The Polly Tea Rooms and restaurant - (Near Berkshire, South East)

5 /5 Shivani: Visited from London and was worth the trip. Friendly accommodating staff and quaint interior. The scones were by far the best alongside the soup of the day which was hearty and warm on a cold winters day. Cake slices looked yummy too but we were so full! WiFi was a bit sketchy and my jacket potato was a bit dry but overall a great experience

2 /5 David Webster: I really dislike leaving negative reviews but this place used to be really really good. Having not been for several years, I was in Marlborough and decided to stop in for a full English breakfast. What an odd experience. The food was served approximately 5 minutes after ordering which immediately made me think it wasn’t cooked fresh. The beans were cold and had a slightly acidic aftertaste. Almost like too much vinegar but it wasn’t that flavour profile. Strange The mushrooms were rubbery and frankly inedible The bacon looked anemic, very fatty and wasn’t warm. Eggs and toast were fine but it’s fried eggs and toast, not sure how far you could mess that up. The hash brown was the standout issue for me, and I noticed the lady a few tables away had left hers entirely. It had almost a fragrant taste to it, like it had been sprayed with a perfume. It was so over powering I tasted it and immediately put it back on the plate. Zero atmosphere, no background music. In the toilets the ivy plant was obviously homesick as it was growing through the open window. The server was reasonably attentive, pleasant but didn’t give me the option to leave her a tip which I would have if offered. Overall a negative experience. Ownership must have changed since I was in there last as this was a world away from the home cooked quality food I had previously. The cakes selection looked good so perhaps it was just the morning kitchen staff that is the issue. It’s a real shame. As I’ve written this review it reminds me of the kind of experience one would have from visiting a motorway service station. You feel somewhat made a fool out for overpaying for an underwhelming experience. Questionable cooking, minimum spend on facilities maintenance. For over £20 for a breakfast and drink for 1 person I would not recommend making the trip there I really hope the owners see this and have a good internal look at their operation, appreciate this is just my experience but that ivy hasn’t made the decision to become a house plant overnight. That’s weeks /months of neglect which has gone from an overlooked checklist item to a conscious decision to ignore a very obvious problem. The breakfast here honestly used to be worth a 20 mile drive which we did regularly. It’s now on par with a little chef outside of smog filled petrol station.

4 /5 hayley Honeyreade: We popped in for a coffee, mid Monday morning. Plenty of seats available. The black forest roulade tempted me, I was glad it did. It was delicious. The atmosphere was nice, though decor a little dated, but thats the charm of a tea room. I found the staff friendly and efficient. Prices are on the high side, but we would spend similar in well-known coffee chains, and thats without table service, so I thought acceptable. Whether I could afford lunch there.... Ill let you know next time Im in town.

4 /5 Marie New: We loved the Afternoon Cream Tea & cakes, and the Tea was wonderful too. Very reasonable price. The service was good tho we did have to wait a while to be served,even tho we had booked previously. However, the table could have done with a good scrub as it was sticky on top.

5 /5 K Dean: Hidden gem in this historic old town. Traditional tea room with lots of inside seating with atmosphere. Easy access for wheel chairs and buggies. Nice clean toilets. Serve tradition cream teas as well as cook breakfasts and lunchtime options. I had a bowl of chilli but no Jacket(as reducing my carbs) which was very nice and a little spicy. Service by the team was very fast and friendly. Good selection of home style made cakes and individual cake options. Would really recommend.