I had afternoon tea with my family in the Garden Room (the Refectory Kitchen is part of the Principal hotel, and the Garden Room is like a sun room in the hotel). Afternoon Tea in York can be an expensive touristy occasion, but having it at the Garden Room seemed like a more genuine experience, in part because it wasn't very busy, the price was reasonable, and they're not pushing through groups of tourists. The amount of food provided was impressive, and even my picky eater children tried and liked most of the finger foods. We had I think four different servers throughout our 90 minutes, which I believe was mostly due to shift changes and general disorganization; it was more charming than frustrating, though. Overall, I'd recommend afternoon tea at the Garden Room, if only because I felt more like a local while I was there. read more