Let’s start this review with the age-old question- clotted cream or jam first?

I am on team clotted cream first; however, my friend is on the other end of the debate which made for a lovely and not at all frustrating conversation at the table.

Anyway, on to the real reason you are here, the afternoon tea. We were pleasantly welcomed with a glass of prosecco which is always a great touch- the prosecco itself was lush!

As for our tea choices, I opted for the mango and strawberry tea and my friend had the English breakfast.

The afternoon tea includes the following:

Sweet stuff: Lemon sponge cake with raspberry drizzle, Matcha and strawberry Battenberg, Shortbread with Chantilly cream and blackberries, and a raspberry eclair

Sandwiches: Coronation chicken in a brioche bun, cucumber & dill cream cheese on beetroot bread, pulled ham with piccalilli & picked cucumber on rye bread, and smoked salmon with cream cheese on dark rye croûte. 

And of course, those all-important raisin scones with clotted cream and jam.

My favourite element were the scones, the pulled ham sandwich, and the smoked salmon en croûte. The scones had perfectly risen and were the ideal consistency with a generous number of sultanas in them. The pulled ham sandwich was filled with flavour and generously stuffed.

Honestly, the rest of the food left me feeling slightly underwhelmed. The other sandwiches were a little dry and the bread-to-filling ratio of the coronation chicken and cucumber sandwiches wasn’t quite right. The sweet treats are usually my highlight but sadly nothing really stood out. It felt like they had come straight out of the fridge, and they did not taste very fresh. The lemon drizzle cake was stodgy which was a shame as I was really looking forward to it!

As for the venue itself, it is so so lovely. The rooftop spot is super cute, and the décor is simple and elegant—great overall ambiance.

The service needs a little work, most of the staff didn’t seem too bothered which was a shame. Two managers did come up to the table at one point and were very friendly, adding that special service sparkle – it would be great if this level of warm service could be consistent across the team.

Ashmolean Museum Rooftop Restaurant
Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont St, Oxford OX1 2PH

Afternoon Tea for 2 starts at £57 (vegan options and added extras available)

Bitten were invited as guests of the restaurant, all views are our own