The Orangery Restaurant Ely - ELY

Maggie J.

Myself, mum and three sisters had the Sparking Afternoon Tea.

The Cava was very nice, so nice we needed to have a second glass.

The sandwiches were fresh and were well filled. The three cheese scones with onion chutney tasted great, as well as the fruit scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream.

The assortment of cakes was amazing.

One of us had the Gluten Free option and she said it was also delicious.

Everyone who worked here was friendly and professional.

The building and gardens are beautiful.

The whole afternoon tea tasted delicious and we would definitely book again.

James B.

Had a mixed experience of afternoon tea at Old Hall, which unfortunately fell short for the price paid. The highlight was undoubtedly the beautiful setting, with fantastic views towards Ely across open fields from the Orangery. The food was okay. The sandwiches were nicely constructed but had clearly spent time in the fridge rather than being made fresh; the bread was cold and slightly claggy in texture rather than tasting freshly baked. The scones were excellent, and the cakes were fine. The tea was poor, coming as a teabag in a teapot rather than loose leaf. It also wasn’t served until we specifically requested it, after the food had arrived.

Service was friendly and attentive, but there were some issues. When booking I was asked if it was a special occasion, so I explained we were coming for my wife’s birthday. However, this resulted in nothing more than one of the servers wishing her a happy birthday as we left. Why ask if there’s no birthday cupcake or similar? The servers also seemed uncertain when dealing with my wife’s allergies, and they did not take the time to explain each food item to us.

Worst of all though was the fact that on leaving the restaurant, as we were passing the bar, one of the servers asked us “have you guys paid?”, suggesting we might be leaving without settling up. That did not leave a good final impression. With that and the £85.50 bill for two (including the “optional” but automatically added 12.5% service charge), the overall experience represented dubious value.

Kateryna H.

Absolutely horrible service and tried to ruin our wedding day. Three days ago, my children, the bride and groom, came to this place to ask if they could order lunch since they were having a wedding. Modest for 6 people, my son is in the military and the girl is Ukrainian, so only a few friends could come. They were told that they could arrive after 12:00, the bar would be open, they could have a drinks but not a lunch, because all this for big wedding at a price of £20,000. Well, ok, we arrived at this place today after the ceremony and were told that the bar was closed and had never been open. The bride and groom were a little upset but decided to go to another place and before that, they went down to the field to take a few photos in front of the hotel (there is a hotel and a restaurant). At this moment old strange woman ran out and began rudely shouting at the bride and groom((( she said that she is the owner of this estate and that we should leave urgently. At the same time, there were no signs around the hotel that it was forbidden to take photos, the gates were open and the hotel website showed opening hours. We were about to leave, but the woman didn’t stop - she started chasing the bride to the car, and shouted after her, again about she is the owner here (I think she is very proud to be owner of the property with 20 grand for wedding day). And in the end, she told a bride that she dressed in a bad sign 🤬, plus she started grabbing my hands and snatching my phone. I tried to stop her and promised to call the police about the harassment and I will do it. But I want to warn everyone who is planning to come to this place, especially for a wedding. Don't believe the sweet website - completely inadequate and evil people live and work in this place and they definitely will ruin the most important day of your life.

Richard M.

From the stunningly beautiful tree lined approach and impeccably manicured hedges leading to The Old Hall, the beautiful interior and decor beholds a hidden treasure of The Orangery Restaurant. Our table, within the contemporary well-appointed restaurant, was next to the floor-to-ceiling windows inducing a feeling of openness and beautiful views of the gardens. The waitress staff were impeccable and courteous. Our three course dinner from the la carte menu consisted of locally sourced and seasonal fresh food. Simple food, reasonable priced, and perfectly executed.

Robin L.

Just had one of the finest Sunday Lunches I’ve ever had!!!

Amazing food. Amazing place and equally amazing service!!

Thank You!

We will most certainly be back.
Highly Recommended.

Zoe C.

Stunning venue, fantastic location with views of the Ely Cathedral. Sunday lunch was faultless and staff friendly and attentive. I would recommend to this place!

Rita J.

We had a very enjoyable lunch with a dear friend who is very well traveled and she was so impressed she is coming to the hall to stay for a couple of nights x

Julie G.

An excellent meal. Absolutely delicious food and super service. Would definitely to friends and family and would love to stay for a night sometime in the future.