HIGH TEA

Champagne, cupcakes, spa treatments… there’s nothing stuffy about today’s high tea, writes Tatyana Leonov.  There’s something fabulous about sipping tea out of dainty crockery while nibbling on cute sandwiches and petite pastries, and you’ve got to admit, Aussies are leaders when it comes to leisurely activities. High tea (or afternoon tea) can be traced back to the 1700s – and Britain of course. Working men and women used to fill up on their afternoon break, sometimes in place of eating a late dinner. Then the rich got hungry. Picture the 7th Duchess of Bedford getting peckish in the afternoon and...

A good old-fashioned romantic weekend calls for a good old-fashioned hotel. Is the Stamford Plaza up to the task? Tiana Templeman finds out  Choosing somewhere for a romantic escape using a hotel’s website can be a bit like internet dating. Sometimes you get a pleasant surprise, but more often than not those attractive online photos are nothing like what you expected once you finally meet. It’s hard not to feel like a jilted lover when a hotel neglects to mention your view will have little in common with that gorgeous shot on the hotel’s site unless you pay for a...

Guillame at Bennelong is one of Sydney's revered culinary institutions and Australian traveller sent Lisa Perkovic to sample their high tea and report back.  High Tea is a time-honoured tradition. Crustless cucumber sandwiches, fluffy scones and a tiered cake stand are part of the package. I don’t stand on ceremony but some would insist on the white gloves too. At 2pm each Wednesday ladies who lunch, couples, families and tourists hand in their tickets for a seat in the Opera House’s smallest sail. Joining the line at the door, I don’t know what to expect except extravagance. If I’m spending...

When high tea and high fashion joined forces against a stunning Sydney Harbour backdrop at the Park Hyatt Sydney Liz Schaffer had to investigate. The towering jewel-coloured cakes and freshly brewed tea of the Park Hyatt’s Pret-a-Portea are effortlessly drawing Sydney’s fashionistas (and those with a soft spot for harbour views) into the elegant world of high tea. Pret-a-Portea is a series of indulgent afternoon tea events featuring Australian designers and luxury labels – the ideal girl’s day out. For those seeking fashion guidance, each designer can be found darting around the event, pinning that last dress or tracking down...

AT’s Aimee Chanthadavong discovers the delights of high tea on a rainy day at the Observatory Hotel in Sydney. Walking through the timber doors of Globe Bar at the Observatory Hotel feels distinctly like travelling through a time warp and back into the colonial era. The sense of elegance and grandiosity that emanates from the room is a reminder of a British upper class social gathering spot. The room is a cross between a gentlemen’s cigar lounge – olive leather chairs, dimmed table lamps and the richness of a dark timber finishing that frames the room – and a ladies'...

Bringing time-honoured traditions to the mountains, AT hikes, skis, camps and stops for High Tea in the Australian Alps. High in the Australian Alps there’s a new way to spend an afternoon. If you’d rather wine and dine than hike through the mountains, Gaze at Rundells Alpine Lodge has a new afternoon treat that will be your cup of tea. Make no mistake, you’ll still find people sitting with friends, having a yarn with a steaming cup of tea, but there’ll be fine china and scones on the table. High Tea has arrived in the mountains. It’s come a long...

AT welcomes back the traditional British tea sipping ceremony of the 1700s and rates Sydney’s finest High Teas with surprising results. The lofty trend of drinking Darjeeling tea served in shimmering silver teapots is the latest drawcard for those who favour the finer side of life. Sydneysiders are familiarising themselves with what they believe is a rather regal treat. Several versions of teas are on offer around the city with emphasis on presentation and fine crockery. Antique three-tier stands are laced with pastries, chocolate dipped strawberries, lemon tarts and freshly baked scones. Individual hosts have transformed the meal-like high tea...

Australian Traveller's Sol Faul reviews the High Tea experience at Bayside Lounge in Sydney's Darling Harbour. “For the working and farming communities, afternoon tea became high tea. As the main meal of the day, high tea was a cross between the delicate afternoon meal enjoyed in the ladies’ drawing rooms and the dinner enjoyed in houses of the gentry at seven or eight in the evening. With the meats, bread and cakes served at high tea, hot tea was taken.” - UK Tea Council’s definition of High Tea //   Darling Harbour in Sydney is a long way from the drawing rooms...

AT reader and Sydneysider Sandip Hor has made an exquisite addition to his list of favourites in Melbourne: reliving the age-old English tradition of afternoon tea. I still remember my first experience of high tea at the Ritz Hotel in London on a cold winter afternoon. As I entered the restaurant, I was greeted with the aroma of various teas, the sugary scent of creamy pastries, and my ears were filled with a unique blend of sounds: multilingual conversation and the tinkling of spoons in English china teacups. The atmosphere was warm and cosy enough to create a leisurely mood...