The Hermitage Hotel in Bournemouth serves afternoon tea between 3-5pm every day. The hotel is located very close to Bournemouth Pier and the beaches.
The Hermitage Hotel was originally a boarding house known as ‘The Brookside’. It was home to the famous poet John Keble, and also used by Thomas Hardy as the setting for his murder scene in Tess of the d’Urbevilles.
Parking is available at the hotel at the front of the hotel. Alternatively there are plenty of parking options close by in town.
Afternoon Tea Choices At The Hermitage Hotel
When booking afternoon tea at The Hermitage Hotel, you are presented with a few options. If you’re looking for a light option, the Hardy’s cream tea includes warm scones, clotted cream, jam and tea or coffee.
Dorset afternoon tea includes finger sandwiches. The fillings include egg mayonnaise, cheese and chutney and smoked salmon. Homemade plain and fruit scones with jam and clotted cream are also included alongside an assortment of mini sweet pastries. All served with a choice of tea or coffee.
Afternoon Tea Setting At The Hermitage Hotel
The Hermitage Hotel afternoon tea is served in the lounges in the hotel. Some of the tables have a view out to the front of the hotel which includes the Bournemouth wheel.
Our Experience
We were seated quickly upon arrival at The Hermitage Hotel, and offered our choice of tea or coffee. The lounge area was nicely decorated and the chairs were very comfortable. If I were staying at The Hermitage Hotel, I would definitely be visiting the lounge to relax in for a while.
Our drinks arrived very quickly, however we waited quite a while for our afternoon tea stands to arrive at the table. Once the food did arrive, it didn’t disappoint at all. There was more than plenty to choose from and in fact we had to box some up to take home.
Everything was presented lovely on the stands. The sandwiches and cakes were also all very fresh, which is a welcome relief when enjoying afternoon tea.
With two scones, one fruit and one plain per person and three sandwiches each we barely had room for cake.
There was no less than five different sweet treats each! My particular favourite was a mini version of a jam and cream doughnut.
The only slight niggle we had with our experience was being able to find a member of staff when we wanted one. At one point we almost went to the reception desk to ask for a tea spoon. Our wait for a coffee and milk top up was also delayed. However we spent the time chatting and enjoying our food.
When the waiting staff were attending to us, they were very accommodating, so we were assuming they were just busy during the time we were there.
You may also like to read – Best places for afternoon tea in Bournemouth