Orangery restaurant

Kew feedback team says

18/02/2013 3:21:52 PM | Report abuse

Hi John, we've passed your comments on to our Customer Services team and they'll contact you directly to follow up about this. Thanks for sharing your feedback with us.

John says

14/02/2013 6:41:38 PM | Report abuse

CHAOS! Arrived just before 2PM. No trays available, poor selection of sandwiches ie no salmon bagel or tuna or beef. No desserts, just cakes. Gave up and walked to the Peaks and same story there. Weakened and selected an egg sandwich but it took so long to wait to pay that I dumped that and went hungry.

Kew feedback team says

11/02/2013 3:20:41 PM | Report abuse

Hi Gemma, we've passed your comments on to our Customer Services team and they'll contact you directly to follow up about this. Thanks for sharing your feedback with us.

Gemma says

07/02/2013 11:31:24 AM | Report abuse

Could I just add that yes, Victoria Gate cafe is great, but I would never go there in Winter as it is ffffrrrrrreezing, due to the doors constantly opening automatically, all the time. Can anything be done about this? It's a great cafe and handy to have a drink on your way in/out of the gardens.

Kew feedback team says

06/02/2013 12:27:13 PM | Report abuse

Hi Karen. We've passed your comments on to our Customer Services team and they'll contact you directly to follow up with this. Thanks for sharing this feedback with us.

Karen says

06/02/2013 8:46:01 AM | Report abuse

Was very disappointed on Sunday, 3rd Feb, that the cake selection was incredibly limited. We'd looked forward to a lunch finishing with cake. We traipsed over to The Pavilion to find it closed, annoyed at ourselves (we've been members for a while and not realised the winter closing) as our trip was now in search of cake. We did find cake at the Victoria Gate cafe, a very good selection in fact. Alas we also found very full tables and had to free one from a family that chose to use an empty one for their coats and buggy! We sat to eat our lunch, drink our hot drinks and savour our delicious cake only to have the automatic door be triggered by anyone and everyone - Sunday was not a hot day! Perhaps the way forward is to bring our own in future and set up camp in a green house to eat in future.

Kew feedback team says

08/01/2013 4:50:12 PM | Report abuse

Dear Pat. Thank you for providing feedback on your recent trip to the Orangery. Your comments have been forwarded to the Customer Services team who will be in touch with you shortly.

Pat says

06/01/2013 5:16:00 PM | Report abuse

A friend and I had lunch at the Orangery on 2/1/13. The queue for a hot meal was not too long. I chose a Pearl barley, pumpkin and kale risotto. Following this, the queue to get a hot drink, pay and then find a table with chairs prooved to be a challenge. We sat down eventually to a cold risotto which included a congealed lump of cheese. (the discription did not mention cheese). The seating for everyone that tried to find a table was chaotic and added to an experience that I would not wish to repeat again.

kate daymond says

09/12/2012 9:46:17 PM | Report abuse

could it have been lady grey tea ? Despite its name it's not like earl grey but it has an orange bouquet and is refreshing.

Ann says

25/10/2012 4:09:29 PM | Report abuse

A friend and I were having a drink together and she said that the best cup of tea she had ever tasted was at Kew. She said that it had an orangy taste, and I wondered if it is possible to buy this tea online please? Thanks. Ann

Amy says

19/10/2012 12:35:37 PM | Report abuse

John, your comment is humourous, but alas incorrect. "Complimentary" is the correct spelling when referring to a drink provided free of charge.

Stephen Foot says

04/10/2012 6:37:04 AM | Report abuse

Can I be sure that you will have sufficient crockery for a group of 4. On a recent visit we were given 3 paper cups, 1 stained tea cup, no saucers, there were no milk jugs available, no teapots (but still charged for them). Your staff were charming and I might have coped if we were 4 Brits but 2 Americans and 1 French lady were not impressed at all.

John says

03/10/2012 12:40:41 PM | Report abuse

Clicked through to this from latest email newsletter wanting more info on afternoon teas. Have I reached the wrong page? And whilst I like the idea of a drink that says how great I'm looking, I think in the mail it should say 'complementary' not 'complimentary'.

Holly Stirling says

01/10/2012 8:50:01 AM | Report abuse

Lovely food but mkae your teas and coffees bigger - you used to have mugs which were worth buying.....bring back the larger cups or mugs x

Ruth says

30/09/2012 10:15:58 AM | Report abuse

Hi, my aunt is a member of Kew and I'd like to give her a voucher for coffee/lunch whilst she's visiting. Do you do gift vouchers for the Orangery? Thanks.

Suzanne says

22/04/2012 9:31:40 PM | Report abuse

Hello, was thinking about arranging a visit for my mum's birthday, with a few family members joining us for lunch. Do you need a ticket to the gardens to be able to access the restaurant? Thanks.

Kew Feedback team says

20/04/2012 2:25:14 PM | Report abuse

Thanks you for getting in touch prof m. johnson. To find out more about group catering options, please contact either our caterers Peyton and Byrne on +44 (0)208 332 5186 or the Travel Trade office on +44 (0) 208 332 5648. Find out more about arranging a group visit to kew Gardens here - http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/visit-information/group-visits/index.htm

prof m. johnson says

19/04/2012 7:05:11 PM | Report abuse

about 20 of us are planning a visit on July 5th 2012. Can tables pre pre booked for a given time., Kind Regards

Kew feedback team says

29/03/2012 9:32:27 AM | Report abuse

Hi Mollie, thanks for your question. Yes we do have licence for selling beer and wine, although we don't take bookings as we are a self service restaurant. If you are visiting on a sunny day we would suggest the Pavilion restaurant, as the outside seating is beautiful under the vines.

Mollie says

28/03/2012 10:23:55 AM | Report abuse

Are the restaurants at Kew licensed to sell wine or beer? I'm planning to come and visit on my friend's birthday and it would be good to know if we can lunch and have a glass of wine - or if we need to book a table outside of Kew to have wine with our meal. Thanks

hannah waterhouse says

02/03/2012 11:21:53 PM | Report abuse

I visited Kew with my mother today. I was feeling a little reluctant to have lunch at The Orangery having read the previous comments but I am pleased to say we had a delicious meal. We were both suprised, and delighted, with the imaginative hot menu and the cakes were up to Peyton and Byrne's normal standard. I would certainly be happy to eat here again. Thank you.

Kew feedback team says

21/02/2012 12:47:40 PM | Report abuse

Dear Pauline and Marilyn. Thank you for providing feedback on your recent trip to the Orangery. Your comments have been forwarded to the Customer Services team who will be in touch with you shortly.

Pauline Bowers says

19/02/2012 9:34:43 PM | Report abuse

After experiencing today 19/2/12 my uncles 80th birthday celibration. I was one of a party of 20.Firstly the table was not ready and had to remove people in order to accomodate us, the carvery we were expecting turned out out to be dreadful with no selection at all we had to have what was left which was one dreadful piece of beef tough as old boots which ran out half way through service which left half of us having chicken which they did not really want. Thankfully I did not have to pay the bill, it was my cousin that paid had it have been me I would have refused to pay. We were expecting a Restaurant and not a cafe. Please adjust your website. Some of our party travelled as far from Leicester for this very dissapointing meal. I do feel the very least you can do is reimburse "(name and address withheld)". A very dissapointed Pauline Bowers.

Marilyn Sturgeon says

18/02/2012 4:50:17 PM | Report abuse

We visited on Wednesday. I appreciate that it was half term and there is an orchid display but the Orangery was chaotic. Worse than a motorway cafe. We waited for trays but there were no bowls for soup. The hot dishes looked unappealing (salmon dried out, venison stew almost finished). I did not see any children's meals. Sandwiches seemed the best option (very few left). The cashier did not have a bottle opener. There were no glasses. There were no tables for 4 people so we found chairs to add to the end of a shared table. I will not risk this again and will bring a picnic when I visit tomorrow with my mother. I suggest a rethink of the layout of the self service area and some method of seating people that is a bit more organized.