Having been to this lovely tea room numerous times over the years, both for afternoon tea and…read moredinner theater, I am heartbroken to say that I had a terribly disappointing experience.
My friends who were visiting from Japan drove two hours to experience a proper English-style tea room at my invitation. I was carrying a gift bag, and a thoughtful employee placed it at our table while I browsed the wonderful gift shop and waited for my guests to arrive. As I headed towards the powder room, I noticed that my bag had been placed at the head of the one long table usually reserved for large parties. There were already some customers seated at the opposite end of the table, strangers to me. Noticing many small unoccupied tables throughout the room, I asked the staff if it would be possible to sit at a table for three. A woman whom I know to be the daughter of the owner replied rather abruptly, "No. They're all taken." No hint of courtesy and no effort to accommodate my request. Then she turned away, as they were busy setting up tables for the next seating. I said nothing, but I knew it would have been such a simple matter for her to make the adjustments in order to meet my needs. I worked as a hostess in a fine restaurant many years ago. Of course the tables would soon be filled for the next seating, but there were so many open ones at the moment of my request. The Grand Tea Room does not designate specific tables in advance, as far as I know, except for a large party or a special event. I returned to the front to wait for my guests, and Louisa (the proprietress of the Grand Tea Room and a perfectly lovely lady in every way) began to make pleasant small talk. I told her how happy I was to be there again, but mentioned that I was a bit disappointed with the seating arrangements this time. She immediately assured me that it was no trouble whatsoever to seat us at one of the small empty tables. My friends arrived, and we were chatting happily as we approached our gorgeous little table, when the owner's daughter suddenly rushed up to us, voice raised aggressively for all to hear. My guests, our server, and the patrons at the nearby tables were shocked when she angrily confronted me and exclaimed, "I DO NOT APPRECIATE YOU GOING OVER MY HEAD! I already told you no! I'm the owner's daughter, and you shouldn't have gone above my head! I told you NO!" For a moment I was in disbelief that she would speak to me so ungraciously in front of my guests and the entire room. And her strong reaction was strangely disproportionate to the minor circumstances at hand. I quietly told her that she was being discourteous and unprofessional. She repeated herself with even greater venom in her tone of voice, scolding me harshly, hissing again, "Don't go over my head!" Truly, this tirade was over the top. What an awkward way to begin a social occasion with friends.
The tea presentation was perfect, as always. Our server was excellent. The menu was superlative, tea was delicious, food was divine, fine bone English china was exquisite, and the table was beautifully appointed with lacy accents and fresh roses. The owner, Louisa, is very earnest in her desire to offer an elevated experience. She is consistently delightful and welcoming. She has designed a charming environment. How unfortunate that this employee created a situation which prevented us from relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere completely.
Naturally, I later told the owner what had transpired. Let me hasten to add that she generously volunteered to comp our bill as a goodwill gesture. Thank you, Louisa. I appreciate your kind efforts to compensate for such a horrid experience. You're doing an outstanding job with the management of your business. Unfortunately, the offensive employee's verbal attack threatened to ruin our afternoon before we had even taken our seats, and the incident caused me embarrassment while discomfiting my friends. It is ironic that my guests for tea that day are the independent owners of a string of high-end, upscale, full service restaurants located overseas in what is widely regarded as one of the most polite and respectful societies in the world. In fact, the young lady in my party had *just* graduated from university with a degree in culinary arts. Suffice to say we were utterly bemused by this employee's hostile behavior and inexplicably rude outburst.
I do recommend that you support this business for its many attributes, but I caution you about this particular staff member whose manners are coarse and who appears to be having trouble discerning the fundamental tenets of customer service, while struggling to regulate her emotions in a public setting. For such a proper and genteel environment, she certainly acted in an unladylike fashion. Hopefully, she'll strive to improve her interpersonal skills as is befitting of an otherwise pleasant establishment.
Five stars for the tea room; zero stars for the employee's atrocious behavior.
