Lady Mendl's Reviews

The best thing about high tea here is the clotted cream and the chocolate covered strawberries. The sandwiches are so-so, not much filling inside, low quality smoked salmon with brown edges. The cake made of crepes was insipidly sweet. The scones were tough, not flaky and moist, because the dough was overworked. The service was indifferent and slow--although I requested water several times, none was ever brought to the table. The prosecco that they serve is inferior. The tea gets cold very quickly. The decor is over-the-top Victorian. The rose incense or room fragrance in the anteroom is overpowering. They do allow you 1 1/2-2 hours for tea, but prices have gone up since last year so it really isn't worth it. Four people with tax and a mandatory tip that they add to the bill cost over $206. My husband remarked, "over $200 for $5 dollars worth of food--they have a real racket going on." I sort of agree with him. We have had high tea all over the world, from the Dorchester Hotel in London, to the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, to the Royal Livingstone Hotel in Zambia, and this high tea is the least enjoyable that I have ever had. Sorry Lady Mendl, nice try, but no.

We love this tea room! The scones are lovely and the sandwiches perfect. Afternoon tea in a Victorian era salon is just out of this world!

Such a non descript exterior and when you walk through the doors, you enter a series of charming rooms. My best friend and I enjoyed high tea. Each course was delicious. We did the tea paring and the oolong tea with coconut was my favorite. The pumpkin soup was my friends favorite.

I agree with some of the other writers. Lady Mendel's used to be outstanding, but no longer. The price has gone up, and the quality of the food has declined. Servers are nice but need more training.

My daughter and son-in-law joined me for afternoon tea. Had to wait at least 15 minutes to be seated. The China used is miss-matched. My cup still had remnants of lipstick. They replaced it very quickly. The food is superb. Soup served hot and delicious. The sandwiches are well thought out and quite delicious. Scones were large served hot but the lemon curd, wild blueberry jam & clotted Devonshire cream were a little skimpy for 3 people. Served in what appeared to be tea lite holders. Candied ginger on the table was delicious and they did refill without asking. The finale was a 20-layer crepe cake filled with cream fraiche filling and also a little plate of chocolate covered strawberries and macaroons. To die for. Cost was $59.00p.p. A little steep even for NYC

The four of us (2 husbands) really enjoyed the tea at Lady Mendl's. Everything was delicious. The tea superb. We did have to wait awhile to be served. Loved the décor for Christmas.

This could be a fun experience, if you're in the right mood. It's almost a grown-up version of An American Girl tea party, but certainly not haute cuisine or even a proper tea service. However, it's very easy to be put off by the less-than-professional staff. If you want real high tea (or decent quality food), go to the Plaza, Waldorf, Four Seasons or the Peninsula (or the tea salon at Takashimaya). But it's a fun place to escape for a testerone-free afternoon. Finding the place is a bit difficult, it's not well-marked & up the stoop (not at street level); but that gives it some charm. It feels as if you've stumbled upon a hidden secret (felt almost like walking into a Victorian-era brothel). I'm a New YOrker & had no idea that this place existed (has been in business for a number of years). Unfortunately, the service marred the experience. Came for the 5 pm seating (last of the day) & the host kept on pressuring us to take our table while we were waiting for the 4th person in our party. Since the 5-course menu is fixed (only variable is your tea), not much thought or attention required from staff. Felt as is they were just going though the motions & could barely understand their English when they did say anything. The most offensive part is that they kept on pressuring us to hurry up & leave. When the other party in the room left, they broke down that table & told us to leave. We did, but felt it was a little unnnecessary, since they were setting up for the 12 pm seating the next day, there was another party still taking place & the place is in inn (so it's not as if they had to close up). The cost is $35 (which is fair for high tea in NYC) with an automatic 20% tip (which may lessen their desire to improve or adjust their service). Overall, it is a fun respite from the hustle & bustle of the city, just be aware of so-so service.

What a wonderful idea - scheduling some time to relax and enjoy an elegant high tea to take away the rush and hurry that surrounds the holiday season! After reading the other reviews for Lady Mendl's high tea and checking their website, my friend and I agreed that it looked perfect. From the charmingly romantic Victorian decor to the menu, we were sold and booked our reservation for 5p service. Arriving 15 minutes early, per the website instructions, we were "greeted" by the host. Actually, we had to seek him out in the corner of the waiting room - and the greeting consisted of "sit down until your name is called and give him your coats." To add to the warm welcome, not a seat was available in the waiting area, but we waited patiently until seats became available while admiring the holiday decorations. Those dainty Victorian chairs afforded us prime seating to watch as all the guests who arrived after us were cordially seated. 5pm came and went, then the waiter passed by and sniffed, "Can I help you?" As we were seated, passing by the other patrons (remember those folks who arrived after we did?) who were already enjoying their first/second courses, the waiter proceeded to berate the host (he's so disorganized) and previous guests (those horrid campers!). Nothing like sarcastic sniping to make you feel like a valued customer and boost the holiday mood. The rest of the service was downhill from there - plates whisked away without first inquiring if we were finished; crusty little sandwiches sans flavor, stale cookies so hard they could have been used to facet diamonds. As for the tea, the highlight this adventure? While other patrons browsed the tea menu, we were simply told "I'll just pick one for you - I'm good at knowing what people like" by our waiter. What a grand idea! Not only did he save time by forcing his opinions on the customer, but surely he would know the perfect tea to pair with petrified cookies. . . . All in all, the experience was wholly disappointing. Disastrous, really. Avoid Lady Mendl's at all costs. A better bet if you're in that area? Try "The House" - just around the corner (121 East 17th - [-]), with beautiful decor, prompt service, phenomenal menu. We were absolutely impressed by the elegance and service!

I am a huge fan of afternoon tea and jump at the chance to go any time the opportunity is presented to me. As such, I have been to quite a few places in the city and was charmed beyond belief by Lady Mendl's. I fell in love with the entire experience. From the Victorian decor, to the cozy corner in which we were seated, to the excellent service (my cup was never empty), to the delicious, filling, variety-filled menu, everything about Lady Mendl's was a high-note for me. Normally, when I find a gem like this in the city, my first inclination is to keep it to myself, but I was so happy with my experience that I want them to do well. Everything about my time there was fantastic and I cannot wait to go back!

My wife and I have always been avid fans of a good traditional afternoon tea. Having experienced umpteen fantastic places in London and Paris, we were slightly hesitant on what to expect in New York. We read a few reviews and Lady Mendl's came up so we thought we'd give it a try. Now at USD 40 per person + taxes + an expected (and added) tip of 20 % this is by no means cheap. The location, close to gramercy park is lovely, the interior is very nice and quaint. (as some people have said, it is a little like going back in time.) The tea selection was very large and the china tea-pots came quite quickly, delivered by a very nice waiter. The tea was however weak and despite leaving to brew and stirring, the problem came from a large pot of tea with one tea-bag inside! The first course was an amuse bouche which was nice and then came a waiter with a plate of (very small) sandwiches with a choice of 4-5 different ingredients. We were offered one of each per person. The waiter did come back and ask if we wanted another few sandwiches and we were forced to fill up again due to the miniscule size of them. After this came possibly the smallest scones I have ever seen. They tasted 'ok' but were not something to write home about, (unless your family own a model village) although the accompanying jam and cream were nice. We were not offered further scones and the plates were quickly cleared for the next course which was a piece of cake, apparently a house speciality, which was very nice. The last course was a selection of very small little cakes (or petit fours) and 2 chocolate covered strawberries. While we were just finishing this, the bill arrived on the table without prompting. Once again, the place was nice, the food was not horrendous and we had a pleasant afternoon but as we walked out of the door we both felt that the experience had been a bit 'stingy!'

This is a great place to have tea with intimate friends or on special occasions. I went to Lady Mendl's about a year ago with one of my close friends and we both really loved it. Although I do consider it a bit of a splurge, the afternoon tea here was perfect and the space was beautiful.

This was not my first choice, although it was on my top three list. Due to poor planning (on my part), we ended up going to LM last minute. The building and interior were beautiful. The tea is prix fixe, which, for me, simplifies things. The service was wonderful, and although they don't normally have many children, they were very accommodating to her taste & helped my 6 year old with a tea selection. The food was...okay, but a little hit or miss. The seasonal appetizer was scrumptious (butternut squash pie-thing), the sandwiched were delicate, but they were just tea sandwiches (served from a silver tray, so some of the bread slices were aittle harder than others), then scones, then a cake (thus particular variety was beautiful, but not so tasty), they cookies & chocolate covered strawberries. For me, the experience was all about the conversation, company, atmosphere.

Wow. We brought our adult daughters to celebrate a birthday, and Lady Mendl’s did not disappoint. The old townhouse is adorable, both architecturally and decoratively. We were running late, but there was never any mention of it, nor any rushing through the experience. All was high tea paced, with multiple offers to refill. Favorite teas at our table included the Earl Grey (best I’ve ever had) and the Moroccan Mint, but the cacao infused dessert tea was also very good. Finger foods as expected, but these were unique takes on cucumber sandwiches, egg salad toast, and smoked salmon - not to mention squash & cheese, Orange marmalade, and others! The scones were small cookie sized and perfect. Petit Fours and macaroons finished a wonderful time. I don’t know how they do it !!! Did I mention the exquisite crepe cake? Only 21 layers - we counted. Crazy good!

What an absolutely dreadful experience this was. We had been looking forward to it as, after all, it is always mentioned in the top 10 in New York. Now I have been to a lot of Afternoon Teas around the world and this would rank at the very bottom. So here is what happened. My sister booked online and the booking was made for 2.30pm on a Friday. We were told to get there early so we arrived by 2.10pm. While waiting I was looking at some of the brochures and noticed that the seating on a Friday was 3pm. I showed my sister and see looked up the email confirmation which clearly said 2.30pm. Ok, so we were shown a table at 2.30pm - in the very back on the back room, next to a badly hung curtain covering the kitchen. One other table was seated with three people, also in the back of the room. We were given some water and then the waiter disappeared - or rather he was running around setting up the other tables. Now considering you are constantly told that afternoon tea at Lady Mendl's is a strict 90 minute session, I would have thought that we would have been attended to immediately. But no, after about 15 minutes I chased up the waiter and firstly asked to be moved to a table in the front of the room (which he did). Now I think there are six tables in that front areas, and by the time we left only four of them were occupied which makes me ask the question, why were we seated in the back room next to the kitchen, when the session was clearly not booked out? I think we ordered tea close to 3pm. Then other bookings started to arrive, they were given water immediately and their tea orders taken immediately. We were only served sandwiches when everyone else was served sandwiches - bear in mind we had been there since 2.30pm. So despite the fact that we were booked in for 2.30pm, they made us wait and then served us with the 3.00pm bookings. How rude! The sandwiches were dry, stale and tasteless. By 3.30pm (when we had been there an hour) we had had only a tiny tart and some dry sandwiches. We asked the waiter to bring the rest of the courses together as we had somewhere else to be at 4.30pm (remember we expected to be out of there by 4pm). So the three remaining courses were delivered. The scones were tiny, and again as dry and stale as the sandwiches. The clotted cream was so clotted it was also like butter. After taking a mouthful, we both left the scones. I didn't mind the signature cake but my sister did not like it at all. And oh my goodness if we thought the sandwiches and scones were awful just wait until we tried the cookies. I have fed more appetising cookies to my pets! Generic brand cookies and certainly not home-made. If they were made in the kitchen then they need to fire the chef. Well, they should fire the chef for the awful sandwiches and scones! The chocolate coated strawberries were edible. We walked out of Lady Mendl's vowing never to go back and vowing to spread the word. Truly there are far, far better places in NYC to have afternoon tea - have you tried the St Regis? Also we refused to tip the full 20% listed on the bill. In hindsight we should have walked out without paying because it was so, so awful. A complete and utter waste of money and time.

I almost hate to rave about this place, because I'm afraid it'll get "discovered"! We were a three-generation gathering of women: two college-aged girls, their moms and grandmothers. We had the "high tea" at noon, and it was a lovely, leisurely experience. I made reservations online a few days before - very easy. We were greeted in a reception room where the hostess took our coats, and seated us immediately. The tearoom is beautiful -- Victorian but not overdone in "ye olde" frou-frou.The selection of teas is vast; we enjoyed trying the Lady Mendl blend and the genmaicha, a Japanese green tea, very unusual, earthy flavor but tasty. There were four different types of finger sandwiches, and we had two opportunities to taste one of each. Cost was $35 per person, with an automatic 20% tip (possibly due to our large party) -- not cheap but reasonable given the quantity and quality of the food, the great service and the fact that it's in New York. My only warning - if you go for the 2:30 seating, and try everything, likely you won't be hungry for dinner at 7! Also, there's no obvious sign at the door of the Inn where the tearoom is located - be sure you have the address when you travel here. We will treasure our memory of this beautiful, lovely afternoon in New York.

Amazing sandwiches and baked goods with different teas caringly poured. Pace yourself and take care not to get too full because it gets better and better!!

Visit on 08.Dec. Make sure to reserve long-term in advance. It is offered exclusively to the high tea according to the English model. Price 89,-$ p.p. What can I say? A fairytale setting, shrill and colorful and yet tastefully decorated and adorably decorated for Christmas. That and the warm welcome were almost worth the money. With each "course" an independent tea. Sandwiches, scones, salad or soup and the sweet pastries, all prepared and served with love and care. A feast for the eyes. Taste-wise consistently good food, the cakes even very good, of course not the very big culinary high-end experience. But that's not why you go to Lady Mendl. Atmosphere, furnishings and the very special feeling of being someone special is what makes a visit unforgettable.

My daughter assigned me the task of finding a lovely place for "high tea" during our New York City trip. After extensive research, I settled on Lady Mendls. Let me tell you, this choice did not disappoint. The wonderful staff, the warm atmosphere, the incredible food and amazing accompanying teas - it was all simply perfect for the two of us. We didn't have to get dressed up in designer finery just to get in the door, like some places I researched. A little quirky, definitely Victorian in style, it was exactly what we were looking for in a "high tea" experience. Also, the price was the lowest I found out of all the places considered. Yet we couldn't have asked for higher quality from beginning to end. One point to be aware of -- on their website, they warn you they're a little hard to find, so I'll give you a tip. If you see Pete's Bar on Irving Place, all lit up, just walk about a half block south on the same side of the street, look at the top of all those steps for the very small, nondescript sign, and you're there.

I went w a few friends, and the setting was very pretty so still could be a fun thing to do for a bridal or baby shower. However, small things like the bread on the finger sandwiches being stale (they clearly made all the sandwiches for the entire day in the morning) made it very not worthwhile given the price. Would recommend against it if all you want is nice tea and scones.

if you cannot afford stay at the Inn at Irving Place, ypu have a chance: take the tea at Lady Mendl´s

We decided to go for afternoon tea between two Broadway shows on a Wednesday. It is easy to get between Times Square and Union Station, short subway ride and walk. They offer a number of reservation times and their online reservation system is very convenient. Lady Mendl's is located in a townhouse and was beautifully decorated for the holiday season with teacup-themed christmas trees and scented candles. We arrived early for our reservation, checked our coats and warmed ourselves next to a fire. We were then sitted in the parlour next to the front window, near another fireplace. The waiter brought us the extensive tea menu and helped us make our selections. The room was very cozy and the table was nicely decorated. The tea consisted of five courses: a pastry, variety of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, cake and cookies. We were offered seconds on the sandwiches plus they refreshed our teapots The food was tasty. Our waiter was very attentive despite having a full room to serve. The coat check gentleman was very friendly and helpful. We will definitely be going back again soon.

The food is wonderful, the atmosphere stunning, and the waitstaff excellent. I recommend the tea and course pairing.

Lady Mendl's is located in a Georgian stye townhouse in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan. The tea salon is found on the parlor floor. The decor is a wonderful mash of styles creating a very Victorian feel. The china is meticulously collected and mix matched. The service is attentive and welcoming. We did not feel rushed or hurried...so unlike New York! The 5 course menu is indulgent and delicious! We will return : )

My wife and I were celebrating our first wedding anniversary with a trip to New York, and as avid afternoon tea enthusiasts in Britain, we thought we just had to try it American style! We're so glad we did. The reviews beforehand were surprisingly mixed but we loved it - and we've had afternoon tea at the likes of Fortnum and Mason and the Ritz - this compares favourably although not quite as good! We were given a free glass of champagne as I mentioned our anniversary and in truth our waiter couldn't do more for us. Very attentive and generous with our requests (including for more soup and more sandwiches which I don't think is the norm there! We had an appetite!) the first course was a gazpacho pepper and corn soup. My wife gave it five out of five and said it was the best she'd had. She went for seconds. Next came a plate of savouries, including a range of breads and fillings - our fabourite being the crispy butternut squash and cream cheese topping which was to die for. Two GIANT scones followed which were very buttery and filling, then a classic and delicate New York cheesecake and finally some chocolates and a strawberry. The tea wasn't the best selection - just five/six to choose from but having tried four of them all were very nice and quickly topped up. We are used to having a teapot on the table to help ourselves but the waiter did a good job in keeping the cup full. Definitely recommend it. Be prepared to leave with a full stomach!

Ignore the naysaters, we have been coming here since the tea room opened in 1994. you won't find better anywhere in the country, but if you can we would like to know about it. Yes, it's expensive, perhaps outrageous at $59.00 per person. But worth it in our opinion. My wife and I went back this year for our anniversary and it remains a wonderful off the beaten track location that is a quaint, eclectic throwback to a simpler time, A time when O'Henry was writing the Gift of the Magi next door at Pete's Pub and Robert Henri of the Ashcan genré painting in his studio around the corner near the arts club on 20th street, across from the only private park in New York. Unusually they start the tea with a delicious hot vegetable pureé and they finish it off with a 21 layer cream cake. Don't be tempted to eat the tasty ginger candies while you wait. Put them in your purse for tomorrow. ;-) The scones are fresh baked and unlike the Russian Tea Room in Chicago, they serve real Devonshire clotted cream. The unique serving protocol is that everything is bottomless, so they don't give you a pot like everywhere else and they will refill tea and if you like, as we do, hot milk. They will refill the Jam, Lemon Curd or cream. The savories are every good and they serve all the classics, from cucumber, egg salad, smoked salmon to name the the most common. If i wanted to be picky, I would say that the savories were not fresh made as the crustless triangle were just beginning to crisp as they do after a few hours. So my advice would be to make the sandwiches fresh before each tea sitting. The servers were very attentive with refills and offers to address any needs.

This place is crammed with dusty kitsch and there is a pervading aroma of toilet deodorant. Our waiter was bordering on rude, giving us the feeling that we should be grateful that we were allowed to be there. There was far too much food, and none of it good quality. The ribbon sandwiches were stale and the "scones" were like rocks. The tea was good though and the tea pots in which it was served were lovely. An overpriced cup of tea!

What's not to love about this place? The setting is cosy English without being stuffy. Service was excellent..... I never felt rushed even though tables had to be set for the next sitting. The food was delicious and the layered vanilla cake lived up to expectations. I would recommend this place for an afternoon out with the girls or a mother and daughter occassion.

Even if tea is not your thing (my hubby was like we are doing what?) it’s amazing. It’s high tea and high class food. The tea pairing is the way to go. The sandwiches are sooo good. Even the salad was great. The candied ginger to clean your palette is a must. That way each flavor is savored. Last end with the green tea layered crepe. This is a pice fix place so know that.

This was my second time at Lady Mendl's. They are now under new management. They used to offer an extensive selection or tea. From the usual to the rare and unusual. They now only offer 3 types. English breakfast, Earl Grey, and a fruity green tea. The English breakfast tea was good but not what I would call special. The soup starter was, I thought, just okay though many of my tablemates enjoyed it very much. The sandwiches were very good. There was one type I didn't care to try and I wasn't given the option of choosing a second of another type. At my last visit, our server came around and asked if anyone would like seconds. Not this time. And I agree that the portion of crepe cake was quite a bit smaller this time though I can't say that it wasn't adequate. If I had nothing to compare it to, I would probably have enjoyed it a but more but I do have to agree with others in that LM's has taken a downward turn. I have never been to tea where there was really no emphasis on the tea. It is my expectation that part of the experience will be having the opportunity to try something new and special.

I went with a friend in May 2012 and overall we very much enjoyed our experiences. The service was very good and we were promptly greeted and, with a big smile, brought to our tables where we sat near the windows on the far side of the room, which I recommend. A nice, little view to the garden and leaves and with some natural light. The tea selection was nice and I had the jasmine tea, which was tasty. The sandwiches, however, were dry and not that creative. The egg salad sandwich and salmon sandwich were probably the best, but especially for the price (and included 20% tip), I thought the food could be much better. The bread was actually cold (!!) and dry and I don't think they made it on the premises. The scones were great as was the jam that went with it. There was a creamed layered cake that I thought was just OK (a bit too buttery somehow) but that might just be my tastes. Overall, I would recommend the place because everything inside is so cute and delicate and it smells wonderful, very flowery, when you enter. Some items on the food list were good and others not but for an hour or two with loved ones or friends I think it's a nice way to spend some time differently and get a bit dressed up in the process.

Quite a treat - was taken here for high tea and it was lovely. A formal dining room and formal tea, recommend it for friends and family!

Our party of 4 arrived, were greeted and our coats immediately taken. We spent a few minutes in the sitting room, which had a decorated gas fired antique fireplace, and a Christmas tree, which was lit up and decorated with pearls, teacups etc. We were then taken for our 5:00 reservation into the dining room. It had a beautiful fireplace, over which was a large mirror. In front of the fireplace were 2 setee type upholstered pieces, with a coffee table in between. In the front of the room were the windows overlooking Irving Pl.., and there were 3 tables set up there, mostly for 2 people. We were given a side area seating, on the wall opposite the fireplace. It consisted of a table, 2 Chinese Chippendale chairs and another upholstered setee, which had tall fringed floor lamps which were quite fun. There was floral wallpaper on the wall, woodwork below, and all in all, dimly and romantically lit. (We understand they are closing for a month to renovate soon). Our server, Alberto, arrived and took our tea order. He came back and placed 1 small piece of quiche on our smallest plate. The china was Lenox. We had tall stem water glasses. He came back with our individual pots of tea in pretty pots, on a large tray, which he set on a stand next to our table. Then he poured. He also asked us if we wanted any wine or champagne...the choices were white or red wine (a bottle), Vive Clique (a bottle), or Prosecco, which we took. Sorry about the spelling. (it was $55.) He came back with the glasses and poured, and place the bottle on ice. Alberto was taking care of the whole dining room, as the weather was crazy that day, sno, ice, rain...and he had cancellations etc, and it was now all up to him, but he did a great job, was always attentive and we liked his service very much. Then next, was the sandwich tray. Alberto went around the room, offering a choice of 4: smoked turkey, cukecumber, salmon on a dill cream cheese or egg salad. The breads were all different and wholesome. We tried all the sandwiches...at first getting one of each. (they are small, the salmon is about 3" by 1.5", etc. Then he came around a second time and we took a few more. After leisurely sipping tea and finishing the sparkling...we were all very relaxed and having fun. Everyone in the room looked to be enjoying themselves. Then it was time for the scones. They were round, and petite, and we were served 2 of them, and they were pretty warm. They came with clotted cream, which was fab, and also raspberry jam. Then we weren't done! Next was the Lady Mendl cake...which was layers of the thinnest crepe, and in between was a marscapone type cheese...there were about 30 layers, served with a drizzle of raspberry sauce. It was all very delicate and interesting. Finally, we were given a dish of 4 chocolate covered strawberries, and 4 different cookes. The cookies had a base of gingerbread with a filing and on top of the gingerbread was another cookie, sitting like a hat...either chocolate with hazelnut shreds, or similar. We were Stuffed. Then we finished the last of the tea, went back and got our coats, etc. I know it said 90 minutes but we were there longer and it was very enjoyable to not feel rushed. I recommend this as a Victorian type experience. It is a great event to surprise someone with. I give the owners a lot of credit for setting something like this up. It is not in a huge hotel. I've had high tea at the Dorchester in London, so this is not that type of experience. It is far more intimate, as if you were having a tea in with Mary Poppins in a turn of the century London home!

we recieved food posioning from the food here after there terrible service ...we never recieved all of our corses ...they ruined my daughters 19th birthday ..when we called up to say we got food poioning and we wanted a refun they said to bad

My friend and I attended Lady Mendys for afternoon tea. The food was very good, albeit it is not the conventional afternoon tea! We were served five course consisting of cold soup (intentional!), sandwiches, a selection of tarts, pastries and some scones. All delicious but very filling. The service was good, although atmosphere was lacking a little but this may have been because it was mid- week.Decor was quirky- definitely worth a try!

Lovely Victorian brownstone with intimate rooms set for high tea. Service was superb and efficient. Food creatively prepared and simply served. You may want to dress nicely but no fancy nancy necessary. The other half of the brownstone is an Inn. A special place to entertain your special friends. Rather pricey per person and you deserve it.

I was part of a large group of women who had an all day meeting at Lady Mendl's. The staff was so accommodating! We all had a light lunch and the food was very good. They even provided gluten-free food for those who requested it. Do try their scone! Delicious! The building houses beautiful antiques and has a charming atmosphere. If you don't know exactly where it is, you could easily miss it walking by, but once you go through those doors, you are welcomed.

Perfection. The food, the place, the people, the unique, quirky atmosphere of it all....perfection. I've been to afternoon tea in England, and I must say this gem in Gramercy Park, NY is better than any I've been to in Europe!!

Ladies and gentlemen, it hurts to have to write this. Afternoon tea at Lady Mendl's was once my favorite in the city. It no longer is, and it isn't even 'good enough' that I would return. Read on. I have been to Lady Mendl's many times, but I hadn't been there in a couple of years before returning with an out-of-town friend last week. Here's what Lady Mendl's USED TO BE: A truly traditional, tip-top afternoon tea in a gorgeous setting, with champagne and non-champagne options, for a reasonable price that included replenished finger sandwiches (AS IS TRADITIONAL), scones with plentiful condiments, gem-like pastries, and a generous slice of their famous mille gateau. Here's what Lady Mendl's is NOW: An overpriced and fussy non-traditional tea. No option except for $59/person not including any champagne, and before taxes and tip. A small ramekin of soup. Then out came a skimpy, albeit beautiful plate of five tiny - and I do mean TINY! - bites of 'sandwich', the size of passed hors d'oeuvres, that approximated traditional ingredients, and which were not replenished. Five little nibbles, my friends. They were very tasty, but insulting in their meager preciousness. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT FINGER SANDWICHES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT, and that they should be replenished. The scone course, an equally important element, was next: Lady Mendl's now serves one single big fat scone on a plate for each person, with the condiments (clotted cream and two jams) served on a single plate for the table, each condiment being in a container about the size of a shot glass (let me be clear, that's one shot glass of clotted cream for two people). The mille gateau was still delicious but significantly downsized, and then a small plate of nice cookies came out as the final 'course.' So overall, it was overpriced and stingy, and unbalanced in that the sweet stuff way outweighed the savory stuff. I left disappointed and hungry. At that price, and in such a 'quality' place, diners shouldn't be put in the position of having to ask for more. Even if they do ask, my understanding from other reviewers is that they don't get it. On the plus side, the connected rooms in which tea is served are as beautiful and cozy as ever - truly something out of a Henry James novel, and a sort of 'out of time' respite in my otherwise cacophonous city. I like that they still place a ramekin of candied ginger on the table - it was always a nice touch. And the tea was good: Hot, properly brewed, and quickly replenished. Let me put this in perspective for my NYC and non-NYC friends: I could have had a light, world-class lunch at Le Bernadin for this. My share of the bill - just for me, folks, for skimpy Afternoon 'Tea' and one flute of champagne, after taxes and tip, was $95. $95! So as pretty as the place is, I won't go back, as this is NOT my idea of Afternoon Tea, and not what Lady Mendl's used to be.

It's like stepping back into another time in this beautiful townhouse. We had a five course afternoon tea with sandwiches (smoked salmon, cucumber with mind creme fraiche, egg salad, scones with clotted cream and preserves, Lady Mend's signature cake, assorted cookies and chocolates. The service and the room were wonderful. We sat on sofas next to a lovely burning fire. It could have not been more relaxing. The food was delicious and I am longing for another piece of the Lady Mendl cake. I had never heard of this place until a friend took me there. I will go again. For the record, Lady Mendl was the famous New York decorator Elsie de Wolfe. Reservations are required.

I booked afternoon tea at Lady mendl's after trwaling the internet for afternoon tea in New York. 435 + tax + tips for a 5 course afternoon tea with various seating times. We arrived on Friday 26th February 2010 during a snow storn which had closed much of the city and transport!!! There is no big fancy sign for entry, just some steep steps and a beautiful old wooden door. Perfect...i love the less toursity places!! We "checked in" at the desk and our coats were taken. the atmosphere very 1920's, beautiful scented candles alla round, relaxed and very feminine. At 5pm, our booked time, a waiter showed us through to the "parlour" where we had a choice of tables...mainly due to snow cancellations. We sat by the window. All the tables were laid with fine china, a gorgeous posy of flowers and the cutest sugar cube with piped rose on!! Way to cute to use;-) Huge array of tea, delicious warm pasrty to start, fresh sandwiches on all sorts of breads (and plenty to go around, seconds were offered!!), drinking water, warm scones 9one cranberry and one plan) with clotted cream and jam, an amazing cheesecakey cake (layered with crepes....amaaaaazing!!) and a selection of biscuits which we hardly had room to eat. The waiter was helpful, knowledgeable (about the teas and Lady mendl, the Gramercy area and ....about all sorts of foreign facts) and he gave us free champagne for being the only guest!! Yes it was lovely, very relaxed, warm and cosy, yummy food. Yes its not the Ritz or the Plaza...but thats the interseting pleasure of it!! Only negative was that there was nothing in relation to Lady Mendl (a 1920's socialite) but this was counteracted by the waiter who knew a great deal and was able to paint a colourful picture of her. Oh and I used the toilets - they were clean and well equipped too!!! Although I didnt stay here it looked gorgeous, the staff were helpful and to have breakfast in that beautiful room would be a delight

After reading reviews on this site, I had high hopes for this place but alas it was not all I expected. It certainly is beautifu. Walking in, you feel as if you've gone back in time. The tables in the various rooms are set with English bone china and the staff is polite and attentive. Apparently all the effort is in the decor and not really in the tea service itself. Although they have an extensive "tea menu" the food left a lot to be desired. The tea sandwiches weren't very special. The fillings were okay but the bread was cold and dry, not soft and room temp as it should be. Plus they were very stingy with them. The scones, which I think are the centerpiece of all afternoon teas were literaly the size of a quarter, I kid you not. They "generously" gave us two, one plain, one cranberry. They were hard as rocks and barely worth the effort of trying to spread on jam and clotted cream and they were only one bite. The last course was a slice of cake, it was the saving grace, a very nice light vanilla cream crepe cake with raspberry coulis. Do tea at the Ritz or Pierre before you waste your money trying this one.

What a beautiful experience! The location, atmosphere, food & tea! I've been to many "teas" and Lady Mendl's is the best value. Excellent spread and plenty of it. They Keep the Tea comin'. I try to go as often as possible.

Lady Mendl's Tea Salon is located inside a non-descript townhouse hotel known as The Inn at Irving Place. You can make your tea service reservations on their website http://www.innatirving.com/default.aspx?pg=home or on Open Table. Blink and you might miss the entrance, which is marked by a metal plate next to the door. Once inside this Victorian dwelling, decorated with lavish velvet and lace fabrics, you will find several individual dining rooms. We were there around the Christmas holidays, so the waiting area was decorated with a tree and shiny ornaments, giving us great photo ops. Our 5 course tea service cost $59 per person plus tax & tip, since we went on a weekend day. Weekdays, the price is $49 per person. The first course was creamy butternut squash soup, then a selection of artisanal sandwiches, followed by the crispy on the outside, soft on the inside scones with homemade preserves. Next, their wonderful 20-layer crepe cake (a full slice) and finally, a tray of cookies. Even though you are getting small portions, after 5 courses it adds up, so you walk away satisfied. Our biggest complaints were that the tea (one pot per person) was brought out long before the food, so it got cold before we were able to enjoy it with our courses. The other complaint was the service was way too slow to our liking.Cocktails are also available for an additional cost. As tea services go, it was one of the better offerings we have experienced. The food was very good and the ambiance was lovely. It is great for a special occasion with the girls, like the birthday we were there celebrating.

My friends hosted a Bridal Shower for me at Lady Mendl's in May 2008. It was incredible. I spent seven months living in England, so the Afternoon Tea was a taste of what I missed so much from the UK!!! Each course was better than the last. The tea was delicious. I have no idea of the cost, but it was definitely worth every penny!! Beautiful Victorian setting. It was decorated with fresh flowers and other beautiful things.

First time we've been to Lady Mendl's. High tea was done properly. Perfect choice of teas and the tea tasting (a different tea with each of five courses) is a lovely idea. All the food was delicious, but the scones with clotted cream and lemon curd were over the top. The townhouse and rooms are charming.

Sadly, my favorite place for tea has made some changes. Some good, some not so good. Decor upgrade, even though minimal, is an improvement. The strong stench of roses seems to have left, thankfully. The chess board is gone: sad. The amuse bouche finally changed from the predictable butternut squash tart. When we asked for an additional sandwich (1/8 sandwich size) as the sandwich offerings are much tastier now, we were told there would be a supplemental cost whereas in the past, if I wanted another smoked salmon sliver that was never a problem. It was awkward to be told, "no more sandwiches for you." The crepe cake is also now half the size. The most disappointing part of our visit was when the bill came. The bill was presented by our server with a snarky word of caution, "By the way, the bill also no longer includes gratuity." I said, "Okay, no problem." And then I saw the price. What used to be a $35-45 tea including gratuity (over the span of time I have been going there), is now a $55 tea plus gratuity ($66). Nice setting but a bit too rich for a pot of tea, two tough scones, a sandwich, and dessert. Once loyal patrons, we won't be back. We've been priced out! My neighborhood gem, Lady Mendl's, now seeks a higher end clientele with no appetite and a big wallet.

My daughter raved about this so she and my granddaughter took me there. It may have been they were in holiday overload but it was a huge disappointment to me and to some extent to them. I've been to tea in London at both Brown's Hotel and The Ritz -- this does NOT compare. They had only a very limited choice of teas and my first cup that was poured was weak and needed to steep much longer. No one offered to replenish the preserves and clotted cream. The scones were much too large and rather dry. We were served the sandwiches -- we each got the same selection of 5 -- the salmon was delicious but the others were mediocre and no seconds were offered. The crepe cake IS delicious. The final assortment of sweets was ho-hum. Service was haphazard to say the least. The background music was often too loud and not really appropriate. This is overrated and expensive.

The ambiance of this wonderful place just washes over you, from the moment you enter, this charming brownstone just delights at every turn. The lady that showed us to our seat oozed style and charisma and was SUCH a New Yorker - loved it! Then another lovely lady served us. The afternoon tea was a knock out, with utterly divine sandwiches and scones.....well let’s just say, I’ve not tasted better scones in England!! I think Lady Mendl’s is an absolute hidden gem and I would urge anyone wanting to experience afternoon tea in Manhattan to visit this lovely brownstone and step back in time.

There was precisely one male customer for the 5:00 tea sitting-- the place oozes femininity in a wonderful Victorian way. The menu is on-line and precisely followed. A wonderful selection of teas. The sandwiches are typical tea sandwiches-- tasty, but not unusual. The scones, cream and jam out of this world (sadly we only got two each). We went to the 5:00 sitting which concluded at 6:30 on the dot. We walked the 2 miles straight up Broadway to the theater and arrived (with the occasional stop in a shop) just on time to use the restroom before our 8:00 show. It's a wonderful walk if you enjoy walking. Our favorite tea ever was in the Goring Hotel in London and while Lady Mendl's is wonderful it doesn't quite match the Goring in unexpected flourishes. All in all a delightful hour and a half to sit and chat and sip tea.

Greattt service!!! The food was great!!! Very expensive tho, but worth it, yoou can even take home the rest! Save room for the delicious scones!!!

Had a mother/daughter date there this past weekend and we had a lovely time. The tea was great, there were 5 courses (we could only finish 4!) and the ambiance was so wonderful! Definitely a must when NYC. Only gave it a 4 star because the tables were quite small. We felt pretty cramped. Otherwise it was great!! Highly recommended.

I did like this place. It's atmosphere is lovely, the plates and cups were very charming. One negative is that this lace does not offer seconds of the tea sandwiches and I found that disappointing especially at the price charged . The teas were delicious and we all loved the food!

Great food and high quality teas. Great for special occasions. A must visit if your like everything beautiful!

This was an absolutely lovely experience. Peaceful and beautiful. The service was superb! Excelelct food, and the sandwiches, which were delicious, were proffered multiple times. Great teas and lovely pastries. Best of all, this was very reasonably priced (for NYC, this was down right cheap!!!).

Great food. Excellent tea. Top marks for having fresh tea all through the experience. It is an experience more than a traditional afternoon tea. Each course was absolutely Delicious.

I took my wife here for Mother's Day. We were the only table that did not have a Mother and Daughter. It was a 2 hour meal experience including Champagne, salad, soup, multi small sandwiches, quiche, cake , and cookies, along with a bottomless cup of tea. The service was impeccable. The atmosphere was charming victorian, and the food was good. I am a big eater and at first I thought I would leave hungry but the food kept coming and we walked out with full bellies.

I visited Lady Mendl's several years ago and would have given it a 5 star rating at that time. I decided to return with my daughter for a Sunday afternoon tea a few weeks ago and we were both extremely disappointed. The staff is very friendly and the tea salon is in a charming setting in a quaint old brownstone on Irving Place. That's where the charm ends!! They now serve a prix fixe tea for somewhere around $65 per person. They have scaled back their tea offerings to a few types of tea, which is not served by the potful on your table, but rather brought around and occasionally refilled by a waiter (like coffee at a diner). We ordered the English Breakfast, for lack of any better choices, and it was unremarkable. My daughter likes honey in her tea and was given a few packets of smuckers honey. Really? Plastic packets? The pumpkin soup was very good, complete with toasted pumpkin seeds. We were initially happy with the soup, until 3 days later, when I ordered the squash soup at Panera. It was the exact same soup. So they either order it from Panera, or they use the same recipe. The sandwiches were pre-made and somewhat stale. Yes, stale. The waiter served "authentic Irish scones" which were warm and very small. Being an Irish/American, I just smirked at the "authentic" scones comment because they seemed shipped in from some local corporate bakery and reheated; the moment they started to cool, they were as hard as a rock. I could go on, and believe me, I would, but the long and short of my review is: Don't bother!

If you want to score major points with your lady this is the place. Located in a quaint turn of the century townhouse (Inn at Irving Place) Lady Medls offers up a superb high tea. The service is impeccable, the food delicious and you'll feel like royalty. Reservations are required as the room is fairly small. Don't over think this - book a time now. You can thank me later.

Pros: Excellent service, tea pairings with each course, quality of tea, scones were the best and so warm, food quality was good and there was a LOT of food. Cons: I can’t say the price was worth the experience. There are a few other tea rooms in NYC that are more reasonably priced. Overall it was a good experience and the service was 10/10.

My daughter and I love to go to tea and chose Lady Mendl's. The food is very carb heavy and I would have liked to have my teapot at my table. The food was good but in very tiny quantities for the amount we paid ($59/ea) plus drinks. Staff were pleasant. The menu is prix fixe but the server does ask about allergies. Enjoyed it once but will travel elsewhere for tea when in the city again.

I've never been to a tea room and i fell in love with the whole experience! The food was tasty especially the cake. I wanted to eat everyone's serving at our table! The price was a little high but I was definitely glad we had this experience. it is also in a very cute neighborhood. The waiters constantly top off your tea. Very good service.

This place is nestled in a small inn on Irving Place near Union Square. You walk up stairs to an unmarked building, but there is a teacup on the brass number. This place is Victorian in style and a bit whimsical. You walk in to the lobby of the inn, and the tea room is off to the left. The China is mismatched and fun. I ordered a Kir to begin, but you can also order Champagne alone or wine. We started with a soup which is unusual then sandwiches, scones and sweet treats. You receive a lot of sandwiches, and we always love to get lemon curd. The service was excellent, and the music was wonderful. My only complaint was that my tea was very weak. They don’t offer a lot of options for tea, it they are willing to give you a different one with each course if you like.

I do need to say that this place is worth going to just for the ambience. The tea is served in a salon which is beautifully decorated in the Victorian Style which creates exactly the right atmosphere for a grand afternoon tea. The service is delightful, friendly and prompt. Now that I've said that, on to the dining experience itself: The amuse bouche tart was delicious, the sandwiches were small and indifferent and obviously not feshly made, the cranberry scones were dry although it was good to see real clotted cream. The specialty cake which was a layered crepe affair with vanilla creme anglais and raspberry coulis was interesting and very tasty and the last course petit fours were just OK but nothing special. The tea (I had the Lady Mendl brew) came in a pot but was made using a tea bag. I'm afraid that I am a bit of a stickler for proper afternoon tea brewed from loose leaves. Overall it was a decent experience, but I cannot say it was perfect afternoon tea.

Our annual pilgrimage to Lady Mendl's was enjoyed by my 20 year old daughter and myself. If you have never been here before and want a formal tea, you're in for a treat! The meal was delicious and the teas fragrant and tasty. Our service was impeccable. But we've been coming for years, and we noticed changes to the tea service we wished we could change back. Arriving on time for our reservation, we were seated 15 minutes later, after everyone else in the reception room, even those who arrived after we did. Our server immediately gave us the menus, which to our chagrin, offered only 6 teas. In previous visits, the tea menu was 2 full pages. It was an interesting read and made the choices difficult but pleasurable. And, the waiter served us tea one cup at a time. In the past, you were brought your own tea pot full of piping hot tea! Although they do not limit the amount you can drink, and they do allow you to try all the teas, if you so chose. But they do not refresh your cup when you change teas. And since there is only one waiter, you may wait briefly before he recognizes your request. There was a change to the menu protocol as well. We started with a small serving of cold soup, corn and red pepper. Very tasty soup. But the tea sandwiches were served only once. In the past, they offered seconds, and you chose the ones you wanted to try. I enjoyed all, but would have preferred more crust less triangles than sweets and scones. It seemed as though our appetites were appeased with the scones with clotted cream and a delicious 20 layer cake, followed by chocolate covered strawberries and delicious shortbread cookies. Not so bad, but we agreed on this, we liked it better the old fashioned way!

I was curious to see this place. Sounded exciting and looked amazing. Sorry to say was disappointed. We had a much better tea for half the price at Wave Hill a few months ago. The place is cute and service we received from our server was amazing, wish I got his name was Sunday afternoon. From there it stops. 4 our of 5 very tiny course are all sweet so you leave still wanting lunch. Nothing was served on the traditional 3 tier platters. The place was empty so no excuse that they were overwhelmed or busy. Much better places to do proper tea in NY

I had heard a lot about Lady Mendl's and took a friend from out of town there for tea (she is also a tea aficionado). Unfortunately, it did not live up to either of our expectations. Pros: Beautiful setting with a Victorian feel. We arrived right on time for our 12 pm seating and had a number of tables to choose from. The furniture is unique and the decor definitely adds to the experience. Cons: I am not a huge fan of the five course tea service - we felt rushed and it spoiled the enjoyment of the afternoon. You are served five courses: an amuse bouche, tea sandwiches, two scones with jam and cream, one cake and a plate with chocolate covered strawberries/cookies on it. Apparently we were enjoying ourselves too much and not following their timelines. The manager actually came over to say he just wanted "to remind us" that the tea is a 90 minutes seating (i.e. - stop talking, hurry up and eat). We made sure we were out by our "allotted" time but this totally spoiled the experience - especially as when we asked for our second round of sandwiches, the waiter AGAIN mentioned the time. When I informed him that the manager had already told us this, he tried to assure me he was just making sure we "didn't feel rushed later on." So instead, we felt rushed the entire 90 minutes, great. Strangely, they were very anxious to get us out, and yet when we left, we were still the ONLY people in the room. My friend saw the waiter checking his watch as we left! I have been to afternoon tea all over the world - The Peninsula in Hong Kong, the Four Seasons in Beijing, Fortnum and Mason in London, Angelina in Paris, many, many places in NY. Never have I experienced someone coming over to inform me that we basically had to hurry up and be done with it. As I recently told a friend, if I wanted to just drink a cup of tea, I would brew one at home in my Keurig. The point of going to afternoon tea is to savor the total experience of taking tea - and in that, the staff at Lady Mendl's misses the point completely. For a richer experience, go to The Plaza, the Mandarin Oriental or the St. Regis in NY.

We have had afternoon teas all over the world and this is one of the best we’ve had. The selection and quality of food was wonderful and there was plenty of it. The presentation was very good and the cocktails were great. The ambiance was just right. It was very busy so is obviously a popular place for Afternoon Tea. The staff were very friendly and helpful, especially our waitress Emma

The brownstone is gorgeous. Great food and excellent variety of teas. Service is excellent as well. We had a great time and qould recommend this place to anyonw who loves having tea.

Afternoon tea in NYC is a pricey experience, but I think this place is, maybe, the most expensive. It is lovely: the room, the food, the service are terrific. Tea includes a small serving of soup, a few small finger sandwiches, two small scones, and a piece of cake with a cookie and a petit-four. With tax, $70 (with tip, over $80). Maybe save this place for a special occasion.

In all our travels, we include an afternoon tea experience; it makes a nice break from walking and sightseeing. Certain standards are always welcome: A beautiful venue? Check. Lovely presentation with informed and friendly service? Check. Delicious food? Check. This place included some surprises that only enhanced our time there. The starter course of either soup or fresh fruit salad (which we had) is great! Also new to us was the offer to pair a different tea with each course. How fun is that?? This meant the server had to pour the tea when needed which was always hot and fresh, rather than a pot on the table getting cold. The elegant layered crepe cake they serve for dessert is a tasty, exotic treat. Our server was knowledgeable, friendly, professional and prompt. We took public transportation and walked there without difficulty. This is not the snooty version of tea but recalls an gentle time of ladies and gentlemen.

Lady Mendl's does one thing, and one thing only: a pricey set teatime menu, in a brownstone parlour floor decorated with Victoriana, chinoiserie and flowers. The décor is calming and tasteful (not brothel-like, as one reviewer suggests), jazz plays softly in the background, and the tables are generously spaced. All this makes it a restful and pleasant place to spend several hours lingering and catching up with friends over as many cups of tea as you wish (and you can switch teas with each of the five courses), without having to shout to be heard. The food is nothing special, to put it mildly, and the set menu includes no options or choices. It's odd to start tea with a warm and bland butternut squash soup, served in a glass. The soup is followed by just-OK finger sandwiches, a giant scone, a tasteless multilayered cake that's mainly a carrier for cream, ending with macaroons and chocolate-dipped strawberries. It reminded me of a long-ago visit to Serendipity, the NY ice cream parlor: the food was mediocre, and the food wasn't the point. In my mind, I paid $20+tax+tip an hour to spend three hours hobnobbing enjoyably over excellent tea in congenial surroundings. If Lady Mendl's took the food off autopilot, teatime could be spectacular and flavourful - think savoury mini-pies and flaky pastries, a tiny salad of microgreens and goat cheese - now, that would be something. But it's not. So, 5/5 for the ambience, 2/5 for the food.

I use Trip Advisor as a mainstay for checking out hotels, restaurants, etc. However, I have to say, Lady Mendl's does not live up to its reviews. I went to NYC for a girls get away just before Christmas. After an awesome day of looking at the beautiful windows, the Christmas tree, etc. and getting excited to see the Rockettes, this experience just put a damper on the entire day. While the decor is very much the Victorian setting befitting a tea room, the staff are lacking in manners and general business skills. We arrived early as we were instructed and were, in fact, the first ones there for our seating. We proceeded to watch every person who came in after us get taken to their tables for the same seating. We even sat there by ourselves long after the last person was seated. The person taking names never acknowledged that we were still there. In fact, a waiter asked who we were waiting for in our party. We had much higher hopes once seated however when the waiter removed my salad w/ still half of it left (he never asked if I was finished - just swooped it up) it just continued to get worse. The sandwhiches were not brought in a normal fashion on a tea plates but rather brought by waiters serving them very sparingly. They tasted as if they had sat around for a while as the bread was stale. The cookies were absolutely horrible - the icing was like a rock and were worse than the ones you pick up in the grocery store. All in all, this was a waste of time and money. Unless they get better management of this place, it won't last long.

I have actually been here twice and both times have been impressed by this cute little place on Irving. As an experience it is enjoyable on all levels; the environment, the food and the service. Lady Mendl's is a good place for an intimate tete a tete with your sister or close friend, perhaps a good location to take the mother in law to tea or host a small and beautiful baby or bridal shower. I have only ever been as part of a two so can't comment on their ability to host larger groups but I have seen larger groups in there for a shower/special celebration. They only do a set menu and two sittings per afternoon. Set menu is $35 each which is fairly reasonable for the experience. It does get a bit pricier by the time you add in tax and mandatory 20% tip though... was over $90.00 for two people. So definitely for a special occasion. The food by itself doesn't warrant that kind of price but I think that the experience overall is probably fair. From the moment you walk up the steep steps to the entry you definitely feel that this is a special place. It is so calm and quiet inside that you hardly think you are in NY anymore, and as an English woman, it does make me feel at home somehow! The rooms are well-decked in the appropriate amounts of chintz, floral fabrics, cozy sofas and rose-scented candles. A note, it is a small space and in a brown-stone type building so don't go expecting a large scale operation. Probably there are 12 tables or so. Service is calm and befitting to the place, everyone I came into contact with was helpful and accommodating (e.g. change table to a better one, second round of sandwiches etc). There are not huge amounts of staff so if you go on a week day when it is not full there may only be one waiter around serving everyone. This seems to work ok and I never felt like we had to wait overly long for any of the courses. Essentially the whole vibe is to relax and enjoy some calm anyway so you don't want to feel rushed. The food is ok/good. They bring a small tart (amuse bouche size) to start. The last time I went it was squash and parmesan filling, was tasty. Sandwiches on both occasions I have been are egg salad, turkey & cranberry, smokes salmon, cucumber. You get to pick which ones you want. They are standard tiny tea service size but I ate 8 last time I went - was definitely full at the end. After the sandwiches are the scones and clotted cream. Definitely the best course by a way...warm scones, (plain and cranberry) were delicious and the raspberry jam and clotted cream were also good quality and a decent portion size. Next comes the crepe layer cake filled with cream. Seriously heavy and rich but its nice. They also bring some chocolate covered strawberries & assorted biscuit/mini cake type things with this course. I think most people have these wrapped to go because by that time you are full! Oh - I almost forgot, you have a fairly extensive choice of teas and they bring each person a nice large pot of it (at least 4 cups inside!). In summary... What I like: - Ambience, calmness and service - Perfect place for an intimate get together - Scones - Location (its a nice street, easy to get to) Could do better: - Would like some variety on the "cake" section of the proceedings....the layer cake thing is kind of specific and the smaller biscuits/cakes are tiny and not my idea of a classical cream tea! - Mandatory 20% tip seems a bit heavy handed. Especially when it is only 2 people.

Went on Valentine's Day for tea which cost $85 each plus tax and tip. Over $200 for some very nice soup, a pleasant salad, four tiny sandwiches and various cakes. We have taken tea at Claridges and the Ritz in London for a similar cost. The service here lacks the little extras and attention to detail that make you forget the price! You would do better heading up town to somewhere more classy that understands how to make you feel special.

This is a wonderful, popular place for tea. I've heard that you need to book far in advance, but I was lucky to make a reservation within a week of calling. It might seem pricey but the food and the tea is worth it...plus such fabulous service. There are salmon sandwiches, scones, little cakes...so bring an appetite. If you would like more, just ask although our server offered to bring out more food on multiple occasions. We definitely took him up on the offer. Everything is delicious, and it's such a wonderful way to spend time with a daughter, sister, or any loved person in your life. I highly recommend it and have even purchased gift certificates as graduation presents.

Travelled to NY with my daughter and a friend, last time we were in New York (four years ago), we had afternoon tea at the Waldorf which we absolutely loved, this time we wanted to try somewhere different. After reading the reviews for Lady Mendls, my daughter made the booking and we were all really looking forward to it. On entering you are transported to an era of elegance and gentility, however, I think maybe on the day of our visit there may have been some staffing problems. In reception there was a dour looking gentleman, busy with his laptop and mobile phone, who totally ignored us, and for a few minutes we were left wondering what the procedure was, the 'drawing room' was full of interesting nick nacks, but with the guy on the laptop appearing so unfriendly, we felt reluctant to have a look round or even talk to each other for fear of 'interrupting' him. After a few minutes we were met by our 'server' who was really pleasant and helpful, she took us into the tea salon, and the mood changed, she was realy courteous and friendly and we really began to enjoy the experience. Loved the ambience of the place, and the little extra touches (decorated suguar cubes, which we took home whith us) but thought the food was a little mediocre, sandwich fillings not particularly exciting, although I did like the smoked salmon on rye bread, but they did not appear to have been freshly made. The scones however were delicious, as was the fruit conserve they were served with. On leaving the rude 'gentleman' in reception was still busy on his laptop and mobile phone, and once again totally ignored our presence. Overall, we did enjoy the experience, but have not yet found anywhere that betters 'Tea at the Ritz' in London.

So, my wife and I were holidaying in New York and after an exhausting day walking around decided to get a nice taste of home, the UK, by partaking in afternoon tea. After all we Brits invented it in the first place and we have savoured the best all over England. We found online that Lady Mendl's on Irving provided such and thought that was just the ticket and walked for about an hour to get there. Upon arrival, we noticed that the place looked nice and there was only two people dining, this was about 1pm on Saturday 3rd September. Seeing this as not too encouraging given the time and day but considering that at least we wouldn't have to wait for a table we waited. Someone, who I assume was a waiter or maitre'd then came and sniffed at us as to whether we had a reservation. Looking us up and down, I was in shorts/shirt and my wife a dress, he acted like we had made a rookie mistake not booking this prestigious venue well in advance. Considering the place was empty and soulless, I said no that we did not. Then this person in a condescending tone said "you do realise it's a $60 a head menu, don't you?". We had not been aware but didn't consider that was too cost prohibitive, after all Claridges doesn't come cheap, and though I took exception to his tone and demeanour, we asked to see the menu showing what courses were available. He showed us the menu and as we were looking through it, this awful individual haughtily advises that we should wait in the lobby while we reviewed the menu and if we decided to have the lunch we could book there. In the lobby we decided not to continue, not because we couldn't afford it, but because instead of seeing it as an opportunity to bring in customers to his EMPTY venue by taking us through and tempting us with the menu, this awful waiter decided to snootily look down his nose and turn away customers when the place was empty. Shameful. I thought New York was the home of good service but this was terrible. My wife and I are successful professionals who can easily afford such minor luxuries and to have a snotty waiter look down his nose at us was frustrating and annoying. So, another venue got the benefit of our cash and generous tip and I'll definitely tell everyone I know to avoid this faux glamorous empty and vain venue like the plague. The culture of tipping in the US and especially in New York has gone to some service employees heads, demands of upwards of 20% for mediocre service are standard and almost taken for granted. Couple this with the trend of VIP velvet roped venues, minimum spends and bottle service and cities like this start to lose touch with what's important which is providing a quality service. No wonder some think they and their venues are something special. Stick your afternoon tea, Lady Mendl's, you probably don't do it properly anyway, and fire/retrain your front of house employees, maybe you'd have a more busy venue if the first impression wasn't influenced by some arrogant, snooty individual who thinks he's some sort of paragon of class turning away paying customers when your venue is bereft of any.

Very pricey afternoon tea. Mediocre food, no choice, not fresh taste to slice of cake and scones. Inappropriate to start tea with butternut squash soup and no other option. Clotted cream stiff and not sweet. Service so slow that waiter cleared table not realizing we hadn't been served dessert. When it arrived it came without the chocolate dipped strawberry I saw on other tables. Many lovely tea choices, but no server asked if we had questions, or discussed varieties, or told us whether we could sample more than one. Pleasant servers. The tea sandwich course was very good . The big plus is a very cozy well decorated room. $59 per person was way over priced.

Has this establishment been recently sold? I have visited Lady Mendl's many times, always delighting in having a lovely traditional afternoon tea served in the gorgeous setting of the Inn at Irving Place where one can feel the New York of Henry James or Edith Wharton. Having returned for a holiday tea with my daughter yesterday, I can only say the experience paled in comparison to my prior visits. I was very saddened to see that they have done away with their extensive tea menu, once a real treat listing seemingly endless varieties of black, white and herbal teas. Now only a mere four choices are provided, a plebeian offering of English Breakfast, Earl Grey and two rather unappealing herbal varieties. More than the lack of any decent choice of tea leaves, what is served up tasted as though it were brewed at the local diner, flat and lacking any depth in it's flavor. I learned that the pots are no longer filled with the essential boiling hot water required for the tea to be properly steeped, but instead it comes pumped from a tank of hot water. I have to give our server a great deal of credit, an extremely accommodating young man, as he endeavored to rescue the meal by showing me the tea source (despite the fact that bags are now used instead of caddies) and returning our pot to the kitchen and preparing it the way I felt it should be done. I just felt that, although the food was lovely (although the scone is now a one huge one as opposed to the earlier smaller 2 or 3), much has been taken away from what used to be a really lovely tea service, and for $59 a serving, to not know how to properly brew a pot of tea is rather in excusable. Perhaps I may be one of only a few people for whom this matters, but the experience at Lady Mendl's is just not what it once was...

It's an unassuming facade, but inside Lady Mendl's is a delight. A fixed price, five course high tea service which completely hits the spot on a cold day in NYC. The staff was warm and engaging, and the interior design is funky and comfy. The food is good and just enough, and the ability to try a variety of teas is fun. I'm glad we made reservations and had the opportunity to spend nearly two hours at Lady Mendl's!

Yesterday's High Tea was an absolute treat. At Lady Mendl's you feel as though you have stepped back 100 years as soon as enter. Civilised and calming whilst the world rushes on by outside. The food is delicious and the choice of teas quite remarkable. We'll definitely come here again and would recommend to our friends

Lady Mendl's Tea Salon in New York city specialises in high tea. It is a little hard to find but the search is worth it. The decor is feminine with pretty soft furnishings, flowers and china and the ambiance is quiet and refined. The food is delicious especially their signature cake (a layered crepe cake of at least 20 layers) and scones. There are several courses of food served and the staff are happy to box up what you don't eat. My only negative comment about the food is that the bread for the sandwiches was a bit dry...but the fillings were yummy. I thought it was a bit cheeky when they added a 20% gratuity to the bill for a table of 4 guests but it is New York. Who knows? We may have tipped more as we enjoyed the experience so much. I have been to many high tea establishments around the world and Lady Mendl's rates highly. I would recommend this salon if you enjoy the whole high tea culture.

I had looked into Lady Mendell's for several years. It was something that I knew my mom would eat up but I thought was a bit pricey for what you actually get. I decided to bite the bullet and make a reservation during Christmas week. I would highly recommend this time (or Easter and Mother's Day) as the place is beautifully decorated. We were seated in a beautiful Victorian parlor room on a banquette that overlooked a fireplace. The table was dressed beautifully down to the little flower sugar cubes on my saucer. It's what you would expect. We picked our teas from a huge menu. They steep them and each person in your party gets their own pot of tea. Then the courses in our seating began. We had the mini sandwiches (cucumber, turkey cranberry, smoked salmon and egg salad) they were really very good and they came around and refilled your plate. After that it was pretty much sweets for the remainder of the courses: scones with clotted cream (which were excellent ), the signature cake (excellent) and then cookies and chocolate covered strawberries which not being a "sweets" person I didn't indulge in. All in all, it was a fun and unique experience. I left satisfied and filled up on sweets but honestly, a couple hours later I still ended up grabbing something substantial to eat. It probably ends up being about $45 a head with tip (which is an automatically 20% added to EVERY bill.) I was a bit put off by this because while our waiter was very friendly, I had to ask him 3x for several things and he never filled water, cleared plates promptly etc. so I'm not sure I would've given him a full 20%. Not a huge deal but when you're paying $45 dollars for a few tiny sandwiches and sweets then the service should be impeccable. I

My college roommate and I met in NYC just before Christmas to do some catching up. We started with tea at Lady Mendl's. It was absolutely fun and delicious! You are taken back in time by the quaint Victorian decor and lit fireplaces. Our table was beautifully decorated with china, flowers, and even a sugar cube with a pretty rosette. The tea (there was a large selection) was perfectly steeped and hot. All five courses were delicious!! The sandwiches, while small, were quite filling. I would kill for some more of the cake. I still have dreams about it!! We could barely touch the final plate with the chocolate covered strawberries and cookies. I can't wait to go back and experience Lady Mend's with my mom.

I have been to Lady Mendl's many times over the years and have seen the prices go up steadily, but that being said, it still is a lovely place to have tea, finger sandwiches and desserts. You can have as many cups of tea as you want, and you can vary the teas also. We started out with a cubes of watermelon with basil and feta cheese which was quite tasty and refreshing for this time of year. The next course was finger sandwiches - a variety of salmon, cucumber, egg salad, turkey, and butternut squash on crostini. You can have as many as you like. Afterwards came small but delicious scones - one plain and one with cranberries. It was served with lemon curd, raspberry preserves and clotted cream. Next served was their signature cake which is my favorite since it's made with 20 layers of crepes and cream in between. It is not heavy but, at this point, we were quite full. The final course consisted of chocolate covered strawberries, cookies, and macarons. The server was attentive and gave us our leftover cookies and strawberries in a box without asking. The rooms are so tastefully done, warm and inviting. The atmosphere was a lovely setting for the celebration of my daughter's upcoming wedding. By the way, Lady Mendl's is especially beautiful during the Holiday Season.

The atmosphere here is rarer than rare. A delightful 4pm tea with a choice of sandwiches and cakes - it felt like something out of Jane Austen.....

My mother and I visited Lady Mendl's for high tea. This was a truly darling experience from the minute we walked up the stairs to the minute we walked our the door. The food was delicious and well presented. The tea tasted flavorful. The decor was outstanding. The atmosphere is perfect for tea. The staff was accommodating and warm. We truly enjoyed our time. Thank you!

Before I tell you about this marvelous spot, I’ve got to give you some background information into the fabulously interesting Lady Mendl. She is too New York City. If you know a bit of her history when you enter the Inn and see the Victorian architecture and furniture, you will allow yourself to slip back in time to another world. It’s all quite enchanting. Born into a wealthy New York family, Elsie de Wolfe (1865-1950) was educated in Europe, had her entrance as a debutante in the court of Queen Victoria, and when her father died, debt-ridden from gambling, Elsie became an actress to support herself. She also became the lover of Bessie Marbury, one of the most powerful women in New York. But Bessie’s a whole ‘nother story. Their home stands diagonally across the street from the Inn at Irving Place. At age 40, her acting career over, Elsie retired from the stage to become an interior decorator—in fact she practically pioneered the art of interior decorating, and her books became textbooks for those who followed. At age 60, she married Sir Charles Mendl for his title and continued her association with Bessie. Among her many accomplishments, Lady Mendl held salons on weekends for the rich and famous in NY theater and art—Oscar Wilde, Elizabeth Arden, and Cole Porter who included Lady Mendl’s name in his witty lyrics in Anything Goes—invented the Pink Lady cocktail, invented blue hair rinse for graying ladies, wrote books on interior design and eventually her autobiography. So, walk up the steps to enter this beautiful home. Turn left and enter the parlor, and then to the tea room, magnificently set with fine china service, a sugar cube decorated with a rose sitting on the saucer. You have come for a five-course high tea. You choose your tea from a wide selection, and your waiter brings a fresh, crisp, mixed green salad with vinaigrette dressing. Undoubtedly you sigh deeply. You’re meant to be pampered. You converse unhurried through this course. Your tea cup may be refilled if necessary. The wait staff offers you tea sandwiches: smoked salmon with dill cream cheese on pumpernickel, cucumber with mint crème fraiche on brioche, goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes on 7 grain, and smoked turkey and cranberry on brioche. Choose as many and as varied as you wish, and when you finish, your waiter will offer more. You eat slowly, enjoying the relaxing ambiance and the good company and conversation. You understand how lovely these mid-day breaks can be. More tea? Your third course consists of scones with Devonshire clotted cream and preserves. If you think of the most delicious scone, the most sensational cream, and the freshest, fruitiest preserves you’ve ever eaten, ratchet it up a notch. This is heaven. Your next course is beyond belief. This is a “cake” comprised of layers of thin crepes separated by layers of custard. Everything was so tight and light that it stood no higher than a slice of pie. Stunning! My sister, Robyn, at the end of the day, went into the kitchen to get the recipe for this gustatory delight, and they shared it with her! By the time we finished this exceptional course, we could not believe there was anything more to enjoy. But wait. The last part of the tea was presented on platters—fresh cookies and chocolate covered strawberries. Voilá! Picture yourself here for a special afternoon. You will not be disappointed. I’ve been here twice. The second time was a bridal shower. Marvelously done. The atmosphere, the furniture, the tea service, and the wonderful food made this a shower to remember. Even the lavatories are in keeping with the Victorian era. My first visit around Christmas, brought me to another room where a beautiful tree was decorated with china tea cups. Lovely. In New York City, jump back in time and be pampered—as you well deserve.

The best thing here are the ambience, smoked salmon sandwiches, clotted cream and crepe cake. The scones were dry and would be better off without sugar on the top. Our server didn't make us felt welcome during our afternoon tea. Turkey sandwiches were dry. Due to their 90mins dining limit, we felt rushed through our afternoon tea. Service was mediocre. Tea gets cold and should have kept warm throughout the dining. Not worth it for about $50 per person price tag (tax + mandatory 20% gratuity).

A very nice spot for Afternoon Tea. More like a lunch than a tea, this menu begins with soup, and then moves to finger sandwiches (five different versions), scones, chocolates, and lots of tea. It is not exactly what one might get in England. There one would not get soup or scones with sugar on top, so it is a bit Americanized, but none-the-less very nice and well worth a visit. Service is great. Some people dress up for tea here. It is a two hour feast. $65 per person plus tax and tip, minus any alcohol. There are some nice cocktails and champagne on the menu.

First of all, the ambient is perfect! They only have the 5-course fix menu, which in fact big overpriced.. Esp. After tax and tipping, my bill of 2 people comes with 150. While the scone and mille fuilles is really nice, scone bit too big, but i made to finish it all! While the petite four is kinda of, nothing. Biscuit, Chico coated strawberry, dry macaron, we almost didn't eat any of it. I would say in NYC there are many nice places for tea with more competitive price and food. And I heard this place has been changed, before it was better. Pity..

We began our experience with a wonderful lady called Catherine who called to make our arrangements. She was very informed and helpful about the services that were offered. I had thought of arranging an additional amount of time but she assured me that we would not be hurried out of the room and would be able to say goodbye without being rushed. Jordan our host was wonderful, he was friendly and very attentive to our guests. It was a small room with 24 people and he did a great job at not interrupting our guests as they were interacting with each other. He made sure that everyone was served and had plenty of food to eat. He served tea and cocktails all through the night it was lovely. Our daughter did not know where we were going and everyone had a super time. Luckily most of the guests left before things began to change. Jordan had arranged with me that all would be well as long as we were out by 8 p.m.. We began to pack up an enormous amount of baby shower gifts and say our last good byes. Two other guys came in and were clearing the tables and began to jostle the guests who were left. Eventually at 7.50 the younger man stated loudly would you all please go we have to set the tables again. I knew there were no other parties coming into that room. We gathered our things and moved to the lounge to finish our goodbyes. I left an extra $40 in with the payment that had already included service charges because I was still extremely impressed with Jordan and Catherine and I wanted Jordan to have more. The rude young man pocketed the cash which did infuriate me. I have to say if you book this place for a party and if you feel you will be late please book the extra 30 mins and I am sure that everything will be awesome. The experience up to that point was absolutely wonderful. The food was lovely and well worth the charges. The atmosphere at the time of the party was very friendly and typical of a tea in London (I am British). Ask for Jordan he was lovely as a host. Despite this rude young man I would definitely go again and if I booked a party I would make sure we had enough time it would be worth paying the extra to maintain the lovely atmosphere. We did leave a present behind and I am still hoping we get that back. I am also in touch with Catherine who I am sure will make sure this does not happen again. I was always going to write this review I am just disappointed that it could not be all positive as for the most part they deserve it.

I went to Lady Mendls in early March 2020 with two friends right before the corona virus became the Pandemic it is today. It was a wonderful experience from the minute we walked in the door. The ambiance was wonderful and so peaceful with light music playing in the background. Our waitress Daniella could not have been more friendly or informative about the different teas served with each course. Each course was delicious (and not rushed). It was a quiet day at Lady Mendles so we were able to sit and relax for about 3 hours which made it even nicer. Honestly it was the perfect day and a good memory to look back on with everything that's happened since that day in New York City. God Bless everyone!

We had 5:00 Pm reservations. When we were served our tea, it was cold and not stepped. Not a great start for a tea house. The sandwiches were almost literally thrown at us and we had to constantly ask for our cups to be refilled. By 6:10 we were given our check only to find out that the last reservation should have been for 4:30 but no one told us so instead we cold cold tea and a rushed meal and terrible service. I definitely would never go back again and was so disappointed. This should never have happened and it was not inexpensive .

We were a group of 5 . Elegant setting .luscious scones , coddled cream and jam . Delicious sandwiches . Cheesecake out of this world . Petite cakes and large variety of teas . Beautiful fire place and a the Christmas tree had old English tea cups on it . Service was wonderful . The only set back that it was for only 90 minutes and we felt we needed more time to sit relax and chat .

As mostly annual visitors to NYC, we started seeking Tea Rooms offering Afternoon Tea app. 20 years ago. When we found Lady Mendl's at the Inn at Irving Place, we have only tried a few others! We make a reservation to go there everytime we are in NYC! They have more limited tea times now than years ago, so be sure to check their availability & make a reservation in advance. We love the ambience of this venue (it's a brown stone)...as well as the décor, the food and excellent service. Their food is wonderful, and their 20+ layer "crepe cake" is a real treat that no other tea rooms offer. You get that AFTER eating all the courses before it.........the most delicious savories & sweets...and beautiful dishes, dining areas and presentation. Since the last seating is around 4PM, we usually have their Afternoon Tea service then, because it is usually our dinner and we need nothing more after that! We've noticed that there are lots of bridal showers at Lady Mendl's...and for good reason! It's a very special place for special occasions....it's also a Bed & Breakfast ;) You will be very impressed with Lady Mendl's for Afternoon Tea. Allow yourself plenty of time to get there & enjoy the quietness of its neighborhood. We always enjoy going there and will plan to do so every time we are in the city!

We are avid "Afternoon Tea" junkies! We love trying them everyplace we can! If you are a tea lover, you will be treating yourself to a wonderful experience if you go to Lady Mendl's in NYC. It is in an historic brick brownstone, which is also an Inn. If you like antiques, low lighting, being spoiled by great service & food, then be sure to book in advance for Lady Mendl's! We often go at 5PM, for a lighter dinner.......which is really filling & we don't need another thing to eat the rest of the night! Located in a quiet, safe n'hood, it is also used by many brides for showers, so I recommend you DO make a reservation. Enjoy!

My mother and bridesmaids planned an AMAZING bridal shower for me at Lady Mendl's Tea Salon at the Inn at Irving Place. It was an excellent idea to have "Afternoon Tea" in a formal setting, and all the guests loved the presentation and food that was served. I highly recommend this location for daytime events like bridal and baby showers, as well as for a formal tea date for the ladies. Their food and service was excellent! Their decor is so lovely. Shawn and James were VERY helpful in planning my special day! Thank you!!!

If atmosphere is more important to you than value, then you will probably enjoy Lady Mendl's. The ambiance and service were both very lovely. The quality of the tea and food fell short, however. I could prepare tea just as well with a pot of boiling water and a Twinings teabag; the sandwiches and scones were lackluster and the famous cake was tasty but just a small sliver was served. Furthermore, if indeed the price included the gratuity, that was not made clear on the bill, so I believe that my hostess was doubly generous.

At first this might seem awfully expensive, but as an experience of leisure and elegance without stuffiness it is unmatched. For a bride to be, a special girlfriend reunion, a mother daughter outing this is a special pampering you won't forget. Casual, eclectic elegance abounds from the quirky unmatched bone China settings to the stunning floral arrangements and seating that ranges from comfy settees to elegsnt sidechairs You will feel transported to another time.

Having pre-booked afternoon tea for 4 people a couple of months ago,for which there was only 1 sitting available at 2.30, we were all looking forward to something special.We arrived promptly as was suggested,and were served by 2 very unfriendly waiters.Shown to our seats ,sandwiches were very small and not enough,tea was weak and wasn't allowed to brew,had to ask for milk and so it goes on.Thoroughly disappointed ,would never go again when i return to new york and to be honest would not recommend it . Plus they award themselves with a 20% tip,for a very poor and unfriendly service.

If you look at the photos online, you'll be reasonably prepared for this very authentic afternoon tea spot. It is expensive, but afternoon tea in NYC invariably runs so. Of course, I've had a lot of afternoon tea in London that's expensive as well. Sure beats the Russian Tea Room in price, food and service. Our waitress was most friendly, attentive and helpful. You get lots of tea with several selections, a soup (ours was a delicious spiced pumpkin apple), scones and Devonshire clotted cream, tea sandwiches, cookies and a dessert. Don't go there thinking it's a light afternoon tea . . . it's not. The decor is highly entertaining within this very discrete Georgian brownstone. Assuming your manhood can deal with afternoon tea, take your wife or date, it's lots of fun.

I had this place on my must visit list and finally got there for a birthday celebration. It was everything I hoped for. We went at 2:30 on a Wednesday and the place had a few customers and was quiet and peaceful. Our waiter was pleasant and attentive, and clearly appreciated the tea and food he served. Every course was delicious, but we only took seconds on the scones as we were getting full and dessert was coming. We left totally pleased with our experience. Will gladly return, perhaps next time with my daughters.

My sister and I got tea here for her birthday, and everything was phenomenal! Going in, I thought the price was a little steep, but after the experience, I can say it was totally worth it! It is a 5-course prix fixe menu, and you can either select a pot of tea or do a tea pairing with each course. We did the tea pairing so we could try multiple, and they were all delicious and paired very well with the food. We were also offered a glass of champagne, a mimosa, or a Bellini. The food was soooo good, I usually can eat much of a prix fixe menu as a vegetarian, and was pleasantly surprised that there was only one item of the entire meal I couldn't eat (it was a salmon tea sandwich, but my sister enjoyed it, so it was not wasted). All of the food was fresh and had great flavor. The scones were some of the best I've ever had. We were so full by the time we left and had so many cups of tea. The service was amazing, everyone was so kind, and they even put a candle in one of the dishes for my sister. The space is beautiful and eclectic in the best way! This place is such a gem and the perfect afternoon tea stop in Manhattan! I already can't wait to go back next time I'm in the city.

This place is a RIP OFF. Decor like a brothel, slow and insolent service, unappetising food, shocking tea, sloppy attention to detail - all for the ridiculous sum of almost $60 per person. Do NOT go there. I treated 2 dear friends to what I thought would be a fun and interesting afternoon tea in New York. Instead we had a really terrible afternoon tea in New York. Dry sandwiches, even drier scone with minuscule amounts of cream, jam and lemon curd, weak tea, crumbs thrown over one of my companions by the flouncy waiter who was borderline rude on our arrival. I didn't want to spoil our outing, so we stayed but really this place is dire. We should have left and had the gorgeous tea for less money at Bergdorf Goodman instead.If I could give it 0 out of 5 I would.

I've always loved Lady Mendl's tea service and went there often for many years when I lived in NYC. Since moving from NYC I became a vegan and when I was planning a trip to NYC a couple of weeks ago I was delighted to learn that Lady Mendl's had a vegan tea service. The place was still as lovely as I remembered it and the service was, as always good. I appreciated the fact that they offered a vegan tea service since I was only able to find a couple of other places in NYC that indicated that they did so. I didn't even balk at the fact that the vegan tea service was more expensive than the non-plant based tea service. However after having experienced the service I do feel that the additional charge was excessive. The soup was lovely. The sandwiches were pretty good, though my colleagues who had the standard service were offered additional sandwiches; none were available with the vegan service. For the sweets my colleagues got an assortment of chocolates, cookies and cake and I got...sorbet. Now I have nothing against sorbet, but seriously...they couldn't provide a single vegan cookie or piece of cake. There are recipes for vegan cookies and cakes that vegans and non-vegans find delightful. I know. I had a vegan food product company for a while and I provide vegan cookies at my bed and breakfast in southern Wisconsin and people gobble them up. Yes gobble up vegan cookies in southern Wisconsin. It's really not that hard and if they didn't want to make vegan cookies or cake they could have purchased some. I was sorry that Lady Mendl's charged me more but served me less than my companions.

I came here recently with my family for a late afternoon tea after a day of crazy SoHo Black Friday shopping. It was such a nice respite from the crowds and the cold. The tea and wine selections were lovely and the sandwiches and scones were well made, delicious and fresh. The atmosphere is classic old New York with a lovely, well-appointed sitting room and comfy furniture. While the atmosphere was warm and inviting the service was less so but it was also late in the day and maybe the staff just wanted to go home for the day. Very nice option for tea in this part of town.

I heard good things about lady mendl's so my mother and I decided to give it a try as we are very into getting afternoon tea. The inn were lady mendl's is located is so quaint and charming. The decor was historic and very charming- we loved it. The tea was also great- five courses and they were all great and filling! The sandwiches and scone were by far the best . The only thing I was disappointed about was the small selection of tea they had . Otherwise atmosphere, service, and food was great!