Capstone Tea and Fondue

Drinks are very pricey which would be fine if they were delicious, however they are not. The «berry berry» ice tea at about 6 $ was a bitter watery concoction with no discernible berry flavour. The «chocolate fondue» is not melted chocolate. It’s some sort of heated chocolate syrup that is overwhelmingly sweet and completely overpowers anything you dip in it. At 30 $ for two people it should be amazing. Instead it was barely edible.

Bought their coupon on Groupon, and tried calling them to reserve a table. Always getting their answering machine. Left them a few messages ask them to call back but they never did. Seem like their phone number is a cell number. Never recommending them to anyone. There are way better high tea then Capstone. We went to La Petite Cuillere in Vancouver instead. Try them out instead

Food is fresh. The place is nice and clean. Wifi is provided. Good for study and business meet.

HORRIBLE!!! My friend and I went made a reservation at 2:15 for two, one week before our reservation date. We arrived to Capstone at 2:00 and it was not open, but we decided to wait a while and see if the workers/​servers were just a bit late and would open up soon. Half an hour later, Capstone was still not open, and it was 15 minutes after our reservation. It is a horrible horrible restaurant with very bad customer service. It really disappointed us.

My sister bought a Groupon for their high tea for us to try. I’ve never been here and I’d heard okay things about it so I thought, why not? I’m always up for something new.
I really liked it. This isn’t your regular English high tea. It’s a Chinese version of high tea. The food options are a little different or the flavouring was a little different.
The service was pleasant and quick, though it appeared that only 2 people were cooking and serving. The food was quite tasty and filling. I did feel bad for the two tables that came after us. it took quite a while before they received their tea trays.
It really makes me want to go back to try their fondue!

I came here for high tea with my boyfriend and his parents. My boyfriend had bought a Groupon to try this place as his mom really like the high tea experience. I have to say the Groupon was of a good value, even at regular price on their menu for high tea for two people, it is still a good value. The food for the high tea trays were good, there were equal amounts of savory and sweet items. However, I would have liked a little bit more savory items than sweet items. The sandwiches were a bit dry and the fillings were not enough. The tea selection was satisfactory. I would have to say my experience was good and I would recommend people to give this place a try for a casual high tea experience.

Myself and three other friends came here to enjoy the fondu. I always see coupons for this place, for their afternoon tea or their fondus, but had never given it a try. After this experience, I will never go back.
There was only one server working. This might be okay if there was only one table to serve, but when we came in, there was now a total of three tables, with three to four people at each. The server took forever to take our orders, mostly because he was the only one preparing the food. We literally waited 45 minutes before he was done making one table’s food and came by to talk to us.
Once we ordered, a chocolate fondu, a cheese fondu and the ice cream balls, we figured things would move along. But no, we again ended up waiting forever. At one point the server brought us one of the trays, but no fondu. We finally had to point it out to him. Once we got both of our trays, we started eating. The fondu and chocolate were both lukewarm, which was disappointing. The food itself was something you would make out of your own kitchen when you’re scrambling for something to eat. I was expecting some nice breads and vegetables and meats, not some crackers, deli meat, and baby carrots. The chocolate tray was just as bad. Random broken pretzels, a few pieces of fruit, just sad. The pictures on the site of the fondus were NOT what we got.
The quality, poor. The service, poor. The restaurant? ALSO POOR, we were freezing in there, so much so that my friend had to go in her car and get a jacket even though it was warm outside. Overall, just a poor experience. Definitely do not recommend.
Oh, and the table beside us had the high tea, plus they seemed to order something else (the third girl). While the high tea items came first, the third girl didn’t get her meal until well after the high tea was done. They laughed as she poked at her meal before leaving. I don’t necessarily blame the one server, since he was all by himself, but what a poor way to run a restaurant.

At first, I was not happy with this place. We were told to sit down when we wanted to grab drinks and go, and a drink we ordered cost more because of it. Before we got served, I was just about ready to storm out.
But then we got served. And it was exquisite. The watermelon slushie tasted so refreshing, and it may have very well been a simple mix of watermelon and ice. The frappes my two friends got were very delicious as well. Everything tasted so natural; none of the artificial syrupy tastes you get at a lot of places.
We all left very happy and energized, despite a rough start. While it has some areas to improve in logistically, this place’s beverages are worth your money. Great place to sit down, relax, and enjoy some delicious, refreshing beverages (and fondue apparently!) with friends. I see a budding little business in Capstone!

I don’t usually write reviews but I gotta say Capstone deserves a good one! (I’m surprised by some of the poor reviews written here.)
First of all, service. Some people say it’s slow — compared to fast food? As a high tea restaurant, the amount of time they took to prepare the delicacies presented is very reasonable. They didn’t interrupt me with questions/​or hurried me when my mouth was full — but they came right away when I needed service. I got to chat with my friend and I didn’t notice any serving interruptions. (which is what high tea is supposed to be — a peaceful, relaxing, unhurried atmosphere)
Now, the food! My friend and I ordered a tea set to share (which included dainty savoury treats and 2 drinks). I ordered a Matcha Latte which was the right amount of sweetness (i.e. not too sweet and not too bland), and the Matcha flavour had a nice aroma without being too overpowering. My friend ordered a Blueberry Fresh Fruit Iced Tea, which she said was light and refreshing. The sandwiches (others say are dull) but I find it important for the sandwiches to be simple so they don’t take away the taste of the tea and other sweets. We had a variety of fruits, they were freshly cut and colourful (grapes, strawberry and melon). Sweet treats included Macarons (fluffy and airy), Cookies (shortbread and white choco macadamia) and buttery Scones.
All in all, we had a fantastic high tea experience, slowly taking in the atmosphere, enjoying our delicacies and sipping our light teas. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would recommend!

Ordered takeout Turkey and cranberry sauce panini and was very disappointed with the quality of food. For $ 8 I expected at least real Turkey not Turkey ham, the cranberry sauce is at best canned, at least they put a few pieces of greens on it.
For not ordered food from here, I should have went to McDonald’s instead.

Pricy but if you split it with friends it’s ok. Our server never once asked how we were doing. The fondue was good however. Try the cheese one!

**This review is for their High Tea**
When I think of Capstone, their yummy fondue usually comes to mind but seeing a SocialShopper deal, I decided to try out their High Tea option — 2 for the price of 1 deals are always a win, right? Wrong… I really don’t like writing negative reviews but this one is necessary to warn others.
I decided to go with my boyfriend, which was his first time having high tea. I made a reservation on a Friday afternoon @ 2pm, which was their opening time. Upon entering the restaurant, I could still see them setting up the area and kitchen area. There was already another group of 3 people in the restaurant as well.
We were seated in a cute and nicely furnished area, only weird part was the random Polaroid photos of people/​customers on the wall — reminded me of my highschool days of taking sticky piks! I digress… We told them we had a SocialShopper voucher, so the high tea menu was already set, we just needed to pick a drink. I ordered the hot Milk Black Tea and my boyfriend had a simple Green Tea. We got our drinks within 15 minutes, and surprisingly before the other people who were there before us. The milk tea was flavourful and creamy. My only frustration was that our drinks were not refillable — how could we enjoy a High Tea without more tea?! It was unfathomable, so we had to carefully sip and make our tea last the entire meal.
Our server was really nice and polite. She explained that they were running a little behind because they had a no-​show that morning. So they only had the 2 of them running the place, it wasn’t too bad since there was only 2 tables to serve. However, they seemed to be quite disorganized and slow with their prep. We were sitting right in front of the prep area and I had the chance to see everything that went on during the 30 mins we waited for our food to be made and brought to us.
First off, high tea is supposed to be a lovely arrangement of pretty sandwiches made of delectable ingredients, fresh, warm scones, flakey pasteries, and delicious sweets.
The «high tea» at Capstone consisted of: Sandwiches made of one piece cold deli ham in between plain sliced bread with some mayo, frozen store-​bought mini dried scones, hard pastries, and frozen store-​bought chocolate treats. I think the only thing that tasted good from that platter were the fresh fruits. Everything was mediocre and I was really sad that I was basically paying to eat foods from a frozen box that was probably bought at a supermarket. There was nothing special or fancy about this experience and I felt terrible that this was my boyfriend’s first high tea experience. I have never been so embarrassed. Even with the coupon I felt ripped off, I can’t imagine paying full price for this — Capstone, please stick to fondue!
We finished our food within 15 – 20 minutes and left hungry. I never want anyone to think that this is what high tea is about, so this review had to be written… Please check out legit high tea places like Adorabelle Tea Room or Secret Garden instead!

this place has gone down soo much… they had no truffles (it would have been nice to know that up front) fruits are canned and now they resort to putting pretels on the plate to save money. I think the management doesnt care about the quality anymore.

LOVE THIS PLACE! Chocolate fondue — So yummy! Definitely recommend it for a good fondue in downtown Vancouver! :)

Capstone is a super cute place! …And all my positive comments stop there.
I came here on a friday afternoon with a friend to use the afternoon tea coupon I purchased from social shopper for $ 19, and saying that it was just «okay» is a bit nicer than this place deserves.
The coupon said that the deal came with sweet as well as savoury treats: Our order came with a small plate of fruit, 8 tiny triangular shaped sandwiches that were filled with a 1 mm thick «egg salad» spread, if you can even call it that (it was basically just mayo) and one slice of lettuce — where’s the ham/​turkey/​substance ??? 2 tiny scoops of ice cream (size of a quarter), 2 mini macarons (size of a quarter), 1 mini croissant, and 4 other assorted mini pastries. I DEFINITELY was mistaken by having high expectations of this place. The food was extremely sub-​par and I feel like I could have got everything for way cheaper if I just shopped from the frozen dessert section at costco. Nothing special about it – just tasted low-​grade and soggy.
The only thing I was happy with was that the deal came with 2 drinks (cold/​hot). I got the hot sweetened japanese matcha latte, which was a bit on the sweet side but still tastey, and my friend got a slush drink that was decently sized.
I probably would not return to this place again if I didn’t have a coupon. Definitely nothing special about the food at all. I would recommend this place if you enjoy tiny flavourless sandwiches and defrosted low quality desserts and generally NOT getting your money’s worth.

Went there with my hubby and lil one, we liked it! Delicious fondue, everything was fresh and tasty, and my latte was perfect too! Also good thing that they have chairs for infants.

Likes: «Hidden» spot, the healthy choices
Dislikes: Drink prices for tea, no tea bags
Background:
I went here for the second time with a friend, on a Sunday night, when a group of fifteen-​year-​olds were just wrapping up their birthday bash. It was loud then, but when they left, it was back to me and my friend. Another group of four people came by after, but otherwise, it was an uneventful Sunday evening for them.
Ambience:
This spot is quite small, and can accommodate maybe 25 people at a time. It is important to consider this because I have seen this place busy before. You can actually make reservations on their site (which I did for the same night, and didn’t receive a confirmation for).
Food:
We decided to go with all you can eat fondue ($ 9.95). They gave us 4 small plates of fruits (strawberries, grapes, pineapples, bananas), bread (lemon poppyseed), and cookies (powdered cookies). And of course, a small cup of chocolate fondue heated by a tealight candle.
I still don’t like their drink prices, and how their tea does not come with a tea bag. For $ 5 worth of tea, I expect to to have a tea bag that I can still use and get a refill of hot water for! Even a small tea pot would do, and would match their branding.
Value:
I don’t think that I got my money’s worth (and I don’t think that I would ever get my money’s worth here), but I think it is effective with being cutesy and for those occasions where you want to be away from Richmond’s favourites.
Service:
Their service was friendly and attentive. They were also not rude with asking us to leave when they were closing, even though I know we’ve overstayed.
Verdict:
I’m sure I’d return again. It’s a great place for catching up with friends! They accept credit cards, debit cards, and cash as well, which is different from most late-​night Asian spots in Richmond.

Review #25 — 30 Day Unilocal Challenge
Quite possibly one of my favorite spots in town, I discovered this café when my friend brought me here. From the moment we entered, I knew I’d love this place. It’s charming and quiet (although I’ve read from other Unilocalers that the noise level is average. Twice I’ve been here and it’s dead silent). The décor is simple but effective; I also really liked the dark wood floors and the comfy chairs.
If you’ve been following me, you already know that I can’t have chocolate. If you aren’t familiar with that, let me familiarize you: I can’t eat chocolate. It’s both a blessing and a curse. Anyway, Capstone offers fondue in both chocolate and swiss cheese so it’s obvious which pot I got to enjoy. Both my friends got the chocolate pots. They were making fun of me and saying how the chocolate would be so much better. Funny enough, after our first taste, I was the only one who loved my pot. They told me they didn’t like theirs. They actually started to dip theirs in mine! Adrian 1, friends 0. So, moral of this story is be open to trying everything.
Anyway, our fondues came with a variety of items to dip: bread cubes, assorted veggies and fruits, and pastries. We also got a side of ice cream. Not to dip into cheese (although I totally would have, as gross as it sounds), but just as dessert. We got scoops of mango ice cream and scoops of raspberry ice cream. It was quite delicious, although I wish we ordered it when we were about to finish with our fondue. It was almost melting so we had to eat fast. Our fondues and dips were tasty. I love the variety of items to dip in that was offered. I just wish they served a bigger pot of cheese! I like my fruit/​bread/​veggie/​pastry to be swimming in cheese, but I had to ration it out so that I had enough. I also ordered a hazelnut black tea latte, which unfortunately, I didn’t like too much. It had an odd smell and it tasted like rice. Not a fan of that.
The service was decent. It wasn’t memorably good, but it wasn’t horrible either. Both people working were very nice and attentive.
They have 2 bathrooms. The one I used was very clean and well stocked. I must say, out of all the bathrooms I’ve been to in every food establishment I’ve dined in, this is the one that stands out the most. It smells lovely, it’s very bright, and quite spacious.
I give it a 4.5÷5. But because of the price I’m bumping it down to 4/​5, it’s quite pricey ($ 5.25 for my drink!). However, I would definitely come back here. I’d just make sure there’s an extra special reason why I’m going (birthday/​going away party/​etc as opposed to going just because).

This place is causal and modern cozy place to get together with some friends for a drink.
I got friends who came from HK and tried to get a place for a talk. That’s why I picked this place for chic chatting.
We were greeted warmly by the staff, but the service seemed to deteriorate after we seated.
The waitress took a long time to bring over water and to take our order.
Shaken Fresh Fruit Iced Tea — Earl Grey Black tea, it was ok.
Americano — After I ordered it, the staff came to me and said, the sugar is out order but they will give me syrup instead! Huh? Tea or coffee shop running out the sugar? Gee…
Anyway, we ordered chocolate fondue, it was good.
Semi-​sweet dark chocolate, it tasted like a milk chocolate rather than dark chocolate.
Assorted seasonal fruits, it included banana, strawberries, grapes, green apple, and fresh pineapples.
Featured pastry items — Banana bread
Six Ice-​cream truffle, we selected green tea, mango and mocha. Yummy.
Two fondue dips, almond rocher & caramel crumbs.
Overall, it’s disappointing of services, average food and drinks.

This place is modernly designed and seems like the place for a date or a little get together with some friends. We were greeted warmly by the male staff who seemed more like the supervisor. But service seemed to deteriorate as the server (different person) we got for our table was slow and didn’t seem to know much about the menu. She took a long time to bring over water and to take our order.
It’s disappointing that if you’re a table of two, you can’t have one chocolate fondue and one cheese fondue. The cheese fondue is only available for two at $ 22.95. We asked if it was possible to just order enough for one person and be charged half but we were declined. This is odd because a) you can order the chocolate fondue for one but not the cheese fondue and b) the cheese fondue comes out in a small separate cheese pot for each person. So if the fondue for two isn’t served in a communal pot, than why can’t you order cheese fondue for one?!? Weird. The chocolate fondue for one is all you can eat for $ 9.95.
So we opted for the cheese fondue for two which provides two personal sized pots of melted Swiss cheese fondue (about about half a cup of cheese) that is heated with a tea light candle. Even though it’s a Swiss cheese fondue, I found the cheese to be extremely mild, almost bland so that was disappointing. You get some French bread cubes which was apparently endless but I didn’t realize that at the time and our server never came by to ask how our food was or offer additional bread. We also received grape tomatoes, green apples, grapes, baby carrots and some pastry like biscuit. The portions of bread, fruit and veggies weren’t that big so it’s more like a snack as opposed to a meal.
Overall, it’s an okay place but I was disappointed with the cheese fondue flavour as that’s the most important element of a fondue! And service wasn’t good.