High Tea at the Radisson Blu Sydney

Inner-city chic meets CBD convenience at the High Tea at the Radisson Blu Sydney.

It would be hard for most adults not to be able to replay a memory of a stay at a Radisson Hotel. With almost 1,500 locations worldwide, many in sought-after, central locations within cities, a stay at a Raddison is almost perfectly suited to any travel type, whether it’s for business or pleasure. The Radisson brand equals trust, comfort, and a touch of luxury, and that’s exactly the experience we were seeking as we headed for our Saturday afternoon high tea. Sydney’s Radisson Blu is housed inside a gorgeously vintage façade, reminiscent of New York’s famous ‘cheesegrater building’, stunning set across the backdrop of the Sydney afternoon Sunshine.

The hotel is expansive, the ceilings lofty, and the vibe charmingly casual, with children running hither and thither having fun. Of course, we’re lovers of a high tea being intimate and quiet, but we’re sometimes really in the mood to visit a location we can just relax and let loose in, not worrying about watching our p’s and q’s.

After being seated next to a sunny window, we were offered the tea menu, which was pleasingly lengthy, two whole pages from which to choose. We appreciated this effort the hotel had made with the choices, as sometimes at an afternoon tea, the actual tea is a mere afterthought. We chose the ‘La Maison Du Thé’ Orange Pekoe, and, just for fun, ordered a Long Black Vittoria coffee, as a good, strong, beany brew was something on the menu and that we just fancied at that moment. We also sipped a chilled champagne whilst we caught up and relaxed into our padsy armchairs.

Our high tea appeared before our eyes on a traditional silver tiered tray, and the yummy offerings bedecking it were described lovingly by our server. It’s of note that at this high tea location, although not the fanciest location in the world, the staff were some of the politest and cheeriest we’d ever interacted with, which sometimes can make all the difference. Gorgeous prawn marie rose brioche rolls and luxuriously stuffed cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches sat astride a chicken curry pastry puff – a playful aussie addition to an otherwise traditional plate.

The scones were lovely although a little bit too crisp for our liking at this high tea, and although they were served with strawberry jam which is our personal favourite, we found the serving size a little too small to get around each scone. We’re sure that we could have asked for more if we’d wanted to, but sometimes one feels a bit piggy asking for extras, so to save embarrassment, we’d recommend a little bit more served from the get-go!

Seasonal sweeties sang out at this high tea. A raspberry and white chocolate loaded biscuit blended tartness with supreme creamy sweetness, and the star of the show was a seasonal mango marshmallow, cleverly styled in the shape of a rose. All-up, the precision with which the items had been prepared was slightly less meticulous than other high teas we’ve encountered, but the items were nonetheless delicious and we were having such a lovely time with the staff and each other, we didn’t mind at all.

After we finished our food, we were offered to choose another of the teas on the menu. We always like to end with something fresh, so chose the peppermint and carried on playfully chatting and enjoying our afternoon, feeling no need to rush on or out. This high tea would be perfectly suited for a city-breaking couple or family, or group of girlfriends wanting a convenient high-tea experience during a weekend trip.

Signature High Tea Menu:

Sweet Treats:

• Banoffee tart
• Berry pavlova
• Flavoured macarons
• Honey and earl grey tea cheesecake
• Lemon and Pistachio cake

Scones:

• Traditional scones, house-made preserves and clotted cream

Savoury Selections:

• Curried chicken and celery tart
• Cucumber and cream cheese sandwich
• Prawn and salmon roe rolls

 

Unlimited barista made Vittoria coffee and La Maison Du Thé tea.

 

High Tea Sydney – find more experiences
in our High Tea Venue Directory