Denis S.
Yelp
Up front, I have to say that I am not their target audience. I came here because my wife wanted to--and it was a highlight of her trip.
It was not a highlight of mine. Here's why:
First, the place is either beautiful or gaudy, depending on your perspective. I was of the latter opinion.
Second, it all felt sort of fake to me. It was like we were playing at being British high society from the 19th Century, and nothing about it made me comfortable. Everyone spoke in hushed voices, everyone was a little to obsequies, it all felt a bit off.
But I could forgive all of that IF they just did one thing, made good tea. At the end of the day, it's the most expensive tea experience I will ever have, they should have amazing tea. But they didn't.
I got a jasmine tea, which was really weak (partially because they didn't steep it enough). Then they reloaded the same tea with hot water, multiple times, which only further weakened the tea. I've had some amazingly subtle and complex jasmine teas, this was far from one. And yes, it was recommended to me by the waiter.
My wife's English Breakfast tea was bitter and, by the end of our time there, completely over steeped.
The sandwiches are also not my style. They all come with mushy bready and equal parts meat/fish/veggies and some sort of condiment (horseradish/creme fraiche/mayo). Think about that. There's a reason why condiments shouldn't be the main ingredient, having them in equal parts just makes no sense.
Ok, here's the good. The service was fairly great. They re-filled things, they came by frequently, they were very nice. It was all very genteel. The pianist who played the grand piano in the middle of the room was incredibly talented and played her own twist from popular movie themes, which became a game for us to identify.
But the best part was the dessert. Those things are no joke. They were delicate, nuanced, and incredibly flavorful. Easily the best desserts I've had in London.
So if you're into this type of thing and you want to spend a stupid amount of money on it, then you should probably check it out. But unless they drop the sandwiches, halve their prices, learn how to serve tea, or--better yet--just change the name to Desserts at the Savoy; I probably won't be back.