Cost – £40.00 per person, including tower entry (June 2023)
Parking and Access – There is a large public carpark at the Gunwharf Quays shopping centre, which is right next to the tower. Access is via a lift to both the café and to the main viewing platform. There is also a higher viewing platform that is only accessible by stairs.
There is an accessible toilet next to the café.
Background – We were going to be staying in Southampton for a couple of days before boarding for a cruise. Obviously, we needed to find some Afternoon Teas in the area to sample during our visit. We had been up the Spinnaker Tower some years ago, on a previous visit to the area. However, I had spotted some time back, that they now offer an Afternoon Tea at the top of the tower. It sounded right up our street!
Contents per person – Four finger sandwiches (tuna and red onion, cucumber and cream cheese, beef and horseradish and cheddar) plus a small amount of salad. A large fruit scone, a mini jar of Tiptree strawberry jam and a mini tub of Rodda’s clotted cream. A macaroon, a mini lemon tart, a piece of chocolate brownie, a mini Victoria sponge and a round piece of carrot cake. A pot of tea.
Options Available – There are gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options available for this Afternoon Tea. It is also possible to add a bottle of champagne or prosecco.
Comments – The Spinnaker Tower is situated right next to the Gunwharf Quays shopping centre. It is next to the harbour and has fantastic views over the water.
On arrival, we first went up in the lift to the main viewing deck. The views are amazing,
especially on a bright sunny day like the day we visited.
There is also a glass floor in part of the viewing deck, which was fun to walk over and to see through!
We also climbed the stairs to the highest viewing platform, but it was a very hot day, and this platform is not huge, so we didn’t stay there long.
Finally, we went to the café level, which was on the level above the main viewing deck. The café was really hot, and most of the seats were in full sun.
Luckily, we were a few minutes early, so we were able to choose a table that was by a side window, and was in the shade!
The table was laid with chunky blue green pottery plates, cups and saucers. We had a paper napkin and a cake fork and a small knife each. There was a slightly tatty menu on the table.
We both chose our usual English Breakfast tea to drink. This arrived quickly in a pottery teapot that matched the other crockery. It was accompanied by a matching jug of milk. As it was so warm, we also ordered an extra glass of cola each.
The tea was the right strength for us today. But I only had one cup, concentrating on drinking my iced cola instead. We were offered a refill, but didn’t need it on this occasion.
The Afternoon Tea arrived soon after the tea, served on a three-tier cake stand with round plates that matched the other crockery we already had.
The sandwiches were alright, but were nothing special. They gave us two of the tuna and red onion sandwiches each, as we had asked for our Tea without horseradish. They were all reasonably filled and were fresh and tasty. There was a mix of white and brown bread.
The scones were large and had been warmed up. They were nice and fresh.
There was plenty enough jam in the mini pots for the one scone each. There was also enough clotted cream.
The cakes were the best section of the Afternoon Tea. The small Victoria sponge and the carrot cake were the best bits. All of the cakes were fresh and moist. The mini lemon tart was very small, though!
Service was very friendly and nicely attentive. The views were fabulous. The only real problem was it was so hot with the sun full on the room!
| Savoury | 1.5 |
| Scone | 1.5 |
| Jam | 1.5 |
| Cream | 1.5 |
| Cake (variety) | 2.0 |
| Cake (quality) | 2.0 |
| Tea | 1.5 |
| Presentation | 1.5 |
| Service | 2.0 |
| Value | 1.5 |
| Total | 16.5 |
All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The photographs are all my own.
I remain completely anonymous and always pay for my Afternoon Teas. They are never gifted to me by the businesses reviewed.
I am the legal copyright holder of the content and images on this blog.
Sarnies Scones and Cakes 