Fino's Orangery in Tower Hamlets

I ate there most days when working in Harbour Exchange. The food is great, service was superb and the ambiance for a busy office complex was extraordinary. I particularly liked their 'Vongole'

I most have eaten there 100 times as I worked there for several years. The food is good and the service is slow but attentionate. A bit pricey but quite good.

The Orangery is set in a Kensington Park and is lovely, it is where the Queen used to grow citrus in London but you can walk in the door look around for about 20 seconds and see all the glory there is to see and save yourself a wad of cash. I never mind paying good money for a lovely experience but I really hate to just be taken to the cleaners and get about $4.00 worth of experience for 40.00 plus dollars. We have gone to the Orangery every time we’ve been in London but will not go again. The dishes used to be pretty blue and white ones now they are chipped white ones, say it with me…tourist trap! This is not an exaggeration for a small pot of watery tea (about 1 ½ cups) and bad service we paid 3.95 UKL which is 7.90 USD plus the conversion charge and to add insult to injury the tip is now 12 percent mandatory so the service has gone down the rat hole since they know they get a tip no matter what kind of service they provide. Total USD for a cup and ½ of mediocre tea $9.01 OMG! To top that slap in the face we made the mistake of ordering their pea soup which was the worst soup I have ever tasted. It was dehydrated peas half cooked then partially blendered with absolutely no flavoring, no salt, no pepper, nothing! Watery, flavorless slop which they had to nerve to charge 5.50 UKL which translates with the conversion and the mandatory tip to $12.30, so for a cup of watery tea and a bowl of substandard pea soup for 2 people we paid $42.62…OUCH! I have to say it is one of the biggest rip-offs in London! You are better off picnicking in the park, or just having tea by the Serpentine in Hyde Park for a few pounds. There is nothing in the view or the experience at the Orangery that warrants those kinds of prices. Even the Orangery cake named after the place is dry and common. I think the Orangery must be under new management and they have really taken a big turn for the worse.