A love letter to the whimsy of yesteryear’s afternoon tea traditions at Sydney’s historic Fullerton Hotel.
Do you ever wander around a city and wonder what life must have been like in years gone by? Today, Sydney’s CBD is a vibrant, hummingly multi-cultural business, shopping and entertainment mecca. But what tales has this town to tell of heritage days? 150 years ago, within the Victorian renaissance era, visitors still came to the city’s centre from far and wide, dressed in their finery to enjoy an afternoon tea treat, just the same as we do today. And that’s why, for this high tea, we’ve found ourselves at The Fullerton, the hotel having invited us to enjoy a whole high tea menu designed to transport diners to a very special time in history.
One of the unique charms of The Fullerton is in the bones of the building. It’s situated ensconced within the former General Post Office (GPO) building, first erected 150 years ago and lovingly taken care of, still looking, we imagine, just as glorious as when the last stone was laid. ‘The Bar’, where the high tea is served, gives a fantastic view of the whole arena, and with it’s ample natural light, it’s the most stunning of settings for enjoying high tea.
Sometimes, we visit afternoon tea venues that put modernity and pizzazz into the menu choices, however, staying true to the heritage theme, tea was served on a traditional silver tray, with savouries to start. We were proffered ample servings of cheese and ham pinwheels, deconstructed egg with potted shrimp, and a yummy thick smoked salmon sandwich. We even saw a cute cucumber sarnie on offer – a delicious relic of the Victorian gourmets!
Sweets were served next (not scones, which we found slightly odd) and the colours and textures, reminiscent not only of the historic era the menu was themed within, also provided vintage hues of autumnny dark cherry and burnished browns. The ‘cherry’ on top of the Neopolitan Ice Cream Verrine really was the cherry on top of the whole affair, it was a delicious creation so true to the whimsical flavours of the age. We also enjoyed the lovely malted milk envelope – it seemed so fitting that in Sydney’s communication landmark that we’d be given a dessert that we had so many positive things to say about! We were a bit full by the time the scones arrived, and usually we like to have them alongside the savouries and sweets, but they were nonetheless sizeable, fluffy, warm and redolent with glaze, enjoyed with a rich berry jam and cream.
We decided not to have an alcoholic drink at this particular afternoon tea, but it is of note that visitors can upgrade to enjoying their tea with a glass of champagne, or, for an extra $20, make it a bottomless affair with free-flowing Canti Prosecco. We wonder what would have happened to those prim and proper Victorian ladies and gentlemen if a bottomless option had been available in their day – we’re quite sure some Bridgerton-esque scandals might have been on the cards! We were all a-chatter as we sipped our TWG Tea and Vittoria Soy Latte that Sunday at The Fullerton Sydney, as this really was an afternoon tea worth writing home about.
Heritage Afternoon Tea Menu:
Savoury:
- Cucumber Sandwich gf, nf
- Brioche, Herb Crème Fraîche and Cucumber
- Pinwheel nf
- Ham, Cheese, Spinach, Sun-dried Tomato and Mayonnaise
- Potted Shrimps and Egg nf
- Shrimp served with Egg and Caviar
- Smoked Salmon gf, nf, df
- Cream Cheese, Dill, Anchovy Paste and Salmon Roe
Sweet:
- Neapolitan Ice Cream Verrine gf, nf
Maraschino Cherry, Strawberry Foam, Vanilla Cream, Chocolate Pannacotta and Ruby Biscuit Crunch - Malted Milk Envelope nf
Malt Cookie and Malted Milk Mousse - Bakewell Pudding
Puff Pastry Tart, Raspberry Jam, Almond Custard, Flaked Almonds and Quenelle of Chantilly
Apple Charlotte nf - Ladyfingers with Vanilla Bavarois and Rhubarb Jelly
- Fullerton Scones nf
- Plain and Earl Grey Sultana Scones served with Clotted Cream and Mixed Berry Jam
gf indicates gluten-free, nf indicates nut-free, df indicates dairy-free
High Tea Sydney – find more experiences
in our High Tea Venue Directory
Reviews for this venue:
- 25 November 2024: Christmas Afternoon Tea at The Fullerton Hotel, Sydney
- 22 June 2024: Winter Afternoon Tea at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney
- 30 March 2022: Signature Afternoon Tea at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney
- 16 October 2020: Pink Afternoon Tea at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney
- 14 March 2020: Purple Themed Afternoon Tea at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney
