Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth

Photographer: Joshua Pike
Sofitel Sydney
Sofitel Sydney

Tucked away in the Soiree lounge at the Sofitel, ‘Afternoon tea at the Wentworth’ is a great way to spend a few hours relaxing with a traditional high tea.

Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth

The friendly staff will greet you at the door and show you to your table. There’s quite a lot of room in the Soiree lounge, but the tables are arranged in a way that still make the setting feel quite intimate. Sink back into the high-backed booths and enjoy your high tea stand and a glass of French champagne.

The stand includes all of the delicious treats you’ve come to expect in a high tea. There is a point of difference though. There is a signature cheesecake that the chefs have resurrected from an original recipe first used when the Wentworth opened as Sydney’s first 5-star hotel back in 1966. In a word, this nod to the past is divine. A light jaconde cake layered with a creamy filling that’s quite rich without being overly cloying. I loved it.

The Opera slice had some of the thinnest, perfectly even layers I’ve seen. It packs a flavour punch too. No complaints here! The macarons are a link to the Sofitel’s French origins and are good examples, with flavours that change seasonally. The filling in the lemon meringue tart was lovely and buttery rather than eggy like a lemon curd. The scones were a dainty size with a nice texture, not too crumbly like some can be.

Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth

The sandwiches were all super fresh with great flavour combinations, we could gladly eat a whole one for lunch (if there wasn’t a raft of sweet treats to fit in!) There was also a light and fluffy pumpkin muffin, which was another favourite of the day, along with a mini quiche Lorraine.

The tea selection is from Ronnefeldt and there are 9 to choose from including: Darjeeling, English breakfast, Earl Grey, Jasmine, Chamomile, Rosehip, Peppermint and Chai.

Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth

The day we were there was a rainy Sydney afternoon and we found the room to be warm and inviting. We spent quite a while watching the hustle and bustle outside, glad we were warm and dry inside with a stand of treats to enjoy! There was also a small hen’s high tea in a private area of the lounge. If you have a larger group the Sofitel also offers high tea upstairs in their Garden Court restaurant.

Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
Sofitel Sydney Wentworth

Afternoon tea at the Wentworth menu:

– Sweets: Classic opera slice; macarons; Wentworth cheesecake; chocolate éclairs; lemon meringue tartlet; fruit tartlet.
– Scones: Plain and raisin scones, served with double cream and strawberry jam.
– Savouries: Roast beef on whole wheat with horseradish butter; smoked salmon on ciabatta, cream cheese, cherry tomato, capers; cucumber dill on white bread; spinach and pumpkin muffin; quiche Lorraine.

Sofitel Sydney Wentworth:

61 – 101 Philip Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000

When:

Daily 2.00 - 5.00pm

Cost:

$49 per person served with traditional tea and $59 per person with French Champagne (Taittinger for our review)

Prices are correct at the time of publishing, but subject to change. Please contact the venue for further details.

Melanie Pike

Melanie Pike is one of our Sydney contributors. In her life outside of champagne, tiered cake stands and fine bone china, she’s the Editor of the Fernwood Magazine. After a long week of writing about sugar-free diets and the latest gym sessions to get her readers in shape, she sneaks away to sample the delights of some of the best high tea venues in Sydney. She’s covered from Katoomba to Kiama and almost everywhere in between.

Articles by Melanie