Before I get into the deets of my entire experience . I have to start by saying that the apple pie spring rolls are top tier. It is EASILLYYY top 5 best desserts I've ever had in my life! And I am a sweets girlieee! Perfect texture. Amazing light flaky crunch on the outside. Just right soft smooth on the inside. The sweetness level is spot on. And the perfect amount of gelato! BRAVO!! Ok so getting to everything else...great service. I was able to sit at any open table. I chose a table next to the window to take in the views of the city . The forever summer drink was well balanced. Refreshing. Can't go wrong with watermelon. The cauliflower was just ok. You're not missing anything if you don't order. The salmon was pretty good. They never asked for my temp so I assumed it would come out medium. It didn't. It was a little dry. What saved it was the sauce, and the cooked apples underneath. When I ate it all together, those other elements saved the dish, for me. Pretty tasty tho. I would recommend it as long as you specify your temp but I probably wouldn't order it again. I have my eye on the chicken sandwich. read more

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The tables are on the second floor, and very nicely decorated for the holidays! Like in other reviews, it is in the same room as the check in desk for the hotel, but I don't think that takes away from the experience at all. Especially since most of the tables are by the window and next to the bar anyways. Our service was impeccable, which adds to the stars. The autumn afternoon tea was good, but nothing special. There were a couple of bangers: the pumpkin arancini with truffle aioli (but I'm obsessed with truffle, so maybe I'm biased) and the pumpkin pecan tart. The tea selection and teas were beautifully presented and tasted delicious. I got the litchi tea, and it was tasty throughout the meal. All in all, a nice experience with sweet staff, but not worth the price. read more

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There's no better view to enjoy afternoon tea than looking out on the river. We were very impressed by our servers hospitality and he even brought out a complimentary mocktail and toast for us. Bread basket was scrumptious and perfectly captured the flavors of fall. The scones were divine with the maple curd. Favorite was the hazelnut praline croissant. Our thoughts on the tea tower were split. We very much enjoyed the sweet topper! The caramel apple cake was decadent and the pumpkin praline tart paired two fall dessert into one perfect bite. Savory section was a bit underwhelming. We enjoyed the arancini from the savory section but overall wished the bites were served hot! The bites could have used more texture or flavor punch to make them stand out compared to other tea towers in the city. read more

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We went to Bridges to enjoy a Christmas themed afternoon tea. While the experience was fun (because we enjoy a good high tea), it was a little pricey and not as refined as we hoped. It is held in the lobby bar, so it is open to the lobby with people lounging around, playing chess, and a couple napping in some lounge chairs. The tea was good, the selection of tea options was excellent, and the food was very good. Not a traditional English tea, but a nice spin on small bites. Our waiter was very nice and attentive as well. It was kind of pricey and they added a gratuity onto the bill (just two of us at the table) of 20%. So watch for that if you go. It's in a very nice hotel with a pretty cool view of the city. I'll probably go again, but maybe not on a holiday this time. Just to see if it's different. My date (beautiful wife) made the experience exceptional and very memorable. read more

Bridges Lobby Bar - Christmas tree - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I managed to make a last minute reservation to try the Fall Tea in the Bridges Lobby of the Londonhouse Hotel at12:45PM. I was greeted upon arrival by the staff and was seated at the window with a great view of the river, Trump Tower and Wrigley building. I chose the darjeeling tea since a lot of the menu had cinnamon and spices. Unfortunately there were stains on the creamer container and on one of the bowls. The restaurant looked very clean so I was very surprised with how dirty some of the dishes were. They brought out a pastry basket with two scones and a smores croissant and crumbly gingersnap cookie. The scones were served with apple butter, maple curd and clotted cream. I never had maple curd before but it was my favorite part of the tea service. There were 5 fingers sandwiches: salmon gravlox, truffle gougere, vegan crab cake, peking duck bao, egg salad cannoli and a butternut soup that were very savory. The sweets included a cookie butter macaron, pumpkin pecan pie tart, caramel apple pie dome, butterscotch cheesecake pop and a hanging apple cider donut. I couldn't finish all the sweets and was able to pack them up to enjoy later. read more

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Really enjoyed our afternoon tea here. Had a reservation on a Friday around noon. Kind of expected the lobby to be busy, but it was pretty quiet and any one checking in/out was not a distraction from the ambiance. The scone and pastry basket was quite filling, but all delicious. The tray had a nice mix of sweet and savory bites. My favorite was the vegan crab cake and butterscotch cheesecake pop. I ended up having to take a couple of sweets home and they were still delightful a couple days later. read more

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Room's not ready at the London House? No problem, I'll just move into the lobby like this was part of my plan. Bridge's Lobby Bar (yes, that's the name--clever, huh?) has white wine and views of the bridges. That's all I need really. And, let's be honest, the ambiance is giving... I'm working while eavesdropping on other people's delayed check-ins. At least they gave us a spot to park our bags and our attitude. Cheers to limbo living. read more

I really don't get the concept of this lobby bar, as it's open to a lot of guest traffic, so you are trying to relax with a drink or tea service with people checking in in the same space as you (1 star off). There are only a few tables, and the tables by the window is in direct sunlight without shades, so it's a terrible location for afternoon tea (1 star off). The lobby bar is on the second floor, so the view isn't even that great. I ordered the afternoon tea service and it consisted of five small bites of sweets and five small bites of savories. All tasted like they were reheated from frozen grocery store food (1 star off), but I appreciated the added little flowers for presentation. The one and only item I liked was the honey chamomile scone. There was a large selection of quality teas. I ordered the green tea with cherry blossom flowers and enjoyed it. Service was mediocre. Apparently, the kitchen is several floors up, so it takes them a long time to bring you anything. The base price for afternoon tea was $90 with an automatic 20% gratuity even for an one-person party, which is not disclosed anywhere ahead of time (1 star off). With the poor quality of food, service, and location, I do not recommend this lobby bar. read more

Bridges Lobby Bar - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

In all the reservations communication, none of it says where Bridges is located in the London House. After the rude hosts at the rooftop practically shooing us to the second floor, we were able to locate where the afternoon tea is located. Immediately the piped in smell in the lobby takes over the whole space and lingers in the air. It distracted from the taste of the food. It was also kind of strange to have people waiting in the lobby with their luggage while we ate. The table service was nice and appreciate the attention they showed. Rashon and the other server with him were attentive and never left us feeling forgotten. The food was nice. The scones are more American than British scones, they are cake sweet. The petit fore on our tray was so thick with white chocolate it took away from the flavors and not neat in appearance, the flavors inside were wonderfully balanced. The vegan crab cake with lions mane mushroom was outstanding. I they were able to accommodate our vegetarian diet. read more

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Came to celebrate my BFF's birthday and we know birthdays last all month long - so it was my turn to treat her! We came and yes the tea area is situated by the check in area - but we didn't have any people who were disruptive that we wouldn't have had a good time. We sat at a table since there was three of us , through I would have preferred a window booth (next time we know to "prefer". It was fine - we still had the views of our Chicago! We started with tea and we each got what we thought would make the tea - we had the Emperor's Moonlight Litchi Blossom (- I didn't add anything to it and it was perfect just the way it was!), Canadian White Wine Elixir and the Crema Earl grey. Since we were celebrating a birthday they brought out a complimentary glass of bubbly for us adults - we had a 12 year old with us too! Scones, muffins and cookies came out - our favorites were the apricot, strawberry and blueberry. Next since some of us had allergies, they did tend her and her son's allergies- cilantro, coriander, blue cheese and tree nuts - so they just doubled on certain items for them. Which was a nice accommodation! Next time, I think we'll get the kids meal for her son as today he was kinda picky. All in all, it was a good time! read more

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Service was very slow if you are just wanting to have lunch and not take part in their tea service. I agree with other reviews that being in the lobby detracts from the ambience, but to be fair, I am here on business travel and so not looking for a special occasion setting. Just better service. read more

We came here for the holiday afternoon tea. The service was excellent--our waiters were attentive, kind, and offered to take photos of us without us asking (which was really appreciated and the pictures turned out great). We got a seat by the window, which was lovely and we enjoyed the Christmas decor. The tea service started with a few scones and cookies, along with the tea, and there's a good selection to choose from. The savory and sweet treats on the tray were so good. The savory ones won out as the favorites for us (even though I usually have a sweet tooth). While it's definitely pricier than other afternoon teas we've done, it's worth the visit--especially around the holidays. read more

Came here with my two best friends to celebrate a joint birthday, and we just genuinely wanted to experience High Tea and we were intrigued by their holiday menu. The seating here is limited because it's part of the lobby, but it makes it a quaint experience. The view is not bad for only being on the second floor. Jax took care of us and he was absolutely wonderful. Very knowledgeable and friendly, and just overall charming. I opted for the banana chai tea, it was amazing all by itself that I didn't need any cream/milk. The cookies and scones at the beginning were tasty as well. The presentation was super cute and everything was tasty and there was enough for each person where I was actually full and couldn't finish everything that was served. Overall this was a very cute experience and I would definitely go back. read more

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Nice but overrated and overpriced. My daughters and I did the holiday tea service. Our server was lovely. The savories and pastries were nice, scones were tasty, but the setting is right in the lobby giving a casual feel which detracted from the setting. We went to the rooftop to check the holiday decor, it was cute but gave me tourist trap vibes. Once was enough. read more

The place - I didn't pay as close attention the the word lobby, but the fact that people are checking in and out of the Londonhouse while you're having your tea, takes away from the vibe, at least a little. It was a cold and rainy day so was excited to warm up, but no one was at the front podium for 5 minutes when I arrived. Not a huge deal, but worth mentioning that it's a different, lesser level of service and attention than say at the Langham or the Peninsula, but you're also paying differently for those experiences. Our server at first brought the wrong kind of tea for my sis in law, but promptly fixed it. Service was prompt in the beginning, but then sort of left us be. That was mostly fine by us. The taste - the pastries - yum!! So decadent. Most of the bites were delicious. It's a lot of food and we didn't quite finish it all, but it was an absolute lovely way to kick off the holiday season. My face - so the holiday tea was $95 a person, but they apply a service charge, so it was actually $120 pp. I'm not a fan of not being transparent - and maybe they have it disclosed somewhere, but especially for the sort of lack of service- or limited amount of checking in, 20% felt like that was fine, but I wasn't keen on the idea of tipping more beyond that, and honestly I'm not sure what's expected. I might go back again, but only for a special occasion. read more

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I stopped into Bridges, the lobby bar at London House hotel, on my way over to the Lyric Opera for an evening show. The ambiance is sleek and sophisticated, and the panoramic views of the city are stunning, especially the way the light reflected off of the surrounding buildings. The seating area at the bar is somewhat limited, although there are tables and chairs nearby. It seemed like several people were ordering coffee or warm beverages on a chilly April evening. Indeed, this does track, as Bridges is known for its afternoon tea service. I was somewhat on-brand with my order of an Espresso Martini, which was not on the menu, but the bartender was happy to concoct. I enjoyed being a tourist in my own city, in the best way, as I savored my drink and took in the sweeping views of the buildings that I usually pass by without a second thought. While I was there, the live music was just getting underway. It added a convivial note, without being intrusive, and I understand this is a regular feature on weekends. I shall be back to check out the terrace and rooftop bar now that it looks like warmer weather is here to stay. read more

Had a lovely afternoon tea here! The scones were fantastic, and the savory bites on the food tower were a delightful surprise. It's the perfect spot for people-watching on the weekend and enjoying tea while chatting with a friend. I really enjoyed it. read more

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So disappointed, made reservation for my friends birthday. What should have been "Fabulous " was mediocre at best? Complete Money Grab, save yourself and go elsewhere read more

I hate to be this person, but I was pretty beside myself with this experience. I arrived before my party, for what was my birthday celebration, and while they did allow me to sit before anyone arrived, I might as well have been invisible. Not even a glass of water was poured while I waited for my friends. I informed the host that it would only be three of us as one had to miss the event, but again, no point in mentioning this because they continued to ignore us for upwards of 20 mins after the other two had arrived. My friend ended up getting up to ask if we were going to be served, and we were greeted with an apology and the excuse that they were waiting for our fourth. Also, not a huge deal, but they did call me specifically to ask if this was for a special event, and I told them it was my birthday, but nothing was done to acknowledge that it was in fact my birthday. Our server was a sweetheart, but had little knowledge of anything on the menu. So we found ourselves googling the tea, and hoping the champagne we ordered was not sweet. It was fine, but I expected more. The food was disappointing. All the sweets tasted of JUST sugar; no violet flavor in the macaroons, no matcha in the cheesecake popsicle, one little dome that looked beautiful was honestly inedible it was so sweet. The other savory foods were kind of just bizarre bites, sushi wrapped in a crepe, too big to take in one bite, but impossible to bite through without making a mess. Little falafel which, while tasted ok, reminded me of hors d'oeuvres found in the frozen food section of a Trader Joe's. Maybe the weirdest cherry on top of this very meh experience was the part where we paid. My friends each dropped their cards, and the server came back asking for the original card that had made the reservation- which was mine. My friend refused to let me pay for this as I was the birthday girl, and they ended up having to use one card. I have to say, a party of 3 splitting a bill in half is manageable. It wasn't a 20 top or even a 4 top trying to dissect a bill and pay different amounts. This shouldn't have been a conversation. The atmosphere is pretty, but the service was bad, and the food was just bland. I won't go back. Tea at the drake is far and away the better option. read more

We enjoyed an exquisite tea service with attentive service and great views. The summer menu includes so many bite-sized works of art, you almost won't want to eat them, but do-- they're delicious! read more

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I had a couple of cocktails and beers after a long walk in the city. I didn't expect much about the place, but it was nice and cozy enough for a quick drink. Not so packed which was good. read more

great afternoon tea!! very good value for price, everything is tasty and made fresh on the day of. No substitute available though as they make the batch the morning of based on the number of reservations. it is located in the lobby of LondonHouse, so not too good of privacy. The view of the river is nice though read more

I found the tea service here to be just ok overall. It is definitely not an elevated experience in the way many of the other tea services in the city that are. I would recommend other tea services in the city over the tea here at Bridges if you are looking for something more luxurious and treating yourself. The tea service here is situated in the lobby where other random people will just be hanging out, so the atmosphere is not as enjoyable if that's what you're looking for. The tea was fine, but--perhaps to be a bit too much of a snob about it--the tea leaves just continue to steep the entire time, though this probably isn't uncommon. The sweet and savory items that are included were hit or miss. Some of the items were definitely delicious, while some others just didn't hit the spot. The scones and cookies were the highlight for me and all pretty great. Our server was very friendly which was appreciated. read more

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WARNING: Price on the menu is not what you pay! Do NOT make a reservation unless you're prepared to spend 1.5x the stated per-head cost!! I visited Bridges for afternoon tea with a dear friend of mine on 12/20. Service was slow but otherwise the meal was adequate. Unfortunately the experience I've had since then has been nothing short of a nightmare. I used to work in the service industry so I'll put up with a lot of crap, especially over the holidays, but this was beyond the pale. You pay a security deposit in order to reserve a slot for afternoon tea of roughly $45 per person. The bill itself was not itemized when we received it, but it roughly totaled out to $200, which is 2x the per-head cost of $85, plus $14 each for champagne, without accounting for the ~$90 security deposit. That made sense to me so I paid the bill and presumed that the security deposit charge, which was still pending on my account, would be canceled. Big mistake! A week later when I went to check my credit card bill I found out that was not the case. I reached out to get the bill amended, and took me three days of trying to reach somebody in food and service but it's the holidays so I get it. But then Londonhouse informed me that the security deposit had been accounted for, and I had been subject to $75 ($75!!!!!!!) in excess charges for my reservation, including a "service fee" that we were not informed of as well as a "room charge." On the service fee front - I understand adding a 20% tip automatically, but again our bill was not itemized so we were not informed of this and so we added the tip on top of the bill. On the room charge front - I honestly have no idea what this even means because nobody will explain it to me, but we didn't even stay in the hotel! I replied on the same day (12/29) asking for an explanation. I've followed up since, multiple times, and received no response. It's now been almost a month since my reservation and I'm still stuck with fees that are 40% of the promised cost of the meal for two people. If your services are that expensive then you should just raise the prices instead of shocking people on the back end. I'm not someone that normally writes reviews, especially bad ones, but I have never in my life experienced something like this and feel like I have to warn people. STAY AWAY!!! read more

Nice place to hang out with friends. Good food and food service. Bill includes service charge. read more

Bridges Lobby Bar - Bakery - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Kurt is literally the greatest person in this city. Would go to any bar he is working at. Accommodating, fabulous, funny, made our stay at the hotel amazing. Don't know why everyone likes the rooftop when this bar is so much better. read more

A great place for a view and a drink but not always the best for food. The roasted salmon was very good in taste and presentation but the service was not as helpful. The food took a significant amount of time when I was the only person eating in the bar. read more

Bridges Lobby Bar - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Kurt was instantly welcoming and funny. He offered excellent suggestions and was super helpful and warming. Get ready. :) read more

Bridges Lobby Bar - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped by after work for a quick drink. It's a great-looking space and the views are fantastic. Service was prompt. Beer and wine list was good. Price is also quite good. At least considering the location. read more

Bridges Lobby Bar - Beautiful lobby bar at the London House. Great views. - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A nice surprise while staying at The London House Hotel! We found the service to be very good on two separate visits and really enjoyed our meals here. BTW, the fish tacos are delicious! read more

Server was a little harsh when we asked a couple of questions. Inquired about a pomegranate martini. Answer was "we have no flavorings." Out of the cider drink but no feelings about being sympathetic. Lively crowd. Nice views. read more

Beautiful view of the city from the rooftop! The appetizers were great. The drinks were awesome! The ambiance was wonderful