Be prepared for a luxurious High Tea Experience at the Primus Hotel, where glitz and glam meets tradition.
As you walk through the double doors into the lobby of the Primus Hotel in Sydney, your eyes are instantly drawn to the gorgeous Art Deco vibe, a fit out that would have you thinking that Mr Gatsby himself was watching from the second floor. Amongst the pillars of pink you will find the The Lobby Bar – an extension of the hotels restaurant, The Wilmot.
Beautiful, dusty pink, velvet chaise lounges that just oozed sophistication and glamour awaited us as our host directed us to our table and introduced us to the Madame Clicquot High Tea and the Glenmorangie & Tea offerings. The Madame Clicquot High Tea is a reimagining of a classic high tea that celebrates the 200th anniversary of the blended Rose Champagne by Madam Clicquot. The Glenmoragnie & Tea is an afternoon tea definitely a must for the discerning Whisky lover or gentleman, it is a wholly modern take on the traditional ladies High Tea.
As the perfectly matched art deco tiered cake stand and wooden samples board was popped onto our table, our eyes just about popped out of our heads – what a sight. The menu created by Head Pastry Chef Andria Liu and Executive Chef Daniel Menzies takes you on a sweet and savoury adventure, accented with pink Champagne and Whisky. Let’s start shall we?
I have always loved to start with a high tea staple, the traditional lemon and white chocolate scones. Served warm, the scones had an American biscuit like exterior, however the inside was wonderfully light and fluffy. The condiments provided were a rhubarb strawberry gin jam (the hint of gin was perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the strawberry) and traditional Chantilly crème, served in adorable little jars. Moving onto the savoury and being an oyster lover myself (which made me totally biased), but I couldn’t help love the spin that the team at the Primus put on a fresh oyster with the Veuve Clicquot Granita.
Next up we dug into a generous portion of the Hawkesbury River squid – a lightly battered squid served with a dollop of house-made aioli sauce and sprinkling of lemon zest. Yum!
The standout dish for me in the savoury portion of the 3 tiers, had to be the melt-in-your mouth Veuve Rosè Ora King Salmon Gravlax with a Yuzu Mayo served on a Squid cracker. OH MY DAYS. I have been to quite a few high teas in my life and I would never have imagined a dish like this!
Moving on from this high, a cleansing of the palette was provided by the Cucumber and Crème Fraîche finger sandwich and Poached Pear with Blue Cheese and Walnut and onto the sweets I went.
The sweet tier signature, the Raspberry Wagon Wheel with its topping of crushed, freeze dried raspberries, brought back such wonderful primary school canteen memory with this refined version of a classic. Then the Vanilla Cannoli was a perfect segway to the petite Tiramisu Chocolate cup, and suddenly I found myself at the finale. And I am so glad I saved the yoghurt panna cotta for last because it was unreal. The Panna Cotta itself was not overly sweet which complemented the beautifully textured honeycomb and strawberries – washed down with a glass of Chandon NV Brut, what more could you ask for?
Oh wait, did I mention the Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea?
The Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea, served with a Glenmorangie Whisky tasting was a smorgasbord of savoury pairings. Served on a wooden board, the Asian inspired Sydney Rock Oyster with XO Sauce was a mouthful of flavour. Continuing on with the gastronomic Mushroom Consume with a Pumpkin and Truffle Gnocchi that popped wonderfully in my mouth, we were starting to think that this experience was ending too soon!
Next up we paired the Wagyu Brisket, covered in a Vegemite Nectar d’Or sauce with the Thick Potato Maxium and wow I just could not believe how the Wagyu fell apart in my mouth and how the team at the Primus got the potatoes to have so many beautiful, crunchy layers! The Octopus was served with such a wonderful char, giving that smokey flavour and the Quinta Ruban Chilli Sauce was deelish.
To finish off, was the Pork Chilli Con Carne Slider with a cabbage Sauerkraut that cut through the richness perfectly. The Glenmorangie Whisky tasting board was a flight of three, consisting of the Lasanta, Nectar d’Or and Quinta Ruban, ranging from sweet to dry, it offered the perfect balance to the palette and definitely not one to miss for the Whisky lover.
It is safe to say that if you are looking for an opportunity to relax in a beautiful setting or catch up with some long time friends, the Afternoon Tea offerings at the Primus Hotel cannot be missed. Make sure you allocate some extra time in this fabulous establishment (because we didn’t leave until 6:30pm) because the food and decor is so wonderful that you’ll find it very hard to leave..and when you leave you’re just itching to come return for another visit.
Primus Hotel High Tea Menu:
Sweet:
- Tiramisu (GF)
- Raspberry Wagon Wheel
- Yogurt Panna Cotta, Strawberry, Honeycomb (GF)
- Vanilla Cannoli Lemon White Chocolate Scones, Rhubarb Strawberry Gin Jam, Chantilly Crème
Savoury:
- Sydney Rock Oyster, Veuve Clicquot Granita (GF, DF)
- Finger Sandwiches, Cucumber, Crème Fraîche, Chives (V)
- Veuve Rosé inspired Ōra King Salmon Gravlax, Yuzu Mayo, Squid Cracker (GF)
- Poached Pear, Colston Bassett Stilton Blue Cheese (V, GF)
- Hawkesbury River Squid, Lemon Zest, Parsley, Aioli (GF)
High Tea Sydney – find more experiences
in our High Tea Venue Directory
Reviews for this venue:
- 30 May 2016: High Tea at Primus Hotel Sydney
