A Champagne Afteenoon Tea for a special birthday for my Mum, this could not have been better! We have had many afternoon teas & this was one of the best...the food was fresh, well prepared, an excellent variety & plentiful. The surroundings are beautiful &...reading recent reviews regarding the temperature is just infuriating...exceptional weather in a traditional carriage can't be helped so anyone this precious should stay at home & not tarnish the reviews for such a special place! The main lady serving was fantastic & training another lady who was brilliant too. Can't recommend the Countess of York highly enough!More

There are so many more cheaper and better alternatives to this in York!! I booked with my mum and sister as a treat for today and before entering the train we could see sandwiches on a trolley left outside in the hot sunshine (approaching 30...degrees) before which wasn’t very assuring. The train was beautiful and despite what we seen were still looking forward to our afternoon tea. The food arrived and the sandwiches were ok, some of the bread was not very fresh but they were edible. The scones however were completely stale, definitely not fresh and were completely hard - I could only eat my fruit scone but the plain scone was solid I could barely chew through it. We told a member of staff this and she said she would let the chef know, and then never returned. She also agreed they looked more stale than usual. We paid our bill in full to another staff member as I did not want to cause a scene as the staff member was very nice to us, and on such a hot day I did not want to make her day any more difficult but I really do not think it was worth the £76 we paid, especially in York with so many beautiful family run bakery's around, the standard of the scones were appalling. Not only this, I sent this review to Countess of York email address 72 hours ago and have heard no reply. AVOID.More

We were looking forward to afternoon tea on the Countess of York carriage at the National Railway Museum but came way disappointed. The experience started poorly with no tea strainer for the tea and having to ask for the champagne we had paid for. The...sandwiches were dry and very small as were the scones. There are much better venues for afternoon tea in York.More

It was just ok, I wasn’t that impressed. First of all it was over 30 degrees inside a v small carriage, and no provision was made for the heat. No open windows or doors, one small fan blowing over no one. The clotted cream was...practically milk in the carton, maybe they could have put it on it? Cakes melting on the plate. I know it’s unprecedented the heatwave but it was forecast and so I think some more thought could have gone into the presentation and consequences of the heat. Also it was a very small portion of sandwiches, the 4 minute fingers we were given, would not have actually made up one full sandwich. We asked for more we were happy to pay extra, but they couldn’t make any more. One of the fillings was mashed up corned beef, meat in a tin is not worthy of an afternoon tea in my opinion. There was 4 of us and we ordered cold drinks as an extra, so the bill was over £100, for about 45 minutes as that was all we could stand in the heat, I was underwhelmed.More

Our visit was on a very warm day. The coach is situated in direct sun and the countess carriage had no air conditioning. It was like a sweat-box. They had a small oscillating fan that had no effect what so ever. Tbh we couldn’t get...out of there quick enough. In addition the staff were not dressed as they are in the advertised photos, just a pair of jeans and a T shirt. The carriage itself probably was a splendid carriage at some point but a little disappointing now. Although the food was ok it wasn’t worth the money spent. Save your money and go somewhere els. On the plus side you can look around the museum. (Much better place to eat in the museum)More

We have had an afternoon tea here many times and it is one of our annual highlight of our holiday. Never fails to impress. Unfortunately this year's visit was very disappointing. Normally there is a menu describing the sandwich fillings and desserts, and the waitress...will talk you through the fillings and flavours etc. This was not available this time so we had no idea what we were eating. That didn't matter too much as the sandwich fillings were very basic and dry, tuna, egg, processed ham! Normally the fillings are much more adventurous and delicious. Usually there is a cold soup, or savoury mousse to start, this was also missing, as was the shot glass containing a fruit posset as part of the desser. No fresh tea, just t bags. We asked why all the above was, and were told its because of a menu change apparently. It's a shame, as it used to be the best afternoon tea we've had.More

What a lovely experience! We really enjoyed our afternoon tea at the Countess of York. The staff were excellent - so lovely and accommodating! We required a gluten free option for a coeliac and also wheelchair access and everything was tailored to our requirements. We...were celebrating a friend’s 90th birthday and it was a perfect afternoon. Thank you!More

The food was delicious, a lovely range of sandwiches, savouries and cakes. The tea was unlimited! The service was exemplary and atmosphere was peaceful. A wonderful time.

After having to cancel because we had COVID and many phone calls to a lovely man we finally got here! It didn’t disappoint. We had a lovely experience and would highly recommend.

The carriage was awkwardly placed in a small area between the museum buildings. The table was set beautifully and the decor was lovely. However the windows next to the table had no outlook so it lacked the authenticity and atmosphere we had hoped for. The...food was okay but at £102 for 4 people we expected better.More

Had this experience bought for us as an anniversary gift. Our pre-conceived idea of an Edwardian sumptuous dining car was somewhat shattered on arrival. We turned up at 3.55 for a 4 o’clock start so we had 5 minutes to study the exterior. It’s a...fine line between characterful and shabby, unfortunately it leaned towards shabby as the roof was peeling and in serious need of repair. Doors opened bang on 4 and the first thing that struck us on entry was a whiff of urine, mmm! The decor was more 50s utilitarian than opulent ‘Orient Express’. The tables were nicely laid with clean white table clothes, but were freestanding with dining chairs, NOT like a dining car with fixed button backed seats. The lamp on our table needed dusting and had a cobweb hanging from the shade. The host was very pleasant and the food was ok, (to be ‘nitpicking’ the scones did not contain sultanas as was stated in the menu). and the non railway cutlery fell short (only 2 spoons for 3 applications). Was it worth £25.50pp? probably not.More

Our party of 11 thoroughly enjoyed this delightful experience. After the business of outside we loved the calm ambience of the old Pullman carriage. The table setting was spotless and set with silver cutlery and teapots and tableware and pretty crockery. Our party of choosy...diners with multiple food allergies and intolerances were delighted by the beautifully presented and delicious items on each of our tiers on the Afternoon Tea tiered plates. It was an enchanting and special meal served with great care and attention by our host. The most beautifully presented and special afternoon tea we've ever had. Much nicer than Betty's for anyone with food allergies or intolerances. (We did give lots of notice ) One of our party uses an electric wheelchair and this presented no problems as there are lifts and ramp.More