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| - Beware of dishonest service. My wife and I went for afternoon tea to celebrate her birthday and were very disappointed by unethical business practices, spoiling an otherwise pleasant time.
The server approached us and told us we had the option of 3 complimentary drinks: Prosecco, rosé and champagne. I initially said we didn't want alcohol, thinking there would be added costs, but my wife heard her say complimentary and asked her to clarify. She said 'yes, the drinks are complimentary'. So we ordered champagne. At no time did she reference the menu or the titles of the 3 options (classic tea, blush tea and royal tea). She simply asked our preference for a choice of 3 complimentary drinks.
And so...the bill arrives to the tune of $179, about $50 more than we had expected to pay. I thought we had misheard and was willing to let it go, but my wife wanted to speak to our server. The server explained that the drinks choices were complimentary, but that the choice of champagne meant we had selected a more expensive option. We tried to explain to the server that's not what complimentary and she only responded by showing us the menu, which read:
Classic Tea 54
Assortment of savoury and sweet delights
Selection of fine tea
Glass of Nua Prosecco
Blush Tea 58
Assortment of savory and sweet delights
Selection of fine tea
Glass of Henry of Pelham, "Cuvée Catherine"
Royal Tea 69
Assortment of savory and sweet delights
Selection of fine tea
Glass of Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne
Of course you can see, each option is identical, except for the drink and the drink is what causes the price to increase. This is not what complimentary means, as the drink is in fact the only factor available that increases price. The server refused to budge on our concerns and only said 'I'm sorry for the confusion'. But her explanation showed she didn't think she had done anything wrong and that we were to blame. To boot, gratuity was automatically included at 15% so we couldn't leave a smaller tip.
As for the meal, the tea and desserts were excellent, the sandwiches average, and the service was otherwise attentive and thoughtful. Our other server Ali was very friendly and welcoming and they did add nice birthday touches of balloons and a birthday dessert.
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