High Tea at The Hydro Majestic, Blue Mountains NSW

The Hydro Majestic in Sydney’s world heritage-listed Blue Mountains sits atop an escarpment with sprawling views. This historic venue is well worth the journey for an indulgent afternoon of high tea with a view… and a Louis Roederer champagne of course.

The new Louis Roederer High Tea menu is served in the Wintergarden. Enter through a stunning floral archway into a bright and welcoming room with floor to ceiling windows framing the spectacular view beyond. A pianist sits at her grand piano playing eclectic pieces across several decades – classical Metallica anyone?

The stands have had a stylish upgrade since our last visit a few years ago. The art deco design suits the surrounding decor and gives the pastry team room to display the menu to full effect.

The savoury tier has had an update with each element created to pair well with the Louis Roederer champagne.

Our favourite was the chicken tartlet. How the chefs achieved such an intense chicken flavour in such a small bite is nothing short of amazing. We were tempted to ask for a few more, but with the menu being quite generous already we thought it best to save room for the rest.

The Balmain bug brioche roll was an innovative way to serve a sandwich. The tiny roll had been hollowed out so more filling could be added. The pops of native lime added a zing to cut through the richness of the bugs.

Another innovative twist was their interpretation of the classic cucumber sandwich. Borrowing the tomato chutney that’s usually on a roast beef sandwich and matching it with the cream cheese and cucumber is absolutely delicious.

The Moroccan lamb wrap felt a little out of place compared to the rest of the elegant savouries, but it packed so much flavour into its super soft folds that we overlooked its towering size.

The sweet options have also had a rethink with each piece a delicate balance of flavours so that nothing was overly cloying. Sweetness, freshness and tang are all executed well.

The passion fruit gateaux ticked all the boxes for us. Layers of Valrhona mousse added chocolatey richness, while the passion fruit cremeux cut through with some tropical zing. The feuilletine layer added the textural element to make it an all-round enjoyable treat.

The yuzu white chocolate pannacotta was perfectly set to just hold its shape while supporting the passion fruit ganache. There’s some kind of kitchen voodoo happening there to unmold it without it collapsing.

We’ve eaten a lot of scones in our time and these ones are definitely in our top 3. The evenly browned crust was a little thicker than most, giving them a distinctive crunch to bite through into the perfectly light texture within. The thickened cream and housemade berry jam round out an excellent bite.

The Hydro Majestic’s high tea in the Wintergarden is a perfect example of just how good a high tea experience can be. Being a destination venue why not do what we did and turn it into a weekend getaway – more on that below.

Staying on top of the mountain

When you check in, strike up a conversation with Marcus – he is an expert in the history of the hotel. We learned that the building began life in the late 1800s as the Belgravia Hotel until retail baron Mark Foy purchased it in 1902. Renaming it to the Hydro Majestic, he turned it into a fashionable health retreat for the rich and famous. Lavish parties were commonplace with the likes of Dame Nellie Melba performing regularly under the magnificent dome in the ballroom which is still in place to this day. Unfortunately, in 1921 large parts of the hotel were damaged by bushfire and even though there were several attempts at refurbishment, the old grandeur couldn’t be restored and it eventually fell into disrepair and closed.

It stayed that way until 10 years ago. The buildings have been expertly restored, capturing the essence of its eclectic mix of Victorian, Edwardian and art nouveau styles. We stayed in the Delmonte wing with a view similar to the Wintergarden down into the Megalong Valley. It was a very comfortable room restored in an art deco-inspired way. The chandelier over the bath was rather ostentatious, even more so when we found the dimmer switch!

After a good night’s rest in the king sized bed and filling up on a buffet breakfast we grabbed a complimentary map of the mountains and spent the rest of the weekend adventuring. Marcus was there again at check out and told us all about the growers market in Blackheath, along with insider tips on where to park! Overall, it was a fantastic weekend away and only 2 hours from the centre of Sydney.

Learn about the Hydro Majestic accommodation.

Hydro Majestic High Tea Menu:

Petit Pastries

• Valrhona Carmelina passion fruit gateaux
• Yuzu & Ivoire 35% entremet
• Frasier
• Raspberry tart
• Tropical fruit verrine

Savouries

• Tasmanian smoked salmon, salmon roe, dill creme fraiche, dark rye bread
• Balmain bug, native lime, chives, brioche roll
• Cucumber, tomato, cream cheese, asparagus, white bread
• Pork & fennel sausage roll, tomato & chilli jam, house pickle
• Free range chicken, manchego, baby spinach tartlet
• Moroccan roasted lamb, charred capsicum, feta, sambal aioli wrap

Scones

• Vanilla scone
• Australian currant scone
• Thickened cream, homemade seasonal berry jam

 

High Tea in the Blue Mountains – find more experiences
in our High Tea Venue Directory