The Garden Court

I was very excited to have Christmas tea at The Palace with a close friend. We traveled from the Sacramento area for a special day in SF. Reservations required. Tea for two with tax (excl. champagne - $86.80).

Our menu (per person serving): Five quarters of white sandwich bread, open faced with four different toppings. The toppings were sliced very thin see picture for size). One medium sized black currant triangular scone. Bite sized desserts (mini pecan pie, mini pumpkin pie, chocolate colored strawberry, shortbread dipped in chocolate), personal pot of tea.

I write this review in comparison of wonderful teas I’ve experienced in the past in other countries and States.

Positives: The ambiance and beauty of the dining room. We enjoyed beautiful music ... (more)by a live harpist. The servers made sure our teapots were full. We were able to sit and relax for 2 hours, never feeling pressured to leave. We highly recommend the Oriental Spice tea.

Negatives: If you do not ask, they will refill your teapot without new leaves. The sandwich bread was dry as if sandwiches were made the day prior and sat out. Two out of the four were somewhat tasty, the turkey was horrible. The scones were ok. Lemon curd was good, cream was ok (not clotted), and we could not determine the jelly flavor. The desserts reminded us of Costco. The strawberry was hard and tasteless.

Unfortunately, we were moderately annoyed by several young girls weaving through the dining room as their mothers enjoyed their lunch. We talked to the very friendly maître d' (after one hour of this) and he kindly offered us sparkling wine. We were also asked if we wanted an additional scone. This great service made our afternoon much more enjoyable.

Overall, for the price and reputation of The Palace Hotel we expected an exceptional menu selection and taste. We do not recommend and will not return unless the selection and taste improves.