and son.

The first think I should say is that the restaurant area in which we were served could be a lot airier: the blinds were down, and the leather and 1970s orange decor did not help.

The service was attentive, but I wish I could write the same of the food preparation. The tea list was a very standard affair, and the actual tea served was equally unremarkable. The Earl Grey bag in my large teapot was stewing with its label still attached and in the water. Ahem.

The sandwiches were good - the Montgomery cheddar with apple deserves a special mention. The scones and cream were fresh and fragrant. A sort of millefeuille with hazelnut paste was both original and tasty.

And there the praise stops. The fruit cake was overcooked. Had it not been so it would probably have been very nice. The génoise aux cassis (mousse-type cake with blackcurrants) had no taste whatsoever. The trifle was OK if you like that sort of thing - the fact that I do not is to blame on my French upbringing... The topping of the chocolate cake obviously contained gelatine, which helped neither its taste nor its texture. I wonder what kind of chef patissier would have recourse to gelatine when a ganache would do, unless of course the cakes are expected to withstand a very long wait before being served, which prompts even more questions. The chocolate coating inside the pastry on the bilberry tartlet obliterated the taste of the fruit filling completely.

Overall verdict: the pastries were way too 'chichi' for their own good. In my view the Amba Bar ought to stick to tried and tested British delicacies. And boy was I pleased to have had a discount. At £19.50 per person full price, it would definitely not have been worth the money.
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The lady that lunches - View all reviews by this user
4 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 3
Saturday, May 01, 2010