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The Tea Box
7 Paradise Road, Richmond Upon Thames, TW9 1RX
Opening Hours:
Mon: 12pm - 6.30pm
Tue to Thu: 10am - 6.30pm
Fri: 10am - 10pm
Sat: 10am - 6.30pm
Sun: 11.30am - 6.30pm
Reviews for The Tea Box
0 found this helpful
We'd been here before and it was fine, so decided on a re-visit - but this time it was terrible and we won't be going back. When we ordered we were told that we would have to wait 25 minutes for our food, even though all we wanted was some scones, cake and sandwiches. In fact the tea came in 25 minutes and the food came 25 minutes after that. When the food arrived the bread in the sandwiches was hard and the salmon tasted as if it was off. The cake we ordered turned out to be nothing more than a sliver. And of course, we had finished our tea by this time.
There are plenty of staff, so it's puzzling as to why the waiting times are so long. Admittedly it was fairly busy, but it's not as if they are cooking anything; it should be just a matter of putting things on a plate and preparing the sandwiches.
0 found this helpful
Stay well clear - the below review is really not a fair representation of this place. In fact, judging by the fact that it has been plastered across all the review sites across the internet, I suspect it is just the owner's response to the flurry of bad reviews that are appearing recently.
This could be a nice spot to enjoy some tea and watch the world go by, however, it is ruined by an INCREDIBILY rude owner, below par food and extremely slow service.
The owner simply argues about everything ("you only waited 30 mins for your sandwiches, not 45" - we had waited 45....) and this is evident from her responses to the negative posts here and on other sites.
There are many far better places to spend your time (and money!) in Richmond.
0 found this helpful
Calling ALL tea lovers, This place is actually as fantastic the internet says.
I have to say I was somewhat puzzled by the difference in the reviews below vs the original provided by Trusted places and serveral other sites. So me and my girlfriend decided to investigate. Having been there yesterday its an amazing place.
I found the Tea box to be both warm and welcoming with a least 50 teas to choose from.... thats Amazing!. On arrival we were greeted by one of the staff, shown to our table and asked if we were familiar with the various Tea's on offer. I was but my girlfriend had a Tea selected for her by the waiter after a few questions about her drinking habits! This turned out to be vanilla black which she enjoyed so much she even bought some to take home.
We also had fresh cut sandwiches and devon cream with scones which were warm and just simply delicious.
If your out and about in Richmond and fancy a quality place to do tea.. do it here.
And finally... to those other reviewers ... your loss is my gain. Thanks to trusted places and others for finding my new favorite place
0 found this helpful
This is by far the worst dining experience I have had to endure. I attended with a group of 11 people who arrived on time, pushed 2 tables together so we could sit together and then ordered when they very first came to take our order. After 45 minutes our food arrived, and then we were told we would need to leave in 15 minutes - despite no previous warning. After we negotiated staying for an extra 15 minutes so wouldn't have indigestion, the manager came to our group organiser and hounded her in front of the whole group, determined to have the last say and prove that she was right (to the point that our organiser was just about in tears). Her points were incorrect (stating we arrived at separate times - we did not, we actually travelled together on the train) and that they had to rearrange the whole restaurant for us - we did this.
The fact that the staff have been on this website, telling other people that have identified their extremely poor service that they too are wrong, goes to show that they do not know the first thing about customer service.
Extremely disappointing. I would recommend staying far, far away.
0 found this helpful
The Tea Box is just around the corner from where I work and I have been here several times to meet a friend who also works in Richmond.
I am not a tea drinker and therefore did not get all that excited about the prospect of hundreds of different flavours of tea etc. However my friend enjoys a different tea every time she goes, and I have never heard any complaints from her!
I myself tend to enjoy a sandwich from the reasonably extensive menu. In my experience the sandwiches are delicious, they have that homemade touch and always a nice big side of coleslaw. I was at first slightly taken aback that they do not serve soft drinks such as Diet Coke, but the selection of delicious fruit juices more than made up for that. The pricing is reasonable for the food - and the food is a lot nicer than several other places in Richmond that charge substantially more. And I would definitely recommend the carrot cake - perfectly moist and delicious!
Every time I have been to the Tea Box the atmosphere has been lovely, it's normally fairly busy but the staff are always helpful and smiley, which is a big tick in my book.
0 found this helpful
I rarely go into Richmond now without popping into this, my favourite haunt. The selection of teas is impressive, the staff friendly and knowledgable – they really want you to have the perfect cuppa. Presentation is beautiful, too – each tea comes with a pretty bone china or glass cup and saucer and pot, plus a 'tea timer' to ensure your brew is spot on. It really is a tea 'experience', connoisseurs will love.
A special mention for the chocolate cake – frankly, the best I've tasted and one that often crops up in my daydreams, drawing me back there. A true, homemade taste. The carrot cake comes a close second and the cream tea is delicious, too, with mini scones (but don't worry, there's plenty of them). I've always loved to take afternoon tea in Liberty but when it comes to cakes, the selection at Tea Box is far superior.
Whether you want to work, meet friends or while away some time on your own, you'll receive a warm welcome here and no pressure to move on before you're ready.
In summary then, it's the perfect cafe. I only wish they'd open in the evenings, by candlelight, as a welcome alternative meeting spot to Richmond's rowdy pubs.
5 found this helpful
Spurred on by the other reviewers below, I finally returned to The Tea Box to see if I enjoyed the experience more this time round. Service was a little better this time - didn't have to wait as long for someone to take my order, though I did feel a bit ignored when I went up to the counter to pay.
I was impressed when I asked if they had any decaf tea and was told that as all of their teas are leaf teas, they could remove the caffeine from the tea of my choice! Sounds almost too good to be true, but I took their word for it.
Again, I liked the old-fashioned tea cup and the "Perfect Tea Timer". I tried the chocolate cake again, and unfortunately it was still pretty average. Would be nice if they improved the cake selection and prettied up the display.
After my second visit, I have decided that I do actually like The Tea Box, and will no doubt return. (My new rating would be 3.5 stars if the system allowed)
0 found this helpful
As one of the owners, I recall serving you. Being Richmond’s finest and most popular tea house since we opened in October last year, we have prided ourselves on customer service - as you can see by other comments on this site. We, therefore, apologise for your tea being served to the two ladies sharing your table; this was an error on our part which was quickly rectified.
Our staff are trained by the world’s most reputable tea wholesalers and distributors - whose teas are used by some of the finest establishments, including Harrods and the Fat Duck restaurant. Each tea we serve is therefore carefully measured according to the leaf size and teapot used. You chose Mao Jian - a green tea with a pleasant light liquor competitively priced at £1.95 for three cups. If asked for a strong green tea, we would have recommended Keemun Mao Feng – a deep and complex tea – which you are welcome to try for free on your next visit. (As avid tea drinkers you are probably no doubt aware too that, similar to wine, a tea of the same name can vary according to the vintage and location from where it is grown.).
On the day in question there were four members of the team on duty, two in the kitchen – in any restaurant this is considered normal. As you say, you were sat facing a busy counter where team members busy working behind it, rather than those on the tea house floor, rely on customers informing them they require attention from someone on the tea house floor.
We are sorry to hear that you somehow felt that we resented your choice to have simply tea as we have no policy during busy hours to restrict tables to those dining only, and have no time limit on Afternoon Teas which are served throughout the day (displaying our philosophy of providing what customers want when they want it). In respect of leaving the menu on the table, menus are often left with customers out of courteousy. It is extensive and overwhelming for some customers who often enjoy reading it at their leisure - one of the many reasons perhaps why people are prepared to queue for a table at The Tea Box.
Thank you for your apology for serving our pot to others. A forgivable minor mistake.
Please let me straighten out the crux of the original message:
Treating us with a bit of grace rather than "Insult, patronizing and "huffiness" at the "table level" might've turned this situation around from the "get go".
Also, our table mates who had "our original pot,same tea", had quite a bit more leaves in their pot, than ourselves.
Our pot was a mild tea, yes AND weak and didn't get served for nearly 45 minutes from the time we arrived.
Neither server tried to "make things right" and instead, decided it was "our fault" for not liking what they brought us. Period.
It's not always about how a sucess is handled but how a mistake is handled, as they are bound to happen in any business.
As a customer-focussed company we are sorry you felt you were insulted, patronised and huffed at. All our staff are polite, friendly and considerate according to most of our customers, as reflected in many of our reviews. We do not, and have never, under any circumstance blamed a customer for their choice; we can only advise on our products. I am sorry you chose a weaker green tea - once again we can only extend our offer that you return and try a stronger green tea on the house.
0 found this helpful
This was our first visit to the Tea Box in Richmond, Surrey.
We went in around 5pm on Sunday April 6, 2008.
After a great day, taking a Richmond history walking tour, then hiking about town, and having a marvelous late lunch:
I hate to judge a place by a first visit but....
In effect: The service was poor which is sometimes acceptable when it's busy(Hey, that's life).
But after a comedy of errors on their part: Forgot us; forgot us again;, clearly resented us for not ordering food in additon to our tea(insisted on leaving menus "in case we change our mind"); forgot us again, then served our pot to the wrong party; embarrassed them into accepting it anyway...,)
Our 1 pot of tea came out extremely weak, watery, (we already knew it was a mild tea, as we're avid green drinkers). Checking the pot, there was not nearly enough teas leaves in it. So instead of remedying the situation, and applying a little good customer relations, by tossing in, I estimate, 20-40 pence of tea leaves, the server (the 2nd one) basically got down by me, eye to eye and told me, we were wrong and smiled. He said "there were enough tea leaves,that it was only a mild tea" and left it at that. A very frustrating situation indeed. We tried again to drink, but it was awful. So we simply paid then left.
I have to say we tried to get their attention to come to our table throughout by eye contact, but had to resort to "waving someone down(quietly)" which I always hate to resort to. Our location in the restaurant? Front and center. Directly in front of the cashier, and in direct line with the front door. We could also view the kitchen door from there as well (it's not a large place). There were at least 4 workers there, with 2 or 3 in the kitchen most of the time.
Poor service on a busy day, (and sometimes even on a normal day), is excusable, but the attitude existing there is not!
There are several better choices for tea in Richmond, Surrey!
2 found this helpful
As a French person I love sitting around and watch the world go by. The Tea Box is a perfect place for that. It is different and has its own personality (not like all those chains!). On top of it I feel at home. You are always welcome with a smile and the tea does not only taste good but it looks beautiful. My tip: order a tea with flowers. If you are not sure, ask the team: they are great at recommending the most amazing teas!
This has become my favourite place to relax and have a break from a hectic life.
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