covermore
Restaurants

High Tea, The Victoria Room Darlinghurst

Crave Sydney International Food Festival 2011 is back for its third year, with a month-long series of food events that run across Sydney and regional parts of NSW. Renowned around the world for its clever design of international food flags, the festival transforms October into a veritable cornucopia of food events.

High Tea is one of the popular categories that make up Crave Sydney, with 17 locations participating in the afternoon tea ceremony.

High Tea at the Victoria Room

With its dark tones and elegant interiors of a “British-Raj” inspired era, the Victoria Room in Darlinghurst brings an element of class and vintage to this English tradition.

High Tea at the Victoria Room
The Victoria Room

On a Sunday afternoon, the vibe at the Victoria Room is far removed from the boisterous cocktails shaking of the evening or the frenetic pace of the Bartender Bum Fight during BarShow Week. The welcome at the front desk is polite and inviting, and we are escorted to our table towards the back of the room where many ladies, and the occasional fine gentleman, are lounging in style and comfort.

High Tea at the Victoria Room
The dining section

High tea is a special time for girlfriends, and as much as I have enjoyed the decadence of an afternoon tea at the Ritz Hotel in London and the indulgent afternoon tea at Burj al Arab in Dubai, I am excited to be sharing the Victoria Room experience.

High Tea at the Victoria Room

A glass of Brown Brothers sparkling wine among girlfriends makes conversations flow, and amidst the hubbub of the room and the influx of guests, the atmosphere is very relaxed with unobtrusive background music.

High Tea at the Victoria Room

High Tea is served in the classical 3 tier style. Starting with the savoury layer, the selection of afternoon tea sandwiches includes chicken with wild herbs, the customary cucumber, crème fraiche and dill, smoked salmon, rocket, lemon and capers, watercress, celery, walnuts and goats curd. Every bite of the triangles is simply delectable.

Assorted Sweeties follow which is an array of sweet and tasty morsels of dark chocolate cupcakes with chocolate mousse, the moreish short crust tartlets with seasonal fruit and a hint of mint, the delicately flavoured rosewater jelly with a frosted petal on top and shortbread biscuits infused with lavender.

High Tea at the Victoria Room
Rosewater jelly with rose petal

We finish with date and plain scones served with organic strawberry conserve and a light Chantilly cream.

High Tea at the Victoria Room

A tea and herbal infusion menu is offered and we choose the aromatic Queen Mary tea, a blend of Darjeeling and Ceylon teas and the Russian Caravan tea, a traditional blend of China black tea that has a mild and fine aromatic flavour.

High Tea at the Victoria Room
High Tea menu

High Tea at the Victoria Room

At the Victoria Room, it is easy for time to slip away between sips of tea. Service is very polite and friendly, with the ladies ensuring that we are well looked after and enjoying the experience.

High Tea at the Victoria Room

Much like the Prêt-à-Portea at the Berkeley Hotel adds a fashionista flavour to a British tradition, a touch of vintage and class sums up High Tea at Sydney’s Victoria Room.

High Tea at the Victoria Room

High Tea at the Victoria Room is priced at $45 per person and includes a pot of tea or coffee and a flute of Brown Brothers sparkling. Other High Tea menus are also served outside of the Crave Sydney International Food Festival month and take place Saturdays and Sundays from 12.00pm to 5.00pm.

The Victoria Room High Tea
Level 1, 235 Victoria Street
Darlinghurst NSW 2010
www.thevictoriaroom.com

About the author

Corinne Mossati

Corinne Mossati is a drinks writer, author of GROW YOUR OWN COCKTAIL GARDEN, SHRUBS & BOTANICAL SODAS and founder/editor of Gourmantic, Cocktails & Bars and The Gourmantic Garden. She has been writing extensively about spirits, cocktails, bars and cocktail gardening in more recent years. She is a spirits and cocktail competition judge, Icons of Whisky Australia nominee, contributor to Diageo Bar Academy, cocktail developer and is named in Australian Bartender Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential List. Her cocktail garden was featured on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia and has won several awards. She is a contributor to Real World Gardener radio program and is featured in several publications including Pip Magazine, Organic Gardener, Australian Bartender and Breathe (UK). Read the full bio here.

22 Comments