Photo: Tripadvisor

Gibraltar Tea Company

Name: Gibraltar Tea Company
Address: 5 Tuckey's Lane, Gibraltar GX11 1AA, Main Street & Town Centre, GI
Telephone: +350 200 69500
Price range: ££–£££

Cafe · BritishMain Street & Town Centre££–£££

A British restaurant in Main Street & Town Centre that rates better than most of Gibraltar, on 104 Tripadvisor reviews.

Gibraltar Index

4.4 / 5

Tripadvisor4.5104

Google4.4233

A weighted blend of both, not an average. How this works

Ratings read 6 September 2026.

Our review

The Gibraltar Tea Company is a tea room on Tuckey's Lane, a side street off Main Street, serving loose-leaf teas, scones and cakes alongside breakfasts, baguettes, burgers and fish and chips. It holds 4.5 on Tripadvisor from 104 reviews and 4.4 on Google from 233, an Index of 4.40. The reviews were re-read on 6 September 2026, and the newest was posted that same day.

Tea and scones are what hold up, and almost nobody disputes it. The tea selection is called wonderful even by reviewers who were otherwise unhappy, the Governor Earl Grey gets named, the scones are 'the saving grace' of one afternoon tea and 'awesome' in another, and a coeliac in August 2026 was delighted with the gluten-free breads and scones and with an owner described as a funny and kind lady. It is small and calm, off the tourist flow, and a German day-tripper this week found the fish and chips very good and fairly priced, and ended up chatting at length with the chef.

The wider kitchen is where it wobbles, and the newest reviews do not settle it. A week before that German review, another diner called the fish and chips terrible, with boiled-looking chips, a 30-minute wait and a charge for sauce. A booked afternoon tea in July 2026 came with white-bread sandwiches holding a single slice of ham and packet cupcakes, and a 2025 breakfast had a cocktail-sized 'Cumberland' sausage and reheated bacon. Slow or unfriendly staff come up in August 2026 on Google and in earlier walk-outs on Tripadvisor, and one visitor found the kitchen shut an hour before closing despite the all-day-food sign.

Price is the other constant, and it is residents who raise it: five pounds for a pot of tea for one, £4.25 for a cup, 'prices are not equal to quality'. Older reviews also record serious complaints about a manager reprimanding staff in front of customers and unhygienic behaviour at a table; nothing of that kind appears in 2026, but it is part of the record.

Come for a pot of something interesting, a scone or a slice of cake, or a gluten-free bake, in a pretty little room off the main drag. Approach the full meals and the formal afternoon tea with lower expectations, and know that locals think it dear. Nobody from Gibraltar Index has eaten here; this write-up is drawn from the reviews.

Written from the Tripadvisor reviews and both platforms' scores on 6 September 2026, not from a meal we ate — nobody from Gibraltar Index has eaten here. We show the Google rating but have not yet read Google's reviews for the write-up. The recurring themes it draws on are below.

What reviewers consistently say

Our summary of recurring themes across the 28 most recent reviews, written in our own words and read on 6 September 2026. Recent reviews from both platforms are quoted, with attribution, further down.

The tea selection and the scones satisfy even the reviewers who were unhappy with everything else.
Gluten-free breads and scones earn specific thanks from coeliacs.
Fish and chips split reviewers a week apart in August 2026: very good for one, terrible for another.
The booked afternoon tea disappoints against its price, with white bread and packet cakes.
Residents call it expensive: five pounds for a pot of tea for one.

What it gets right

A wide, well-chosen tea list
Scones and cakes, with proper gluten-free options
A small, calm room off the tourist route

What it gets wrong

Cooked meals and the afternoon tea are hit and miss
Pricey by local standards
Slow or offhand service in several reviews

How it compares

It holds 4.5 out of 5 on Tripadvisor from 104 reviews — well above the Gibraltar median of 4.1 across 106 restaurants with enough reviews to rank, and on a solid body of reviews.

Among comparable places, it is 2 of 12 British options we track, by rating.

It is priced in the middle of Gibraltar's range.

How the Gibraltar Index Score is built

It is not an average of the two. Each source is weighted by how many reviews it carries, then pulled toward the Gibraltar average so a high score from a handful of reviews cannot outrank a strong score from thousands. Gibraltar Tea Company scores 4.5 from 104 on Tripadvisor and 4.4 from 233 on Google, which the model blends to 4.4.

We read the 28 most recent Tripadvisor reviews and summarised what recurs, in our own words; the reviews we drew on are quoted below, attributed to their authors. The Tripadvisor and Google scores are each shown 1:1 as those platforms publish them; the Index Score is ours and the formula is above. Nobody from Gibraltar Index has eaten here, so nothing is a first-hand verdict.

Recent reviews

Shown from each platform, attributed to the reviewer. We don't edit them — read the full set at source.

Tripadvisor★★★★★4.5· 104

All on Tripadvisor →

2026-07-04
Not the best afternoon tea in Gibraltar
Some friends and I booked for afternoon tea and we were most disappointed. Although the actual selection of teas was wonderful as were the scones everything else was hugely disappointing. The sandwiches were on plain white bread, cut in triangles with the crust on, the ham ones just had one tiny slice of ham, but the white bread was chewymore →
MichelleR5 · via Tripadvisor
2026-03-11
Avoid if you can, poor value and not good food
Was hoping for at least an ok high tea experience. Expected it to be expensive given in a touristy spot. However, food was marginal at best and grossly overpriced. Drinks were fine but pricey. We are not fussy but I don’t understand all the positive reviews. If the place either improved the food or lowered the prices it might be ‘ok’.more →
WinnipegDusty · via Tripadvisor
2025-11-25
10/10 Feels like home
I have been coming to The Tea Company for a very long time (since opening) I have NEVER Had a BAD experience. My partner and I come her to celebrate all our milestones (keys to our first house, first car together etc). These guys have always made sure we are welcome. Whether its getting some tea to help with a cold or celebrating big newsmore →
TJLgib · via Tripadvisor
2025-10-31
Unhygienic and Expensive
£5 for a pot of tea for 1 person !!! SO EXPENSIVE !! Whilst there, a member of staff or the manager was sitting picking bits of food from his moustache, looking at it and them flicking on the floor. WE ARE RESIDENTS IN Gibraltar, but will never go back. !more →
S4055TDdeborahf · via Tripadvisor
2025-07-30
Fantastic coffee & tea cafe.. A MUST
Has indoor & outdoor seating. Delucious carrot cake!! They offer free wifi. Frankly, this locally owned cafe is a jewelmore →
Y1420PGrogerl · via Tripadvisor

Google★★★★☆4.4· 233

All on Google →

2026-09-06
Wir hatten einen Tagesausflug nach Gibraltar gemacht und suchten nach einem Stadtbummel eine Möglichkeit, um eine Kleinigkeit zu essen. Wir entdeckten dann in einer Seitenstraße abseits der Fußgängerzone ein kleines Restaurant. Die Karte war sehr übersichtlich was nicht negativ gemeint ist, denn wir wollten tatsächlich klassisch Fish&Chipmore →
Eric schaefer · via Google
2026-08-28
GOOD 👍 Friendly staff and a good price. BAD A little small. TIP ✔️ Visit earlier in the day as some items can go out of stock. We needed a drink and some food and this place was the ideal place. A little small maybe but that was part of the charm. Unfortunately they were out of the apple crumble, but that was the only downside.more →
Mike Naylor (Chief) · via Google
2026-08-28
Terrible fish and chips, the portions are small and the chips look like they’re boiled. They took 30 min to make it as well and they charge extra for saucemore →
Alfonso Ramos · via Google
2026-08-26
Personal lento y antipáticomore →
Kaikane 1325 · via Google
2026-08-23
Came here for the gluten free options, as a celiac I was super happy with this experience. The owner is a funny and kind lady, and the service is nice, it can be a little slow but it is a very busy spot. The teas were special and to be enjoyed. The gluten free breads and scones are good too. I would come back here!more →
Vanessa Pires · via Google

Reviews are the opinions of their authors, reproduced from Tripadvisor and Google with attribution and a link to the original. Gibraltar Tea Company did not provide them and Gibraltar Index did not solicit or edit them.