Fortnum and Mason reviews
Went for lunch at Fortnum and Mason on our special day out before seeing the Van Gogh exhibition at the RA. What a rip off! Unimaginitive starter - beetroot salad - was rock hard, stone cold and tasteless. Our main course - halibut - was nice but side order of 'spring vegetables' was just another boring salad dish with no vegetable whatsoever! Passed on the dessert, just ordering coffees. Starter, main and coffee cost us over £100.00!!
Should have gone to the Wolesely - much more choice, better value and nicer atmosphere. Fortnum's has not even managed to retain the old-worldy English ambience it once had. Quelle disappointment!
by S Ssternberg, 25 Feb 2010
Should have gone to the Wolesely - much more choice, better value and nicer atmosphere. Fortnum's has not even managed to retain the old-worldy English ambience it once had. Quelle disappointment!
by S Ssternberg, 25 Feb 2010
Visited for afternoon tea and was very disappointed. Service poor, waiting staff did not understand English, food average and VERY mean: slivers of ordinary cake, jam biscuits, minute scones with enormously unnecessary pots of jam to fill space on plates, and had to keep asking for more hot water for tiny pots of tea. Extremely poor value for money - £112 for afternoon for three (including £12.50 service charge for poor service)! Would certainly NOT recommend compared to other London venues. Don't bother.
by evemartin, 19 Feb 2010
by evemartin, 19 Feb 2010
I ordered a hamper from Fortnum and Mason, which arrived with nearly half the items missing, with no warning.
Fortnum's didn't reply to two emails pointing the situation out, and were then extremely stingy about compensation when I phoned.
The company seems to be in chaos and resting on its laurels.
by ehallsworth, 13 Jan 2010
Fortnum's didn't reply to two emails pointing the situation out, and were then extremely stingy about compensation when I phoned.
The company seems to be in chaos and resting on its laurels.
by ehallsworth, 13 Jan 2010
I placed an on-line order and picked a specific delivery date which was 11 weeks and 3 days away. The order contained 2 Christmas presents for work colleagues. The order is now 5 days late.
I found the call centre staff rude and unhelpful, with 1 person saying the order is "lost on our system" and another person telling me if I get off the phone they would be able to look into the matter quicker.
Tomorrow is Christmas eve and my parcel still has not arrived.
I have placed orders with Harrods for the past 8-9 years and never had a problem. I personally will never use Fortnum and Mason on-line again.
by porsman, 23 Dec 2009
I found the call centre staff rude and unhelpful, with 1 person saying the order is "lost on our system" and another person telling me if I get off the phone they would be able to look into the matter quicker.
Tomorrow is Christmas eve and my parcel still has not arrived.
I have placed orders with Harrods for the past 8-9 years and never had a problem. I personally will never use Fortnum and Mason on-line again.
by porsman, 23 Dec 2009
Visited several weeks ago and found it a pleasant experience. We had afternoon tea, which was lovely and the service very good. By far better than Harrods, which is ostentatious and snobby, although God knows why, with the escalator of bling! Fortnum's is a really nice store with great staff. Will definitely go again.
by c.murray660, 07 Nov 2009
by c.murray660, 07 Nov 2009
Wish I'd read this earlier! I placed an online order to be delivered on a specific day, only to be called on the day it was due to be delivered and told that the item was out of stock.
No reason provided as to why it took so long to call, just "sincere apologies". The girl seemed genuinely surprised that I wanted to cancel the order, and - as others have said - no compensation offered.
by MickeyGem, 29 May 2009
No reason provided as to why it took so long to call, just "sincere apologies". The girl seemed genuinely surprised that I wanted to cancel the order, and - as others have said - no compensation offered.
by MickeyGem, 29 May 2009
My daughter and I traveled to London. F & M was something we have talked about many times since our return. We celebrated with lunch. My grilled French sea bream, with roasted potatoes, harte covair, and hollandaise was nothing short of brilliant!Table side service to bone and fillet the fish, okay I thought that was pretty classy. Delicious and old world. Would love to do it again.
by brownc2, 09 Apr 2009
by brownc2, 09 Apr 2009
Horrendous experience dealing with their online service. Booked a delivery to be at a client's in USA by a certain day. When I tracked the delivery on the day it should have arrived, found it had only been despatched from the UK 2 days before and was residing in US customs with no signs of it being released.
If they had despatched it when I ordered it we wouldn't have had a problem, but they sat on the order for 6 days.
So they embarrassed me with a very important client and then, when I demanded a refund, they did not refund me the whole amount. Still arguing with them. They have proved that they provide no better service than any other two-bit online trader.
Suggest you stay well away.
by helford2000, 14 Jan 2009
If they had despatched it when I ordered it we wouldn't have had a problem, but they sat on the order for 6 days.
So they embarrassed me with a very important client and then, when I demanded a refund, they did not refund me the whole amount. Still arguing with them. They have proved that they provide no better service than any other two-bit online trader.
Suggest you stay well away.
by helford2000, 14 Jan 2009
This is a British institution! The service is without a doubt the best. Lunch is great and you will see English people not tourist more often than not, unlike Harrods. The Welsh Rarebit is the best - I always have this when I come home to Britain. The scones I have had have always been great and I'm sure if you told the staff they would have changed them. Starbucks scones are nothing like English scones, firstly you could NEVER half them and top them with cream & jam; the proper way to eat scones. Fortnum's remains and will always stand behind their products if you let them know.
by jkrober, 11 Sep 2008
by jkrober, 11 Sep 2008
My special treat store! When I have a bit of time just for me without the children, this is the place I go to play. I am a foodie and love the sight and smells that greet you. The service is wonderful - you are treated very well from the minute you walk in no matter if you buy a £200 bottle of wine or a £1 piece of candy. Harrods is quite snobby and unwelcoming by comparison. Bravo F&M!
by mcnamara, 06 Sep 2008
by mcnamara, 06 Sep 2008
I just went to Fortnum and Mason and had a horrible experience when coming home with a coconut to find (upon opening it) that it was completely rotten and fuming with horrendous gases. This is not my first bad experience with this posh 'palace of luxury'. I recently went here with my east coast aunt for tea, oh gee... the scones were dry (Starbucks are better), and the sandwiches were greasy and disgusting. Overpriced, bad service and possibly lethal products.
by london1234, 31 Mar 2008
by london1234, 31 Mar 2008
This place is great and the quality of the items on sale is splendid. One the best top 10 places in London.
by madmonk, 17 Feb 2008
by madmonk, 17 Feb 2008
Nice shop but avoid afternoon tea here. I went with a small group of friends for a Christmas treat and it was diabolical to try and book (the phone kept ringing and the only way I managed to book was to eventually email customer services), we were kept waiting for over 20 minutes and what was eventually brought to us was microscopic and very poor value for the price.
by Sally Gee, 10 Jan 2008
by Sally Gee, 10 Jan 2008
Good products, decent environment, especially above the food floors (but even there space and layout seems to have improved after refurb).
But... service generally poor. Dear Fortnums, stop hiring hordes of 16-year-old YTS kids from the local secondary school, and start employing decent staff trained in customer service skills. That goes for the shop and for the restaurants.
by Bubbles J. Smith (6 reviews), 30 Oct 2007
But... service generally poor. Dear Fortnums, stop hiring hordes of 16-year-old YTS kids from the local secondary school, and start employing decent staff trained in customer service skills. That goes for the shop and for the restaurants.
by Bubbles J. Smith (6 reviews), 30 Oct 2007
I think it's the best store in town. It's the only place I treat myself to lunch when I'm in town. Far superior to Harrods. Staff always smart and friendly. Love the new refit.
by Tea Green, 14 Jul 2007
by Tea Green, 14 Jul 2007
Brilliant in every way. Fabulous foods - try the 'Hot & Sour Olives', they're amazing! The chocolates are divine. Staff are great and friendly too. I love this place!
by Moo Moo "top london reviewer" (24 reviews), 09 Jul 2007
by Moo Moo "top london reviewer" (24 reviews), 09 Jul 2007
Very, very poor delivery and customer service. Champagne ordered for birthday gift and has been delivered to wrong person at wrong address and we are still searching for it 10 days later. No apologies made and no goodwill gestures.
by sarah holtby, 05 Jul 2007
by sarah holtby, 05 Jul 2007
Overpriced and no proper service like there used to be. Overall, greatly disappointed.
by Anonymous, 14 Feb 2007
by Anonymous, 14 Feb 2007
A quintessentially ENGLISH store, a feast for both the eyes and tastebuds. The shop windows and interior visual merchandising are excellent. The service is excellent too. Staff dress as they should, either in morning coats or, in the case of the managers, suits with a carnation in the lapel. Why can't more stores be like this?!!
by ?????, 10 Dec 2006
by ?????, 10 Dec 2006
Fortnum and Mason is a totally overrated department store. In my experience, it's merely a fancy supermarket with overpriced food that, to be quite honest, you could buy from Waitrose for half the price. Disappointing.
by patsy40000, 09 Dec 2006
by patsy40000, 09 Dec 2006
Have we missed a great food hall in London? Let us know.
