Good Food | Historic Location | Attentive Staff/Service | Recommended ————— Detailed Review Below ————— Tea Lounge by Grand Hotel is a beautiful little cafe inside the Grand Hotel, Nuwura Eliya, itself housed in the former summer residence of the British Governor to Sri Lanka (or Ceylon, to be historically more precise). We went there on a Sunday evening for their Grand Festive High Tea, and enjoyed the overall experience. They offer two kinds high teas - with or without sparkling wine. We ordered the one sparkle-free and enjoyed ourselves. Finger Sandwiches 1. Classical chicken, cranberry, and celery sandwich on light pink bread - 7/10 2. Smoked salmon and dill sandwiches - 7/10 3. Cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches on herb green bread - 6/10 4. Creamy egg, and tuna salad on brown bread - 5/10 (hardly any tuna!) Tea Savories 1. Creamy chicken and mushroom pie - 6/10 2. Warm salmon tart - 7/10 3. Scotch Eggs - 8/10 4. Classical sausage roll - looked quite unappetizing; skipped it Festive Sweets 1. Miniature marble mold cake - looked quite unappetizing; skipped it 2. Lemon curd meringue tart - 8/10 3. Christmas star cream cheese frosted carrot cake - 7/10 4. Fruity scones with strawberry jam and vanilla custard cream 8/10 They served four kinds of teas during the sitting 1. Broken Orange Pekoe - 8/10 2. Royal Tea - 9/10 3. Hibiscus Tea - 710 4. Peppermint Tea - 7/10 Verdict: Recommended. The Grand High Tea is a little like stepping into a time machine to relive the majesty of yesteryears. Worth it if you can turn a blind eye to the ethical dimensions of the colonial era for an afternoon. Food/ Quality - 4/5 Location/ Ambiance - 5/5 Price (Value for Money) - 5/5 Service - 5/5 Others - Reliving History

Thank you to Kamalraj for excelent service of a beautiful high tea. ♡ We had a great experience! Alena (Czech Republic)

Hmm, started so well but ended so poorly. We were really impressed with The Grand Hotel - very opulent interiors and beautiful gardens. We came for high tea at the restaurant - arrived at 2pm but it didn't start until 3.30pm. They offered for us to come at 3pm instead which we appreciated, so we went to the nearby gardens where the kids played in the playground and we sat by the fountain while we waited. Very pleasant. Unfortunately things went downhill from here. We went to the restaurant at 3pm but the table wasn't ready. We hung around for 15 minutes with no acknowledgement from any of the staff. After asking, they lay the table and we sat down. No further service until 3.30pm. They were accommodating of our request for the vegetarian option. Surprisingly limited choice of tea - normal, green or coffee. After a push, they offered ginger tea. It seemed like a long wait before the food arrived (before the tea) and it arrived intermittently, so half of our group had to wait much longer. We asked for extra tea for the children which never came. We asked for water three times before it arrived, and had bits floating in it. The portions had a nice variety of appetisers but the size was small - with a single tiny scone the size of a squash ball. We asked for a top up of tea which turned into three requests as well, and it was an hour before we received it. Finally we asked for the bill... Three times. This was surprising considering there were five members of staff standing behind the counter at any given moment (see photos). Weird. At this point I was thinking of giving 3 stars. But shortly after, one of the managers came over and asked us to vacate the table to make room for new guests! That's why I took another star off. Just crazy considering if their service had been at least at a normal level, we'd have left at least 30 minutes prior. Instead we were treated rudely and the slow service led us to miss our trip to a tea plantation. Such a shame considering it started out with such promise. In fact when we were sitting in the garden I said to my family that next year I'll treat them to a 5 night stay there. By the end of the experience we had all decided to cancel that plan. Massive disappointment.

Excellent high tea highly recommended and is quite filling. Get to taste lots of variety of teas as much as you want. After can look around the hotel and gardens. Gets busy

Visited - March 2022 We came here for the high tea on my birthday. We were greeted by very friendly staff who took us to the table, then explained the options for the high tea. The high tea comes with Cold Delectable, Cocktail Savories, Sweet endings, Scones, and unlimited tea from their massive menu. The staff was patient in taking us through the tea varieties and assisted us with the best options depending on our pallets. We loved the experience and the overall vibe of the place. We even took a walk inside the hotel and marveled at the unique beauty of the historic hotel.

Had an exceptional High tea experience! Food was delicious and lovely selection of teas. We were served by Kamalraj who was extremely friendly and made great suggestions.

Best high tea experience! Service was excellent. They were happy to arrange a vegetarian platter just for us. Kudos to the chef and staff. All the food tasted great and paired well with the selected specialty teas. The ambience was warm and welcoming.

I hv no words to express my gratitude to the staff. And one more thing, the band was excellent. Environment of the Barnes Room was lovely and served delicious foods. Thanks for the celebration of my 61st birthday at Grand Hotel. Nuwara eliya.

Go for the hotel, give the high tea a miss! The sandwiches were filled with margarine or cream cheese only and you could barely taste the other fillings( it was just four layers of bread and margarine). Pastry was rock hard. Worst part were the scones, they were served with hot pink jam and clotted cream which was watery and tasted like yogurt. Caucasians also received better attention and food for them was given first. After ordering we waited a good 15-20 mins for our food and tea. Another ten minutes for the scones. Whereas the table in front of us with a caucasian couple got their drinks and food within 2 mins of ordering. Atmosphere was awful: there was a kitchen fire next to us. Staff was walking around like it wasn't happening. Felt like I was in Indonesia during the haze. Also there's no garden, it's just a bush of peonies in front. Staff was friendly and courteous. Tea was great but you can't go wrong with dilmah tea. If you're just here for food, get the pizza cos it comes from the wood fired oven( which was on fire during our meal so clearly authentic). The hotel is also gorgeous to walk around in, albeit a true museum of colonial oppression.

It was nice but nothing great. You can‘t choose your tea, they just bring one and don‘t tell you which one it is. They only fill up your cup and take the pod away again. The food was good but nothing extraordinary. Fun experience, but not comparable to actual afternoon tea

Price is 6500 per person for high tea. Our guesthouse said that the week before it was 4500 and a few years ago it was 1000/1500 per person. We shared one between two of us and got a few tiny bits of food, it was tasty but even if we had gotten one each it wouldn’t have been enough. Prices in Sri Lanka have increased this last year overall but 650% is crazy… not worth it, give it a miss

The service was great. Ms. Lochini was awesome! Food may require some improvement. The cakes were dry, didn't really taste good. Sandwiches were good and unique. I would suggest adding some more options for shorteats.

We came for high tea for a taste of home for my friends birthday. I regard myself as an afternoon tea expert! I ordered the English high tea and was surprised that it didn’t include a scone! I did ask for one which was brought out; it was not at all like a traditional English scone but I appreciated the effort. The English high tea also did not include any English breakfast style teas/teas with milk. It cost 5000 LKR. The food was very nice, service was a bit slow and I had to ask 3 times for a coffee. There wasn’t as much food as usually provided in England but it was enough and I didn’t leave feeling stuffed!

Fantastic high tea experience! The food was more unusual and interesting than I've had in England. We tried three different types of tea, all lovely. Our waiter Anthony couldn't have been more friendly, funny and helpful, moving us to a better table, explaining and writing down the names of the teas. I would highly recommend if you're in the area.

We had one of the best high tea experiences in our life The place is a heaven with millions of flowers and landscapes Very good tea and snacks A Must go

Big deception. The surroundings of the hotel were lovely, but that was about it due to terrible service. Every drink we ordered was initially forgotten. We felt that this was the worst price/quality we received in our Sri Lanka trip.

Had the royal high tea. The good: - The hotel and tea lounge is stunning. A very classy and beautiful venue. - staff are very professional and dressed immaculately. You definitely get to indulge in the whole coloniser experience as you enjoy your high tea with other foreigners while being served by sri lankans. - music and cocktail room inside the hotel is pure class. You can't help but admire how well a job the british did while colonising. - tea selection was quite good but god damnn its a lot of caffeine. - cakes were decent. The bad: - high tea is expensive 5500LKR per person and the food is average. Everything is cold including scons which is forbidden. Bread in sandwiches is stale and tastes like they were made early morning. - Warm foods like pies not served per the menu, instead we got samosas. Like mate... This is available as street food for like 20rp....why would I want it included in my exxy high tea. Overall an enjoyable experience but the food is super average.

Dilmah tea lounge Located in Beautiful Nuwara Eliya within the premises of Famous Grand Hotel, embark on a journey of exquisite flavors and relaxation. Carefully curated selection of teas offers a tantalizing array of aromas and tastes, promising to delight even the most discerning palate. From traditional blends to unique infusions, each sip is a moment of bliss. Nestled in a cozy ambiance, Dilmah tea lounge provides the perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Whether you're seeking a serene solo moment or engaging in lively conversation with friends, our tea lounge invites you to savor every sip and indulge in a truly delightful experience. Daily High Tea offers different condiments and tastes worth try , and experience Tea innovations in Best Tea Destination in the world.

Such a delightful experience! The afternoon tea was really yummy and the hotel is gorgeous with so many unique spaces. Very much worth a stop here. It was slightly different from the high teas I’ve had in England in that there was less of a focus on scones (one small scone was given) and more of a focus on savory food (two layers of savory food given instead of the usual one layer). Probably I’d suggest them to do more scones and less savory, but either way it was a lovely experience and I’d definitely recommend it!

High tea at The Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya - Heritage Grand was an interesting experience, reminiscent of a quirky film, but not without its peculiarities. The food, although well-presented, seemed more about appearance than substance, akin to airport lounge offerings. The scotched egg was an adventurous attempt but fell short, with parts being disappointingly rare. The atmosphere, while charming, faced challenges like the haunting flickering lights in the restroom, giving it an unexpected twist. A dirty champagne glass, bearing the lip prints of its previous user, added a note of discomfort to the otherwise refined setting. Dress standards varied, with some visitors opting for a more casual look, somewhat diverging from the expected elegance. Unfortunately, non-hotel guests were restricted from enjoying their high tea in the garden, a tragic disappointment. Service was commendable when attention was given, and the tea was satisfactory. However, the overall experience tempered my expectations for a future stay at the hotel. Grand Hotel's reality might not match the grandeur expected, but it's still a unique spot in Nuwara Eliya.

Great spot and one of the must do things in Nuwara Eliya. Got a few sideways looks when showing up with 3 kids who couldn’t decide what they wanted, but otherwise great spot and an amazing hotel with some famous historical guests!

A phenomenal experience. Delicious food and attentive staff. We were served by Buwi who looked after us perfectly. We cannot decide which of the foods on the high tea were our favourite as they all tasted so very good.

Came here to see hotel and decided to do high tea. 1. Delicious spread of small bites 2. tasty tea and sparkling wine 3. extremely friendly staff 4, great for the price. we also had a cocktail at the back bar, by the pool table room. great service and very welcoming.

We went for thier high tea and experienced exceptionally good service. Kamalraj was a wonderful server and made us feel welcome and well looked after. The food tasted good and the seleaction of items was good as well. There was a nice selection of tea and other items for non tea drinkers. Price is a bit on the higher side, but the experience was worth it. Will recommend for anyone looking for a high tea experience in Nuwara Eliya.

The experience and the food was really nice. But the service is very poor - we had the Celebration High Tea for 4100LKR. Whenever we ordered tea or coffee we had to repeatedly ask again where our tea is and if the tea is still coming and in the end we just gave up and paid and left because the last tea just never arrived and no one asked us if we wanted anything after sitting there 25min on an empty table . The whole setting is very nice but the service was very disappointing.

Grate customer service and care. They serve some finger food that seems fresh and tasty.

I had the high tea in here as I had nothing else to do. Based on the local price, the price for the high is very high. According to this high price the quality of the food was really so so. The service was also not satisfactory. I read in the reviews they provide variety of teas. But nobody explained me this just fill me one cup of tea and left. Normally you will have a tea pot that you can refill yourself. Here they only filled me one cup. The second time I asked for refill they didn’t say anything and fill me another different tea in the same cup. For the third time I had to ask for three times to different staffs for refilling which made me a bit upset and requested they leave me a pot. Generally it was not a very pleasant experience.

It was fun going through the high tea’s 4-tea course. There are more tea options available on request. Food was very average (dry sandwiches, sweets that weren’t memorable). Service was excellent.

Really nice garden. High tea was disappointing, nothing special and some of the cakes didn't seem fresh. Coffee was good.

I read through a bunch of high tea reviews before we decided to come here for an afternoon snack. We also went to st Andrews high tea the day before, and this one was much superior. $4000LKR for the basic which was I thoroughly enjoyed. We dined in the beautiful gardens.

Very nice food but extremely slow service. Took 20 minutes for our juices. Then another 15 minutes for our starter. Then another 15 minutes for our mains which were served at different times and they forgot my daughters meal. All in all very disappointing and worst restaurant experience in Sri Lanka so far. Sad when it’s a high end establishment as the service is far below standards and have had better service in family run restaurants. The restaurant wasn’t even busy either! If you’re looking for a quick lunch/tea then this is not the place for you.