Cosy, classic and undeniably the craftiest flavour sensations you’ll experience in a vintage chic setting; certainly a High Tea experience worth having for both the lovely ladies and their handsome gents. We left feeling all our senses had been deliciously satiated.
This venue has closed.
A striking marble bar greets us as we walk into The Vincent’s Main Bar with its bold geometric tiling, offset by a spectacular wall mosaic, decorated in a whimsical botanical design; staff telling us the custom-made glass tiles were hand-placed to create a one-of-a-kind feature mural. Impressed much? Hell yeah!
As we’re shown to our table in the sunlit Garden Room – sitting down on our bent wood chairs – the décor sends a smile to our lips. ‘This is eye-candy!’ exclaims Helen at seeing the classic white tablecloth adorned with old school print vintage crockery. While most High Tea venues go for uniformity, the The Vincent has pulled together a variety of designs to create an eclectically modern and hip visual delight.
The mix-and-match approach didn’t stop at the table setting. The Bush tea range
ignited the tastebuds with combinations that took us on a flavour-rich journey of all the senses. My favourite? Honey Rooibos: A red bush tea brought to life by real honey, cinnamon and yellow marigold petals; although the Pomegranate Green tea and Lemongrass Rosehip slid down just as easily.
Food was yet to be served and already we were both won over by The Vincent’s sense-driven take on High Tea. Candy to the ears came by way of the Sweet Myrtle jazz duo creating the perfect ambience for such a chick vintage occasion. The soothing sounds adding to the backdrop of cottage style window boxes to make the ideal High Tea experience.
As the first plate of sandwiches was brought out, we hear the inspiration for the venue came from owner Simon Delzoppo’s great, great grandfather Vincenzo – a hotelier in Pisa, Italy who became famous for serving locals the best seasonal food and wine, sourced from across the region; his ideals carrying over to this new Melbourne venue.
The chef’s vast understanding of the science of taste pairings became evident when I bit into my first finger sandwich – melon and smoked salmon; an odd, yet tasty combo bringing a new joy to the consuming of the humble sandwich. The vibrant ingredients such as marinated capsicum married with more subtle flavours creating a zestful union. You won’t find any boring cucumber sandwiches here!
Fluffy freshly baked scones were served with homemade jam and thick cream. The bonus of receiving each High Tea course individually (as opposed to all at once on a three tiered stand) meant the scones could be eaten while still warm instead of going cold and losing their bounce while you work your way through the savoury selection, as is the case with most High Tea houses.
Finally our three-tiered platter of sucre cakes, tarts and pastries were presented to us to ogle as we contemplated where to begin. I was drawn to the boutique-style macarons – where there were four flavours to enjoy. As I bit into the tan coloured mouth-size bite I was taken back my childhood, with a sweet butterscotch flavour filling my mouth. To say I was enjoying ‘mouth’ candy would have been a very big understatement.
Between the custard filled coffee eclairs, strawberry custard tarts, lemon tartlets, mini cupcakes of heaven and dainty chocolate latte slice, if I have one complaint, it would be the sugar-heavy array of food. But if you’re a sweet tooth, you’ll go to candy heaven with the selection, either that, or do as we did and take home a ‘hubby-bag’ full of bite size leftovers.
In conclusion, The Vincent – having only opened on Mother’s Day this year for High Tea – is by far our favourite venue we’ve been invited to review. A portrait of style, sophistication and traditional grandeur, the historic venue – built in 1888 and refurbished to reflect the essence of European refinement.
If I were to sum up High Tea at The Vincent in one sentence: Cosy, classic and undeniably the craftiest flavour sensations you’ll experience in a vintage chic setting; certainly a High Tea experience worth having for both the lovely ladies and their handsome gents. We left feeling all our senses had been deliciously satiated.
The Vincent
Address: 111 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
