If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a Saturday morning with your besties, then the bottomless high tea at Bisou Bisou is the way to go.
A high tea is typically thought of as an English affair, but this French restaurant in the heart of Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley has put their own twist on this traditional fare and topped it up with bottomless St Germain cocktails.
On a busy Saturday morning, we made our way to Bisou Bisou in the heart of Brisbane’s bustling Fortitude Valley. The restaurant has earned a reputation as a wonderful French dining experience, and is now opening its doors on weekend mornings for high tea.
Drawing on its French roots, this is no typical high tea. The treats are centred around French delicacies, and its real selling point is in the French-liqueur based cocktails. Offering a bottomless high tea for 90 minutes, Bisou Bisou is clearly aiming for the popular brunch market!
After being served our first round of drinks, our high tea towers arrived. The sweets included profiteroles (of course) and a selection of macarons. A favourite for everyone was the brie and fig jam vol-au-vent with fresh honeycomb, and wonderful combination of flavours and textures.
On the savoury front, we were treated to chicken and tarragon with mustard mayonnaise on brioche rolls, alongside red paper, chive tomato, and chevre finger sandwiches, and a frittata Lorraine. The favourite among this selection was the mini croque monsieurs with shaved ham and gruyere cheese – a very French addition!
But by far the most popular item at our table were the scones. Crunchy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, they were cooked to perfection and, of course, served with jam and cream.
One of our party required gluten-free alternatives, which were catered through with alternatives like gluten-free bread for sandwiches, a gluten-free brownie, and a delightful creme bruleè. However, missing from the equation was an equivalent to the scone, a cornerstone of any high tea. Having enjoyed high teas at other restaurants before, this is the first time a restaurant has not provided a gluten-free scone, which was disappointing.
A fun and delicious selection of cocktails are on offer, beginning with a spritz served in a glass tea pot and poured into a delicate china tea cup. The non-alcoholic options were also plentiful and refreshing, and a selection of teas and coffees are also on offer.
Despite the cocktails and towers of treats, Bisou Bisou still lacks the ambience of a high tea. It’s quite obvious we were sitting in a restaurant that usually offers lunch and dinner fine dining, and they just happen to do high tea sittings on weekends. A few touches like bunches of fresh flowers, and having the table set with tea cups rather than wine glasses, and finer crockery, could help make a difference to the atmosphere.
The wait staff, though friendly, openly admitted they weren’t familiar with serving high tea and even commented on the lack of atmosphere (as we were first to arrive). Hopefully they’ll become more confident with practice and support.
If, however, bottomless brunches are something you and your friends enjoy, then you should absolutely check out the Oui Oui High Tea for a different experience. Overall, it’s a friendly and welcoming experience that ticks most of the boxes of a high tea experience, while also offering that french joie de vivre through its drink and food selections.
Oui Oui High Tea at Bisou Bisou Menu:
Gluten-free options available.
Sweets:
- Chocolate profiteroles, vanilla pastry cream
- Freshly baked scones, whipped chantilly, strawberry jam
- Macaron selection
- Creme bruleé
Savoury:
- Chicken and tarragon, mustard mayonnaise on brioche rolls
- Red pepper, chive tomato and chevre finger sandwiches
- Frittata Lorraine, spinach, bacon, cheddar cheese
- Brie and fig jam voul-au-vent, fresh honeycomb
- Mini croque monsieur, shaved ham, gruyere
1.5-hour bottomless beverage package featuring:
- St-Germain teapot cocktails
- Freshly brewed tea & coffee
- Refreshing non-alcoholic spritz
