Its modern but glamorous design and décor was immediately warm and inviting, as were the staff who seated us by the window near the outer-edge of the restaurant.
High Tea Society had the pleasure of taking champagne high tea at the Bacchus Brisbane, which is situated at the Rydges hotel in South Bank. Its modern but glamorous design and décor was immediately warm and inviting, as were the staff who seated us by the window near the outer-edge of the restaurant.
As we were seated, two glasses of Moet et Chandon were poured and shortly after our three-tiered high tea stand was placed on the table. The bottom tier was savoury, the middle had scones and the top was a selection of miniature desserts. I started at the bottom with the leg ham and cheese sandwich, and then followed up with the delicious filo pastry and goat’s cheese mouse, which delighted my taste buds and became the star of the afternoon. I was also pleasantly surprised by the croissant, which was served with truffle and eggs – a lovely twist to an old favourite. They also served a beetroot and feta tart.
At this stage I ordered a pot of tea. The Bacchus serves Harney and Sons fine tea, which I am told Lady Gaga has her own custom blend. I decided to go with the Darjeeling, which was described on the menu as the “Queen of teas” – as a bit of a tea lover, my choice was clear. I was very impressed by the range of teas on offer and glad to see a selection was also available for purchase. As a tea lover there is nothing worse then coming across a blend you love and not being able to take it home with you to enjoy.
With my tea poured I was now ready to conquer my favourite part of any high tea – the scones with jam and cream. The scones, plain and sultana, melted in my mouth and were married perfectly with the raspberry Bonne Maman jam and cream Chantilly.
Next we were ready to tackle the desserts, which were deliciously rich and colourful – as all desserts should be. Today the top tier encompassed a panna cotta mint and chocolate cup, blueberry clafoutis, orange and almond blueberry cupcake, strawberry mouse and a chocolate and a strawberry macaron. My absolute favourite was the panna cotta mint cup, which was not only just the right size but had the perfect balance between sweetness and mint.
While, in my opinion, the selection of savouries was somewhat limited, the variety of desserts would have made even the most fickle sweet tooth’s day.
The high tea was served on William Edwards fine bone china, the same crockery that is used at The Goring in London, where the late Queen Mum liked to take her high tea. The crockery, with its modern and elegant design worked perfectly with the venue, which was bustling. Heavy rain and a march in the city, creating traffic chaos, did not affect bookings at this establishment.
The guests ranged from a long table of about 15 guests, to smaller groups of ladies dressed up for their Saturday outing, to the more casually dressed and even a hens party where the bride-to-be donned a veil for the occasion. It was a very casual and relaxed atmosphere with simple but delicious food.
The Bacchus also offer gluten free options for their high tea and also a Mother’s Day Champagne High Tea.
I would recommend this high tea to those who are wanting more of a casual and relaxed but enjoyable day out without having to worry about what to wear – some female guests were wearing their sand shoes while others donned high heels and a dress.
The Quintessential High Tea at the Bacchus is priced at $36 per person, The Champagne High Tea, which is the Quintessential High Tea with a glass of Moet et Chandon is $55 per person and in my opinion is priced a bit steeply given the only variation to the menu is the glass of champagne.
Quintessential High Tea Menu:
- Plain and date scones cream Chantilly ‘Bonne Maman’ French raspberry preserve
- Raspberry mousse
- Stack lemon cupcake
- Blueberry and almond friand
- After dinner mint
- Panna cotta snobinett
- Assorted macarons
- Selection of gourmet sandwiches (varies daily)
Menu is subject to change
Reviews for this venue:
- 2 November 2023: High Tea at Bacchus Restaurant Brisbane
- 3 September 2018: High Tea at Bacchus Brisbane
