Horsted Place - Lewes

I hosted an afternoon tea to celebrate a 25th wedding anniversary in the Garden Room for over 30 guests, and I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of the food and the service from the staff. I highly recommend this venue. Service: 5/5 Location: 5/5

Update August 2023: My experiences here continue to be mixed. I returned for afternoon tea, which now costs £33 per person—a significant increase. To justify the price hike, the offering now includes 'cucumber citrus water' and a tiny tomato and cucumber quiche. The tomato is supposedly home-grown, but with the minimal amount used, it seems like the harvest didn't go very well; only a single cherry tomato seems to have been divided among 24 quiches! While £33 isn't cheap, I try to convince myself that it's more about the experience than the food. To be fair, the atmosphere is lovely, especially when seated outside, and when the waiting staff pay attention, they're very accommodating. However, getting their attention initially is a challenge, as they seem more focused on chatting with one another than on attending to guests who might want another pot of tea or something else. Additionally, the tables were left messy and not cleared in a timely manner, which detracted from the experience. Considering all this, I am starting to think my days of enjoying afternoon tea here may be limited. While I might return for a light lunch, the cost of afternoon tea no longer feels justified. It appears I’m not alone in this sentiment, as the place was surprisingly quiet. I understand there's a fine line between being attentive and being overbearing, but when tables are left uncleared, it illustrates a lack of attention. The staff can indeed do a good job, but when they aren't directly interacting with guests, they seem to zone out. Yet, when they do engage, the service is quite commendable. It's frustratingly close to getting it right, but they just haven’t managed to fully deliver. Lastly, automatically adding a 10% service charge feels a bit greedy, making it effectively a £36 bill per person—which is just too much for what you get. No thanks.

Attended my sisters wedding. Beautiful location, really friendly staff, great food. A fantastic day enjoyed by everyone. Walkability: Beautiful grounds Location: 5 Hotel highlights: Romantic, Quiet

A beautiful luxurious and elegant hotel with gorgeous grounds. I’ve visited for lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and as a guest and I cannot fault the staff and food. It’s such a treat. The last visit I took both my small children who loved running around the grounds. 100% recommend. Rooms: Clean, elegant and spacious. Nearby activities: Lots to do nearby. Visit Lewes, Eastbourne, walks from the doorstep. Rooms: 5

Went for a very pleasant lunch. Lovely setting and relaxed friendly service. Food drinks: High end food. Looked and tasted great. Service: 5 Location: 5 Hotel highlights: Great view, Quiet