Abbey Hotel Bath, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

We recently stayed at the hotel for 3 nights and had a lovely time. James on reception was really kind and helpful in finding the right room for our needs & we had a lovely quiet room. We really enjoyed meeting Sally as she was very warm and welcoming and made our stay! The location is great with lots of places in easy walking distance and the Hop on Hop off buses just down the road. Thanks to everyone in the hotel for looking after us so well.

My parents and I (Chinese) visited Bath as part of a tour group, though we were left to ourselves in between site visits. My mother had been talking excitedly of afternoon tea since we landed in London and Bath exuded the quaint type of atmosphere one would normally associate with a relaxing afternoon (your mileage may vary on this estimation but we are Americans so please understand me when I say that I am so very envious. Of what? Of everything. Of everything). The point I am meandering towards is that Mom wanted tea in the afternoon in England and all that experience might entail. The Abbey Hotel’s tearoom is a cozy locale with large windows to introduce the sun, decorated comfortably and situated so conveniently that you have no reason not to visit if afternoon tea is what you are after - the road is right there, just a few steps away. If you are here to visit the Roman Baths, this is probably where you will arrive. For my fellow Americans, I will disclaim that afternoon tea is (according to my sources, which consist of Americans serving afternoon tea in the States) not meant to be a full meal or replacement for lunch. Based off of this, I would consider it more a selection of refreshments instead. (The Abbey Hotel does serve a regular menu as well, if that is more to your tastes.) Our tea was lovely, exactly as what I had expected and just enough to fill the void in our bellies between meals. The tiered dishes consisted of a selection of finger sandwiches, scones, and of course desserts. The ham sandwich was my favorite, with a kind of pickle inside whose name I did not catch. I was surprised by the inclusion of a hummus sandwich which was a novelty to me and tasted as delicious as the rest. The scones were warm and buttery with a crunch to their shells that I could only describe as perfection. By the time we worked ourselves up to desserts, I was already satisfied. (A note to my fellow Americans: please work from the bottom up. The flavors are most harmonious in that order; otherwise the sweetness of the desserts will overpower the savory sandwiches). The passion fruit cheesecake (or was it a mousse) was wonderful and melted on the tongue. I did wish I had more of that one but I am trying to practice moderation these days. As for the tea itself- we started with a Lapsang which had the expected smoky fermented taste. Our server, Sally, interjected at the point when our pot went out with a fantastic suggestion. “How about the Blue Velvet?” Was along the lines of her suggestion. I hope she’ll forgive me for not remembering the exact wording. But really, this is the tea that we should have ordered all along. It is a beautiful cerulean blue tea, sweet and fruity. I am so glad Sally recommended it, and I am even more glad because this tea seems to be unique amongst the local tearooms. Even though it is a non decaffeinated tea, I felt the most revived I ever had for the entire week. It was a fantastic experience all around and thank you so much to Sally for her suggestions and attentiveness!

we have afternoon tea there, Sally is so nice, cheerful and helpful. Very good service