A grand centerpiece of luxury boasting panoramic views of Sydney’s exclusive skyline and striking harbour scenes - it's no wonder that the traditions of opulence and splendor of high tea fits perfectly within the walls of the Blue Hotel.
Located on the picturesque wharf in Wooloomooloo is one of Sydney’s leading hotels. The Blue Hotel is a grand centerpiece of luxury boasting panoramic views of Sydney’s exclusive skyline and striking harbour scenes. So it is no wonder that the traditions of opulence and splendor of high tea fits perfectly within the walls of the Blue Hotel.
The beautifully structured hotel has been well maintained to capture the history and the charm of the Woolloomooloo Wharf. The Water Bar sits in the centre of the hotel as an open plan bar and is sleek and modern.
Once seated, we are kindly met with a glass of NV Moet & Chandon served in a curvaceous hour glass champagne flute. This is included with the Diamond High Tea. Other options include the Crystal High Tea with a glass of NV Chandon Brut or the more traditional Blue High Tea with a selection of Twinings tea.
The beautifully tired spectacle arrives with three tires of sandwiches, savoury bites and desserts. There are two options of sandwiches including shaved leg ham, cheese and seeded Dijon mustard and eggplant, cream cheese and pea sprout on Turkish. Although I am open to a modern take on the traditional high tea, the Turkish bread is disappointing to see.
The second tier, however is much more exciting, hosting an Asian inspired selection of barbequed chicken tikka, prawn gow gee with a soy ginger dipping sauce and a skewer of ginger chili prawns. Everything is very fresh and adds a nice spicy element to the high tea, which is not out of place but instead a welcomed modern take on tradition. At this stage we receive our tea. The Earl Grey is beautifully floral and the Twinings tea set that accompanies it is charming.
The dessert tier is obviously always the highlight and they haven’t let us down with the scones. The scones are fluffy with a slightly crisp crust and are accompanied by a very generous serving of raspberry conserve and Chantilly cream, which I’m very grateful for. Also on the tier are portions of chocolate mud cake, three layer chocolate mousse cake, coffee cake and chocolate dipped strawberries. The three layer chocolate mousse cake is definitely the stand out but I think adding a fruit or citrus component in the form of a tart or macaron would make this tier a bit more well rounded.
The Blue Hotel Sydney High Tea Menu
- Scones with chantilly cream and raspberry conserve
- Selection of individual French pastries
- Chocolate sacher cake , chocolate macarons and chocolate coated strawberries
- Finger sandwiches: Shaved leg ham, rocket with seeded dijon mustard.
- Aubergine, cream cheese and pea sprout on turkish bread.
- Prawn gow gee with soya ginger. Chilli, garlic prawns and barbeque chicken tikka.
- One glass of NV Moet & Chandon Imperial, Epernay France all served with a selection of loose leaf tea or espresso coffee any style.
In comparison to other 5 star hotel high teas, the Blue Hotel stacks up in terms of quantity but not in terms of quality. I really enjoyed the modern take that they brought to the traditional high tea with the inclusion of contemporary Asian flavours. However, because of the attention paid to this one tier, the other two tiers were a little neglected, particular the finger sandwiches. The service was outstanding and the atmosphere was intimate and luxe. I would happily return for high tea at the Blue, though with just a little more devotion given to the selection of sweets and with more consideration on each individual element and how they all balance together to deliver a superior high tea.
The Water Bar, Blue Hotel
Address: first floor, 8 Cowper Wharf Road Woolloomooloo, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Tel: (02) 8356 2553
Website: www.waterbaratblue.com
