We’re just buzzing to tell you about the newest addition to Sydney’s themed and seasonal High Teas!
Here at High Tea Society, we’re always busy as bees, working tirelessly to source and craft High Tea content that our reader ‘Queens’ (and Kings) know and trust us for. We also get to visit some of the most high-profile locations & hotels in the world, collecting and tasting sweet tea nectars before flying back to our hive to put together content for you. With our love of all things sweet, we’re simply buzzed that Hotel Group ‘Vibe’ hotels, known for their affordable luxury and synonymous with city breaks, have now launched their ‘High-er Honey High Tea’, all themed around seasonal and regional honeys, set atop their city rooftop bar, Above 319.
To begin with, the Vibe Hotel in the CBD of Sydney is a mid-priced hotel, however, the service we received upon entering the warm and welcoming atrium was 5*. Friendly, well put-together staff greeted us warmly and guided our journey to the rooftop bar, which felt very luxurious (but without the price tag). The ‘Above 319’ bar is a cute place for a date with your BFF or romantic partner, intimate yet with an expansive view bedecked with flowers and glinting lights – and right next to the rooftop pool.
After settling ourselves down on a pink banquette, we were offered either an alcoholic or non-alcoholic glass of champagne. With one of our party not drinking (as so many people are choosing to do nowadays), we thought it was really helpful we didn’t have to ask especially for a non-boozy option. Both were delicious and refreshing, and we asked for a pot of mint tea alongside. On a changeable autumn day, we found we needed both the cold and the hot drinks on the rooftop.
Now, let’s get to the food. What a spread. Quite honestly, we were blown away by the quantity and the quality of everything we were offered. A classic cucumber sandwich was three-layered with honey compressed cucumber ribbons, a dill smoked salmon blinii overflowed with fresh fish and herbs. We even sampled a wild kangaroo, truffle, and honeyed fig pastry which was so unusual, we’d never even seen anything like it at the poshest of 5* addresses. Our very, very favourite was the pepper-crusted pastrami bagel, with swiss cheese, it would have been just fine to have one of these and been happy for hours, without any of the other menu items. A stand-alone triumph.
Sweets had a memory, a whisper of honey throughout – the theme wasn’t overpowering, but complementary. A honey, yuzu and Saltbush honeyed cheesecake were complemented by a honey and fresh cherry tart with cherry meringue, and freshly (really, freshly) baked scones were served homemade caramelised honey and rosella jam. Just typing our review out makes us want to eat it all over again! If you’re feeling ritzy, or trying to impress a date, you can add a little golden tin of caviar to go alongside, or a whole bottle of prosecco, for if you’re really upping your ‘Vibe’.
We genuinely will treasure the memory we made at Above 319’s High-er Honey High Tea, we’ll see it in a golden light in our minds for years to come, their chefs have created a top class experience for city-breakers and Sydneysiders alike to enjoy. This special edition high tea is only available for a limited time, so better call your honey (or honeys) and make a booking.
High Tea Sydney – find more experiences
in our High Tea Venue Directory
