The Garden Court

We stayed at the Palace the other night and I wanted to relive one of my favorite birthdays when my now husband invited me for high tea. The venue is a gorgeous as ever. Unfortunately, this is where it ends. The high tea is quite expensive. For the price you get "ok" food. Rather than the traditional English tea sandwiches (think cucumber or egg), we got "Irish" bites which were not very tasty. (It was the day before St Patrick's Day.) The sweets were pretty, but there were no crumpets. The service was not up to par with the price. Our companion asked for a cup of coffee. Despite the coffee pot resting about 2 meters from our table, it took the assistant server to finally pour a cup. It also took quite a while for our bottle of Champagne to arrive. I would have given this 2-3 stars were it not for Michael, the bar tender at the little bar on the edge of the Garden Court. After tea, we hung out there before heading to the airport. He was delightful and made the best cocktails. That was service!!!

We ate here due to having hotel credit for food. Food was over priced and mediocre at best. The service was awful and some of the worst I have experienced before. Our server was ignoring our table. Never got offered a refill on drinks. After waiting over twenty minutes after finishing our food we had to flag down another server to get our check. Our server dropped the bill at the table not saying a word and it was the wrong bill. We had to flag someone else down to get the correct check. We tried to make reservations for breakfast around noon the day prior and nothing was available later than 730 am. What a joke.

Beautiful ambiance and hotel in the middle of downtown SF. Photo does not do it justice. Now to our breakfast experience, we found the host (categorizing this as part of service) to not be very welcoming. Was told we would not get the complimentary breakfast as a Marriott elite member even after verifying our room number. In any case, she should have asked for the vouchers we received in the beginning and saved us about 2 mins worth of confusion. We thought the continental breakfast was pretty nice for what it is. Great selection of fruit and pastries. Coffee and juice is included. Also the lox and bagels are great. It's a great value if you are an elite member staying at the hotel. Our server was also wonderful.

Listen: the room and the service were nice enough. The room is truly grand and worth a visit for a cocktail. No complaints at all about the service. The staff was nice and attentive. The issue is the food at the very expensive Sunday brunch . Truly terrible. When you are paying $70 for a brunch you would hope that the food would be even moderately tasty. The bacon was undercooked - not dangerously - just not cooked well. The "chicken apple sausage " was mealy and actually very bad. The scrambled eggs felt powdered, they were clumpy and under seasoned. The waffles were soggy - even my 11 year old nephew took one bite and put it down. They have "brought in" mini bagels but when I asked for lox I was told that they were not serving lox that day and that some kind of maple smoked salmon would be the only option. We watched, as the staff filled the fancy carafes of juice from large jugs of store bought juice. All in all a very disappointing experience. There are many better options for a meal.

High tea is an amazing way to spend your afternoon with family and friends! My friend and I had reservations to Garden Court for their high tea experience, but we showed up 30 minutes early (before afternoon tea). Luckily, they were able to still seat us and we had beautiful seats near the harp instrumentalist. With its high ceilings and marble interior, the overall ambiance of Garden Court leaves you feeling in awe. FOOD: Every person receives one pot of tea (which you can't switch out throughout your experience, unlike other places), finger sandwiches, and a three tiered pastry and cake selection. Honestly, after the sandwiches, we were generally pretty full, so we took most of our cakes home. From the sandwiches we had, there were some winners, but not all of them were memorable. I finished my little cakes at home and, again, some tasty ones and some mediocre ones. SERVICE: The service was the most disappointing part of the experience. While our server was great, it seemed like as more parties were showing up for afternoon tea, the more short staffed they were. It took us over 30 minutes to flag our server down to ask for the check. And it took them another 30 minutes to actually ring us up. To add to this, they made a mistake on our original receipt, which caused a lot of back and forth. Overall, left feeling disappointed given the caliber of this place.

The Garden Court Luxury Collection Restaurant inside the Palace Hotel at Montgomery Street in San Francisco. It is recognized as one of the most beautiful public places in the world with its hostorical glass domed atrium, italian marble columns, and Austrian crystal chandeliers. With live music serenading you, it has a cozy and romantic atmosphere. It is the most luxurious high tea that San Francisco has to offer, with tea rooms and one of a kind experiences. They also have the popular classic eat all you can Sunday Brunch Buffet. Its a bit pricey and the food and service is just decent, so don't expect much. Maybe just enjoy the view, the place and the experience.

Tea with Santa gets 5 stars. The hotel is festively decorated for the holidays. The atrium in particular is beautifully decorated and what a statement location for hosting Mr. Claus himself. He sat with us at tea and brought magic to the table. The tea service was spectacular and plentiful. Very happy with the experience provided and the memories made at the Palace Hotel, Garden Court's Santa Tea!

The hostesses at this place are super rude. We had reservations for tea...we were at the front of the line and 20 minutes early for our 2:30 tea reservation. The hostess took forever to come to the podium and by the time she arrived there was line. Once I told her my name all she said was we are only seating 2:00 pm reservations and moved on to the next person in line. Multiple other patrons had the same issue. Some momentarily left. Luckily I stayed nearby and once they got through the line the hostess said they could seat us...just a few minutes after they rudely rejected us. Once we were seated, it was more relaxed. There's definitely a feel to the room. High ceilings, beautiful chandeliers, gorgeous midday light. It feels regal. The savory petite sandwiches were lovely and tasty. The sweets were beautifully apportioned on a cute tiered tray. I enjoyed my time, the ambiance, and the company I was with but the service was just so off putting.

The first time I came here was for a friend's wedding in the spring a few years ago, but the decor during the holidays is unmatched. Came here on Saturday for a lunch date with my mom and sister. The tree, lights, nutcrackers were all absolutely breathtaking. We obviously took 50 photos, but I didn't feel rushed at all. There was a Santa walking around, chatting folks up, and taking pictures. There was a harpist playing beautiful music. I should mention that there was a lot of traffic due to SantaCon, so we called in to say we may be a few minutes late, and they were very accommodating. Parking is pretty convenient and pretty affordable. They'll take 50% off with validation from the restaurant. After pictures, we sat down for lunch and ordered right away. There is a limited menu and between the three of us, we ordered nearly everything. I've attached the menu in the pictures. Started with the late harvest melon salad. The unique and differing flavors and textures of the pea shoots, feta, olives, and pepitas was delightful. I just wish there were more melons given its name! The price was $16. We also ordered the only other appetizer offered -- the garden court soup of the day ($15) which was a butternut squash apple soup. It was a bit too tart for my taste; I was expecting something milder. The fresh herbs on top were a nice touch. My sister ordered the green goddess crab salad, but subbed out for roasted chicken. The chicken was good, but $37 seems a bit pricy for a salad, which aside from the chicken, was essentially a bed of greens. My mom ordered the pan seared bass. We asked for the romesco sauce on the side and I'm glad we did because the flavor was way too overpowering. We also asked for the parsley oil on the side, which was a great base for dipping the bread in. This dish was $40. I ordered the chickpea cassoulet, which my mom and sister really enjoyed but I found the taste to be like a mild version of the Indian dish: cholay, and I could've used a bit more flavor. Again, seemed a bit pricey at $32. The offered a basket of assorted breads and those were great-- even had a tiny cheddar (I think?) biscuit and olive (I think?) bread. We also ordered fries which weren't on the menu. They were very delicious. My favorite dish was the salad I ordered as an appetizer. The food was okay, especially given the prices, but the decor was incredible and worth it!

I am a loyal customer of the Palace Hotel for their high tea experience. I've been to every high tea experience in the bay and the palace always takes first place. Due to dietary restrictions, I always get the gluten free and vegetarian tea. Pictures are from the Christmas tea and another tea in the summer. At Christmas the tea was wonderful-- I received sandwiches with complex flavors that mirrored the meat ones exactly. The salmon sandwich was a tomato one made to look like salmon and everything. The summertime one was less impressive but still great. I felt disappointed in the lack of variety in my offerings when comparing to my past experiences there, especially the Christmas tea. It was still a great experience regardless. The service is always good and of course the location is beautiful. Parking is... not great. But worth it. Make sure you call about dietary restrictions beforehand.

This place is gorgeous! My friend and I saw this gorgeous dining room on social media and decided to get brunch here. It is just as beautiful as the pictures and the service is great, but it is packed with screaming children. Raspberry Lemon Crumble French Toast - This was less than mediocre. The price definitely did not justify the experience. The toast was dry and did not taste like French toast at all. I did like the pineapple and raspberries, but it was just too dry overall. Overall, I would come to this hotel and walk around, but don't eat here.

It is terribly disappointing how the huge increase in price since COVID happened simultaneously with a steep decrease in quality. It used to cost $60/person for afternoon tea. Now it costs $105/person. I have been to The Garden Court once before as a hotel guest. It was a beautiful atmospheric glorious environment...I don't recall anything particularly negative. Returning this past Saturday was seeing a gorgeous space desecrated it's former self. The utensils were dirty. The carpet was unclean. The service was slow - it took about ten min for someone to come back from first being greeted. Instead of fresh refills of tea, it was just hot water being added which dilutes your tea. The tables were looking pretty shoddy. The saving grace is of course the architecture and harpist plinking along Disney and classic tunes. The food itself was fine - not particularly memorable but mildly enjoyable. Such a historical gem should be polished up to its former glory with service and cleanliness to match. Yes, the price of dining out and experiences have increased across the board, but this is still markedly higher than most its competitors. At least Fairmont is truly an exceptional experience with friendly prompt service and luxurious accents. This Palace Hotel Garden Court has the architecture to draw people in, and nothing else really going for it at this time unfortunately... Feels like people are here for the photo opp as the experience is rather lackluster.

A gorgeous place to dine in and enjoy the delicious food. I love their service and atmosphere. I love their buffet a lot, but sometimes I enjoy their lunch as well. Today ordered a burger - it was very delicious and a good portion; I wasn't able to finish it. Their online menu doesn't match with the actual dine-in menu. I highly recommend this place!

Such a fun experience! It's fun to dress up and be fancy with friends on a random weekend. The hotel is beautiful and decorated for whichever season it is. I would love to come back as a hotel guest one day, but for now, this review is for The Garden Court. The tea was so flavorful and delicious! The food was fun to look at because everything is so pretty. Honestly, going in I knew that it was pricey, but I signed up for the experience and a fun time with friends, The Garden Court delivered! A few of us have food allergies, the servers were mindful of that and more than willing to replace any problem parts of the meal. I had a lovely time and look forward to my next visit!

We were staying in the Palace hotel so we got to try the breakfast buffet for free through the AMEX Fine Hotels and Resorts program. We were told to make a reservation at check in but the only options they had were at 7am so we tried our luck at around 10am as a walk in and were seated around 10:15am. The buffet has your usual breakfast offerings such as eggs, bacon, hash browns, cereals, pastries, waffles and french toast. There is also a wide assortment of fruits. They also have chicken wings and blintzes which I don't see often. Overall the food and service were mediocre. The staff were friendly and refilled our drinks regularly but the hostess seemed like she had better things to do and wasn't that pleasant. I wouldn't pay to dine here but it seemed like there were a lot of people just enjoying sitting in the atrium and it is a really nice ambiance. I might try to come again for the afternoon tea but would skip the breakfast buffet and dine elsewhere in the city.

If you stop by in this place I recommend you to order the French toast.. I've tried French toast around the world but nothing like this one. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Our waiter was not too friendly but to be honest I didn't matter. Their coffee is super bitter if you like dark roast. The host was so friendly and lovely.

Simple brunch, cold items better than the hot, but +1 star for the setting and beautiful Christmas tree.

This place was very expensive and the food quality was mid. Apparently the kitchen closes at 10:30am and they no longer serve a la carte and force you to buy the buffet for ~$50. You pay for the view and being treated wealthy here.

We arrived a bit early to our reservation and we were gruffly told that no one is seated until 2 pm. We returned 5 minutes early and there was a line. The same grumpy receptionist saw the line and started to stack menus for 15 minutes more before starting to seat people. When we finally were seated, we did not receive menus. You would think $100 per person for high tea, that there would be more polite courteous service than what we received. The high tea food was excellent and the waitress was nice otherwise the number of stars for this restaurant would be lower but really for the price our meal should have been a better experience and treatment than what we received.

I came here with my boyfriend for a prie fix menu and found that it was really nice and fancy inside, but other than that the price and quality of the service and food wasn't really worth the price. Good: - The bisque was actually quite tasty! I liked how big it was too - The bread was so good - love free bread - The short rib had good flavor but it was a little bit bland - Portion sizes were good - I couldn't end up finishing it all - Beautiful interior Bad: - Service was slow - the lady that was waiting our table was still really nice! It felt just a tad bit old school and slow - Really expensive - about $100 a person in the end - Tables are really far apart even if it's a two person table - how do you have a date here?? Wouldn't come again but for a unique experience, it was nice and I had a fun time.

Had lunch here for my birthday, ordered the steak and frites which I enjoyed. I'd pass on the bellini next time though. Gorgeous space that's worth a visit! Our waitress was kind and accommodating in handling the birthday cake that we brought!

One star for the tea experience. I didn't understand why this place had such a low Yelp rating but now I do. TEA HERE SUCKS!!! $120 pp and it is the worst food experience I've ever had at high tea. The tea sandwiches were tasteless. The chicken and raclette had no cheese or flavor and the bread was stale and hard. The smoked salmon sandwich was BEYOND fishy and dry. The mushroom sandwich had weird flavors and tasted kind of moldy too. Please save your money and go to a real tea experience elsewhere.

I have been wanting to come to the Garden Court for their high tea for literally months now! I finally got a reservation, and went with a friend recently. The experience was interesting, I had questions about the tea that we booked, but our waiter didn't seem to understand me very well, and couldn't really help with my questions as his English was not completely fluent. I was hoping that we would get to upgrade our tea to one of the more elaborate teas, but it was difficult, because I didn't really understand the menu, and our waiter didn't understand us. We did, however, end up upgrading to the "tea for two," which came with very small glasses of champagne, which was a nice treat. Emphasis on the SMALL though, this is like a quarter bottle. I will say, I have had high tea at three other different tea rooms in San Francisco, and this one was the most underwhelming so far. I know that the location and ambience is really what you're paying for, which, by the way, was absolutely gorgeous, nothing can beat that room, and that ceiling, and the harpist playing was a great addition -- But the amount of money that we paid compared to the amount of food, and the service that we received was definitely subpar, and a bit underwhelming. While the sandwiches were delicious, they were quite small, and we were hoping for some variety of pastries like scones, muffins, and maybe a crumpet, but we only got two scones. My friend, who is gluten-free, did not enjoy any of the sandwiches (the bread was super heavy and very dry), which was a huge bummer, and the glasses of champagne were incredibly small. I will say, though, if you go with just one other person, it's definitely more worth it to get the tea for two, rather than just the classic tea. It's only a few dollars more for a couple of glasses of champagne! The other disappointment was that they do not continue to serve you fresh tea, they will only continue adding hot water to your existing tea leaves, diluting it even further, which I found to be surprising and disappointing, considering I've been to several other tea houses, and this is some thing that goes without saying. I did like the addition of the berries, whipped cream, lemon, curd, and jam that is put on the table as you were seated, that was a very nice touch! The last thing that was slightly disappointing, was when I got there, they had seated my friend on a table to the side, near the busing station and not under the beautiful ceiling, even though there were several to top tables, available and clean, and ready to be seated, right in the middle of the room. So I did have to ask to be moved, but after that, we felt we were in a very beautiful and ideal spot. I'm not sure I will be back here, as I mentioned, the price did not feel worse the value, but it certainly inspired me to go get high tea somewhere else

Everybody knows it's pricey ($100 per person for tea for 2) but it's a bucket list experience. The lunch sandwiches were okay, and nothing too special. The dessert was actually pretty good, and well made. The lemon meringue on the table was a nice touch. The assam tea was actually pretty deep tasting. The service was good! We came here for a birthday, and we got the happy birthday slice of chocolate lava cake. Again, not horrible, but just okay. The setting was obviously very pretty and aesthetically pleasing, but they should have better lighting for photos.

Lunch in the Garden Court was just ok for me. The waiters were of the seasoned variety, and served in formal attire... it was giving "Pretty Woman" vibes. I ordered the Green Goddess Crab Salad, substitute poached salmon for the crab. It was a fine salad, but it was on the smaller side and was priced at $37. I left lunch still hungry, and few things irk me more than that. The experience was festive and fun (the Christmas decorations were spectacular), but it's very apparent that's what you're paying for.

You are surrounded by lavishly beautiful architecture and decor with light snacks and tea. I got the house black tea which is similar to a sweet vanilla Earl grey. it was very good with cream and a little sugar! I thoroughly enjoyed the small sandwiches as a nice snack. By the time I got to the dessert tray, I was pretty full from tea and sandwiches. This place is popular for birthdays, bridal/baby showers, or just as a fancy get together yo splurge once in a file and experience the fancy ambiance.

It's everything I expected and dreamt off. The food, the service/staff, the ambiance were all outstanding!

A friend and I went to the Palace for their Signature Tea yesterday and it was spectacular! Elena was our wonderful server, and she checked in on us several times after taking our initial order. A very kind, lovely person! The food was wonderful and beautifully plated, and the tea was delightful. The best thing was that they let us sit and relax and chat for over two hours instead of trying to boot us out to turn over the table. We were celebrating a birthday, and having that time to talk and really let the atmosphere sink in was beautiful and we're very grateful. Thank you, Palace Hotel! and extra thanks to Elena!

Disappointed. Thought it was a "restaurant" but it was just a hotel breakfast buffet with the fake eggs. The items were mostly decent and there was a variety of things. But it's misleading to call it a restaurant. And also expensive since it's all basic buffet stuff. Should be $10 at the most.

We arrived here at 10am for breakfast on MLK day, so it was busier than most monday's I'm guessing ! We opted for the Palace buffet. Check in: we had reservations so it was pretty quick, but don't expect exceptional service and that starts with the person who seats you. We wanted a different seat to be closer to the buffet as it closed at 10.30am, but the guy seating us was not having it. Which was odd, but soon we realized service is not their strong suite. Buffet: nothing to write home about. Pretty standard Buffet, def agree with other Yelpers, the quality of the food was not worth the price. 43$/person, not including tax and gratuity. Standard fixings, that would probably be priced at 25$/person at a hyatt or other hotel. Baked goods, bagels that I'm pretty sure they serve at holiday inn, toast that was so sad considering we are in San fran, I mean c'mon give me some high quality sourdough people. standard juices- nothing fresh squeezed. Fruit was fresh, but didn't appear washed, especially the berries. Scrambled eggs were fluffy, but they didn't do a great job filling it quickly when it ran low. Cottage potatoes were tasty. French toast was not warm. Charcuterie platter was like a sargento platter, if you know what I mean. 3-4 baked good options, but none that stood out. You get the point. Portions not an issue bc it's a buffet, but the plates/entrees others ordered seemed decent size. Ambience: this is where they shine. The place is beautiful and they know it. I soon realized this is probably a place people come for IG worthy shots, and not quality of food and service. Great history and one of the historical landmark hotels/lobby area in the area, if you take the time to read about it or learn about you will likely enjoy what you read. Service: Lacking in every way. Our server had to be flagged down every time, we needed a coffee, water refill. Then when the waiter assigned to your table goes missing and you ask someone else, they refuse to help, directing you to your own waiter. It was striking, considering the price you are paying, but then you realize quickly they are so popular either because everyone is using a coupon or there for IG shot, they just don't have to care. needless to say, service was no bueno. Overall, overpriced, food was less than basic IMO, service lacked at every corner, ambience was beautiful and likely a great place to bring out of town guests. Still debating if we would come here again or not.

Stopped in for breakfast with my wife for no other reason that to have a wonderful experience. The GC is a magnificent space. Located in a historic building in San Francisco. Yes, the pricing is high end, but so is the experience. We found the service to be very good. The food was also good. My advise is forget about the bill and just enjoy the luxury of this gorgeous room. This is especially directed to those who are infrequent visitors to San Fran. It's worth it.

We came for their Mother's Day brunch. The location is beautiful. Stunning. Just gorgeous. Friends said this place looked fancy per my IG stories!! They had 2 time offerings, morning and noon. We were 10-15 minutes early for the noon crowd so we were instructed by the bar gal to hang out in the lounge area. the Lounge area and dining area were separated by a partition. The Lounge tables weren't bussed so it looked messy and we weren't sure where to sit. But we did end up waiting at a dirty table. The pianist and cello player were just setting up so that was nice to listen to while we ate. SERVICE The 2 ladies who were doing the check-in looked very unhappy and just did not make us feel welcomed. They walked around with their noses up. My mom used to work in the service industry so she interacted with customers all the time. She always says she had the best manager bc he whipped them into shape. If you had a sour face, he'd send you to the back till you were ready to come out with a smiley happy face. It is supposed to be a joyous day, especially ON Mother's Day. So my mom also noticed these ladies and was like, If I was their manager, I would've trained them a long. time. ago. Our waiter Bill however, provided excellent service. He made my mom feel so special. He always made sure my coffee cup was full and always came around asking if we wanted refills. All the girls & ladies received a rose. It was cute to see little girls with their roses. I gave mine to mom. FOOD The food here was on par with Denny's. I love Denny's so don't get me wrong, but at $125/person, I was expecting an exceptional mind-blowing buffet meal. Also, the meal only included 1 sparkling wine glass. After that, drinks were extra. I think if it was bottomless mimosas or bloody mary's, that would maybe justify the price, a little. There weren't many hearty HOT breakfast options. The eggs Benedict looked pretty but it wasn't great. Denny's would've beat them in this area. The bread was super thick bread which would've been fine but it was stale. Cutting into it literally shook the table and spilled my coffee onto the saucer. Bill was so kind as to get me another saucer. Others at our table also experienced the same table shake so that's when I had to hold my coffee up to avoid another spill. We also got the Benedict at different times during the buffet and only 10 pieces or so fit in the tray at a time, so I know mine was not a one-off. I left the bread and I could only eat the ham and poached egg. they were okay. They had really good scrambled eggs. Very fluffy. The broccolini was okay. The bacon was thick but too tough! It was like eating a really really thick beef jerky. the apple sausage was okay - nothing too special. Their french toast pieces were dry. maybe I should've dipped it into my coffee to soaken it up a bit. They had a frittata which was bland and it was lukewarm - at best. The roasted potatoes were okay, nothing too special. just luke warm. That was about it for the hot items, or more like, luke warm items. There was a variety of desserts to pick from. There was a charcuterie but most of the salami was gone and not replenished which is what i wanted bc I didn't know what the other meats were around it (looked kinda grey) so I didn't grab any. They had cereal and bagels. I didn't have any because I could have that at home. The smoke salmon was yummy and I had it with a dill cream cheese. I got a few cocktail shrimps. For 4 adults, total $500 + tax + tip. It was fun to try but next time I'll just get a drink at the bar and you're still seated in the same pretty area.

4 star of the court interior design, 3 star of everything else. You see the court right after entering the hotel, and it's just that, one square court. The chandelier and roof is the attraction. The princess tea set for kids is cute, $55 with a crown and a candy stick. Ham and cheese sandwich, PBJ sandwich, egg sandwich and the same desserts that the adult ones get. Adult signature tea set can be done in the Tea for 2 with 2 small bottles of champagne. While we sat down we were given some complementary berry fruit too. Wouldn't day the amount of food or quality is too fancy deserving the price, esp the desserts. The savory sandwiches are better. Service is average. We had to chase down our second champagne while dessert was already served. They do know how to take pictures. For unfinished food, they gave you a big size paper box but a small white bag that you have to fit the box sideways into the bag. Most ridiculous luxury brand packaging ever. Verdict: overpriced instagram experience. Do it once, check off the list and move on.

2022 holiday tea. Still excellent and this review adds info on 1) holiday menu and 2) GLUTEN FREE AND VEGETARIAN OPTIONS TLDR: if you want gluten free tea, don't mess around elsewhere unless $30 will make a big difference to your bank account. ( their price about $100 and others I recommend are in the $65-$75 range) EVERY item in the regular menu had a gf/veg equal, so our gf/ veg diner felt included in every moment of the dining experience. Also in every case they matched the taste, like a gingerbread muffin was replaced with a frosted pumpkin muffin; an opera cake replaced with tiramisu, and the gf scones were pretty normal tasting. Each sandwich was similarly matched AND 3 DIFFERENT GF BREADS-- and get this gf folks, none of the breads were seedy, too thick, cold from the fridge-- we were suspicious because they were all so good! But even better was the taste of the sandos and look. Like the salmon one got a substitute with beets that looked so much like the smoked salmon original. Really appreciate the effort to deliver a comparable menu for dietary restricted folks During the holiday tea there are many more people here, and a live harpist. I've posted menu pictures, gf/ veg food pictures and regular food pictures. Also check out my tips for parking vs BART Loved all the selections. We all wish there had been a few more savory than sweet, but there was more food than we could eat anyway. Bottom line: the palace is the #1 tea spot for traditional tea with ambiance and service, and for gf tea

The garden court is absolutely stunning. I felt like I was in a different country after walking through the hotel doors. However, the food, was o-k & overpriced. I had the eggs Benedict with potatoes. Prior to the main course, I had pastries with coffee. Those were tasty, hot and fresh. Pro tip: the portions are gigantic & can be shared between 2 people. I docked two stars off for the overpriced food. I don't feel like it was worth the price. Eggs Benedict were good, but not great. My mom ordered the omelette & they only allow you to have 3 items inside. This is bizarre to me because the omelette is HUGE. The tea experience is only available on the weekend.

Buffet - I'd give 3 stars because for the price, I don't think it's worth it unless you go back and get 5 servings of food. Room service- 4.5 stars for the service and food quality. And I know this is a top hotel so the prices are expected to be high! There are deals if you have certain credit cards, so were able to get a breakfast credit, making the prices more affordable.

The place is so beautiful. The brunch was horrific. How can a place so nice serve such bad brunch food? The steamed egg was rubbery. The pastries were stale. We tried to make a second round but no one of us could pick out anything. It was disappointing. They should really up their standard for this hotel

Hours cut back, Staff cut back, Very limited menu, Indifferent greeters at the front, Higher wages, higher tips, yet the level of service has substantially gone down. There's a disconnect between the ambiance and the attitude and service.

The Garden Court is gorgeous! We chose the buffet breakfast, which had a large selections. It's a bit pricey but you are paying more for the venue and ambience than the food. The food itself is solid but not exceptional. Tip: Make sure you make a reservation in advance, especially for weekends, even for the guests staying at this hotel.

Come for the surroundings and the service. Brought my goddaughter for her birthday and it's certainly a visual feast. However, better food for fewer $$ can be found elsewhere. The clotted cream, jam, and lemon custard were bland and offered little support to the scones, which were flavorful but too small. The savory finger sandwiches were tasty, but the bread was dry--so they were probably sitting out for some time back in the kitchen. The sweet pastries were bite-sized and, aside from the tiramisu, lacked flavor as well. Overall, Instagram-able but for $100 per person, a picture is NOT worth a thousand words.

You go for the ambiance, and if you're a hotel guest who has breakfast included, you pay a little extra for the food. They were so busy we were advised to make a reservation the day before-- and even then they sounded mostly booked! Marriott elites with sufficient status get a continental breakfast included-- basically the two side tables of carbs and fruit plus oatmeal-- and as of this review it's $10 more to upgrade to the full buffet, which looks like a solid spread. You can also order breakfast entrees for regular price, which given the cost of the continental breakfast/upgrade to the full buffet, is worth considering. We did two continental breakfasts and then ordered one entree-- the Palace omelet was massive and came with a side of breakfast potatoes, well worth ordering and delicious. Service was very good and they let us linger almost til lunch to soak in the ambiance. A great place for breakfast if you're staying at the Palace Hotel but a bit harder to be as excited about if you're not.

Nice ambiance for high tea but was a little overpriced for what it is. Service was okay but not too attentive for what you are paying. Tea sandwiches were not that good but the scones were delicious!

Service - the main course arrived after 1 hour; the salad arrived with the main course instead of soon after being seated. The servers then started getting the different salad ingredients out piecemeal- first the pecans, 10 minutes later the cheese another 10 minutes later the dressing. Never waited anywhere to be served after 1 hour of ordering. Never experienced such poor service from a fine dining establishment. Food - ok. The fillet was not that great. The dessert chocolate dome was delicious. Definitely not going back. This was business lunch - glad I didn't spend my own $$$$ for this kind of service. Looks like they were short staffed.

Then Garden Court is a spectacular space in an historic hotel. Enrico Caruso stayed there, Warren G Harding died there. Opened in 1874 it's been though fires and earthquakes. The venue is worthy of 5 stars but the food doesn't measure up to the room. The selection was limited and pedestrian. with the exception of the pastries. And it's very expensive. As for the rest, I make better at home. But to be fair, at home I have to wash the dishes. A last note, my wife left her new beret on a table in the waiting area. We realized it was missing just as we left the hotel and went back to retrieve it. Not in the waiting area, front desk or whatever passes for Lost & Found. Stays a lot about about the Hotel or some of the clientele. Not classy. Walk in, look at the room, then go somewhere else.

Beautiful! The ambiance was lively with every table taken and live music playing. The organic strawberry tea was delicious but the tea sandwiches and crumpets were basic. Although this place was very pretty, I would not come back unless I was only ordering tea.

The ambiance here is amazing. The restaurant sits in such a beautiful space in the hotel, that alone makes it worth coming here. Service was great and attentive. We were here for breakfast, and went with the breakfast buffet. At $40/person, it was a tad bit underwhelming. Limited options, but what they did have tasted good. They have a menu you can order off of as well, those items start at $30. I don't mind paying for good food, but the value just didn't feel there for what we got. The high tea service looks amazing and I'll definitely be back for that. However for breakfast, next time I think I'll just opt to sleep in instead.

A wonderful place to eat breakfast or have afternoon tea. Elegant ambiance and first class customer service. The staff went above and beyond to arrange for us to have the exact meal we wanted, and made many special requests. They genuinely care for us and they made sure all our food was to our liking. The kids get a special gift if go for tea time !

Had breakfast here during our recent stay at the Palace Hotel. Omelette was nice but bit bland for my taste (but that's just me since I like spicy) Avocado toast was nice but became soggy quickly (or we were to slow to finish it - Not sure). Rest items were ok (Pictures attached). But definitely overall this place is very, very pricey.

Very disappointed since we have been to the restaurant a few years ago. Steak came out completely raw, not rare, just raw. Gave bread knife to cut (stating that's the only knife they have) even though none of them would cut through the steak. Crab salad had no taste which indicated probably frozen crab (why frozen when we are right next to the ocean). Won't be returning

Beautifully decorated, but the service is lacking. No coffee refills, or at least no one came by to even ask if we wanted more. The French toast with the coconut ice cream was delicious. Go for the ambiance, not the service. It's SF so you can get good food anywhere.