Huffkins Kingston (Huffkins at John Lewis & Partners)

"I booked a reservation yesterday for classic afternoon tea and lunch for my daughters birthday. The table reserved was lovely and the food was absolutely delicious. My daughter was given a pretty cake as a birthday gift. The service was outstanding and staff really welcoming. Will definitely book again. Thanks Tanya Dennis"

"Had an amazing classic afternoon tea here yesterday. Food was absolutely delicious, changed one of the sandwiches for us as it was a filling we didn’t like. The staff were attentive without being too intrusive . Very worthy of 5 stars."

"I’m not much of a reviewer, but having such a pleasant experience, I had a strong urge to write one. So here goes. Tucked away in the high-end shopping area of Kingston, this Café’s atmosphere offers a nice little respite with its high ceilings and windows to capture as much sunlight to fill up the room. a hidden gem is the best description I can think of for its location and setting. Service is pleasant and precise. Staff is friendly and professional, prices are appropriate, and cafe is clean. I would hope when they are busy, that more staff will be on shift to help with the upkeep but that’s besides the point :) I ordered earl grey tea with lemon, a fruit scone, and ham & cheese crossaint. What surprised me is the spicy chutney, FYI they also sell their condiments to take home. Anyways, tea and scone was scrumptious and the crossiant was crunchy delicious. I hope to order something from the set menu next time. With a lovely & spacious cafe, friendly staff, and delicious food & tea, how can one not recommend such a pleasant experience that is Huffkins at John-Lewis Kingston =)"

"Terrible experience. Will not be returning. Waited over an hour for cold drinks and sandwiches but the worst part was the rudeness of the two ladies preparing the orders. One to me when I politely asked how much longer we were going to have to wait, 45 minutes after we made our order. Her reply was an aggressive “we are very busy and are doing the best we can”. No sorry or apology whatsoever. The other lady brought food to the table next to us to two elderly polite gentlemen. When they asked how much longer they would have to wait, the response left my friend and I with our mouths wide open speechless in horror, I could not repeat what she said. Her attitude was absolutely appalling. When our order eventually arrived it was very mediocre. There were obviously not enough staff as they were very busy but the rudeness was totally inexcusable."

"UPDATED REVIEW: I spoke to Huffkins about my original bad experience (see below) and they were really apologetic. The issues were I think partly due to Kingston Carnival meaning the cafe was heaving, and partly due to a manager on his final shift. They kindly invited my friend and me to come again, and the service and tea were absolutely fabulous! The afternoon tea for two was amazing and so yummy! And the staff were really attentive and helpful and polite. It more than made up for our terrible first experience so I wanted to update my review :-) ORIGINAL REVIEW: I made a reservation online for afternoon tea for midday today, and when I arrived I found that none of the staff knew anything about reservations (despite reminder emails I’d received) and there were no available tables. This cafe is massively understaffed! It was mayhem! Eventually we got a table, only to find that the menu available on the website to order didn’t include afternoon tea! The whole reason we had booked and come. The poor staff were all clueless and SO busy! Eventually we gave up and left. Very disappointed and frustrated."